Page 41 of A Moon Lake Christmas Hero

I slowed down searched for Erin’s eyes.

Her eyes were wide with fear, but there was also determination in them. She wasn't going to make this easy for him, or maybe she was ready to sacrifice herself, in order to keep everyone else safe.

The guy looked rough - unshaven, dirty clothes, bloodshot eyes. His hand that held the knife was shaking. Not good. An unstable person with a weapon was the last thing we needed.

"Bob," Erin said quietly. "Please don't do this."

So this was him? The ex she'd been running from? The one who'd likely tampered with her brakes. My jaw clenched as I assessed the situation.

"Shut up!" he snarled, pressing the knife closer. A small red line appeared on Erin's neck.

My blood boiled at the sight of her blood, but I forced myself to stay calm. One wrong move, and this could end badly.

"Let her go," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Whatever this is about, we can talk it through."

"Talk?" The guy laughed manically. "There's nothing to talk about. She's mine. She's always been mine. And always will be."

I saw her hands clench into fists, saw her repulsion in the way she remained completely still.

"You need to think this through," I said, taking a careful step forward. "Law enforcement is on the way."

As if on cue, I heard vehicles approaching behind me. Bob's eyes darted toward the sound, his grip on Erin loosening slightly.

That's when the glass of one of the windows at the house splintered into a thousand pieces.

The guy turned his head and, with it, his knife, toward the noise, and in that split second of distraction, Erin drove her elbow hard into his ribs.

And I lunged forward into a tackle and grabbed his knife arm with both my hands.

His stance faltered.

The snow crunched under our feet as we fell. But the impact pulled Erin with us as we hit the ground hard.

I held on to his arm and hit it against the ground as hard as I could, until the knife went flying into the snow.

Then I started hitting him until he lost consciousness.

The cold seeped through my clothes, but I barely noticed it in the heat of the moment.

Until I heard Erin's groan, which pulled me out of my rage. “Erin. You okay?”

I got up, and turned to the squealing noise of trucks and cars arriving.

Richard and Peter were immediately there, took over the guy, and I turned to Erin, who was still lying motionless in the snow.

She groaned again, and my chest squeezed tight.

I kneeled beside her just as she rolled around.

“Careful,” I said and stabilized her neck with my right hand.

Her clear, brown eyes focused on me immediately. “What? How?”

I squeezed her neck, the reality crashing into me. I’d acted recklessly and perfectly irrationally.

“Sorry,” I said.

“For what?”

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