Page 41 of Shadow Killer
Ready to keep a strong hold on her until she regained her senses, he was somewhat relieved when Noelle collapsed in his embrace. “Noelle! What’s going on? Talk to me?”
Panic seized his throat as he gently laid her down. About to fetch his phone to call for help, Noelle leaped up with surprising speed.
Stunned, Brandon cursed, grabbing her arm. One hand reaching for the weapon on the floor, she tried to push him away.
He attempted to catch her foot with his free hand to drag her back to him when he was once more looking into the barrel of a gun.
Noelle was holding him at gunpoint, and he thought that he was about to draw his last breath, but his beautiful lover didn’t move. In reality, she hesitated. More than her body language, it was etched on her face that her brain was trying to emerge.
From experience, Brandon knew not to make any sudden moves and to be as non-threatening as possible.
“Noelle, please. You have to listen to me. Whatever you’re experiencing, it’s not real. One way or another, Erin is messingwith your brain. Your wonderful, insightful, brilliant brain. Use it to come back to me. I love you. I never thought I’d feel like this in my life, let alone fall so hard and fast. But you’re it for me. All you have to do to make my life complete is to return to me.”
It was almost invisible, but a tiny light returned to her eyes. At the thought, warmth filled his chest, but the sensation wasn’t quite right. Only when Noelle’s gaze lowered a bit did he allow himself to look down.
On his chest was a little bit of blood, not as much as the wound on his arm, more like a small trickle. Noelle slowly pulled her palm away from his chest to reveal that the shard had sliced through his shirt, cutting his chest and her palm. Their blood was mingling, and as soon as Noelle removed her hand, the shard broke from the string and fell to the floor.
Time stopped for Brandon as his being reached out to Noelle, praying, begging for whoever was listening up there to answer him, just this once.
Ever so slowly, Noelle dropped the gun to cradle her hand to her chest, emotions fleeting more rapidly on her face, her cheeks bright red, and her eyes glowing.
It took everything in him not to reach out to her. She had to come out of it by herself.
“Brandon?” She blinked several times, her onyx eyes filling with tears. At the sound of his name, Brandon felt tears rising too.
“Hey, easy, darling. Everything is fine now.”
Noelle shook her head. “No! Erin! We have to stop her!” As she scanned him, she gasped at the stain of blood on his shoulder. “You’re hurt! You’re bleeding! What happened? How did I get here with you?”
Ignoring the stream of worry at his benign wound, Brandon allowed himself to reach out to her and gently fold her againsthim. Naturally, Noelle wrapped her arms around him, burying her head against his chest.
His world was right again, and he promised himself he’d never let it slip from him.
“I think Erin drugged me like she did the others. She admitted everything back at her home, even to using a plant to turn people into malleable zombies. But from what I know about that plant, it usually takes hours for the victims to get rid of it, and in most cases, medical intervention is necessary.”
“We figure you’ve been under for about twelve hours, and your body managed to pull you out on its own.” Brandon released her from his hold and reached between them to retrieve the broken charm. “And maybe with a little magical help.”
Looking between the shard and her cut hand, Noelle touched his chest before cupping his cheek. “I thought you didn’t believe in magic of any kind, Lieutenant Turner.”
His heart melted under her touch. “I think you’re my kind of magic, Noelle Breaux. The most unique and beautiful of all. I love you.”
A smile erased all the fear and anguish from her face. “I love you too, Brandon.”
He couldn’t wait any longer to lean and capture her lips in a spellbinding kiss that had the beautiful taste of forever.
EPILOGUE
Some months later…
How much she loved New Orleans! Noelle had a spring in her step as she left her place, ready for another ghost tour. It had taken her some time to resume her work with the organization. With everything she’d been through, her head had been far away from a simple walk in the French Quarter.
It was weird that she decided to wear that same green dress she’d worn when she’d first met Brandon’s friends, that same night that changed her opinion of him.
Noelle smiled, remembering everything they’d survived. She’d thought Ryland and Nico would hate her because of everything they’d suffered during their time in New Orleans, but it was quite the opposite. After making sure Leanna was out of danger, they rallied around her and Brandon, worried about them. Nico went with Brandon while he was stitched up, and Jordyn had offered the warmest of support while she was being checked for potential injuries.
Even when Leanna had wholly recovered and been discharged, the four of them remained in New Orleans another week to help wrap up loose ends, offering their support to Brandon, and for that, Noelle would be forever grateful.
Since they’d returned to Houston, Leanna and Jordyn regularly called her and made her promise to visit. Throughout the awful ordeal, those amazing people shone, and new friendships emerged. And love.