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Rowen’s outstretched hands slowly dropped. “Why?” Then his eyes widened. “You don’t seriously thinkIhad anything to do with this attack?”
“Alibi,”Brady snarled.
Rowen’s mouth tightened. His gaze found Noelle. “Addison texted and told me what happened. I was eating with a friend, and, yes, she can vouch for me, but you have to know I would never do anything to hurt you!” He tried to side-step around Brady.
Brady moved with him. “You have trouble with the ‘nope’ meaning, don’t you? Let me help. Nope, you are not touching her. She’s had one hell of a night, and I’m taking her out of here. No one is going to hurt her, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Count on it.”
Elliott’s arm bumped into hers. “I don’t think our Brady is quite in control.” A low murmur, meant for her alone.
She quite agreed with her brother. Tension poured from Brady, and his hands were fisted once again. In all the years she’d known him, Noelle had never seen him quite like this.
“Uh, Mr. Breckridge.” The blond cop again. Ryan? She thought that had been his name. “We will investigate this case. You can be assured of that.”
“Threeattacks,” Brady gritted out. “He’s come for her three times. First at the house she’d planned to show, then he sent the kids to scare her, and now he comes straight for her in the dark. We don’t know what the fuck he will do next.”
Her stomach twisted. She inched closer to her brother.
“He could hurt her,” Brady continued as his voice thickened. “He could try to kill her. You think I’m going to let that shit happen? You think I will let anyone ever—”
“Brady.”Elliott’s voice. Not a murmur any longer. A sharp snap with command.
Brady whirled toward him.
“You’re scaring Noelle,” Elliott added grimly. He’d wiped most of the green off his face, but stubborn smudges still remained. “Stop it. Just get her out of here, okay? Get her someplace safe, and I’ll work to figure out why the hell the cameras weren’t operating.”
Brady’s stare shot to Noelle. “I’m scaring you?” He took a hesitant step toward her. “I-I never want that.”
“You don’t scare me. You couldn’t.” He made her feel safe, and she very, very much wanted to get the hell out of there. “Take me out of here? Please?”
“We have a few more questions,” Ryan began.
Noelle shook her head. “I’ve answered them all. Again and again. I don’t know who it was. I don’t know why he’s doing this. I just want it to stop.” She extended her hand toward Brady.
His fingers closed around hers. “I’ve got you.”
Warmth spread through her. Warmth that came from where their hands touched, slid up her arm, and thawed the chill from her bones. He tugged her toward the exit, and she could feel the stares on them, but she didn’t care. She just wanted out. As soon as they stepped into the night, the cold air swept around her, but Brady still held her hand, and she didn’t care about the cold. In moments, they were in his SUV, she was safe in the passenger seat, and they were driving away from the civic center.
She loved this charity night, or, she had loved it. Now, when she thought about the event, Noelle just felt scared. Uncertain. What if—
“I’m sorry.” Brady’s rough apology. “I let you down.”
What if Brady hadn’t been there?Would she still have gotten away from her attacker? “You saved me.”
“The fuck I did. You saved yourself.”
“You distracted him. He eased his hold, and I used the move you taught me.” The finger break and the elbow to the ribs. Brady had taught her that, too. “If you’d been another minute later, I…”
The windshield wipers sliced across the snow that had fallen onto the glass in front of them.
“You thought he was me.” Grim. Thick.
“He wanted me to think that. He was trying to get me close to him. He crooked his stupid gloved finger and just trusted that I would run to him because I always run to you.”
Brady’s head jerked toward her. “What?”
She was too tired for this. Adrenaline had fueled her during the questioning scene with the cops, but now, weariness pulled at her. “I always run to you.”
“No, no, baby, you don’t—”
