wrapped an arm around her waist before she could topple over. Shock? Her eyes weren’t dilated. She was probably crashing from the adrenaline.
“Lean on me, Lisa. Let’s get you inside.” Jason sent a pointed glance toward Addison. “Both of you.”
It wasn’t logical for the attacker to return, but running down two women in cold blood wasn’t normal behavior. Jason wouldn’t underestimate this man’s determination or desperation. He’d tried to kill Addison three times in three days. And failed. That was liable to make him furious.
Please, God, give me the strength and wisdom to protect Addison until this criminal is caught.
The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Police officers arrived. An ambulance took Lisa to the hospital to have her injuries examined. Rachel went with her.
Addison and Jason gave their witness statements separately. Forty minutes later, they were waiting in the gym’s break room for Trevor. Jason watched through the full-length window as officers moved around the parking lot.
Addison appeared at his side, massaging a cold pack. She handed it to him. “Here, this should help your elbow.”
“Thanks.” He pressed the cold pack to his injury. “Any news on Lisa?”
“She's fine, just bumps and bruises. She’s already been discharged.” Addison leaned against the window frame. “The guy in the truck swerved, Jason. He was purposefully trying to hit me.”
“Yes, he was.” Jason’s jaw tightened, as those harrowing moments replayed in his mind. If he’d been a second later, Addison wouldn’t be standing next to him now. It was terrifying to think about. He did his best to block out the emotions. They wouldn’t help him find the man trying to kill her. “Did you get a look at the driver?”
“No. It all happened so fast.” She frowned. “If Wendall is behind this, why did he switch vehicles? Why not use the SUV with the decal?”
“That’s a good question.” Jason lowered the ice pack from his elbow and stretched out his arm, testing the limits of the injury. “He could’ve stolen the truck. Or Wendall isn’t behind this. Right now, I’m not sure we should take anyone off the suspect list.”
Addison stepped forward, taking Jason’s wrist in her hand. The warmth of her skin against his sent a jolt of awareness through him. His heart skipped several beats.
Addison’s fingers brushed across the sleeve of his shirt. “Let me look at your elbow. If the swelling is bad, we should have it x-rayed.”
He swallowed hard. “It’s not broken. I’ve had worse.”
She scoffed. “You would march into battle with a broken elbow and never complain.”
She slid the sleeve up his arm. Jason considered pulling away, but his feet felt glued to the floor. Scars, similar to the one arcing across his cheek but thicker, crisscrossed along his arm. His stomach was a bundle of nerves, and he braced himself for Addison to pull back in disgust. Instead, she traced one scar gently with her finger. “From the IED?”
He nodded, not trusting his voice. Addison stepped closer, maneuvering the sleeve carefully over his elbow. Her breath caressed his bare skin. The bundle of nerves in his stomach turned to molten heat.
She frowned, her gaze locked on his elbow. “The joint is swollen, but you're right. It doesn’t appear broken. Just bruised.”
Addison lifted her gaze to Jason’s. This close the various flecks of gold and green buried in her gorgeous eyes were visible. They were mesmerizing. Her hair flowed loose around her shoulders. Addison’s breath hitched and the air between them shimmered with intensity.
She was attracted to him. The realization hit Jason with the full force of a sledgehammer. He hadn’t dared think…hadn’t allowed himself to even consider…but it was there. In her eyes. In the subtle way she leaned closer. Addison’s gaze dropped to his mouth, and Jason tilted toward her, unable to resist the yearning in her gaze.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. Jason took one step back just as Trevor entered the break room. His expression was taut, his mouth grim. In one hand, he carried a small notepad. If he noticed the tension between Jason and Addison, the detective ignored it.
“Well, none of the witnesses could give me a description of the driver,” Trevor said. “Everyone echoed what y’all told me. Black truck with a large front grill. I don’t have to tell you that doesn’t narrow things down much.”
“Surveillance video?” Jason asked.
“The strip mall has a joint system for the parking lot and the stores. Yesterday, someone broke into the storage room and stole the equipment. At the time,