The coldness in his tone sent a fresh wave of panic through her. She couldn’t push him too hard. Getting the truth wasn’t worth risking Lily’s life.
The spring sunshine swept her shoulders as she crossed the field. Dandelion fluff danced in the air. Somewhere in the lake, a fish jumped. Was Lily nearby? Was her baby hungry? Or hurt? The thoughts raced around inside her head and Emma was powerless to stop them.
She paused outside the shed door. It was cracked open. Although the raccoon had been removed, the scent of death still lingered. Emma’s stomach churned. Her hand tightened even more on the burner phone. It was a wonder she didn’t snap the thing in two.
“What are you waiting for?” he growled in her ear.
To be ambushed. The words caught in her throat and she swallowed them down. Emma raised a trembling hand. The wood of the shed door under her fingertips was cool to the touch. She shoved. Fishing poles clattered to the ground as the door banged against the opposite wall.
Emma blinked. The shed was empty.
In her ear, the killer chuckled. “Gotcha.”
Emma gritted her teeth together. He was somewhere nearby, watching, relishing in her terror. No more. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure. She threw the bracelet inside.
“There.” She turned in the doorway and jutted up her chin. “It’s done. Now give me my daughter.”
“Very well.”
“How—” She paused. What was that?
Faint crying came from around the corner. Lily! Emma raced behind the building. The sound grew louder, her daughter’s cries coming from the trees on the edge of Judge Norton’s property.
Emma’s shoes slid on the dewy grass as she ran toward the sound. “I’m coming, Lily. I’m coming.”
She got closer. Her gaze swept the ground, searching for her baby’s small form. Was she okay? Was she crawling among the pine needles?
The cries grew louder. They tore at Emma. “No, baby, don’t cry. Mommy’s here. Everything’s going to be okay—”
She drew up short. On the ground was a recorder. Lily’s cries grew frantic, louder, before cutting off completely.
Emma stared in disbelief. “No, no, no.”
A branch snapped behind her. Emma whirled but it was too late. Something slammed down on her head. She saw stars and her knees collapsed. A rock on the ground jabbed her in the ribs. Emma inhaled sharply.
She swung out with her fists, but the attacker yanked her by the hair. An arm wrapped around her chest, locking her arms next to her body. The breath was squeezed from her. Her back was slammed up against a man’s hard form.
The unmistakable sensation of a gun’s barrel pressed against her temple. “Don’t move.”
She froze. The sound of her own frantic heartbeat roared in her ears. It was so loud, she almost didn’t hear the attacker’s next words. His breath was hot against her face. “Sheriff! I will shoot her. It’s time to come out now.”
Quakes overtook Emma. She knew that voice. Recognized the distinctive and cultured Southern drawl immediately, even without seeing his face.
Will Norton.
“He’s not here,” Emma said. “You told me not to bring anyone.”
Please, Lord, keep Reed away from here.
The lake was a huge area. It wasn’t possible for one man to cover all of it at once. Plus Emma had disappeared from sight by entering the woods.
Will yanked her free of the trees. “Look what I caught!”
“Let her go, Will.” Reed roared from the tree line. “We’ve got you surrounded.”
“Don’t play me for a fool. Backup is nowhere close. I’ve made sure of that. Now come out where I can see you.”
“No!” Emma yelled. “Don’t.”
She didn’t need to be told what would happen next. Will had drawn them into a trap, just as Reed had suspected. There was little chance they would both walk out of this alive.
Reed ignored her. He appeared several meters away, his gun drawn. There was no fear in his expression. His mouth was hard, his stance confident. Sunlight played along the chiseled edges of his features and bounced off the sheriff’s badge pinned to his chest.
He was a protector. Her protector. Reed couldn’t hide in the woods, any more than he could stop breathing. It was who he was.
And she was in love with him.
It hit Emma with the force of a punch to the gut. The depth of her emotions had been lingering below the surface, but she’d refused to acknowledge them. Because she was scared. Because she’d walked through the pain of loss and wasn’t sure she could do it again.
But it was there. She was in love with Reed.
And Will was going to kill him.
Things had unraveled within a blink of an eye. One minute Emma was crossing the field toward the shed, the next she was darting into a copse of trees. Reed had lost her in the woods and those precious seconds had given Will the opening he needed to attack.
Reed kept his gun trained on the county prosecutor. He stepped out farther into the clearing. It was risky. There was no way to know if Dean was hiding somewhere nearby with a rifle, just waiting to take him out. But he didn’t think it was a strong possibility.
Will wouldn’t have done his own dirty work unless he was out of options.
Reed spared one quick glance at Emma. Blood dripped from a wound on her head. She was pale, but her hands were fisted at her sides. That was his Em. Terrified but ready to fight. Will pressed the handgun harder against her temple. Rage raced through Reed’s veins. His vision narrowed.
“Drop it, Will.”
“Good try, Reed, but that’s a no-go. Unless you want me to shoot Emma right here in front of you, you’ll do everything I say. Put your gun down on the ground. Nice and slow.”
Reed’s hand tightened on his weapon. He couldn’t put down his gun. Will would only shoot him and then Emma. “What are you doing, Will?”
“I said put your gun down!”
Reed shifted again. He didn’t have a clear shot. Will was using Emma as a human
