Page 64 of Erik's Redemption
Nate laughed, but there wasn’t a lot of humor behind it. “The most stubborn man I know.” He took a breath before stepping into the room. Erik started to follow, but his phone rang again, this time Chandler’s name flashing on the screen.
Had he found any information about Nico? Erik had called him the second Hannah left the house this morning. “What did you find?”
“You’re not gonna like this.”
Erik’s muscles tensed. “Tell me.”
“I couldn't find any hospital records for the day you shot him, but I found something else…his death certificate. Hannah was right. Cause of death was burned to death.”
Fuck. “What’s the recorded date of death?”
The mission was on May tenth. He’d read over his job report so many times in the last month, he knew it by heart.
“It’s May thirtieth.”
The air rushed from his chest. “Someone got him to a hospital that night. They saved him.”
“What does this mean?” Chandler asked, frustration in his voice. “Did someone save him, only to kill him later? Maybe the trafficking ring needed him alive because he had something they wanted? Or hell, maybe he was saved by a friend, only to have an enemy torch his place later?”
“Maybe.” Erik’s temple throbbed. “Or maybe he escaped and is still alive. The person was burned beyond recognition. No one identified the body.”
Chandler cursed. “We need more information. We need—” He stopped when a beeping sounded over the line. There was a brief pause. “The guy I have on Hannah’s calling me.”
Hannah cringedas the paramedic prodded at the bump on her temple.
“It just appears to be bruised,” he said, finally stepping away. “You said you didn’t lose consciousness?”
She shook her head. “I felt dizzy, but that’s it.”
He grabbed a light and checked her eyes. “Well, I’d say it was a lucky escape. No signs of concussion. I’ll get you some ice and painkillers.”
She nodded as the paramedic disappeared, her gaze falling on the guy who was talking to the police officers. Who was he? And where had he come from? He didn’t look like anyone she recognized. He was big, both in height and breadth, and dressed all in black. He’d chased after the guy who’d knocked her into the wall, then returned a second later, calling both paramedics and police before checking her over.
She’d asked who he was, and he’d just given her a first name—Jim. That didn’t tell her anything, like where he’d come from or how he’d known she was in trouble. She didn’t think she’d screamed during her brief struggle with the assailant, but then, everything was a bit of a blur.
She tugged her phone from her pocket and hovered her finger over Erik’s number. She’d meant to call him immediately, but the police had arrived, then the paramedics, and everything had moved too quickly.
She’d just pressed on his name when an engine roared from down the street. She looked up, her breath catching at the sight of Erik’s Corvette racing toward them.
He was here…
How?
She hung up the call as Erik pulled to the side of the road. When his gaze hit hers, a full-body shudder coursed down her spine. The anger on his face, the danger radiating off him…it was so dark.
He moved toward her, his gaze running over her body, searching for injuries. Then he was right in front of her, his hands on her hips. His gaze narrowed on the bruise at her temple before shifting back to her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She nodded slowly, her brows pinched. “Just a bump on the head. How did you know?” Suddenly, she glanced back at the man who’d saved her, the pieces falling into place. “Wait…was he—”
“He was watching you, Angel. Protecting you.”
Her mouth opened and closed, so many questions bubbling inside her, but she didn’t have time to ask any of them because the paramedic returned, as well as two police officers.
“Ms. Jacobs,” one of the officers said. “Could you please take us through what happened?”
She thanked the paramedic for the ice pack and pain meds and took a breath before turning toward the officer. She had to be careful with her explanation. If she wasn’t, too many questions would be asked…questions she didn’t want to answer.
“I went upstairs to turn off the lights and heard something downstairs, but when I went down, I didn’t see anyone. I locked and alarmed the house, but when I went to leave, the alarm went off. I went back, re-alarmed and locked, and the same thing happened.” She swallowed. “When I went back the second time, the guy grabbed me and shoved me against the wall. He had a knife. That’s when the guy who saved me came in and chased the man off.”
