Chapter 435
By the time the call ends, I’m breathing hard and my fingers are trembling so badly around my phone that I nearly drop it.
The man is still sprawled unconscious on the floor, blood running from the cuts on his forehead and dripping onto the dusty wooden boards beneath him. I keep staring at him like I still can’t fully believe what just happened.
My heart continues pounding violently against my ribs as I slowly back away from him and sink onto one of the stools near the kitchen counter without taking my eyes off him for even a second. Fear twists inside me alongside disbelief, my body still flooded with adrenaline while my mind keeps replaying the attack over and over again.
My thoughts are screaming that I should have stayed home, but another part of me keeps whispering that maybe this is exactly why I came. Maybe this is the clue we’ve been missing. Maybe this man knows something about Val.
If I had played it safe like we’ve been doing, I wouldn’t have gotten another lead, and that is exactly what this man is: A lead.
I glance toward the door again, impatience building inside me as I check my phone for what feels like the hundredth time.
Why the hell is Noah taking so long? Every tiny sound makes me tense and every creak of the house feels louder now.
My eyes snap to the man when he suddenly groans. Immediately, my entire body stiffens and fear spikes inside me as I watch him stir slightly on the floor, his fingers twitching before he tries to push himself up.
Panic crashes through me again and my gaze darts wildly around the room, searching for something—anything—I can use.
The second he starts lifting his head properly, I grab a smaller vase sitting nearby and rush forward before I can overthink it.
“I’m so sorry,” I blurt out right before smashing it over his head.
The vase shatters instantly and the man collapses back down with a groan, going limp once again.
I stare at him breathing hard, my chest rising and falling rapidly while horror and relief battle inside me. Then slowly, I back away again and return to the stool, gripping my phone tightly while checking the time once more.
The waiting feels endless. I don’t even know how long passes before I finally hear the sound of several vehicles. Relief hits me so hard my knees almost give out. I quickly stand just as tires screech outside the house and doors slam shut one after another.
The front door bursts open so violently it slams against the wall and Noah storms inside first, his men flooding in behind him while his eyes immediately scan the room frantically before finally landing on me.
Relief flashes so strongly across his face it almost catches me off guard.
He crosses the room in seconds and immediately pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly against him as he exhales shakily.
“Fuck, you have no idea how scared I was,” he breathes against my hair. “I’m so fucking thankful that you’re okay p>
For a second, I just let him hold me because now that he’s here, now that I’m no longer alone in this house, the fear finally starts leaving my body.
After a moment Noah pulls back and looks me over quickly before his gaze shifts toward the unconscious man on the floor; his expression hardens instantly.
“Pull him up,” he orders sharply. “Wake him up p>
A few of his men immediately move forward while another whistles low under his breath after seeing the bloody mess on the floor.
“Damn,” he mutters while looking between me and the unconscious man. “She really did a number on him p>
Heat rushes to my face. I shift awkwardly from one foot to the other while Noah very obviously tries and fails to hide his amusement for a second. His mouth twitches before he clears his throat and returns to glaring at the man.