woman.” He charged closer. “Don’t do it,” he said as the man’s hand went for his weapon. “I would just love to splatter your fucking brains all over the interior of your car.” Noah opened the door. “Get out.”
The man mumbled something in a language he didn’t recognize. Noah didn’t doubt the bastard spoke English as well as he did. He gave him just enough room to step out of the car then turned him so his front was leaning against the hood. As he read him his rights, he secured the man’s hands behind his back with handcuffs.
Scanning the garage, he spotted a short cement wall with a railing installed above it. Taking the guy’s hands from behind, he marched him across the lane, the bastard fighting every step. At the short wall, Noah shoved him into a sitting position, brought his hands above his head and secured them to the railing. He ran back to the sedan and hit the trunk release button.
One glance at Elizabeth’s seemingly lifeless body and hatred clouded his senses. He pressed his fingers at her neck and a strong pulse bounced back. He let out a breath of relief and shot a glare at the bastard. He had dumped her into the space like she was a sack of garbage. He deserved the same treatment. Adam wouldn’t have thought twice about beating the guy to a pulp. Sometimes Noah wished he were more like his older brother.
He focused smoothing out his heart rhythm and relaxed his jaw. Elizabeth didn’t need to wake up to his temper.
Reaching one hand under her back and the other under her legs, he lifted her from the trunk. “Elizabeth, it’s Noah. Wake up,” he said as he carried her to the passenger side of the sedan. Leaning her weight against the car, he opened the door and set her in the front seat. He knelt. “Elizabeth, wake up.”
A groan escaped her throat and she moved her head back and forth.
“Let me see those beautiful eyes.”
“Stop yelling,” she cried and brought her hands to her head.
“Thank God,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. He reached into his pocket and removed his cell phone.
“You have her?” Adam barked.
“Yes, and I have a present for you chained to the railing in the garage. Try to get him to talk before you hand him over to the cops.”
“I don’t think I want her kids to see that side of me. The cops are going to have the lead on this one.”
A slight groan escaped Elizabeth’s throat. He placed a hand at the back of her neck and gently massaged. Whatever drug they gave her kept dragging her under.
“Noah, are you still there?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, I’m here. How are Danny and Erin?” Loud music came through the line. “Where the hell are you?”
“Erin talked me into allowing her to do her dance number. She said that’s what her mother would want her to do. So, she’s in the middle of it. There are a shitload of cops covering the doors. I’ll get the kids out of here the instant the dance is over. Where do we meet? The Merlot residence?”
“No. Can we meet at your place? I don’t want them anywhere near the townhouse until I know what the hell’s going on.”
“About that, Noah, you need to get the Merlot woman to open up to you.”
“Yeah, and why is that?”
Adam lowered his voice. “From what I can find, Elizabeth Merlot exists only on paper.”
Noah’s heart began to pound like a beating drum. “And Danny and Erin?”
“They have spent most of their lives in the townhouse. Everything recorded before that is a load of shit.”
Chapter Twelve
Noah leaned back on the headrest and took in Adam’s last words. Every cop instinct in him shot to the surface.
“Noah?”
“I’m here. Damn it, Adam. Are you sure?”
“You told me to look into her past. She doesn’t have one. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to hide who she is. I’ll need to dig deeper to know more. It will take time.”
“Is that why you were at the hotel?”
“I figured you would want the information sooner than
The man mumbled something in a language he didn’t recognize. Noah didn’t doubt the bastard spoke English as well as he did. He gave him just enough room to step out of the car then turned him so his front was leaning against the hood. As he read him his rights, he secured the man’s hands behind his back with handcuffs.
Scanning the garage, he spotted a short cement wall with a railing installed above it. Taking the guy’s hands from behind, he marched him across the lane, the bastard fighting every step. At the short wall, Noah shoved him into a sitting position, brought his hands above his head and secured them to the railing. He ran back to the sedan and hit the trunk release button.
One glance at Elizabeth’s seemingly lifeless body and hatred clouded his senses. He pressed his fingers at her neck and a strong pulse bounced back. He let out a breath of relief and shot a glare at the bastard. He had dumped her into the space like she was a sack of garbage. He deserved the same treatment. Adam wouldn’t have thought twice about beating the guy to a pulp. Sometimes Noah wished he were more like his older brother.
He focused smoothing out his heart rhythm and relaxed his jaw. Elizabeth didn’t need to wake up to his temper.
Reaching one hand under her back and the other under her legs, he lifted her from the trunk. “Elizabeth, it’s Noah. Wake up,” he said as he carried her to the passenger side of the sedan. Leaning her weight against the car, he opened the door and set her in the front seat. He knelt. “Elizabeth, wake up.”
A groan escaped her throat and she moved her head back and forth.
“Let me see those beautiful eyes.”
“Stop yelling,” she cried and brought her hands to her head.
“Thank God,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. He reached into his pocket and removed his cell phone.
“You have her?” Adam barked.
“Yes, and I have a present for you chained to the railing in the garage. Try to get him to talk before you hand him over to the cops.”
“I don’t think I want her kids to see that side of me. The cops are going to have the lead on this one.”
A slight groan escaped Elizabeth’s throat. He placed a hand at the back of her neck and gently massaged. Whatever drug they gave her kept dragging her under.
“Noah, are you still there?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, I’m here. How are Danny and Erin?” Loud music came through the line. “Where the hell are you?”
“Erin talked me into allowing her to do her dance number. She said that’s what her mother would want her to do. So, she’s in the middle of it. There are a shitload of cops covering the doors. I’ll get the kids out of here the instant the dance is over. Where do we meet? The Merlot residence?”
“No. Can we meet at your place? I don’t want them anywhere near the townhouse until I know what the hell’s going on.”
“About that, Noah, you need to get the Merlot woman to open up to you.”
“Yeah, and why is that?”
Adam lowered his voice. “From what I can find, Elizabeth Merlot exists only on paper.”
Noah’s heart began to pound like a beating drum. “And Danny and Erin?”
“They have spent most of their lives in the townhouse. Everything recorded before that is a load of shit.”
Chapter Twelve
Noah leaned back on the headrest and took in Adam’s last words. Every cop instinct in him shot to the surface.
“Noah?”
“I’m here. Damn it, Adam. Are you sure?”
“You told me to look into her past. She doesn’t have one. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to hide who she is. I’ll need to dig deeper to know more. It will take time.”
“Is that why you were at the hotel?”
“I figured you would want the information sooner than
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