Page 26 of The Deadly Shallows

He looked back at her locking her door. She waved, then shut off the interior light.

He raked a hand through his hair. He shouldn’t have stayed so late. That was selfish, but he hated leaving her. He could breathe around her—be himself around her.

Taking a deep inhale, he climbed into his car and fought the urge to head back to her door.

FIFTEEN

Noah looked over at the strongest woman he’d ever known—and he was surrounded by strong women. What Brooke had gone through today, how she’d performed her duty in the midst of chaos, how she’d let loose when her heart was cracking, how she shouldered the trauma—she was amazing, and he was an idiot. He loved her. Wanted nothing more than to be with her. Ached to be with her. But he loved her too much to do so.

Leaning over and ignoring the searing pain in his thigh, he gently tossed a blanket over her as she lay curled up in the recliner. They’d ordered food from the hospital kitchen, and she’d planned to leave after eating, but she hadn’t even stirred when they brought in the food.

In the silence, he prayed for everyone hurt today. The ramifications of the shooting would run the gamut from massive to minute. It would remain imprinted on them at best, consuming them at worst.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Rapid fire drilled through her mind. Shells dropping to the ground, clanged off the growing pile at the shooter’s feet.

Gunsmoke enveloped the room crowded with chaos.

A bullet whizzed by her head as she raced for Molly’s fallen body, blood seeping out—wide, frightened eyes staring back at her.

Brooke lurched up, gasping for breath, cold sweat clinging to her skin.

“It’s okay,” Noah said. “I’ve got you.” He reached over and clutched her hand.

A thin blanket pooled in her lap.

The hospital. Noah’s room. What was she still doing here?

“You were having a nightmare,” he said, shifting closer to her.

Oh, it was a nightmare all right, but the nightmare had been real—though distorted in fragments in her mind. She rubbed her forehead.

“You okay?” Noah asked, his just-woken voice husky.

She nodded and glanced at her watch. 0600. “Oh, shoot. I’m going to be late for duty. I’ll have to use the gear I store on base.”

“Duty?” Noah sat forward, then winced. “You’re not going to work, are you?”

“Yeah.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Why not?”

His eyes softened, light creases in the corners. “Honey, don’t you think you should take some time off?”

She stood. “Oscar tried to get me to take the shift off, but keeping busy, helping others—it’s what’s best for me.”

He nodded and reached out his hand.

She clasped hold, and he tugged her down, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Be safe.”

Her forehead still tingling, the rest of her shaky, she headed out into the rear hospital lot, where Gabby said she’d left her car. The chill morning air hit the dampness of her skin, causing her to shiver, but the cold gust that ruffled her hair and swirled about her face helped bring her fully back to the present.

She clicked her key fob and spotted the yellow reflection of its blinking lights on a white van parked in the slot in front of it.

Noah had kissed her. Granted, not where she’d dreamed of, but a kiss was a kiss. She just hoped it wasn’t a pity kiss, but a true, genuine one.

She took a sip of the coffee she’d grabbed from the nurses’ lounge, needing to shake herself awake. She reached her car door. An arm slid around her neck, placing her in a choke hold. She struggled for breath, trying to pull the arm down, trying to kick, but a hand smothered her nose and mouth. Her coffee tumbled to the ground as a sickly sweet scent engulfed her.

SIXTEEN

Caleb walked up the winding stone path that led to Austin’s kitchen door, her outside light clicking on as the sun still hadn’t crested the horizon.