Page 38 of Legal Trouble

Usually, he didn’t pay them much mind. They were a part of the life and station he’d been born into, but he had Emma to think about now, not just himself. He’d done his best to prepare her for this aspect of life with a Whitlow, but he’d never had this scenario in mind. By morning, their relationship would be all over the news. Everyone in the office would know they were together. All of Houston would know, too. Hell, the entire world would. He just hoped all the attention wouldn’t scare Emma off.

He hoped he didn’t lose her.

Closing his eyes, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and fear sank its teeth back into him. He could have lost her in a different way tonight, like he’d lost Amanda. What if, when he’d left Emma to find out what had happened, the second gas bomb had exploded through her bedroom window, trapping her? What if he hadn’t been able to get back to—

No.

He couldn’t let his imagination go there.

Emma was here.

She was alive.

She was in his arms.

“Emma Morgan?” called an unfamiliar female voice.

Noah opened his eyes. Emma turned toward the voice, too, but she didn’t speak, nor did she leave Noah’s embrace.

A man and woman approached them from his left. She wore a pair of gray slacks and a simple beige top, he a black suit, white shirt, and red tie. He was stockier than his willowy counterpart, but they presented a cohesive unit, setting off a little tic in the back of Noah’s head.

Cops.

Noah despised the police. He had since he’d been a teen, when he’d been mercilessly interrogated for hours. Scared and heartbroken, he’d learned that day just how harsh reality could hit.

“I’m Detective Nakala Hill,” the female said, “and this is my partner, Yasuhiro Tanaka. We know this is a difficult time for you, Ms. Morgan, but we needed to speak with you about what happened here tonight.”

“Can’t this wait until morning?” Noah asked. All he wanted to do was get Emma away from here.

“It’s okay, Noah.” Emma’s voice was soft, but it showed her backbone. She was shaken, but not broken. “The more they learn tonight, the faster they can start their investigation.”

He nodded, but he didn’t like it.

Both detectives took out notepads and pens, but only Hill spoke. “In your own words, tell us what happened.”

Emma gave a quick rundown of events, until the 9-1-1 call, and then, Noah took over.

“As soon as I knew Emma was safe, I knocked on the neighbors’ doors to get them outside. I’d just finished knocking on the homes on either side of Emma’s house when the first fire truck arrived.”

Both detectives nodded and scribbled in their pads.

“Do you have any clue who might want to hurt you?” asked Hill.

Emma shook her head. “Not at all. I’ve lived here for years, and nothing like this has ever happened.”

“I know someone who might want to hurt her,” Noah inserted.

The detectives turned their gazes on Noah, and he tried not to squirm under their scrutiny.

“And who would that be?” asked Hill.

“His name’s Franklin Bishop, and he attacked Emma in court several days ago.” Noah quickly explained the scene in court and its aftermath. “And I saw someone speeding away from the curb just after we made it outside.”

“Did you catch the license plate?” asked Hill.

Noah shook his head. “My vision was too blurry from all the smoke. I just noted that it was an old, dark sedan.”

“Did you see Bishop?”

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