Tough Justice: Hunted (Part 8 Of 8). Carla Cassidy

she didn’t hear Nick move from his chair, she suddenly sensed his presence just behind her. She knew that if she turned around his arms would be there if she needed them.

      But she’d never needed anyone when it came to the emotional scars that would forever live in her soul, and she didn’t need Nick to offer her his comforting arms now.

      What she desperately wanted was for somebody to tell her that Moretti had been found and was now back in custody or that he’d been located and had been killed.

      Why hadn’t he called her yet? Deep in her soul she knew he wouldn’t miss an opportunity to let her know that he was free and had their child in his possession.

      Once again she was aware of the ticking of a clock...the minutes...the hours that had already passed. The Ghost’s words came back to haunt her. Tick tock, tick tock, Lara Grant.

      She whirled around to face Nick but before she could say anything, he grabbed her to him and held her tight against his muscled chest.

      She remained stiff and unyielding until he reached up and placed his hand on the back of her head and softly caressed her hair. She melted against him, feeling the burn of fresh tears.

      His scent was so familiar now, as were the contours of his body against hers. She might not have thought she needed comfort, but for several long moments she felt it radiating from him, and she reveled in it.

      “I swear, Lara, we’ll get Emily back,” he whispered in her ear. “We have so many people working at finding them, so many resources being used to catch him. We’ll find your baby and get her back where she belongs.”

      She nodded and then stepped out of his embrace. She narrowed her eyes as anger once again possessed her, sweeping away the vulnerability and sweet memories that she’d momentarily entertained.

      “We need to get back to the team,” she said curtly. She’d already wasted enough time traipsing back into her past. “We need to find this bastard, and when we do I hope I’m the one who puts a bullet between his eyes.”

      Could she do that? Could she look at the man she’d once thought she was in love with and kill him? She straightened her back and shoved away the self-doubts.

      Hell, yes.