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The jerk had ditched the costume. He’d hidden behind it. Now the sonofabitch could be wandering around in plain sight. Brady’s hand fisted in the beard. The entrance to the civic center waited to the right. The bastard could have just strolled inside.
To Noelle?
To try and take her again?
Hell, no. That was not going to happen.
***
The police asked questions. So many questions. Elliott had called them. Or maybe Brady had, Noelle wasn’t sure. A dull headache beat behind her eyes. Two hours had passed, and nearly everyone else had gone home already.
“You can’t describe anything about the individual’s face?” This was the same question the blond-haired cop had asked her three times already.
Noelle hunched into her chair. She still wore her costume, and she desperately wanted to change. It had gotten dirty and wet when she fell into the snow. “He was dressed like Santa. I-I…the beard covered his face.”
The blond cop and his female partner shared a long look. “But you were outside with him for several moments before he did anything. You were…talking? Talking all that time, and you can’t describe him at all?”
She opened her mouth to respond and say that no, they hadn’t been chatting it up out there. She’d gone out to get air, to cool down, and he’d been in the darkness.
“Seriously?” Brady stepped forward. He’d been right behind her, a furious, dangerous presence at her back during the questioning. “You’re going to grillher?Going to act like she did something wrong?”
“Uh, no.” The blond’s eyes widened. “We were just trying to figure out—”
“Figure out why none of the building’s security cameras were operational,” Brady cut through the cop’s words to order. “Figure out who the hell turned them off. Figure out why this guy has been targeting her. Figure that shit out, would you?”
“Brady.” Elliott’s voice, like a calm in the middle of one very pissed-off storm. “They’re trying.”
“He could have taken her.” Brady’s voice snapped, whip-like.
Noelle flinched.
“I didn’t even know he was out there with her,” Brady continued, tone thick with fury. “He had her in the dark. He was taking her away from me. I was supposed to keep her safe, and I fucked up.”
Her head snapped toward him. “You didn’t!” When Brady had come out, she’d—
“You thought he was me.”
Yes.
“He knew that. He was counting on that. He drew you close enough so that he could get his hands on you.” Brady’s blue eyes glittered with fury. His very, very distinct eyes.
“Ahem.” The female cop cleared her throat. “If you thought it was ah, Mr. Breckridge, then I can assume the attacker was of a similar height and build?”
She’d told them this stuff already. The repeated questions were not helping anything. “Same rough height. As far as the build, that would be hard to say because of the coat he wore.” She forced herself to look away from Brady’s intense gaze. “The pinky on his right hand could be broken. I grabbed it and wrenched as hard as I could when Brady came outside because the man…” Fear pulsed in her stomach. “He had one hand around my waist, and the other over my mouth and he was trying to pull me away, and I knew I had to get Brady’s attention. So I yanked the jerk’s pinky as hard as I could, because when I was fifteen, Brady taught me that trick and I never forgot it. Doesn’t matter how big your attacker is…” She could still remember Brady’s grim expression as he talked to her so long ago. “Everyone’s pinky breaks the same. You grab it, and you snap. You—”
“Noelle!” Rowen stood just inside the civic center’s doorway. A long, black coat swirled around his legs, and flecks of snow dotted his hair. He hurried toward her with his gloved hands outstretched. “I heard about what happened just as I was finishing up dinner! How terrifying! Are you all right?” Lines of concern etched across his forehead.
Before he could touch her, Brady stepped into his path. “Nope.”
Rowen stopped. “Excuse me?”
“Where the hell were you tonight?” Brady demanded.
“At dinner. I just told you I was—”
“Who can vouch for you? You got someone who can give you an alibi?” Brady’s questions were rapid-fire.
Noelle rose and peeked around Brady’s broad shoulder.
