Page 37 of Crossroads of Innocence
“No, you need to get back inside and take care of Jude. I called the police, and Grace is on her way. She can track him better than either of us. I know it’s frustrating to see him slip away, but Jude needs you now.”
Reality crashed down on him. He hadn’t checked to make sure Jude was okay. He shoved past Chet, ignoring the jabs of pain as fresh punctures pierced his tender skin, and ran back inside. “Jude!”
Jude huddled in the kitchen, her arms hugging her chest tightly and sobs racking her slender body. Her eyes were wide, her skin so damn pale.
He rushed to her and pulled her into his arms, absorbing her tears and her fear. He cradled her head in his palm. “I got ya, now. Everything’s going to be all right.” He pressed his lips to her ear, hating how she shook against him.
She fisted his shirt and buried her face in his neck. “I was so scared. I thought I was going to die. Then I thought you’d die and I just…oh God. I don’t want to be the reason you’re hurt. Not now and not ever.”
“Shhh, it’s okay.” He rubbed a hand in a small circle on her back. “I’m fine. You’re fine.”
As he held her, adrenaline leaked from his system. His heartrate slowed, his breathing evened out, and he tried to erase the image of the man with a gun pointed at Jude. A ball of emotion lodged in his throat. He would have killed Benji tonight if the bastard hadn’t run away. If there was a next time, he wouldn’t let him get away again.
* * *
The small apartmentbustled with activity. Jude pulled a blanket tighter over her shoulders and stayed rooted at Wade’s side, watching the organized chaos from the couch. Her body had finally stopped shaking, but the terror had yet to leave her system.
She wasn’t sure it ever would.
Benji Blitz hadn’t laid a hand on her like last time, but this had been different. Laying helpless on her back with a gun pointed at her head was the scariest thing she’d ever experienced. She’d been convinced her life was over—had wondered what the bullet ripping into her skull would feel like or if she’d leave anyone behind who’d even miss her. And worst yet, a million thoughts had flashed through her mind about all the mistakes she’d made and how she’d never be able to fix them.
An emergency responder kneeled in front of Wade and finished wrapping a bandage around his foot. “All right. You’re cleaned up and good to go. Take over-the-counter pain pills and try to stay off your feet. You’ll be a little tender for a few days.”
“Thanks, Al. Appreciate it.”
Al stood and stared down at Jude, his lips pressed in a thin line. The bright lights illuminating the room beat down on him and showcased his dark hair and babyface. “You need rest, too. You might not have been physically injured, but tonight was traumatic as hell. Don’t take that lightly.”
“I won’t,” she said. Jude planned on finding a bed, hiding under a blanket, and not getting up for a week.
“Y’all have a good night.” Al dipped his chin, gathered his first aid kit, and headed toward the door.
“Here, honey,” Mia said, skirting the corner of the sofa. “Have some tea. I don’t know why, but something hot always seems to help.”
Jude couldn’t even manage a small smile when she accepted the mug and cradled it in her hands.
“Wade, would you like anything?” Mia asked.
“Something a lot stronger than that tea,” he said, snorting as he kept one arm tucked firmly around her shoulders.
“Let’s wait for the police to finish up then we’ll see what we got.” She winked then settled in the armchair, Wrigley glued himself to her side as Macey jumped into her lap.
Jude glanced over her shoulder at the two officers—Cruz and his twin brother Lincoln—talking to a woman and Chet on the deck. “What are they talking about? And who’s out there with them?”
As if Cruz had heard her question, the foursome marched through the space where a sliding door should’ve been. Mia had cleaned up the shattered glass after the police had shown up, insisting Jude relax and focus on giving her statement to Cruz.
Chet stepped up behind Mia and placed a hand on her shoulder. “How you two holding up?”
Jude shrugged and snuggled closer to Wade’s side. She kept glancing at the busted door, waiting for Benji to come storming back inside to kill her. Logic told her that wouldn’t happen. He’d been injured and no way he’d come back with the lights blazing and place packed, but she couldn’t help the tremors shaking her insides. “Did you find him?”
Cruz, Lincoln and the mystery woman stood in front of the fireplace in a line—all with grim faces that answered her question before anyone spoke.
The woman shook her head, causing her long dark braid to sway behind her. “No, but I followed his tracks into the woods. There was some blood—Wade, you must have clocked the bastard good—and it looks like he found an old dirt lane to park his car. He’d taken off before we got to him.” She aimed her irritated gaze toward Jude, a slight smile softening her hard edges. “I’m Grace, by the way. Nice to meet you, although sorry this is how.”
Jude offered a small wave. “How did he know I was here?”
“My guess is he spotted you at the hospital and followed you. Scoped out the place and formed a plan to hide the car and come up to the house at nightfall,” Cruz said.
“Could you follow the tire marks Grace found?” Wade asked.
