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Eb didn’t move.“Naomi was in the middle of her meal.I’ll drive her to the station when she’s done eating.”
Clark backed up a step.He squinted against the sunlight.“I have orders.I am supposed to bring her in to the station.”He offered Naomi a weak smile.“They might not be the freshest donuts, but I can tell you we are well stocked at the station.You can get donuts and coffee, and we’ll take care of closing this case.Giving you back your life.”
Naomi nodded.She took a step toward him.
“Nope.”Eb pulled her right back.Tension had crept through his veins.I came out of the safe house without a weapon.Because Hunter had only seen the detective approaching.It hadn’t seemed like a situation where Eb would need to grab his gun.“I’ll drive Naomi after we finish eating.Won’t take long.We’ll meet you at the station.”Flat.“See you soon.”
Clark’s mouth tightened.
“I don’t understand!”Naomi tilted her head to the right.“How exactly did Brock die?He didn’t seem to have life-ending injuries when he was here.”
“Just had a hole in his damn hand,” Hunter added.“Shouldn’t have killed him.”
Clark swiped away the sweat on his brow.“He broke free of his cuffs.Tried to grab a scalpel and attack Madeline.”
Sonofabitch.
“She stopped him.”Fast words.They tumbled from Clark.“The scalpel wound up in his throat.Docs couldn’t save him.But at least Madeline and her team got his confession first.”Clark’s stare darted over Naomi.“I can’t give you that ride?Sure would make things easier if you just came with me.”
The detective was trying way too hard to get Naomi in his car.Like that didn’t set off alarm bells.Deliberately, Eb stepped in front of Naomi.“I have her.”
Clark nodded.“Yeah, I see that.”An exhale.“Sorry, again.Wish things could have been different…” He turned away.Shuffled for his car.
“Naomi, get inside,” Eb ordered softly.He didn’t take his gaze off the shuffling detective.
“What?”She seemed confused.
“Getinside,” Eb barked.
Too late.The detective was already spinning around, and he’d snatched the gun from his holster.Eb knew the bastard was going to fire, and Eb didn’t have a weapon.Eb couldn’t throw his body to the side because he was the only thing standing between Naomi and the bullet.
At least it will hit me.She’ll be safe.She’ll be?—
Boom.
Boom.
Two shots.
Eb was staring straight at Clark so he saw when the bullet slammed into the detective’s chest.Blood seemed to explode from the guy, soaking the white shirt beneath his open coat, and Clark’s whole body jolted.The gun he’d been aiming at Eb flew a few inches to the left, so when he fired, the bullet went wide and scraped a fiery path over Eb’s upper arm.
Naomi screamed.Henry howled.
And the detective tumbled back and hit the ground.
Eb bounded down the porch steps.The gun had fallen, and he picked it up, aiming at it at the moaning cop.“You sonofabitch!”His hold tightened on the weapon.The detective’s white shirt was almost completely red.That fast.Shit.“Call an ambulance!”he roared.
Footsteps pounded behind him.He looked back.Hunter was there, with his gun still gripped in his hand.Well, at least one of them had been prepared.
“Who’s your best friend in the world?”Hunter demanded.
Obviously, it would be the brutal bastard who’d just saved his life—and Naomi’s life.“Best friend forever,” Eb promised.
“You can thank me later,” Hunter told Eb.
Yeah, he would.
“Why the hell did you pull the gun on us?”Eb asked Clark.