Page 46 of Landon

Landon grabbed her hand, pulling her along as they rushed toward the sliding glass door. The officer watching the house came from the front, followed closely by Devil and Frazier. Landon threw the door open and sprinted toward Mike, who lay motionless on the path leading to the beach.

Noel was right behind him and watched as they rolled Mike over. His chest heaved with shallow breaths, his face pale and slick with sweat. She loosened his shirt buttons, and Mike reached up and tried to grab her arm. His mouth worked, but no sound came forth.

“Mike, Mike,” Noel said, leaning down closely. “We’re getting help. We’re calling for an ambulance.”

He gasped, his hand reaching for hers again. Landon’s hands pressed firmly into Mike’s chest, his focus unwavering as he began compression-only CPR. Noel looked at Landon, fear filling her, then up to Devil, who was on the phone.

“Ambulance is on the way. There’s a doctor at the resort, and he’s coming.”

Mike worked his mouth, his eyes on her. She leaned down, turning her head so that her ear was close to his mouth.

“Ca...Ill…” he rasped, the word barely audible.

Jerking her gaze back to him, she asked, “I know you’re ill. We’re getting help.” With all the noise around them, she looked up as Penny and Tad arrived downstairs, being held back by Frazier. Penny was sobbing, and Tad’s face was filled with anguish. She wanted to rush to them, to hold them, but Mike’s faint whisper pulled her attention back.

His lips moved again. This time, Noel pressed her ear close, straining to hear. His breath was weak, but the words chilled her to the bone. She blinked as she looked at his face again, but now his eyes were closed, and his lips stayed parted. It only took another minute before an ambulance arrived, alongside a car with a doctor inside.

Landon continued CPR until the rescue workers could load Mike onto a stretcher. As soon as the doors were shut and they drove away, Landon assisted Noel in standing. She didn’t move as cold seeped through her body. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

Landon’s breathing was steady, and she basked in his embrace, wanting to burrow deeper until she was no longer shaking. Finally, looking up, she swiped at the tears in her eyes.

“Noel,” he began, but she shook her head.

Seeing his brows lower, she glanced around before lifting on her toes. “Landon, I don’t want anyone else to hear this, but Mike whispered something to me.”

His eyes darkened. “What the hell did he say?”

Hesitating, she just stared wide-eyed up at him. She then looked around but didn’t see anyone close enough to hear what she needed to say. Nonetheless, she lifted on her toes with his hands still around her and whispered, “He said… he came to kill her.”

Landon’s body jerked, and his arms tightened around her. “What the fuck? Kill who?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I thought he just came to be with the kids. But he said, ‘I came to kill Pamela, but tell him I didn’t get a chance.’” She held Landon’s gaze, still shaking her head. “That’s all he said.”

“Christ, this is turning into a?—”

“Clusterfuck,” Noel supplied.

“Yeah,” Landon breathed as his arms stayed locked, pulling her close.

21

Landon wrapped his arm around Noel, his touch protective as he guided her into the house. Around them, worried faces were frozen as the red lights of the ambulance vanished down the drive.

Leaning close to her ear, Landon said in a low, urgent whisper, “Don’t say anything to anyone about Mike speaking to you.”

Her gaze shot to his face, her eyes wide. “I… um… okay.”

He started to turn, his focus shifting back to the others, but her hands clung to the fabric of his shirt. “Landon,” she whispered, her voice trembling with unspoken questions.

Landon paused, his full attention snapping back to her. To anyone watching, it might seem like a comforting embrace, but within the cocoon of his arms, the world fell away. His gaze locked on hers, steady and unwavering.

“He was talking on the phone just before he collapsed. I thought it was to the Fugates, but I don’t know.”

“What did he say?”

“Just that the kids were safe, and he would stick to the original plan. He said it would be good to get back to Montana.”

Landon’s gaze never left hers. “Anything else?”

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