pavement. He caught a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye and shouted to Ellie to stop. As if the entire world slowed, Liam watched the confused expression on her face. She glanced to her left and saw the black sedan racing toward her.
Startled, she froze for a moment and Liam’s heart stopped when he realized that she was about to be hit and he could never get to her in time to push her out of the way. But Ellie’s reflexes were quicker than he expected and she spun and threw herself at the front bumper of the car parked behind her. She fell to the wet pavement and the car roared away, splashing up a wave of dirty water that sprayed over her.
Once Liam saw that she was all right, he turned the camera in the direction of the car and quickly snapped off a few shots of the rear license plate. Although Ellie had stepped into the intersection unexpectedly, Liam got the distinct feeling that the car had been aiming for her.
When he reached her, Ellie was just struggling to her feet, her face dripping with gray water and the knees of her jeans muddy and scraped. He gently took her arm and tucked her into his embrace, skimming his hand along her body to see if she was still in one piece. “Are you all right?”
“I didn’t see him coming,” Ellie said in a shaky voice. “I looked but then he just came out of nowhere. If you hadn’t called to me, he would have hit me.” She pressed her hands against his chest and stared up at him. “You saved my life…again.”
Liam furrowed his hand through her damp hair and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Though he’d had his doubts about his part in “saving her life” that first time around, he knew he couldn’t deny his part this time. She was right. If he hadn’t heard the car, she’d probably be lying in the middle of the street right now, seriously injured…or worse.
“Let’s go get you cleaned up,” he murmured, his lips pressed against her temple. His heart still slammed in his chest and he consciously willed it to slow, worried that she might sense his panic. If the driver had actually been out to hit her, then Liam was going to find out why.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and then crossed back to the sidewalk that ran in front of her building. But as he walked, Liam had the uneasy sense that the burglar and the car were somehow tied together. And that the case he was working on for Sean was at the bottom of both near-death experiences.
E LLIE PULLED HER KEYS out of her pocket and, with a trembling hand, tried to push the key into the lock. But no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t go in. For a moment she felt as if she’d pass out, or throw up, or just start weeping uncontrollably. But she couldn’t decide which, so she just stood numbly on the front stoop of the building, the keys dangling from her fingers.
“Here,” Liam murmured. “Let me.” He reached around her and opened the door, then gave her a gentle push inside. They climbed the stairs to her apartment without speaking and when they reached the third floor, he opened that door, too, making sure to deactivate the alarm.
Ellie headed for the sofa, but Liam stopped her and helped her out of her jacket. Then he turned her to face him. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Ellie nodded, giving her hands a shake to keep them from going numb. “Yes. I am. I just need a moment.”
Liam smiled down at her and brushed a thumb along her cheek. “Come on. Why don’t you get out of those dirty clothes and into something dry? Or maybe you should take a nice hot bath.”
“Okay,” Ellie said.
He pulled her into his embrace and she laid her head against his chest. She felt as if she could stay in his arms forever, that if she just waited, his touch would banish all of her fears. That car had passed within a few inches of her and she’d never seen it coming. An image of what might have been flashed in her mind and Ellie pinched her eyes shut and tried
Startled, she froze for a moment and Liam’s heart stopped when he realized that she was about to be hit and he could never get to her in time to push her out of the way. But Ellie’s reflexes were quicker than he expected and she spun and threw herself at the front bumper of the car parked behind her. She fell to the wet pavement and the car roared away, splashing up a wave of dirty water that sprayed over her.
Once Liam saw that she was all right, he turned the camera in the direction of the car and quickly snapped off a few shots of the rear license plate. Although Ellie had stepped into the intersection unexpectedly, Liam got the distinct feeling that the car had been aiming for her.
When he reached her, Ellie was just struggling to her feet, her face dripping with gray water and the knees of her jeans muddy and scraped. He gently took her arm and tucked her into his embrace, skimming his hand along her body to see if she was still in one piece. “Are you all right?”
“I didn’t see him coming,” Ellie said in a shaky voice. “I looked but then he just came out of nowhere. If you hadn’t called to me, he would have hit me.” She pressed her hands against his chest and stared up at him. “You saved my life…again.”
Liam furrowed his hand through her damp hair and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Though he’d had his doubts about his part in “saving her life” that first time around, he knew he couldn’t deny his part this time. She was right. If he hadn’t heard the car, she’d probably be lying in the middle of the street right now, seriously injured…or worse.
“Let’s go get you cleaned up,” he murmured, his lips pressed against her temple. His heart still slammed in his chest and he consciously willed it to slow, worried that she might sense his panic. If the driver had actually been out to hit her, then Liam was going to find out why.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and then crossed back to the sidewalk that ran in front of her building. But as he walked, Liam had the uneasy sense that the burglar and the car were somehow tied together. And that the case he was working on for Sean was at the bottom of both near-death experiences.
E LLIE PULLED HER KEYS out of her pocket and, with a trembling hand, tried to push the key into the lock. But no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t go in. For a moment she felt as if she’d pass out, or throw up, or just start weeping uncontrollably. But she couldn’t decide which, so she just stood numbly on the front stoop of the building, the keys dangling from her fingers.
“Here,” Liam murmured. “Let me.” He reached around her and opened the door, then gave her a gentle push inside. They climbed the stairs to her apartment without speaking and when they reached the third floor, he opened that door, too, making sure to deactivate the alarm.
Ellie headed for the sofa, but Liam stopped her and helped her out of her jacket. Then he turned her to face him. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Ellie nodded, giving her hands a shake to keep them from going numb. “Yes. I am. I just need a moment.”
Liam smiled down at her and brushed a thumb along her cheek. “Come on. Why don’t you get out of those dirty clothes and into something dry? Or maybe you should take a nice hot bath.”
“Okay,” Ellie said.
He pulled her into his embrace and she laid her head against his chest. She felt as if she could stay in his arms forever, that if she just waited, his touch would banish all of her fears. That car had passed within a few inches of her and she’d never seen it coming. An image of what might have been flashed in her mind and Ellie pinched her eyes shut and tried
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