The door swung open, and several long seconds passed before one of the guys in black leather edged around the corner to peer into the room. When he caught a glimpse of the guy’s gun, Nate knew the waiting time was over.
“Police! Drop your weapons!” he yelled. When the guy didn’t comply, Nate fired off two rounds, one of them lodging in the wooden door frame a fraction of an inch from where the guy’s face had been. Instantly, the face disappeared.
Nate swallowed hard and kept his gaze trained on the doorway, knowing his situation was grim. The gunmen had the advantage, not only because there were two of them against one but also because they knew exactly where he was located. Plus, it wasn’t exactly as if the metal tabletop was a bulletproof barrier.
But he refused to give up. If he died today, that was fine, but he’d make sure to take these two gunmen with him. He had no idea why these guys were following Meredith and Hailey, but no way would he allow either of them to be hurt.
Nate adjusted his aim, trying to anticipate the gunmen’s next move. Seconds passed by with impossible slowness, but he knew the value of patience.
The two men came in with a one-two punch, guns blazing. Nate fired in return, taking the first guy down even as one bullet whistled past his own head, while another plowed through the tabletop, mere inches from Nate’s right shoulder. He fired at the second guy, catching him in the upper arm. The gunman cried out in pain and dropped his gun, sliding to the floor with a surprised expression in his eyes.
Nate didn’t hesitate, leaping over the table and kicking both of the gunmen’s weapons well out of the way before checking to see if they were still alive.
They both were.
The first guy was bleeding from his abdomen, so Nate grabbed some towels and pressed them over the wound. He pulled a chair over, tipping it on its side to add pressure and slow down the bleeding.
The other guy was still conscious, holding his own hand over the wound in his biceps. “You’re not going to get away with this,” he said in a harsh tone.
“You’re the one who fired at a cop,” Nate said grimly, even though he had no idea what he’d stumbled into. He quickly cuffed the man to a metal bar beneath the table and then spun on his heel to head back to the bathroom where Meredith was hiding with Hailey. He was stunned to hear singing, catching the phrase “Jesus loves me.” The choice surprised him since Meredith hadn’t ever been particularly religious in high school.
Obviously things had changed. She not only was alive and had a daughter but also believed in God.
“Meredith? It’s me, Nate. Are you and Hailey all right?”
The singing stopped, and he could hear movement inside before the door opened a crack, revealing Meredith’s face. “We’re fine, but what happened?”
“The guys who followed you are both—taken care of.” Nate amended what he was going to say in deference to the little girl. He pushed the bathroom door open wider, giving Hailey a reassuring smile. “The bad guys are going to be arrested so they can’t hurt you anymore. I have backup and an ambulance on the way. Meredith, I need to know what’s going on.”
She shook her head. “My name isn’t Meredith. It’s Melissa. Melissa Harris. And we can’t stay. We need to get out of here, now. Before anyone else sees us.”
Nate knew the woman was Meredith, and the name Melissa wasn’t that much different. She’d obviously changed it, but for the life of him he didn’t know why. “Meredith—Melissa, your name doesn’t matter to me. I remember you from high school, and I know very well you remember me, too.” He crossed his arms over his chest and planted himself in front of the bathroom doorway. “You’re not leaving. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
Her gaze implored him to listen to reason. “Please let us go. Making me talk to the police will only put us in more danger.”
Nate stared at her, trying to understand what was going on. “I’ve wounded two men,” he said bluntly. “I’m a sheriff’s deputy sworn to uphold the law. I can’t just leave.”
Melissa actually winced. “I know, and I’m sorry. Of course you can’t leave. We’ll go on our own. You have to trust me on this, Nate. I refuse to put my daughter’s life in jeopardy.”
Nate glanced down at Hailey. Her tear-streaked face and the fear reflected in her hazel gaze ripped a hole in his heart.
He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing he was likely going to regret this. “Okay, let’s get out of here. I’m coming with you.”
Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise. “Where?”
“If you think I’m letting you go off on your own, you’re nuts. You have two choices. Stay here and wait for my backup or allow me to take you someplace safe.”
She hesitated and then reluctantly nodded. “Okay. We’ll go with you, for now.”
He planned to stick with her longer than for now, but there wasn’t time to argue. His team would be here at any second.
His boss, Griff, would likely fire him for leaving the scene of a police shooting, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that now. Not when the fear he saw in Melissa was too real. No way was he going to put a woman and her child in danger.
And he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever Melissa was involved in.
* * *
Melissa couldn’t believe that out of all the people to stumble across in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it would be Nate Freemont.
Her old high school sweetheart.
The man she’d been forced to leave behind.
She wasn’t totally surprised to find out he was a cop, since law enforcement was all he’d talked about back when they were in school. Twelve years later, fate, or maybe God, had brought them back together. Being with a cop was dangerous, and she told herself that after he’d helped her get away, she’d ditch Nate as soon as she could.
Deep down, she was relieved not to be alone. Hailey didn’t deserve to be in danger like this. Melissa knew coming home to see her father in the hospital before he passed away had been a mistake. She’d thought for sure everyone around here believed her dead and buried.
Apparently not. Something she should have been prepared for, since after all, there was no statute of limitations on murder. Despite the fact that she’d changed her identity and faked her death, they’d found her. She’d noticed a tail on her as soon as she’d left the hospital, so she’d come to the busy megamall, trying to disappear into the crowd of people. Her intent had been to hop a bus, but Nate had shown up before she’d been able to make her way back outside.
And then he’d solved the problem by taking down the two men who’d followed her.
She picked up Hailey and followed Nate out of the break room, glancing at the two men who lay wounded. She shivered, feeling sick at the thought of what might have happened if Nate hadn’t seen her and recognized her. Granted, hearing him call her by her birth name had been a shock. But she might not have escaped the gunmen if not for Nate’s help. She’d prayed for him while she and Hailey had hidden in the bathroom singing church songs.
“This way,” Nate said, gesturing over to the right. There was a long hallway that ended with a door marked Exit. She took Hailey’s hand and headed down the hall.
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Hailey whined.
“I know, sweetheart. We’ll get something to eat soon,” she said, trying to soothe her daughter.
Nate nodded, and when he smiled, he reminded her so much of the young man she’d fallen for all those years ago. “We’ll get something to eat, but