Page 51 of Let Her Run

It was just enough time for Fiona to rally her strength, seizing her chance to fight back.

With a swift, powerful kick, she caught Harrison off guard, striking him in the groin.

"Ugh!" Harrison doubled over, releasing Fiona from his grasp.

The wail of police sirens sliced through the air from outside of the house. The sound seemed to tether her back to reality, reminding her that she wasn't alone in this nightmare. Help was coming.

She just had to survive.

But Harrison wasn't done. He rose from the floor; his face contorted with rage and pain. His fingers curled around the spray wand once again, determination fueling his every move.

"Stay back, Harrison!" Fiona cried out, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she backed away.

But there was nowhere left to run; her back hit a wall. She could feel its cold surface pressing against her spine, trapping her like a fly in a web.

Harrison closed the distance between them, his eyes blazing. "You think you can fool me?" he snarled, grabbing Fiona's throat in a vice-like grip, instantly making her head feel light. Her pulse thundered beneath his fingertips, each beat a countdown to her impending doom.

"Please," Fiona choked out, her vision blurring at the edges as she struggled to pry his hand away. "I meant what I said. I want to protect them too!"

"Too late," Harrison growled, his voice a twisted symphony of hatred and despair. He raised the spray wand high above his head, preparing to deliver the final blow.

Fiona's mind raced her thoughts a whirlwind of panic and desperation. She knew she had to act quickly if she wanted to survive, but what could she do? What weapon did she have against this madman?

Her gaze darted around the room, desperately searching for anything that might give her the upper hand. The room seemed to hold its breath as Harrison prepared to shove the spray wand down Fiona's throat. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out the sirens that grew louder outside. She knew this was the end, and terror clawed at her insides.

"Stop!" Jake's voice roared through the room like a gunshot, freezing both Fiona and Harrison in their tracks.

The door burst open, and Jake stormed in, gun drawn and aimed directly at Harrison.

"Let her go!" he demanded.

Relief flooded Fiona's veins. Jake had come. He was here.

Harrison hesitated, his grip on Fiona's throat faltering just enough for her to seize the opportunity. With every ounce of strength she could muster, Fiona swung her arm up and knocked the spray wand from Harrison's hand. It clattered to the floor, momentarily forgotten.

Jake wasted no time swooping in and lunging at Harrison. In mere seconds, he had subdued the killer, forcing him onto the ground before snapping handcuffs around his wrists.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Fiona sat on the edge of the hotel bed, the darkness outside a strange comfort to her after everything that had happened. The room was dim, the curtains drawn to block out the moon. It had been a long night of paperwork and dealing with everything to do with Harrison Greene, but he'd been caught, and Fiona was grateful for that. Now, it was all over, and she and Jake could leave--but something was stopping her from meeting him outside.

She hesitated, unable to move from her spot on the bed. Her mind kept replaying the moment when Jake had come for her.

She couldn't deny it any longer: her feelings for him were too strong to ignore. She knew she had to tell him, even if it meant risking their partnership, their friendship. The thought of losing him terrified her, but she couldn't bear to keep her emotions bottled up inside any longer.

Fiona had never been in love, and she didn't know what it felt like, but if she had to guess, it was a lot like this. The longing, the desire to be close to him. The way he made her feel safe. When he came for her, it was all a reminder of that, of the feelings that had been growing between them since they started working together.

But she didn't know how he felt.

He had kissed her once before, but she recognized that had been a heat-of-the-moment thing. There was a chance Jake was still hung up on his ex, Lauren. At the same time, there were moments when Fiona was sure he was looking at her in a way that felt... serious. Like he truly saw something in her.

Fiona felt her heart swell. She had to tell him how she felt. She had to take the risk and see if he felt the same way, even though it terrified her.

She breathed in deeply and stood up from the bed. She grabbed her bag, feeling a new sense of determination course through her veins as she opened the door and stepped out into the night. Her feet carried her forward until she found herself outside Jake's car in the parking lot, under the silver moon. He must have still been packing up in his hotel room, which gave her more time to prepare.

Fiona leaned against the car and waited, her heart racing as she tried to gather her thoughts. She was nervous about sharing her feelings with Jake. What if he didn't feel the same way? What if it ruined everything between them? But Fiona couldn't ignore the way she felt any longer.

She had to take the risk, even if it meant changing things forever.

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