Page 97 of Right Number, Wrong Man
I slam the butt of my pistol into Justin’s temple and he crumples, falling into a pathetic heap on the tiles. I kick him in the ribs twice over. When he doesn’t react, I holster my gun and rush to the tub.
I lift Hailey out, set her down on the floor, and take offthe gag. Tears run down her cheeks as she sobs so hard, I can barely understand her.
“You came!” she chokes out. “Oh God, you came! You’re really here!”
My throat tightens as I cup her face and wipe away her tears, leaning my forehead against hers. “I told you I’ll always be there when you need me, Spitfire. Always. No matter where I am, no matter what I do—if you call, I’m on my way.”
Holding her, I realize that I don’t love her like I used to when we were kids. IthoughtI loved her back then, but that childish emotion pales compared to how much I love her now.
She’s the air that I breathe and the blood pumping through my veins. She’s the sun rising in the morning and the moon shining at night. She’s the rain falling on the withered plains of my heart, making it bloom.
She’s everything to me.
I untie Hailey and she wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing. Without thinking, I haul her close and kiss the crown of her head. Keyed up as I am, I don’t give a damn if this ain’t appropriate.
I need to feel her. Her breath. Her pulse.
I’m just so fucking happy she’s alive.
Hailey presses her face against my chest. “I’m sorry, Colt…” she mumbles into my shirt. “I should’ve had my gun and?—”
“Bullshit.” I tilt her chin up and make her look at me. “This ain’t your fault. It’s Justin’s.”
Her eyes flick to his motionless figure. “Is he dead?”
“Nah. Just knocked out.”
“We should call the police and turn him in,” she says.
“No cops.”
Her head tilts. “What areyou going to do with him?”
“Do you trust me?” I ask in turn.
“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have called you for help.”
I smirk. “And here I thought you just didn’t have anybody else for the dirty work.”
“Hey, no teasing the victim! Iliterallyalmost got murdered and the guy doing it wasn’t even hot! Plus, I lost my date for Andrea’s wedding and there’s no way in hell I’ll find a replacement fast enough.”
“It coulda been worse.”
Hailey squints. “How?”
“A nutjob like him could’ve brought a pet tarantula.”
“Oh my God, stop it!” She makes a fake gagging noise, slapping my chest, but the tiniest smile tugs on her lips. “That’s horrible!You’rehorrible! Butheis the absolute worst!” She points at Justin and stomps toward him. With a cry—half scream, half sob—she kicks him in the gut and he groans groggily.
Butterflies rise in my stomach as a very inappropriate erection tents my pants.
Hailey just went through a traumatic event, but she’s still got that fire in her belly. It’s impossible not to want her.
“This fucker didn’t even have the decency to put my ice cream into the freezer before he dragged me in here to scoop out my eyes by candlelight,” she says, voice dripping with outrage as she points to a large spoon by the side of the tub and a thick, curved needle, threaded with black wool.
“He wanted towhat?” I blurt out.
“Oh, that’s right! You don’t know about the big reveal yet. Justin is The Eyesnatcher and that stuff is part of his kill kit. He brought a backpack with other things, too, but I obviously didn’t get to look inside.” Hailey gestures at a black bag tucked into the space by the sink.
