again made her wonder about their relationship. Were they friends? Something more? Had they dated at one point? Sneaking another glance at his handsome profile, she thought that if he’d asked her out, she’d have said yes.
Then again, maybe she already had a boyfriend. There were no rings on her fingers, which made her feel slightly better about being attracted to Noah.
Enough. Stay on track, she admonished herself. Her headache must be making her loopy. There were more serious issues facing her right now than wondering about her personal relationships or lack thereof. “Can I pack a suitcase?”
“No time. We need to get out of here right away.” His hand tightened around hers.
“Okay.” She closed her eyes for a moment, sending up a prayer for safety, before following Noah to the door. He cracked it open, peering in the hallway to make sure the coast was clear.
“Let’s go.” He slid through the opening, using his broad shoulders as a shield in front of her as they made their way to the exit sign at the end of the hallway.
The stairwell was brightly lit, causing her to screen her eyes with her hand, wincing at the pain ricocheting through her skull. She followed Noah down the stairs, trying to mimic his soft, stealthy movements.
The way he paused at each floor, opening the doorway and looking down the hallway as if searching for anything out of place, caused her muscles to knot with tension. What if the door-handle rattler came back and found them?
She trusted in Noah’s ability to protect them, but the thought of him putting his life on the line bothered her.
And as they made their way to ground level, Maddy couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever feel safe again.
* * *
The stark fear in Maddy’s blue eyes made Noah grit his teeth against a surge of anger. This wasn’t right. Maddy was a lawyer doing her job; she didn’t deserve to be stalked by Pietro’s goons.
Yeah, there was the remote possibility that it was someone else who held a grudge against the assistant district attorney. Maddy had assisted in putting other criminals away. Rumor had it she was one of the up-and-coming ADAs with an impressive conviction rate. Yet the timing of the assault against her was suspicious. Noah firmly believed that Alexander Pietro was the mastermind behind these recent attempts on Maddy’s life.
Pietro had the most to lose. Maddy was the ADA standing in the way of his ability to beat the charges against him. The idea that Pietro might actually succeed in getting away with his crimes was unbearable.
For a second, his younger sister Rose’s face flashed in Noah’s mind. He remembered the way he’d last seen her—pale and lifeless, lying on the floor of her bathroom, with a needle and syringe still embedded in her skinny arm.
Dead from a heroin overdose.
Then there had been Gina, the girlfriend he’d broken up with because of her relentless partying. She’d later died from alcohol poisoning.
He stopped so abruptly that Maddy bumped into him from behind. He automatically reached out to steady her. “Sorry.”
“What’s wrong?”
The way she gazed up at him, as if she actually cared about how he was feeling, made him cringe. He felt like a fraud. If Maddy’s memory was intact, there’s no way she’d be here with him right now. In fact, she’d likely demand Noah stay far away from her.
But she didn’t have her memory and the danger surrounding her was all too real. He told himself to focus on the immediate threat. They were on the ground floor and unfortunately, he had left his squad car on the street directly in front of the building.
Smart, Sinclair. If the guy inside the apartment building was the same one who tried to run her over, he knows you’re here. Idiot!
Too late to do anything about that decision now. He eased the door leading outside open a bit, looking out to be sure that no one was waiting there for them.
He didn’t see anyone, but hesitated, unwilling to make another mistake, especially with another Callahan’s life hanging in the balance.
If anything happened to Maddy, her twin brother, Matt, would never forgive him.
Noah wouldn’t be able to forgive himself, either.
“What are we waiting for?” Maddy whispered.
Good question. Was he overreacting? Maybe the person outside Maddy’s door wasn’t trying to hurt her at all, but simply had the wrong apartment.
Then again, that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. He could call for backup, too, but he didn’t like the idea of anyone with a police scanner knowing where they were. For all he knew, the guys working for Pietro could be listening in. “Stay behind me. I need to be sure that the coast is clear before we return to the squad car.”
He could feel Maddy’s fingers grabbing on to his belt and her simple trust had him deepening his resolve to protect her no matter what. “Whatever you say,” she whispered.
The icy wind greeted him as he pushed the door open. Moving outside, he stayed close to the wall, grateful they were both wearing dark clothing that would help them blend into the night. He swept his gaze over the area, seeing nothing out of place as Maddy let the door close softly behind her.
They were on the south side of the building, and the street where he’d left his squad car was in the front facing west, so he edged closer to the back side of the building.
There was a narrow alley there, the darkness impenetrable. Noah considered their options. They could circle the building, making sure it was clear before making a run for the squad car. Or they could leave the car, making their way on foot until they could flag a taxi or car service for a ride.
He’d rather have his own set of wheels. While taxi and service drivers needed to pass criminal background checks, he knew the checks weren’t foolproof. Decision made, he crept through the narrow alley between buildings until he reached the north side of the condo.
Peeking around the corner, he still didn’t see anything out of place. Feeling better, he made his way up to the street where he’d left his vehicle.
“Ready?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at Maddy.
“Yes.”
“Here’s the plan. I want you to stay behind me. I’ll protect you until you’re safely inside the car.”
“I don’t think—” she began, but he shook his head.
“Not open for discussion. I’m wearing a vest beneath my uniform.”
“Fine.” She didn’t look happy but kept her hand on his belt. “Let’s go.”
Noah held his weapon ready as he cleared the corner of the building. The squad car wasn’t as far away as he’d anticipated, so it didn’t take long to reach the passenger door. Yanking it open, he swept his gaze over the area as Maddy ducked into the passenger seat. He shut the door, then quickly jogged around to the driver side.
He jammed his gun into the holster and
