Page 78 of Erik's Redemption
The doorknob rattled.
She lifted the knife, knowing it wouldn’t save her from a bullet, but it was all she had.
Erik pressedhis foot to the floor, his Corvette speeding down the streets of Redwood. For once, he wished he lived closer to town because getting to her was taking too fucking long.
Why hadn’t he just gone down to her office? He’d known she was working too late.
Fuck.
He’d called the police, but who the hell knew how long they’d take, and Chandler’s guard wasn’t answering the damn phone.
When he finally made it to the street where her office was located, he saw a car with tinted windows half a block down. That was her bodyguard’s vehicle. Was he inside the office? Had he gotten her to safety? He couldn’t see through the damn windows, but fuck, he had to hope.
The second he pulled up in front of the building, he flew out of the car, pulling his Glock from his holster. His steps were quiet as he ran toward the door, his gaze shifting down the street.
Before he even stepped inside, he noted all the lights were off, the building dark…but not so dark that he couldn’t see. The streetlights offered enough glow through the windows that he could make out where everything was as he surveyed the foyer.
For a moment he was still, listening for any footsteps. Any hint of movement. There was nothing.
He inched farther into the room. He was about to head to her office when he heard the rustle of movement from the back of the building—then the sound of a door.
Erik took off, running down the hall and out the open back door near the kitchen. He quickly glanced around. To his right,he caught the shadow of someone tall running around the corner of the building.
Every part of Erik wanted to chase after him. Catch the fucker. But the person had been alone. Which meant Hannah was probably still inside.
Shewas his priority.
He went back inside, closing the door and clicking the lock. “Hannah?”
He wasn’t trying to silence his movements anymore. He walked back down the hall, passing two empty offices on the way to Hannah’s, only steps away when he heard the sound of a chair scraping against flooring. He quickly returned to the end of the hall in time to see the kitchen door open—and there she was, so pale her face was almost ghostly white.
He closed the space between them, cupping her cheek. “Are you okay?”
Her skin was like ice, her eyes wide and frightened, but she nodded. “He tried the knob, then suddenly left.”
Police sirens wailed down the street. He ignored them, keeping his entire focus on her. “But you’re not hurt?”
“I’m not hurt.”
He tugged her into his chest, the thrashing of his heart finally beginning to settle. Slowly, he smoothed his hand down her arm and wrapped his fingers around the knife. She gasped, as if she’d forgotten it was still in her hold.
“There was a thump from somewhere down the hall,” she whispered, her fingers uncurling from the knife.
Frowning, he raised his gun as he moved slowly toward her office, ensuring she was behind him the entire time. Just inside the door…
The anger inside him twisted into something deeper. Harder. Acid crawling around his gut.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, voice flat as he blocked her view.
She shook her head. “No. I want to see.”
“Angel—”
She stepped around him—and her gaze zeroed in on the body of her guard. There was a bullet wound in the back of his head, and blood pooled around him on the floor.
Hannah swayed, and Erik cursed, slipping an arm around her waist and tugging her out of the room. He helped her to the reception couch, lowering to his haunches in front of her.
“Angel…look at me.”
