Page 90 of Erik's Redemption
A bullet nicked his side, but he ignored the pain, swiftly lifting his own pistol and firing at the doorway.
The asshole had already moved behind the wall. Erik rolled Hannah to the opposite side of the staircase.
“You guys are the perfect fucking couple, aren’t you?” Oden yelled. “Murderers who think you can kill whoever you damn well please and there won’t be consequences!”
Erik could have laughed. “And what are you doing right now…Oden?”
The man paused, probably surprised at hearing his real name. “There’s purpose behind what I’m doing. Shedeservesit.”
“And her bodyguard? Did he deserve it too?”
Bullets peppered the staircase. Erik gritted his teeth, remaining on the floor. Hannah whimpered, and fear gripped him. He kissed her temple. Her skin was damp. “Five minutes, Angel, and I’ll get us out.”
A scuffle sounded from the study. Erik turned his head to see Henry moving slightly on the floor, waking up, and Owen’s arm inching around the wall, weapon raised.
Erik fired, getting the asshole in the arm. He cried out and dropped the gun.
Erik moved around the staircase, but Oden had already rolled and grabbed Henry, tugging him practically into his lap and using him as a shield as he put a knife to the man’s neck.
“Let him go, Oden,” Erik said, voice low and hard. “It’s over.”
Oden growled. “No. It’snotfucking over! I want herdead! I want—”
Henry flung his head to the side, heedless of the knife—and Erik fired, getting Oden right between the eyes.
CHAPTER 31
Hannah watched the flurry of movement around the front of the house. It was hard to focus on any one thing because of the exhaustion. It tugged at her limbs, making her feel like she was weighted to the ground.
She sipped her juice, wishing it would give her just a bit of life.
A big part of her exhaustion was the low. If Erik hadn’t gotten her to the car when he had so she could eat something… God, she couldn’t even think about it.
That wasn’t the only reason she was so tired, though. It was also the crash of adrenaline.
Owen—no,Oden—was Clarence’s nephew. It still seemed crazy to her. He’d come to Redwood, started dating Henry, just to get close toher. To torment her before he killed her.
A shudder coursed down her spine.
She wasn’t sure if Erik saw the shudder, but he stopped his conversation with the police officer and moved straight over to her before slipping an arm around her back. “Are you doing okay?”
She opened her mouth, but before any words could come out, the front door of the house opened and paramedics stepped outside with a gurney, a sheet over Oden’s body.
“This whole time it was him,” she whispered, trailing the paramedics with her eyes. “I can barely believe it.”
Erik stepped in front of her, blocking her view. “But he’s gone now. And he won’t bother you ever again.”
She lay her head on Erik’s chest, closing her eyes and letting the thuds of his heart sink inside and calm her.
They’d told the police that Oden blamed her for his uncle’s disappearance. That he’d accused her of lying about the attack. It was as close to the truth as they could get.
It was only the sight of Henry, getting out of the other ambulance and moving toward her, that had her head shooting up.
She started to stand, but Erik grabbed her arm. “Hey. Slow.”
When Henry was close enough, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Are you okay?”
She immediately wanted to take back her words. What a stupid question. Ofcoursehe wasn’t okay. His boyfriend had turned out to be a psychopath. He’d attacked Henry. Planned to kill him to protect his identity.
