Page 95 of Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele)

Brad was sniffling, tears falling in rapid succession. “She was just supposed to fall asleep, but she looked so scared. Still, she deserved it. She didn’t care about me! All she cared about was New Belle and Leo, and then you.” Brad turned his gaze on Tony and shot up to pursue him.

Amanda stood and pulled her gun from its holster, but she didn’t want to fire on Brad. He was messed up, but a kid no less. He needed to get help. “Stop, Brad. I don’t want to shoot you. I know you didn’t mean to do what you did.”

“I meant it.” Brad thrust out his chin as he grabbed Tony. Tony bucked against the younger man but wasn’t strong enough to free himself.

“I don’t think you did. You regret it… terribly. Come on, let Tony go, put down the syringe, and I’ll put my gun away.”

His eyes snapped to hers, and in that brief second, she grabbed one of the heavier throw pillows and slung it across the room. It hit Brad’s hand, and the needle fell to the floor. He fumbled to retrieve it, and Tony quickly moved out of the way at Amanda’s prompting. She holstered her gun and closed the distance to Brad while he remained preoccupied with finding the syringe.

She came up next to Brad just as he bolted upright.

“You bitch!” he roared and came at her, the needle in his hand.

Tony shouted, “Watch out!” She juked out of Brad’s reach when he jabbed the needle at her. Close. Too close. She tried to put some space between them, but he put out a leg. She fell over his foot, spilling onto the wood floor with a whoosh of breath letting out of her lungs. She scrambled onto her back and pulled her gun, just as Brad was lowering over her.

She clocked him on the head with the butt of the Glock’s handle. Brad Slater fell unconscious to the floor next to her, the needle falling once again from his hand.