out of the usual before entering. Within seconds Charlotte could see them hesitate at the door, which pushed open easily, just as hers had.
She held her breath, knowing it wasn’t a good sign.
There was no noise, no movement, and she actually jumped when she saw a light flash on inside the apartment.
What was happening? Her mind raced to all the awful things that could have happened, and she took a step forward, only to stop when EJ showed up on the porch. He signaled to her to come in.
But before she could so much as take a step forward, a car peeled around the corner and barreled down the street. Charlotte stood, looking at the vehicle in blank confusion, the sound and speed startling her.
She was still frozen on the sidewalk as EJ yelledand ran down the steps, lunging in her direction. The officers appeared on the porch, and Charlotte hit the ground very hard, broken glass shattering somewhere and sounds of men shouting and muffled gunfire filling the air.
Her arm hurt but she didn’t move, hearing EJ’s harsh breathing and muffled curses as the car sped away. When she felt the weight of his body lift from hers, she still didn’t move, unsure what was going on or what she was expected to do.
“Charlotte, get in the car and stay down.”
EJ had opened the car door and practically threw her in the backseat, pushing her down into the leather. She thought she heard him whisper, “Sorry, sweetheart” as he closed the door and rushed back toward the house. As the numbness of surprise passed, she swallowed her breath in gulps and lifted up, just enough to peer through the backseat window. EJ was on the sidewalk in front of the steps; he and one of the other officers were crouching over something—someone—the other officer.
“Oh, my God,” Charlotte whispered, reaching for the handle. Someone had been hurt. She opened the door and ran up to them, clamping her hand over her mouth as tears burnt her eyes when she saw the dark stain on the cement sidewalk surrounding the officer.
“Is he…?”
EJ looked up, bleak. “Charlotte, get back in the car. They could come back.”
“Is he dead?”
“No. But it’s bad. Help’s on the way, please get back in the car.”
“I want to help.”
“There’s nothing you can do, darlin’.”
Sirens screamed in the distance, and Charlotte took a few steps backward, though she didn’t obey EJ’s orders—how could she? How could she just go cower in fear as this man lay dying out in the open on the sidewalk? She stepped forward, crouching, and took the wounded officer’s limp hand in hers, willing him her energy to hold on.
“Charlotte,” EJ bit out her name, but then looked deeply into her eyes, his own gaze weary and sad. He signed deeply, relenting. “Okay.”
Charlotte flinched when tires screeched to the curb, but she knew this time it was the ambulance and more police. As EMTs rushed up the sidewalk, shouting to make room, she let go of the officer’s hand and backed away. Chaos ensued, and she felt as if she were in a fog, drifting up the steps and into the house, away from the horrible intensity of the moment. That man had to live. She couldn’t bear the thought that someone died because of something Ronny might have gotten involved in.
She pushed a battered, plastic shade away from the window—she’d always offered to make Ronny some curtains, but he thought they were girly—and looked on as the officer was carted into the ambulance. EJ stood on the sidewalk talking with another man and a tall, gorgeous woman who looked really pissed off.
Were they all cops? Suddenly she felt very alone, and very scared. Ronny was gone, her home was devastated, she was suspected of being a criminal, someone had been shooting guns over her head, and EJ was certainly not who she thought he was—what was going to happen to her next?
Looking down, she noticed she had some bloodstains on the hem of the dress, and felt her stomach clench. The scrap of material she
She held her breath, knowing it wasn’t a good sign.
There was no noise, no movement, and she actually jumped when she saw a light flash on inside the apartment.
What was happening? Her mind raced to all the awful things that could have happened, and she took a step forward, only to stop when EJ showed up on the porch. He signaled to her to come in.
But before she could so much as take a step forward, a car peeled around the corner and barreled down the street. Charlotte stood, looking at the vehicle in blank confusion, the sound and speed startling her.
She was still frozen on the sidewalk as EJ yelledand ran down the steps, lunging in her direction. The officers appeared on the porch, and Charlotte hit the ground very hard, broken glass shattering somewhere and sounds of men shouting and muffled gunfire filling the air.
Her arm hurt but she didn’t move, hearing EJ’s harsh breathing and muffled curses as the car sped away. When she felt the weight of his body lift from hers, she still didn’t move, unsure what was going on or what she was expected to do.
“Charlotte, get in the car and stay down.”
EJ had opened the car door and practically threw her in the backseat, pushing her down into the leather. She thought she heard him whisper, “Sorry, sweetheart” as he closed the door and rushed back toward the house. As the numbness of surprise passed, she swallowed her breath in gulps and lifted up, just enough to peer through the backseat window. EJ was on the sidewalk in front of the steps; he and one of the other officers were crouching over something—someone—the other officer.
“Oh, my God,” Charlotte whispered, reaching for the handle. Someone had been hurt. She opened the door and ran up to them, clamping her hand over her mouth as tears burnt her eyes when she saw the dark stain on the cement sidewalk surrounding the officer.
“Is he…?”
EJ looked up, bleak. “Charlotte, get back in the car. They could come back.”
“Is he dead?”
“No. But it’s bad. Help’s on the way, please get back in the car.”
“I want to help.”
“There’s nothing you can do, darlin’.”
Sirens screamed in the distance, and Charlotte took a few steps backward, though she didn’t obey EJ’s orders—how could she? How could she just go cower in fear as this man lay dying out in the open on the sidewalk? She stepped forward, crouching, and took the wounded officer’s limp hand in hers, willing him her energy to hold on.
“Charlotte,” EJ bit out her name, but then looked deeply into her eyes, his own gaze weary and sad. He signed deeply, relenting. “Okay.”
Charlotte flinched when tires screeched to the curb, but she knew this time it was the ambulance and more police. As EMTs rushed up the sidewalk, shouting to make room, she let go of the officer’s hand and backed away. Chaos ensued, and she felt as if she were in a fog, drifting up the steps and into the house, away from the horrible intensity of the moment. That man had to live. She couldn’t bear the thought that someone died because of something Ronny might have gotten involved in.
She pushed a battered, plastic shade away from the window—she’d always offered to make Ronny some curtains, but he thought they were girly—and looked on as the officer was carted into the ambulance. EJ stood on the sidewalk talking with another man and a tall, gorgeous woman who looked really pissed off.
Were they all cops? Suddenly she felt very alone, and very scared. Ronny was gone, her home was devastated, she was suspected of being a criminal, someone had been shooting guns over her head, and EJ was certainly not who she thought he was—what was going to happen to her next?
Looking down, she noticed she had some bloodstains on the hem of the dress, and felt her stomach clench. The scrap of material she
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