Fractured Memories (Badge of Honor #1)

Chapter 10

TEN

He wouldn’t make it to the SUV.

Noah’s mind calculated the distance between him and safety in a flash. He dropped to one knee, held his breath, and fired his weapon at the gunman. The shot pinged against the moving vehicle. Tires squealed as the truck turned into the gas station.

The perpetrator took a shot at Felicity.

She dove for the cement and rolled behind Noah’s vehicle. Had she been hit? Injured?

Noah couldn’t answer that at the moment. He blocked out any distracting thought and focused on the truck barreling through the gas station parking lot. One man was inside the cab, wearing a ski mask. Noah raised his gun. “Police! Stop!” He couldn’t fire at this angle without risking a civilian.

Screams bounced off the concrete as patrons dove for cover. The shooter fired twice more in Felicity’s direction before turning his weapon on Noah. Time seemed to slow to milliseconds. The twist of the truck’s tires, sunlight bouncing off the chrome sidebar, the darkness of the gun barrel. Noah took aim.

Glass exploded as the truck’s rear window shattered into a thousand pieces. The shooter instinctively took cover. Tires squealed as the vehicle raced out of the parking lot and down the street, disappearing in a heartbeat around a bend in the road.

Noah inhaled. He touched his chest, nearly expecting his hand to come away wet with blood. The fabric was dry. His gaze shot to his vehicle. Felicity was crouched behind the side panel, her body raised just enough to shoot her weapon across the hood. With sudden clarity, Noah realized it was Felicity who’d shot out the perpetrator’s rear window.

She’d saved his life.

He rose. Felicity’s attention locked on him. Her gaze swept across his body, terror giving way to relief as she registered he was unharmed. Something inside Noah twisted sharply at the depth of emotion written in her expression. It reflected his own feelings. Buried instincts he’d battled against since she came to town yesterday. Friendship mixed with attraction. A heady combination that was rare.

It took three strides to close the distance between them. Without thinking, he swept her into his arms. Felicity’s embrace matched his intensity. Her body melted against his. She was slender and lush, tough with muscle but soft with curves. A juxtaposition to the hard planes of his chest. Noah’s hand cradled the back of her head, his fingers dipping into the silky strands of her hair. She was okay. Unharmed.

The familiar scent of her shampoo enveloped him, and for the first time since seeing the truck barreling toward them, he took a deep breath. Sirens wailed in the distance as first responders headed to the scene. It didn’t provide any comfort. The attacker had failed to kill Felicity. Twice.

It was only a matter of time before he tried again.

An hour later, Felicity leaned against the rear bumper of Noah’s vehicle. The gas station parking lot was packed with emergency responders. Crime scene technicians had arrived and were currently gathering evidence. The flash of a camera periodically went off. On the other side of the lot, her colleague, Ranger Grady West, spoke with a witness. He’d specifically asked Felicity and Noah to hang around while he did an initial assessment.

She hugged herself tighter. “How much longer do you think this will take? That’s the third witness Grady has spoken to.” Felicity itched to get moving. Sitting around was giving her way too much time to think. “I’d still like to interview Jeremy today. The faster we work Brooke’s case, the quicker we find the man responsible for today’s attack.”

She needed to find him. Not just for her own safety, but for Noah’s too. The gunman had turned his sights on the handsome lawman at her side. Was it because Noah had returned fire? Or was the perpetrator attempting to get rid of anyone who would push to solve Brooke’s murder? Felicity couldn’t be sure, and it terrified her. Noah had a daughter who depended on him. Law enforcement was a dangerous job, yes, but this was different. They’d been targeted.

“Grady’s being thorough.” Noah reached inside the vehicle and broke open a case of water. He’d bought half a dozen while they were waiting, presumably for the homeless camp. He handed her a bottle. “Here. Drink this while I scrounge up some candy.”

She sat up straighter. “What kind of candy?”

He dug around inside a go-bag and unearthed a packet of Twizzlers. The red kind. Her favorite. Felicity grinned as she snatched them out of Noah’s hand. “Okay, this day just got a little better.”

She ripped open the bag, tore off two strands of the roped licorice, and offered one to Noah. He accepted it with a wink that sent her heart rate skittering. Felicity mentally admonished herself as a flush crept across her cheeks. She wasn’t some school girl with a crush. They’d just been shot at, for crying out loud.

Except… except something had transpired between her and Noah right before the shooting. For a moment, Felicity thought he was going to kiss her. Then again, it could’ve been her imagination running away with itself. Noah cared for her. Of that, she had no doubts. But that didn’t mean he was interested in a romance. She needed to keep her focus on the case.

Tapping on her phone screen, she studied Jeremy Lara’s latest arrest photo while eating her candy. The man staring back at her appeared bewildered. His thinning hair was stuck out at all angles, his face gaunt with deep wrinkles running through the skin. He could’ve been anywhere from fifty to eighty, although his ID stated Jeremy was sixty-one. He’d been picked up by the sheriff’s department for trespassing. His record reflected Noah’s earlier observations. None of Jeremy’s crimes were violent, but there were several arrests for verbal assaults.

“I see nothing in Jeremy’s history that shows he’s capable of planning Brooke’s murder or these attacks on me.” She narrowed her gaze. “We came here directly after leaving the Fergusons. Did you notice if the shooter looked like a woman?”

Noah frowned. “Everything happened quickly, but based on the height of the individual, I’d say we’re looking for a man.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure that helps us though. If either Kurtis or Melanie are tangled up in Brooke’s murder, they wouldn’t risk coming after us themselves. They’d hire someone.”

She nodded in agreement. “They could’ve alerted the hitmen to our location.”

“Or we were followed. I didn’t spot a tail, but it’s possible I missed it.”

“Nope. I was watching for one too. There’s no way both of us were fooled.” She ripped off another rope of licorice just as Grady broke away from the witness and headed in their direction. Felicity jutted her chin toward her colleague. “Here we go. ”

Noah reached inside the vehicle and grabbed a water. He tossed it toward the Texas Ranger, who caught it with one hand. Grady twisted off the cap and drained the bottle in one go. He swiped at his mouth. “Thanks. This heat is brutal.” He eyed Felicity’s candy, and she handed him a strand. He bit off a chunk. “None of the witnesses could give a better description of the perpetrator than you did. Surveillance video caught the entire exchange. We were able to pull the license plate from that, but a police officer just reported to me that the truck was found abandoned in a grocery store parking lot about two miles from here.”

“Who does the vehicle belong to?” Felicity took a long sip of her own water.

“Mr. Jessie Lyons. He was carjacked about thirty miles from here, outside a feed store, by a masked man. No witnesses. No video surveillance.” Grady made a sour face. “Apparently, Mr. Lyons keeps a concealed handgun in his glove box. A Glock. It could be the weapon the perpetrator used to shoot at y’all today.”

Her mind quickly put the pieces they had together. “The truck was stolen shortly after I arrived in town, indicating this man was the same individual who assaulted me at Brooke’s house.”

Noah nodded. “Witnesses reported seeing a silver truck speeding away after the fire, so I agree. It’s probably the same guy.” He turned to Grady. “Any chance a search of the truck yielded the weapon?”

“Afraid not. The truck is being towed to the forensic shed as we speak. Technicians will go over it with a fine-tooth comb. I’ll keep you updated on what we find.” He lifted off his cowboy hat and wiped at his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “Y’all are free to go. Thanks for hanging around in case I had additional questions.”

Felicity handed him the rest of the Twizzlers. “Share these with the other officers, would you?”

“Sure thing.” Grady’s mouth thinned. “Be careful, Felicity. Whoever this guy is, he’s determined. Shooting at two cops in broad daylight takes nerve.”

She nodded, praying the technicians would find a lone fingerprint in the truck. Identifying the perpetrator would go a long way. In the meantime, she’d keep working Brooke’s case. It was the fastest way to get to the bottom of things.

With a last wave to Grady, Felicity hopped into Noah’s vehicle. The air-conditioning was a blessing after baking in the afternoon heat. She melted against the seat, letting the cool air wash over her face.

There was a conversation that needed to happen between her and Noah. One her conscience wouldn’t let her avoid now that they were shielded from the prying eyes of everyone in the gas station parking lot.

She cleared her throat. “The shooter aimed for you. Maybe it was because you were returning fire, but it could’ve been because you’re helping me investigate Brooke’s case.” Felicity hated the idea that her actions had placed him at risk. “You nearly died today. And yesterday. We have dangerous jobs, I get that, but this is turning out to be riskier than anyone could’ve anticipated. Noah, you have a daughter. I wouldn’t blame you one bit for passing this case over to the Rangers to handle.”

He was quiet for a long moment, staring at the lake and the picnic table they’d eaten lunch at earlier. “I took an oath to protect this town. I refuse to let a pair of thugs threaten it. Or you.” Noah’s gaze swung to meet hers. The determination shimmering in the depths of his blue eyes was breathtaking. “I appreciate the consideration, Felicity, but I’m in this with you. Together, we’re going to find the truth. You have my word.”