them. “Are you all okay?”
“Mark is still inside. He wasn’t in bed when I woke up.” Valerie’s voice broke off as a sob choked her.
He turned to Emilia. “There are blankets and a first aid kit in my truck.”
Bennett didn’t wait for her response. He took off across the yard. The heat from the fire seared him. Rather than going in the front door, he circled the house, searching for another entrance.
The back door was closed. Bennett twisted the knob. Smoke poured out, but there weren’t flames in this part of the house. “Mark!”
No answer. Bennett covered his mouth with his shirt and crossed the threshold into the mudroom. Keeping low, he raced into the kitchen. The smoke made his eyes burn and tear. He blinked to clear them. A figure in slippers lay on the tile floor.
Mark.
Bennett grabbed his neighbor and hauled him to the back door. Coughs overtook Bennett as he tumbled into the yard. He sucked in big breaths of fresh air and used his shirtsleeve to clear away the fresh tears pooling in his eyes. “Mark, are you okay?”
His neighbor didn’t answer. Bennett took a last swipe at his eyes and blinked. Mark’s arms were secured behind his back with zip ties. Duct tape sealed his mouth and a bloody gash crossed his forehead. He was conscious.
Bennett ripped the tape from the other man’s mouth. “Mark, what happened?”
“I don’t know. Someone hit me in the head and I passed out—”
A bloodcurdling scream sent Bennett’s heart into overdrive. It’d come from the front yard.
No, no, no. It was a trap.
Emilia!
Bennett took off for the front of the house, yanking his weapon from the holster. His boots slid on the grass as he rounded the corner and his vehicle came into view. Kids were seated inside covered in blankets. A first aid kit lay on the grass, contents spilled. Valerie, her mouth hanging open, was staring at the tree line in horror.
He didn’t stop to ask questions. Bennett sprinted for the tree line. There was another road a short distance away. He couldn’t let the killer get to a vehicle with Emilia.
Branches slapped his face and tugged at his clothes. His heart thundered and his lungs burned from the smoke. Sweat mingled with the soot on his face.
Please, Lord. Please don’t let me be too late.
The sound of someone crashing through the woods caused Bennett to deviate from his path. He caught sight of a strange figure. It took him half a breath to realize it was a man carrying a woman over his shoulder.
Emilia was struggling. She arched her back but didn’t use her hands. They were probably secured behind her.
“Police!” Bennett yelled, but his voice, damaged by the smoke inhalation, barely carried. “Freeze!”
Bennett didn’t bother raising his weapon. From this distance, in the dark, there was too great a risk he would accidentally hit Emilia. Instead, he poured all his energy into running. His only hope was closing the distance between them and tackling the killer. Adrenaline surged through Bennett’s veins.
Emilia screamed and then arched her back again.
The killer stumbled, dropping her. He glanced over his shoulder, but his face was covered by a ski mask. Still, he must’ve heard or seen Bennett because he abandoned Emilia on the ground and took off.
Chest heaving, Bennett skid to a stop next to Emilia. He dropped to his knees at her side.
“Go.” She jerked her chin. “I’m okay. Go!”
He spared one second to touch Emilia’s cheek.
Then Bennett raced after the attacker.
Twelve
Emilia peeled her eyes open and winced. Her head pounded like someone was banging it with a metal pot. The stark white walls of the hospital room spun. She took a deep breath to settle her stomach before opening her eyes again. Better.
She turned her head. Bennett was dozing in the chair next to her bed. His clothes were wrinkled and mud-stained. Bristles covered the sharp curve of his jaw. Emilia vaguely remembered waking in the middle of the night and Bennett comforting her through a nightmare. He’d been with her all night, watching over her, keeping her safe.
He stirred and opened his eyes. Bennett smiled softly. “Hey, Em. How do you feel?”
“Like someone jolted me with a stun gun, whacked me in the head, and tried to kidnap me.”
Bennett kissed her forehead. Then he poured her a cup of water from a carafe on the nightstand. “Here.”
She fumbled with the button to put her bed into a sitting position, and braced for a wave of nausea, but