MISTLETOE MEMORY LOSS

Assaulted a week before a high-profile drug trafficking trial, assistant district attorney Madison Callahan narrowly escapes death...but suffers amnesia. Now, when she can’t recall the identity of her attacker, everyone is suspect—except the handsome policeman who saved her. Officer Noah Sinclair will do anything to bring the mob-connected drug trafficker to justice, including providing personal protection to Madison—the sister of the partner he nearly got killed. But helping her regain her memory may end their unlikely alliance because once she remembers him, Noah might be the last man she’ll want to rely on. As the trial looms and with the assailant dead set on ensuring that Madison doesn’t survive to see Christmas, it’ll take everything Noah’s got to keep Madison alive.

The way Noah watched the parking lot, sweeping his gaze over the area, made Maddy nervous.

Surely he didn’t think they’d be ambushed here? No, it was more likely that he was just being a cop.

The minutes ticked by with excruciating slowness, but then a large black K-9 SUV pulled into the parking lot, the twin headlights bright amid the dusky shadows.

Maddy headed for the door. Noah moved lightning-fast, grasping her arm, halting her progress.

“Hold on a minute, Maddy.” He pushed her behind him. “I’m going first, just in case.”

She didn’t want Noah in harm’s way, but he was wearing the vest that had saved his life once before. She grasped the back of his utility belt, determined to follow close on his heels.

Outside, her gaze centered on the black SUV she could see parked in a spot that was facing the bowling alley. The driver-side door opened and a man climbed out. Her brother turned and the moment she saw his face, the missing puzzle pieces clicked into place.

She let go of Noah and rushed around him in a hurry to reach her brother.

“Get down!” Noah shouted just before the boom of a gun echoed through the parking lot.

Dear Reader,

Christmas Amnesia is the third book in my Callahan Confidential miniseries. Thanks to all of you who wrote to me letting me know how much you’re enjoying the Callahans. This book revolves around Assistant District Attorney Madison “Maddy” Callahan.

When Maddy is assaulted outside the courthouse, she loses her memory, a catastrophe since she’s preparing for the biggest trial of her career. Office Noah Sinclair arrives at the hospital in time to save her life, and while he certainly knows Maddy, she doesn’t remember him. As Maddy tries to remember and flees the gunman chasing after her, she soon realizes Noah is the only man she can trust, with her life and with her heart.

I hope you enjoy Noah and Maddy’s story. I’m also hard at work on the next book in the Callahan Confidential Series. I love hearing from my readers. If you’re interested in contacting me or signing up for my newsletter, please visit my website at www.laurascottbooks.com. I’m also on Facebook at Laura Scott Books Author and on Twitter @Laurascottbooks.

Yours in faith,

Laura Scott

LAURA SCOTT is a nurse by day and an author by night. She has always loved romance and read faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have published over twelve books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.

Christmas Amnesia

Laura Scott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Answer me when I call to You, my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

—Psalms 4:1

This book is dedicated to my niece Brianna Umhoefer.

Always remember you are strong and smart.

Reach for your dreams!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Assistant district attorney Madison Callahan hesitated on the concrete steps of the Milwaukee County Courthouse, shivering in the cold breeze coming off Lake Michigan. Had she heard something? Or was she letting her imagination run wild?

Working late and leaving at nine o’clock at night wasn’t unusual, but for some undefined reason she hesitated. Giving herself a mental shake, she continued down the stairs, careful to avoid any icy patches.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she instinctively headed toward the reassuring streetlight, digging in her purse for her phone. Normally she walked the three-quarters of a mile to her condo, but since the hour was late, she decided to pull up the ride-sharing app on her phone.

She was moments from confirming her pickup location for her ride when strong arms yanked her backward, causing her to drop the phone. She sucked in a breath to scream, but the arms tightened crushingly around her. The sharp edge of a blade pressed painfully against her throat.

“Drop the case or you will all die, including the two old ladies in the house on the hill.”

Maddy froze, her mind grappling with what was happening. Two old ladies had to be referring to her mother and grandmother, but how did this guy know where her family lived?

She forced herself to speak. “Did Alexander Pietro send you?”

The blade pressed deeper, causing her to suck in a harsh breath from the sharp pain. Something warm trickled over her skin. Blood? Was this man going to slit her throat right here?

Headlights swept over the road, brightening as a vehicle approached, but before she could be relieved that help had arrived, the man holding her suddenly gave her a hard shove, causing her head to crack soundly against the solid steel of the light post.

Pain exploded in her temple and she felt herself falling, arms flailing as she sought to break her fall. Her last fleeting thought was that she needed to find a way to keep her mother and grandmother safe. If anything happened to them, she’d never be able to live with herself.

* * *

“Ma’am? Can you hear me?”

She moaned and blinked, the light overhead painfully bright. Her head was pounding so hard she thought she might throw up. “Yes,” she croaked. “I can hear you.”

“That’s good.” An older guy, with salt-and-pepper hair and thick black-rimmed glasses, filled her field of vision. He was blurry initially, but then became clear. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Huh?” Moving her head hurt too much, so she stared at the man. He was dressed in green scrubs, a stethoscope wrapped around his neck.

“Your name,” he repeated patiently. “There wasn’t any ID found at the scene.”

She opened her mouth, then shut it again. Of course she knew her name. Didn’t she? The pain in her head quadrupled and she winced, closing her eyes and swallowing hard, willing the contents of her stomach to stay put.

Panic gripped her throat, making it impossible to breathe. Why couldn’t she tell this man her name? What was wrong? Could it be that the pain was making her confused?

Forcing her eyelids open, she stared at the stranger looming over her. Concern darkened his gaze.

“We need to get a CT scan of her brain,” he said to someone nearby. “Make sure there isn’t any intracranial bleeding.”

If pain was a good way to judge potential bleeding, then she was all for the brain scan. But even as the hospital staff wheeled her over to the radiology department, she couldn’t ignore the strange sense of urgency that weighed heavily on her chest. She needed to get up and out of here; there was something very important for her to do.

But what? There was nothing but a dark void where her sense of self should have been.

Not just her name, but all of her memories were missing, lost in the swirling vortex of black pain.

Thankfully the scan didn’t take long. As she was being wheeled through the hallway back to the ER, at least what she assumed was an ER, a handsome man wearing a navy blue police uniform caught her gaze.

“Maddy? You’re the mugging victim? What happened?”

She stared at him for a moment, hoping she’d recognize him. For some weird reason, the dark navy blue MPD uniform was reassuring.

Wait, MPD? Milwaukee Police Department? How did she know what the initials stood for? Why not Minneapolis or some other city?

No clue.

“Maddy,” he said again, crossing over and reaching for the side rail of her gurney. “What happened? Are you all right?”

It took her a long second to realize this man seemed to know her. “Maddy?” she echoed with a frown. “Is that my name?”

The officer’s face paled with alarm and he kept pace with the orderlies who were currently pushing her through the hallway. “You don’t know your name? Do you recognize me?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, feeling as if she was letting this guy down. She hoped he wasn’t her boyfriend or someone she’d once dated. He was attractive, with his short blond hair and deep brown eyes, and she could easily imagine herself dating a guy who looked like him. “My head hurts.”

“Officer, you can’t come into her room,” the orderly said.

“Just try and stop me,” the cop said, his features etched in a fierce scowl. “I’m here to take her statement.”

“I’m getting Dr. Wagner.” The orderly disappeared, leaving her alone with the officer.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Noah Sinclair,” he said, his gaze expectant as if the words would spark some sort of memory.

They didn’t.

“You’re with the Milwaukee Police Department, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yes. Maddy, I need to understand what happened. Who did this to you?”

“I don’t know what happened.” Boy, was she sick and tired of saying that! “All I know is that I woke up here, in the hospital with a skull-splitting headache.”

“Listen, how about I call your brother? I’m sure once you see Matt, your memory will return.”

Brother? It seemed wrong that she couldn’t remember a brother. Although maybe she wasn’t close to her family. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she didn’t want this cop calling anyone on her behalf.

“No. Please, don’t.” Reaching up, she managed to grasp his wrist, the warmth of his skin oddly reassuring. “I—Just give me a few minutes, okay? I’m sure I’ll remember everything soon enough.”

Officer Sinclair’s deep brown eyes held indecision. She tightened her grip.

“Please. I need some time.”

He glanced down at her hand on his arm, then lifted his gaze back to hers. “Okay, I’ll hold off for now. But I hope that doctor comes back soon. I have a few questions.”

“Thank you.” Her hand slipped from his arm and she closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind. Her poor brain cells were scrambled like eggs. All she needed was a little rest.

She concentrated on breathing, in and out, allowing her muscles to relax. Someone, maybe the cop, turned the overhead lights off, leaving her alone.

Oh, that was much better. She had no idea if she normally did this type of relaxation technique, but it seemed to come automatically.

In and out. In and out. Slow your breathing and your heart rate.

Ignoring the vague sounds coming from the hospital staff, she concentrated on keeping her mind clear. Was it always this easy to think of nothing in particular?

She must have dozed a bit, because someone suddenly bellowed, “Hey! What are you doing in there?”

Prying her eyes open, she saw a deeply tanned man hovering close to her bedside. For a moment, his pale eyes held an angry malevolence, but then he turned away. “Cleaning,” he muttered, pushing past the cop and the doctor and then hurrying away.

“Did he hurt you?” Noah demanded.

“No. He’s just one of the cleaning staff.”

“Maybe,” Noah said in a low voice, his gaze following the tanned man as he made his way into another room. “I don’t like it, though. I think it’s best to get you out of here as soon as possible.”

She looked up at Noah, searching her memory for anything that would help her remember. But there was only a vast emptiness. No name. No memory.

Nothing.

A horrible sense of helplessness tightened her chest. She’d asked for some time, but so far, that hadn’t helped much. She still didn’t remember anything. And then another terrifying thought hit her squarely in the gut.

What if her memory was gone forever?

* * *

Noah leveled the doctor with a hard stare. “Does she have bleeding in her brain or not?”

The ER doctor, Daniel Wagner, shook his head. “No, her scan was clear.”

“Then I’d like to take her home.” Noah had been upset to find out that Maddy Callahan had been mugged near the courthouse. But what was even more disturbing was that she didn’t remember her own name. Or anything about her family.

The only thing working in his favor at the moment was that Maddy didn’t remember him, either. Which meant she wasn’t glaring at him or telling him to get lost in that lofty tone of hers.

Noah knew she blamed him for her brother Matt being stabbed in the stomach eighteen months ago. Matt and Maddy were twins, and truthfully she had a right to be angry. Noah had hesitated a fraction of a second too long, allowing the female drug addict to lunge at Matt, sticking the blade deep.

At least Matt hadn’t been injured too badly; the tip of the knife had managed to miss his liver by a fraction of an inch. Matt claimed the assault wasn’t Noah’s fault, yet right after the injury, Matt had abruptly decided to pursue becoming a K-9 cop.

Noah knew the real reason was that Matt didn’t trust him to be his partner any longer, and he couldn’t shake the guilt that clung to him like a soggy woolen sweater. After all, Matt wouldn’t have been hurt in the first place if Noah had reacted instantly to the threat.

Old news, he reminded himself. Time to get over it.

His radio went off, and he quickly turned away to answer it. His latest partner of just over six months, Jackson Dellis, was asking if he needed assistance to question the mugging victim. He assured the younger man he had it under control. Since their shift was officially over, he told his partner to go home and that he’d file the report on the mugging victim himself. Jackson didn’t hesitate to agree.

Noah turned back to the doctor. “I’m a friend of the family and I’d like to take her home now,” he repeated.

“Well...” The doctor hesitated, obviously not happy with the thought of letting his patient go. “She still seems to have some cognitive issues.”

“More like amnesia, don’t you think?” Noah countered. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you trying to tell me she has to stay in the hospital until her memory returns?”

“Not exactly,” Wagner backtracked. “But she needs to be watched closely for worsening signs and symptoms.”

Yeah, he could understand that. “Listen, Doc, I promise I won’t leave her alone. But since we don’t know what happened to her, I think she needs to be taken someplace safe.”

That made the doctor bristle. “Our hospital is safe,” he protested.

Noah wasn’t in the mood to argue. When he swept another gaze over the ER, he noticed the mop that the tanned guy had been using was lying on the floor as if it had been dropped and abandoned. The man himself was nowhere in sight.

Maybe he was being paranoid, but Noah couldn’t help but think that Maddy’s injury was related to the case she was scheduled to take to trial in less than a week.

Noah knew all about Alexander Pietro’s drug-running business; he was one of the cops who’d helped arrest him. They had plenty of evidence, but Pietro had serious mob connections in Chicago, and Noah wouldn’t put it past them to attempt to free Alexander by doing whatever was necessary.

Even threatening to take out the assistant district attorney handling the case.

The fact that Maddy was still wearing a pair of black slacks, topped with a dark gray blazer over a blue blouse that matched her eyes, confirmed that she’d been working late down at the courthouse.

“I’ll check with my boss,” Dr. Wagner said. He left Maddy’s room and Noah remained where he was at the foot of her gurney. As far as he was concerned, no one was going to touch Maddy without his permission.

He glanced back at her, noticing once again the long slice along the front of her neck. A small portion of the scratch had been deep enough to require a few stitches. Imagining the way the mugger must have held a knife to her throat brought a flash of anger.

Nope. No one was going to touch Maddy Callahan again. No way, no how.

“Is there a problem?” A female physician entered the room. She was tall and beautiful with long curly red hair and it took him a minute to recognize her as Dr. Gabrielle Hawkins, the infamous trauma surgeon who’d saved the lives of numerous cops on the force. She was the best trauma surgeon on staff at Trinity Medical Center.

The prettiest one, too. Married, of course, to Deputy Shane Hawkins.

“Dr. Hawkins, I’m Officer Sinclair.” Noah held out his hand and she gave it a firm shake. “This patient is Maddy—”

“Callahan,” Dr. Hawkins finished, her eyes on the patient lying on the gurney. “I recognize her from when I took care of her brother Miles after he suffered a gunshot wound last April.”

Noah figured he shouldn’t have been surprised; rumor on the street was that Dr. Hawkins was exceptionally smart and never forgot a name or a face. “Yes. I have reason to believe she’s in danger, so I’d like for her to be discharged into my care as soon as possible.”

“Hmm.” Dr. Hawkins skirted around him to approach Maddy. “Ms. Callahan? Can you open your eyes for me?”

Noah gripped the edge of the side rail as Maddy struggled to comply. Dr. Hawkins used a flashlight to examine Maddy’s pupils and then had her follow a few basic commands. When she finished, she questioned Maddy about what she remembered.

“I don’t remember anything,” Maddy said, her brow deeply furrowed with obvious distress. “I don’t understand, why can’t I remember?”

Dr. Hawkins’s smile was gentle. “It may be that you’ve suffered some sort of traumatic experience. I suspect that your memory will return on its own, but I’d like you to follow up in the neurology clinic in a week if the memory loss continues, okay?”

“All right,” Maddy agreed and Noah knew then she really wasn’t herself. The Madison Callahan he knew would never agree to a doctor’s appointment in the middle of a trial.

Then it hit him. Until Maddy had her memory back, there wouldn’t be a trial.

Oh, sure, maybe another ADA could pick up the case, but he knew from personal experience that getting ready for a trial took hours and hours of preparation. Maddy had grilled him about his testimony for a full eight-hour day and he was just one of the officers involved. What about the others? He couldn’t imagine going through all that prep again.

Would the DA ask for a continuance? And if so, for how long? It wasn’t as if they could just tell the judge to wait for Maddy’s memory to return. Victims had a right to a speedy trial. What if they were forced to let Pietro out on bail?

The thought of Alexander Pietro being back on the street filled him with dread. Not just because the guy had threatened to kill every cop who’d participated in the bust, but more so because months of hard work would be lost forever. They’d have to start from scratch to build another case against him.

Placing more innocent lives at risk.

Noah curled his fingers into fists, knowing that he was taking the entire drug-trafficking case too personally. Because of his younger sister, Rose, who’d died of a heroin overdose when she was a senior in high school.

Another death that was mostly his fault. First Rose, then his former college girlfriend, Gina. One guilt piled on the other, with Matt’s injury sitting at the top of the lopsided guilt cake.

He shook off the depressing thoughts and focused on the immediate issue at hand. Maddy hadn’t wanted him to call Matt, but he’d called his former partner’s cell number anyway. Matt didn’t answer, so Noah left a vague message asking for a return call. Hopefully, Maddy’s memory would return by the time Matt called back.

“I’ll write the discharge order, Officer Sinclair, if you promise Maddy won’t be left alone,” Dr. Hawkins said.

“I promise I’ll stay with her until someone from her family takes over.”

Dr. Hawkins nodded. “Done. I’ll have the nurse come in to explain what you should look for.”

The nurse, a plump blonde with a cheerful smile, came into the room rattling off a list of signs and symptoms to be on the lookout for. Noah was glad when she handed him a packet of paperwork listing everything she’d just told him.

“Thanks,” he said, folding the papers in half and sticking them in his back pocket. “Maddy? Do you need help sitting up?”

“I can do it,” she said with a wince. She gripped the rail, pulling herself upright. She swayed, and he quickly moved closer and placed a steadying arm around her shoulders.

“Easy now,” he said. “Take your time, there’s no rush.”

“I’m okay,” she said, and the familiar stubborn edge to her voice made him smile. This was the Maddy Callahan he remembered.

The same woman Matt had warned him to stay away from the first time he’d laid eyes on her. Matt didn’t want his baby sister, born a few minutes after him, to be in a relationship with a cop. The way Matt had lost his father, who’d happened to be the former chief of police as well as being murdered while visiting a crime scene, had made Matt overly protective. Noah had completely understood where his former partner was coming from.

The warning hadn’t been necessary since Noah had no intention of being in a relationship with anyone, especially not Madison Callahan.

Maddy swung her legs over the edge of the bed, placing her feet on the floor, then frowned at her stocking-covered toes. “Where are my shoes?”

“Here.” Keeping a hand on her arm, he used his feet to bring the flats into position so she could slip them on.

“Thanks.” She stood, then reached out to grab his arm. “Whoa. The room spins when I move too fast.”

A flash of guilt assaulted him. Was he causing more harm than good by taking her out of here? Maybe he’d be better off asking for her to spend the night at the hospital so he could sit at her bedside, keeping an eye on her.

Then his eyes fell on the discarded mop. A tall man with thinning hair stood beside the mop, arguing with a middle-aged lady. There was still no sign of the man with the tanned skin, and the hairs on the back of his neck lifted in alarm.

No way did he believe the guy who’d been looming over Maddy was a hospital employee.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Noah asked. “I can probably convince Dr. Hawkins to admit you upstairs.”

Maddy looked puzzled. “Who?”

“The red-haired doctor.”

“You know her?” Maddy asked.

It was on the tip of his tongue to explain how she knew Dr. Hawkins, too, but he decided that would only make her feel bad. “Yeah, she’s married to a cop, a deputy from the sheriff’s department.”

“Oh, I see. No, I don’t want to stay here. I’d rather go home.” She frowned. “I must not have a purse or a phone, huh?”

“Unfortunately not. It appears the mugger took them.” He bent over to grab her long coat off the chair. “Here, let me help you with this.”

“Thank you.” Maddy slid her arms into the sleeves as he held the coat for her. “Your mother must have taught you manners.”

“Yeah.” He didn’t bother to elaborate since his mother had died a long time ago, and what was left of his family was scattered all over the globe. He and his siblings weren’t at all close. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his older brother. Three years? Four? Rose’s death six months after losing their mother to cancer had torn their family apart and, like the famous nursery rhyme, there hadn’t been a way to put the pieces back together again.

He knew the Callahan clan was a tight-knit family and he wondered again why Matt hadn’t returned his call. Should he start calling her other brothers? The only problem was that he didn’t know their numbers and obviously Maddy couldn’t help. Right now, she didn’t realize she had five brothers—Marc, Miles, Mitch, Mike and Matt—every one of them older than her.

Wrapping his arm around Maddy’s waist, he matched her slower pace as they made their way out of the emergency room. She stopped, looked surprised to see the Christmas tree in the lobby of the ER, as if she hadn’t known the holiday was near. When they were outside, he gestured to a squad car in the small parking lot across the street. “That’s our ride.”

“Okay.”

She ducked her head against the cold wind, walking alongside him down the sidewalk toward the parking lot. As they reached the road, a car came out of nowhere, heading straight toward them.

“Look out!” Noah grabbed Maddy around the waist and leaped out of the way, landing in a snowbank on the other side of the road. The car came close enough to clip the back of his legs, then careened from view.

Noah stared at the retreating taillights, knowing that he wasn’t imagining things. This was the second, maybe even the third, attempt on Maddy’s life—if you considered that the tanned guy who’d been in Maddy’s room wasn’t a hospital employee—all in the span of a few hours.

All these incidents were related, he was convinced, to the upcoming trial of Alexander Pietro. And the thought of Maddy being in danger, not to mention having lost her memory, gave him a desperate sense of urgency.

Right now, he was the only one who could keep her safe.

TWO

“Are you okay?” The cop—she searched her memory; Noah?—helped her upright, brushing snow off her pants and coat.

“I don’t understand. What’s going on?” In the second she thought the car would hit her, she’d found herself praying for safety. Was that something she did on a regular basis? Must be, and for some reason, knowing that slight bit of information, that she believed in God and prayed often, helped calm her frayed nerves.

Thankfully Noah had reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, or she was sure she’d have ended up back in the ER with worse injuries. The hammering in her skull was bad enough, and it hadn’t lessened one iota.

“You’re in danger,” Noah said in a grim tone. He put his arm around her waist, urging her toward the squad car. “I need to get you someplace safe.”

“Why?” She braced herself with a hand on the squad car when he released her long enough to open the passenger-side door. “You think the mugging and this close call are somehow related?”

“Yes. I’ll explain once we’re somewhere safe,” he said, his voice clipped.

She gingerly slid into the passenger seat. Noah shut the door, then came around to climb in behind the wheel. She latched the seat belt, then rested her head back against the cushion and closed her eyes, swallowing hard against the increased pain.

Noah didn’t break the silence, and she felt the car moving down the street. It wasn’t until he took several turns, heading away from the hospital, that she opened her eyes and grabbed his arm, seized by a sense of panic. “Wait! I—I don’t know where I live.”

He flashed a reassuring smile, gently covering her hand with his for a long moment before letting go. “Don’t worry, I do. You share a condo with a woman by the name of Gretchen Herald; she’s a flight attendant for Airstream Airlines.”

It seemed so wrong that this cop, this man, knew more about her than she did. Ignoring the pain in her head, she continued pressing him for information. “Tell me more, specifically why I’m in danger.”

“Okay.” His smile faded, his expression turning serious. “Maddy, you’re an attorney, working in the DA’s office.”

His statement should have brought forth a flood of memories, but didn’t. She stared at him, feeling stupid and not at all like a lawyer. “I am?”

“Yes. You have a big trial starting next week. A man by the name of Alexander Pietro is facing serious felony charges related to drug trafficking and gun running. Thanks to your impressive track record of winning guilty verdicts, you’re the lead prosecutor on his case.”

She stared at Noah’s profile, straining to remember. Did the name Alexander Pietro sound familiar? Yes, it did, but she couldn’t picture what he looked like. Was she remembering him from the case? Or because of something she’d heard about in the news?

Why couldn’t she remember?

The deep sense of urgency returned with a vengeance. There was something important she needed to do. But what? The pain in her head intensified as she struggled to push past the haze in her mind.

“Don’t, Maddy,” Noah said in a low voice, reaching over to take her hand in his. “I don’t think you should try so hard. Dr. Hawkins mentioned you need to rest, and relax. She believes your memory will return on its own.”

“But when?” She couldn’t help feeling as if she were standing on the precipice of a cliff, where one strong breeze would blow her over. “If what you’re saying is right, that I’m working on a case, then I don’t have time to wait around to see if my memory returns. I need to get back to work. Or call my boss, whoever that is, so he or she can assign someone else to the case.” Then another thought hit her. “How do you know so much about this Alexander guy, anyway? Especially my involvement in the case?”

“I helped bring him down,” Noah said, his tone matter-of-fact. He pulled up in front of a large brick building, gesturing to it. “I don’t know if your roommate is home or not. Since your purse is gone, I’m assuming you don’t have your keys.”

Instinctively, she patted her coat pockets, surprised when she felt the distinct bulge. “I do have keys,” she said, pulling them out of her right-hand pocket with a frown. “That’s odd. I wonder why they weren’t in my purse. Isn’t that where I usually carry them?”

“I don’t know, but right now I’m glad they weren’t.” Noah took them from her fingers. “That makes things easier for us, especially if your roommate isn’t home.”

She stared at the building, searching for something, anything that looked familiar. There were a few Christmas decorations in some of the windows, but overall, the place looked impersonal, as if it could contain anything from offices to apartments, no different than any other building they’d passed along the way. Of course, it wasn’t easy to see clearly in the darkness. She couldn’t imagine living there, yet Noah had no reason to lie to her, either. Was she crazy to trust him, just because he knew her and her brother?

Who else could she trust?

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She ignored the sense of dread. “Of course.”

“Give me a minute,” Noah said. She couldn’t help but be impressed when he came around to open her door. Why was she so impressed with Noah? Was it possible the men she dated didn’t have these kinds of manners? “Here, take my hand.”

“Thank you.” His hand was warm and strong around hers, and she was struck again by how handsome he was. It was inappropriate to focus on something like that, considering she didn’t remember her own name, but still, she couldn’t deny she was grateful for his strong, reassuring presence.

The inside of the building was very modern and nicely decorated, but didn’t look at all familiar. Noah pushed the button on the elevator, and the doors instantly slid open. There were six floors and apparently she lived right in the middle on the third level.

She followed Noah down the hall to room 304. There weren’t many doors, indicating the dwellings were spacious in size rather than piled one on top of the other.

“Stay here,” he said, using her key to access the condo. He pushed open the door and flipped on the lights, looking around before gesturing for her to come inside.

She crossed the threshold, hoping, praying that the holes in her memory would begin to fill in enough to create a picture she could latch on to. But while the inside of the condo was nice and neat, it still didn’t seem familiar. And worse, it didn’t instill a sense of home.

There was a tiny Christmas tree in the corner, but it wasn’t lit up. A detail that also seemed wrong, somehow.

“You’re sure this is where I live?”

“You and Gretchen,” Noah said. “Although I’m assuming that since the doors to both bedrooms are open, Gretchen must be traveling. If I remember correctly when I helped you guys move in, you have the room on the right, Gretchen’s is on the left.”

Swallowing a pang of disappointment, she walked around the living room, searching for what? She had no idea. There was a laptop case on the counter, so she crossed over and peeked inside. The computer didn’t look familiar, but then again, why would it? Nothing personal about a machine. There was a paper file folder inside labeled Pietro. Hmm, that was interesting. Something to review in more detail later.

She turned away, searching for something personal. She headed toward the bedroom off to the right, thinking that she probably had family photographs since Noah had mentioned a brother. She’d only taken two steps when the soft dinging sound of the elevator door reached her ears.

“Wait,” Noah said in a hushed tone, plastering himself up against the wall near the door, quickly twisting the dead bolt into place and shutting off the lights. “Get down.”

When she saw the gun in his hand, Madison ducked behind the kitchen counter, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. He doused the lights, and for several long minutes they waited, the silence thick and oppressing.

The door handle rattled as someone tried to gain entry. Maddy found herself holding her breath, wondering if this was her roommate returning home from a late flight. But then she quickly dismissed the idea, knowing a roommate would simply use her key, the same way she and Noah had.

Another rattle of the doorknob caused the tiny hairs on the back of her neck to rise. Someone was trying to access the apartment.

To get to her?

More jiggling noises—what could the person in the hallway be doing? Picking the lock? She wished she could see Noah’s face.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the noise stopped. She didn’t move, waiting for some sort of signal from Noah.

The minutes passed slowly. When her leg muscles began to cramp from crouching, Noah came over to stand beside her, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?” he whispered.

No, she wasn’t all right. She couldn’t remember anything about her past, her job, her life—plus someone had tried to hurt her not just once, but twice. She swallowed hard and pushed past the wave of anxiety. “Yes.”

“We can’t stay here,” Noah continued in a hushed voice. “Whoever was out there might come back, or worse, hide someplace nearby to watch the place. I need to take you far away from here, someplace no one will know to look for you.”

Her condo wasn’t safe. The idea was terrifying, but then again, everything seemed surreal, as if this was happening to someone else, not her. Was that because she couldn’t remember her past?

“Okay,” she agreed, because really, what else could she say? She wasn’t in a position to argue. She had no idea where to go or who to turn to for help.

Only Noah Sinclair, her buoy in a rough sea.

“Is that your computer case?” Noah asked.

“I think so. There’s a file labeled Pietro inside. Although it’s odd that it would be here when I was supposedly working late. Wouldn’t I carry my computer with me?”

“I don’t know. You could have been doing prep work with a witness. Regardless, let’s take it with us,” Noah said, releasing her to snag the strap of the case off the counter. He swung it over his shoulder, then reached for her hand. The moonlight shining in through the windows provided enough illumination for her to see his dark frame now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. “Come on, we’ll need to take the back staircase down to the first floor.”

She wanted to ask how he knew about the back staircase, then realized he’d mentioned helping her move in. Ironic that he knew more about the place she lived in than she did. In fact, it was clear Noah knew everything about her, which once 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 then cranked the key, bringing the engine roaring to life. Pulling away from the curb, he made a quick right-hand turn and headed east toward the lakefront.

“We made it,” Maddy said softly.

He didn’t say anything, keeping a keen eye on the rearview mirror for a possible tail. The hour was approaching one thirty in the morning and he was grateful traffic was light this time on a Monday night.

“Thank you, Noah.”

He wanted to tell Maddy not to thank him, that if she knew who he was and how many people he’d let down, she’d never thank him for anything ever again, but he held back. For one thing, her memory loss was hardly her fault. And for another, it was easier to keep her safe when she was cooperating with him.

Headlights flashed behind him, the high beams blindingly bright. He was on Lake Drive now, following the shoreline of Lake Michigan, when the headlights grew closer and impossibly brighter.

“Who is that?” Maddy asked, grabbing for the door handle as Noah took the curve faster than the speed limit recommended.

“Hang on,” he warned, pressing the accelerator.

There was a loud bang as the car behind them rammed into the back of his squad car. Noah wrestled with the steering wheel, straining to keep the car on the road.

He reached for his radio to call for backup when the car rear-ended them again.

This time, his police cruiser skidded sideways off the road, heading straight for the icy waters of Lake Michigan.

He hit the brakes, but the car didn’t slow down. He tried again, desperate to avoid the freezing cold lake. If they went under, they’d surely die.

THREE

“No!” Maddy screamed as Noah yanked on the steering wheel, doing his best to keep the car from going into the water. They spun, but then hit something hard, bringing the vehicle to a stop.

She was thankful Noah had gotten things under control, but then the vehicle abruptly tipped backward, the rear tires dropping over the edge of the embankment lining the shore. There was a hiss as something hot, maybe the muffler, sizzled, the back end of the car sliding into the freezing cold water.

She fumbled with her seat belt, the car teetering precariously on the ledge. She knew that if she and Noah ended up in the lake, they risked severe hypothermia and possible death.

“Maddy!” Noah must have already unlatched his seat belt, reaching over to help her. “Hurry! We have to get out of here.”

“I know.” The hood of the car was raised up at an angle, the back end submerged. She gasped in alarm as the car slid backward another inch. No doubt the trunk was filling with water, and she had no idea how much longer they had before the rest of the vehicle would sink silently beneath the inky surface.

Hurry! Hurry!

The restraint fell free and Noah grabbed the computer case that was nestled between her feet. He looped the case over his shoulder, accidentally knocking the police radio off his collar in the process. Using both hands, he pushed open the driver-side door, then reached down to grab the radio before jumping out of the car.

“This way,” he said, keeping his arm wedged beneath the heavy door. Maddy climbed over the console, sucking in a harsh breath when she cracked her elbow against the computer mounted on the dash. The space from the floor of the car to the ground was farther than she anticipated.

She lightly jumped down, but the uneven terrain caused her to stumble against Noah. He caught her up against him, holding her close and preventing her from hitting the ground. But she accidentally hit the radio draped over his arm, sending it down into a pile of slush. She knew water and electronics were a bad combination and Noah must have agreed because he didn’t bother attempting to retrieve it.

Headlights pierced the night, pointing directly at them. She averted her gaze from the blinding glare, searching for someplace to hide.

“Hold on to me,” Noah said, keeping his arm anchored around her. “See the rows and rows of boats stored up on blocks? That’s where we’re going.”

She didn’t answer, concentrating on following his lead as they quickly ran, slipping and sliding over to the closest row of boats.

The sound of a car door slamming shut caused her heart to leap into her throat and she imagined the driver of the car was already running after them. She clung to Noah, grateful for his support as she struggled to keep up. The boats were large and provided some cover from the bright headlights, but not enough that they wouldn’t be seen.

Fear tightened around her throat. Did Noah believe they could outrun the guy behind them? Maybe if he was alone, but she knew her being here was an added liability.

If only she was wearing her running shoes.

Did she have running shoes?

This wasn’t the time to worry about her lost memory. With the threat before them, the throbbing in her temple had lessened a bit, and she tried to ignore it. Pushing the ridiculous thoughts from her mind, she focused on following Noah as he moved from one boat to the next. He seemed to be checking them out, for what she had no idea. Plastic shrink-wrap covered most of the boats, protecting them from the harsh winter weather.

When they reached the middle of the sea of boats, Noah stopped. She leaned against a fiberglass frame, using the opportunity to catch her breath. Noah was doing something with the boat next to her, unlatching bungee cords holding a tarp in place, rather than the usual shrink-wrap. Peering through the darkness, she could see that two of the boats had tarps in lieu of plastic, and Noah worked on both of them.

She hoped he didn’t plan on using one of them as a hiding place. Considering most of the boats were covered, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that they’d take refuge in one of the two boats not shrink-wrapped in plastic.

Straining to listen, she attempted to pinpoint where the guy following them might be located. For a long moment she heard nothing but the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore. She was about to whisper to Noah that they should keep going when she heard the distinct sound of a muffled thump.

Noah froze, turning toward her. She stared at him, wondering if the noise was from the guy on their tail or from the squad car falling the rest of the way into the lake.

She reached for Noah’s hand, needing his reassuring strength. As if he knew what she was thinking, he pulled her close and lowered his head so that his mouth was next to her ear. “We’re going to be okay.”

The tightness around her chest eased, enabling her to take a deep breath. Noah gently tugged on her hand, indicating they needed to keep moving. When she passed the two boats he’d been fiddling with, she realized he’d unlatched several of the cords holding the tarp, leaving a slight gaping hole.

Why on earth? Then it occurred to her that Noah had done that to make it look as if they’d chosen to hide inside the empty boat. If the attacker believed they were inside, he might waste time searching for them inside the boats.

Good thing she was on the run with a smart cop. One she trusted to keep her safe, no matter how steeply adversity was stacked against them.

Dear Lord, thank You for bringing Noah Sinclair into my life when I needed him the most. Please continue guiding us and keeping us safe in Your care. Amen.

The whispered prayer formed in her mind without conscious thought and she immediately felt a sense of peace and hope wash over her.

Noah was right; they would be okay.

When they reached the edge of the boat storage area, she tightened her grip on Noah’s hand. Now what? This area of the marina was brightly lit, without offering many places to hide.

Surprisingly there was a boat still in the water, anchored to the pier. It looked as if the motor was running. The water around the engine was swirling. There was no sign of the boat’s owner, but that didn’t mean he—or she—wasn’t nearby.

But they didn’t have time to waste searching, either.

“See that boat?” Noah asked in a hushed tone. “That’s our target.”

She resisted when he tugged her forward. “We can’t,” she hissed. “That’s stealing!”

“Borrowing,” Noah corrected. He pulled his cell phone from his breast pocket, showing it to her. “I’ll call it in as soon as we’re safe.”

She didn’t like it, but then again, allowing the guy on their heels to capture them wasn’t a good option, either. “Okay, let’s go.”

Leaving the shadows to step into the light took a tremendous amount of courage. She hunched her shoulders, trying to make herself a smaller target as they approached the dock. Walking along the pier was just as treacherous, the moisture from the lake mixing with the snow to create a slick surface. She walked as fast as she dared, following Noah as he approached the boat.

She glanced around, expecting the owner to be somewhere close by. Why else would the motor be running? Then again, the guy could be on the boat, too.

The lapping waves caused the boat to rock against the buoy in a rhythmic pattern. Noah braced his palms on the edge of the boat, really more of a small yacht, and used the flashlight on his phone to peer inside.

“Hurry,” he urged, gesturing for her to come over. Maddy swallowed a wave of apprehension, putting her trust and her faith in Noah.

“You first,” he whispered. After slipping his phone back into his shirt pocket, he held the boat steady while assisting her aboard.

The rocking motion caused her to stumble, and she accidentally yanked on Noah’s hand, tugging him forward. She widened her stance, trying to find her balance. The fact that her head still ached didn’t help, although pain was the least of her worries.

Noah leaped into the boat, then leaned over to unleash the ties. The boat immediately drifted away from the pier, so she hurried over to assist. Her arms weren’t long enough, so she could only watch helplessly as he stretched out to unhook the second tether.

Leaning over the way he was, she shouldn’t have been surprised when his phone slipped from his pocket and landed in the lake with a soft ker-plop.

She closed her eyes against a stabbing frustration but there wasn’t time to worry about the submerged device now. The boat was loose in the water, so Noah quickly disappeared inside the pilothouse to take control.

The sound of the engines revving to life seemed incredibly loud, giving away their location to anyone within a hundred yards. She stumbled inside the pilothouse mere seconds before she heard someone shouting at them to stop, followed by the sharp retort of gunfire ripping through the night.

* * *

Noah hit the throttle, sending the boat surging out from the marina into the large lake, praying for the first time in years that none of the bullets would hit the vessel.

“I can’t believe he’s shooting at us,” Maddy said, coming up to stand beside him. The enclosure of the pilothouse helped keep the stiff breeze away, but the cold December air still surrounded them.

“Don’t worry, he can’t follow us.” Noah divided his gaze between the buoys on the water and the boat’s navigation system. He hadn’t sailed on Lake Michigan in four years, but basic geography made it impossible to get lost. If he hugged the shoreline, he could head south all the way to Chicago or go due east to Michigan.

Heading north would take them toward Green Bay, but he didn’t want to go that far. He turned the boat south. His partner, Jackson Dellis, lived near the border between Milwaukee and Racine, and he was fairly certain there was a smaller marina in that area, too.

“Is there a radio on this boat?” Maddy, so cold that her teeth were chattering, asked. “We need to call for help.”

“There is, but I don’t want to alert the Coast Guard,” he said. “I’d rather find a way to contact my partner.”

“Wh-why not the C-Coast Guard?”

Noah glanced over at Maddy, knowing he should have done a better job of protecting her. Dr. Hawkins had ordered rest and relaxation, and the past few hours had been anything but. At this rate, her memory might never return.

“Because right now I don’t want the entire world to know that you’re suffering from amnesia,” he explained. “Alexander Pietro is going to be tried by a jury of his peers starting next week, but we know he still has a lot of guys working for him. We need to make sure nothing related to your situation leaks into the press.”

“Police reports are open to the public,” Maddy said, her expression thoughtful.

“Yeah. Of course, the Milwaukee Police Department can limit the information that gets out, but your name has been linked to Pietro’s case a lot already. Even the merest hint of an attack on you will have the media swarming all over it. I think it’s better for now that we keep this quiet.”

Until your memory returns, he added silently, refusing to consider the possibility that it might be lost long enough to derail the trial.

No way. He couldn’t bear the thought of Pietro getting away with his crimes.

“And your partner will stand by your decision?” Maddy asked with a frown.

“I hope so.” Jackson was his third partner in the last eighteen months, and so far he seemed okay. At least the younger guy hadn’t dropped any hints about needing a partner that would back him up, the way his previous partner had. Matt hadn’t held him responsible for the stabbing, but other cops hadn’t been shy about sharing their opinions, especially Lynda. When Jackson had replaced her as Noah’s new partner, Noah had been secretly relieved. Yet if he were honest, he didn’t know Jackson Dellis very well yet. He couldn’t say for sure if he’d agree with Noah’s decision to keep the series of incidents surrounding Maddy quiet.

He didn’t plan on giving him an option. Jackson was only in his second year of being a cop, so Noah would pull rank if he had to.

“I hope so, too,” Maddy agreed. She shivered and moved closer. He put his arm around her in an attempt to share his warmth. “How are we going to get in touch with him without a phone?”

Good question. It was already past two thirty in the morning; even those places that catered to the nighttime crowd would close down soon, if they hadn’t already. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “We’ll think of something.”

Maddy fell silent and he wondered if she was second-guessing her decision to go along with him. It hadn’t been an easy last few hours for her. Although he hated to think about what might have happened if she’d gone off on her own. From the near miss outside the hospital, to being rammed off the road toward the icy lake, to being shot at as they sped away on a borrowed boat, the bad guys, no doubt hired by Pietro, had remained one step behind them.

Too close for comfort.

Noah cranked the wheel of the boat into a sharp right, toward the much smaller and not as brightly lit Racine Marina. When they were a nautical mile away, he pulled back the throttle so that they drifted quietly toward the pier. Sweeping his gaze over the area, he didn’t see anyone lurking around, but he refused to relax his guard.

“I need you to hold the wheel steady,” he instructed Maddy. “Then when I give the signal, put the engine in Reverse, see here? Just enough to prevent us from ramming into the dock, okay?”

“No problem.” She placed her small hands near his, taking over the wheel the way he’d showed her. Fighting the instinct to hold her close, Noah moved away and headed out to the deck. He grasped the edge of the pier and quickly looped one of the boat’s mooring lines over it.

“Now,” he said and she instantly pulled the lever down, sending the engine into Reverse. “Off,” he said, as he quickly secured the second rope. She turned off the key, and he waited for her to come over to join him.

“Ready?” He helped her step off the boat onto the pier first, then came up behind her.

“What’s next?” Maddy’s voice sounded weak, betraying her exhaustion.

The area was far more deserted; only a few boats were stored here for the winter. He spied an old building off to the left. “This way.” He headed in that direction, relieved to see that the place was a snack bar used during the sailing season. It was boarded up for the winter.

Banking on the fact that there would be a phone inside, he examined the door. It was locked up tight and the windows were covered, as well. Refusing to give up, he checked every bit of plywood, finding one that wasn’t secured as tightly as the others.

“Are you breaking in?” Maddy asked, sounding horrified.

“We need access to a phone.”

“Even if there is a phone inside, that doesn’t mean it will work,” Maddy argued, sounding so much like her old self that it made him smile. “If they were smart, they’d shut down the phone line over winter.”

“Yeah, but there’s a chance they didn’t bother. The sailing season extends beyond just the summer months.”

“I—I guess it’s worth a sh-shot.” Her teeth were chattering again and Noah hoped that his instincts were right. Prying the plywood away, he managed to reveal a broken window.

Using his leather jacket–clad elbow, he knocked the rest of the glass out of the way and then poked his head inside. There were boxes stored beneath a counter, and thankfully a phone hung on the wall near the door.

“I’ll be right back.” He didn’t like leaving Maddy alone, but this wouldn’t take long. He handed her the computer case for the time being, then levered himself up through the window. It wasn’t easy—his shoulders were stuck momentarily—but then he was inside. Lifting the phone receiver, he closed his eyes with gratitude when he heard a dial tone.

He punched in Jackson’s number. The ringing seemed to go on forever and just when he was afraid he wouldn’t answer, he picked up.

“H’lo?” His partner’s voice was slurred with sleep.

“Jackson? It’s Noah. I need your help.”

“Noah?” Now he sounded more awake. “Do you realize it’s almost three o’clock in the morning?”

“I know, I’m sorry, but I’m in a jam. Can you meet me down at the Racine Marina?”

“Now? Seriously? Is it important?”

“Yes.”

Long silence, then, “Yeah, okay. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you.” He replaced the receiver then checked the door. A giant padlock hung through the latch, so he gave up and crawled back out the window. Maddy was huddled against the building, her arms crossed and her chin ducked into the collar of her coat.

After taking the computer case from her, he didn’t hesitate to gather her into his arms. “Jackson will be here soon. I need you to hang in there for a little while longer, okay?”

“I—I can’t get warm,” she whispered.

“I know.” He rubbed his hands up and down her back, hoping to ward off the possibility of hypothermia. She had a winter coat on, but no hat or gloves or decent boots. No wonder she was shivering. He tucked her head into his shoulder and tried not to be distracted by the cinnamon scent of her hair.

If Matt knew what a terrible job Noah was doing in protecting Maddy, he’d be furious. Which made him wonder why Matt hadn’t called him back. The only thing he could imagine that would keep Matt from returning his call was if he was out on a case. Of course now that his phone was in the bottom of the lake, it didn’t matter much.

He should have mentioned Maddy being in danger; then for sure nothing would have stopped Matt from returning his call. But back when he’d made that initial contact, he hadn’t realized just how serious Maddy’s situation was.

For a moment, Noah debated going back inside the building to make another call to Matt, but decided against it. He didn’t want to leave Maddy alone and Jackson would be here soon. He could easily borrow his partner’s phone to make the call. This time, Noah would be sure to give Matt the specifics on how many attempts had been made on Maddy’s life.

“Headlights,” Maddy whispered, her body going tense, her breath warm against his throat.

“I’m sure it’s Jackson,” he assured her. They stood in the shadow of the building, a spot that provided them a broad view of the parking lot while keeping them hidden. He knew his partner drove a large pickup, so he waited until the vehicle pulled into a parking space to make sure. Yep, the truck looked familiar, so he felt certain Jackson was the one behind the wheel.

Sure enough, the driver-side door sprung open, revealing a short redheaded guy. Jackson climbed out and stood for a moment, glancing around expectantly, his expression irritated that Noah wasn’t anywhere in sight.

He released Maddy and tried to step away, but she tightened her grip. “No, wait. I don’t like this.”

“That’s my partner,” he reminded her. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“Noah, please...” Her voice trailed off.

“We don’t have another option,” he told her. “We need to get someplace warm.”

She hesitated for a moment, then capitulated. “All right.”

Before they could step out from the shadows, there was a loud crack and Jackson Dellis crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Noah sucked in a harsh breath, horrified to see his partner shot before his eyes, thinking, Not again, not again! But then he focused on protecting Maddy, dragging her deeper into the shadows, trying to comprehend what had happened.

Their only escape route had been effectively cut off, leaving them stranded at the mercy of a hidden shooter.

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