Page 446 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Addie hadn’t stuck up for herself. She’d just let her mother say whatever she wanted. The cop who pulled her out of the cabin while her mom wailed had muttered something disparaging. She couldn’t even remember the words now, drowned out by her mom’s screaming and carrying on. It hadn’t been encouraging about the kind of person Ivan Damen targeted.

The kind of person her mom was.

Addie had spent fifteen years being as far from that person as she possibly could be. The same way she’d had nothing to do with her mother.

The way she’d passed off credit to the other members of her teams and task forces, agents she partnered with. Keeping her hair and makeup simple. Not drawing attention to herself.

She wanted to draw Jacob’s attention. He was theonlyone she needed.

Addie bent at the waist and took in some longer breaths so she didn’t pass out. She’d lost it.

She needed to pull herself together, go back around the cabin and?—

The door flew open, nearly smacking her in the face as it swung out.

She heard the distant shouts of police.

Hank Maxwell slammed into her, and they both went down. Addie’s back knocked into the ground.

Hank tried to get off her.

She ditched the gun and grabbed his shirt. “You’re done, Hank. It’s over.” And he better not have killed Jacob.

Before he could scramble up, Addie rolled over and pinned him beneath her. Hank added to the momentum, and she was flipped again. Her temple hit something.

Addie cried out.

Hank’s hands circled her neck. “Last one.”

She saw the flash of his gritted teeth. Her mind screamed at her body to take a breath, but his grasp prevented her from doing it.

Inside the cabin, there was a giant crash and a wave of yelling.

I’m here. I’m right here.

Addie needed to get him off her. She couldn’t get her weapon. Maybe he had one.

She patted his waist with her hands. His weight on top of her. She wanted to vomit. “Hank.” The word was barely audible. “Jacob.”

“I won’t go to prison.” His hands flexed. “Not before you’re dead.”

She kept moving her hands, hoping he didn’t notice. She found a phone sandwiched between his front pants pocket and her hip. He shifted, and the rub of hard plastic on her hiphurt.

“Hank.” She wanted to plead. Beg him to let her live. But what if Jacob was dead? Maybe she didn’t want to live in a world where he lay cold in the ground.

Her hands stopped moving.

No, she couldn’t quit.

“FBI!” Kyle yelled. “Let me see your hands!”

Addie felt a tear roll from the corner of her eye. “Hank. It’s over.”

He stared at her, nothing but darkness.

“It’s over.”

“FBI!” Stella echoed. “Let her go and show us your hands!”

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