Page 66 of No Love Lost

Upstairs to a bedroom or downstairs to keep her isolated and afraid?

He pointed down, and Marcus nodded. The farmhouse was older and probably squeaked as people moved across the floor. When they moved, they’d need to be coordinated and fast.

The basement door was probably one of the two they could see in the hallway. Marcus sent another quick text and then pointed to the first door for Heath while the deputy would take the second. It would only take a second to realize which door was correct, so the other person would be only moments behind.

As long as they were choosing correctly by heading down, they should have the advantage of surprise.

Marcus counted down his fingers from three, and they moved. It only took Heath three strides to open the door and start down with his gun out and ready. He knew the instant the door opened that they’d chosen right. The light was on, but he didn’t need that to know Addy was there.

Her light scent carried on the air, and he could almost feel her heartbeat.

But Jonas was there as well, and he was the one who required Heath’s attention. He was the one who needed to be contained.

Heath knew it was Jonas before he reached low enough on the stairs to see the man. He was a hunter, and the man was his prey. Adamson didn’t know it yet, but he didn’t stand a chance.

“Stop. Don’t make me hurt her.”

Heath slowed his movements but took another step down before complying. Jonas was crouched against the wall, Addy held in front of him like a shield.

Heath didn’t dare look into her eyes. He kept his entire focus on Jonas, who held a large kitchen knife to her throat.

“It’s over, Jonas. You need to let her go.”

Jonas’s laugh was a happy sound. “No, I don’t. Not ever. She belongs with me. We’re going to be together. We’re getting married.”

Heath didn’t respond to that ridiculous comment. No one else was in the room and a few quick glances showed no other exits but a few windows. His team would be at those soon. They all had enough training to shoot through the thick basement windows and hit their targets.

But Heath kept the man’s forehead in his sights, anyway.

Jonas smiled. “Addison is part of my family. She lives on our land, and I take care of her. I’ve always taken care of her. She doesn’t need you or anyone else when she’s got me. I knew the minute she moved to live on my land that we belonged together.”

Heath wanted to stall for a few minutes and give Marcus and the others time to get in place, but Jonas wasn’t rational. His words showed that his interest in Addy had turned into an obsession. The man wouldn’t act as expected.

He kept his gun steady. “You’ve been a good neighbor to Addy.”

“Her name is Addison, not Addy. It’s a beautiful name. Addison Adamson. It’s beautiful.”

Well, that was creepy. “Addison is a beautiful name for a beautiful person.”

Jonas seemed to relax at that. His face cleared. “She deserves to be taken care of. She shouldn’t have to work so hard. Obviously, she needs me to take care of her. We belong together.”

“Addison has always worked hard. She’s an amazing person.” Heath wanted to take great care of her, too, but not in a takeover, creepy way. She took care of herself and Nina, but he wanted to share the load with her.

Heath wondered if his arrival in town had somehow broken Jonas. He would bet that Jonas was behind all the incidents with her utility room, her car, her phone, and maybe even her tree. While those things had been happening for a while, they’d escalated recently.

Jonas had been content to be the helpful neighbor. Now, he saw Heath as a rival and that had maybe triggered these escalations.

Heath’s biggest fear was that Jonas might be thinking, if I can’t have her, no one can. Then he might use the knife, which hadn’t moved away from Addy’s throat.

Heath tried to keep his tone conversational. “When did you and Addison first meet?”

Jonas smiled. “She moved here a few weeks after my mother died. My mother had known we needed each other and sent her to me.”

Addy shuddered at the words, and the knife nicked her skin. Jonas didn’t seem to notice. His voice had softened and Heath didn’t want him to get angry again. “You enjoy helping Addison, don’t you?”

Jonas nodded. “I do. My father always took care of my mother. Until he died, and then I stepped in to help. I moved back here for her. I did everything for her.”

And had isolated himself with his mother if Heath had to bet. “How do you like to help?”

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