Page 55 of Landon

A sudden, sharp voice broke through her thoughts. “You!”

Noel gasped, her hand flying to her chest as she spun around. She’d been so lost in her musings she hadn’t noticed someone else approaching. Standing barely twenty feet from her was a young man, Jamaican by appearance, his expression somewhere between fear and desperation. He looked so young, hardly more than a teenager, his clothes disheveled and his hair a tangled mess as though he’d been anxiously running his fingers through it.

She wasn't sure what he wanted.Money?Surely, he could see she had no purse with her.Shit… not even my phone!

“You!” he shouted again, his voice edged with something darker this time, something closer to rage than fear.

Her gaze darted toward the house, a surge of instinctive panic filling her. Could she outrun him? She took a small stepbackward, but he mirrored her move, edging closer. Just as she prepared to sprint, he raised his arm, and her eyes fell on the object in his hand. A strangled gasp escaped her lips as she registered the gun, its barrel glinting in the morning light, pointed directly at her.

“Wh… what…” Noel’s breath caught, her heart pounding wildly as she raised her hands in surrender, her feet glued to the gritty sand beneath her. She had no idea who this man was or why he had such rage in his eyes.

“You killed my cousin.”

Her mouth fell open. Of all the things she expected this man to say, that would never have made the list.Oh God… he’s crazy and has the wrong person!She shook her head back and forth, saying, “No, I didn’t,” she stammered, her voice trembling as she shook her head furiously. “I haven’t killed anyone. You’ve got it all wrong.”

His grip on the gun tightened, and a shudder ran through his hand. “I saw you,” he said, his voice a sharp, unsteady shout. “You shot him.”

“No! No, you’re wrong,” she pleaded, fighting to keep her voice steady, her hands raised in a calming gesture despite her panic. “I swear, I didn’t kill anyone!”

He didn’t seem to hear her. His gaze was wild, filled with hurt and fury, his hand gripping the gun like a lifeline. “I saw you kill my cousin. He was on the roof, and when I heard the shot, I ran to the window. You were standing at the edge of the trees with a gun. He fell right after. It was you!”

Understanding finally dawned in her fear-filled mind. "No, no! I didn't shoot him. I don't know how to shoot,” she said, her words tumbling out. “I… I fired the gun, but I didn't hit him. I aimed, but I just fired. He fell because he was frightened. He may have died when he hit the ground. I don't know.”

She tried to think of what she’d seen, but with the storm raging and her attention on Landon and the kids, she had no idea what happened. Her mind strained to remember anything useful, but the memory of that night was blurred with the chaos, the storm, and her worry over Landon and the kids. "It was raining. It was stormy. You didn't see everything,” she cried, desperately hoping he would lower the weapon.

“You think I don't know?” he yelled, stepping closer. “I saw him after the man left. I ran out and saw my cousin dead on the ground. He was shot!”

Noel’s heart hammered in her chest, her pulse roaring in her ears. She could see the anguish behind his anger, but his grip on reality was slipping. She’d been in dangerous situations before, but never like this, never this alone. She had no way to reach Landon, and no one was here to stop this man’s anger from spiraling further out of control.

A flash of hopelessness washed over her as she took in the empty, windswept beach. The waves crashed behind her. She might die here, under a bright Jamaican sky, without ever getting a chance to live the life she’d longed for.

Suddenly, a shout came from behind. “No, no, Jevaun! You can’t do this!”

Noel didn’t move out of fear, but Horticia sprinted to her side with her arms raised toward the boy.

“She killed our cousin, Horticia!” he shouted in return.

“No, no, she’s good. Please, Jevaun, this has to stop!”

“Tarone is dead, and she killed him!”

“He was doing wrong. We were all doing wrong! We should never have agreed to do this thing.”

The air dragged in and out of Noel’s lungs as she watched the young man struggle. The gun was still pointed at her, and she wasn’t sure if Horticia’s words penetrated his need for revenge.

A crack rang out, echoing over the water. The young man’s scream followed as he dropped to his knees, clutching his arm as the gun tumbled from his hand into the sand. Horticia screamed and raced to the boy, falling onto the sand beside him.

Noel's breath snagged in her throat, and instinctively, she stumbled backward. The instinct to flee overpowered any impulse to help, and her only thought was to get away. She stumbled, not heeding where Horticia was. Her legs felt like lead as she tried to run, the sand dragging at her feet, turning each step into a battle. Her balance teetered as her legs gave way beneath her.

She expected to fling headfirst into the sand, but strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her upright, cradling her in a tight embrace against a solid chest.

“Fuck, baby, fuck! Jesus, baby, fuck!”

She didn't need to turn around to see who held her, recognizing Landon's voice. Relief flooded her, making her legs give out, but he was there, scooping her up into his arms and holding her close, carrying her as if she weighed nothing.

Her head spun as he carried her back toward the house, the world around them blurring. She barely noticed Devil and Frazier rushing past, sprinting toward the wounded man on the sand. Lightheaded and gasping, Noel struggled to catch her breath, but her lungs wouldn’t cooperate, as if they’d forgotten how to expand. “C… c… can’t b… brea…”

She was lowered to the patio, and she fell back, his hands cradling the back of her head to keep it from hitting the ground. He loomed over her and, through her spotty vision, could see the look of concern.

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