Landon

He jerked back his head. That was the last thing Landon had expected her to say, but he’d take it. “Yeah, and you’re going to tell me everything you remember, and you’re going to do it right now.”

But she didn’t. Tessa just stood there, her attention volleying between him and the parking lot.

“Please, just let me go.” Her eyes filled with tears. “It’s not safe for you to be with me.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Landon snapped.

She closed her eyes, the tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m not who you think I am. And if you stay here with me, they’ll kill you.”

Chapter Four (#ulink_c25b58d3-e62b-511e-900a-dcb72a04c807)

Tessa tried to move away from Landon again, but he held on to her.

“Explain that,” he demanded.

She didn’t have to ask exactly what he wanted her to tell him. It was about the bombshell she’d just delivered.

If you stay here with me, they’ll kill you.

There were plenty of things still unclear in Tessa’s head, but that wasn’t one of them.

She glanced behind her at the parking lot on the other side of the glass door. “It’s not safe for us to be here. Please, let’s go somewhere else.”

Landon stared at her, obviously debating that, and he finally maneuvered her to the side. Not ideal, but it was better than being in front of the glass, where she could be seen, and at least this way she had a view of the hall in case someone came at her from that direction.

“Now that the drugs are wearing off, I’m remembering some things about Emmett’s murder,” Tessa admitted.

His eyes narrowed. “Keep talking.”

“I didn’t see the killer’s face.” Though Tessa tried to picture him, the bits and pieces of her memory didn’t cooperate. “I came into my house, and this man wearing a ski mask attacked me. Emmett was there, and they fought.”

Landon stayed quiet for a long time, clearly trying to process that. “Why was Emmett there?”

She had to shake her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know why the other man was there, either. Maybe he was a burglar?”

That didn’t sound right at all, though. No. He wasn’t a burglar, but clearly there were still some blanks in her memory. And because he was wearing a ski mask, she didn’t have even fragmented memories of seeing his face.

Tessa looked down at the baby. Did that man have something to do with the newborn?

“A burglar,” Landon repeated, “wouldn’t have left a note like that on Emmett’s body. His killer was connected to me and obviously to you since the murder happened in your house.” He tipped his head to the baby. “And where was she the whole time this attack on you was going on?”

“In my arms.” Tessa was certain of that. “She was also in my arms when I ran from the man. No, wait.” More images came. Then the memory of the pain exploding in her head. “He hit me with his gun first.” That explained the bump on her head. “Emmett tried to stop him, and that’s when I think the man shot him.”

Landon dropped back a step, no doubt taking a moment to absorb that. Those details were still fuzzy, and Tessa was actually thankful for it. She wasn’t sure that right now she could handle remembering a man being murdered. Especially so soon after nearly dying in that barn fire.

“You were close to Emmett?” she asked but then waved off the question. Of course he was. And apparently she had been, too.

After all, Emmett had been at her house.

“I think his killer might have been a cop,” Tessa added.

Landon huffed. “First a burglar, now a cop?”

She didn’t blame him for being skeptical, but her mind was all over the place, and it was so hard to think, especially with that warning that kept going through her head.

That it wasn’t safe here. That she couldn’t trust anyone.

That she was going to get Landon killed.

“The killer held his gun like a cop,” she explained. “And he had one of those ear communicators like cops use.”

“Criminals use them, too,” Landon was just as quick to point out.

True enough. “But he said something about a perp to whoever he was talking to on the communicator. That’s a word that cops use.” Tessa paused. “And when I saw your badge, I got scared. Because I thought maybe... Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought.”

“You thought I had killed Emmett,” he finished for her. Landon added a sharp glare to that. “I didn’t, and I need you to remember a whole lot more than you just told me.”

So did she, but before Tessa could even consider how to make that happen, she saw some movement in the hall. Landon saw it, too, because he moved in front of her. From over his shoulder, Tessa saw Dr. Michelson and a security guard. But there was another man with him. Tall and lanky with blond hair. Wearing a suit. It took her a moment to get a good look at his face.

Her heart jumped to her throat.

“Joel,” she said. Even with the dizziness, she recognized him.

Landon looked back at her, a new round of displeasure in his expression. “So you remember him now?”

She did. And unlike the other memories, these were a lot clearer.

Oh, God.

This could be bad.

Joel kept his attention on her, obviously studying her dyed hair, but she soon saw the recognition in his eyes, and he picked up the pace as he made his way toward her.

“Tessa?” Joel called out. “Are you all right?”

Landon didn’t budge. He stayed in front of her. “Someone tried to kill her. What do you know about that?”

Until Landon barked out that question, Joel hadn’t seemed to notice him. But he noticed him now. “What are you doing here?” Joel snapped.

Landon tapped his badge. “What I’m doing is asking you a question that you will answer right now.”

Despite the fact that Landon’s tone was as lethal as his expression, Joel made a sound of amusement when he glanced at the badge. “What happened? Did you lose your job as a Houston cop and have to come begging your cousin for work?”

That jogged her memory, too. Yes, Landon had been a detective with the Houston PD, but Tessa doubted he’d lost his job. He had likely come back to Silver Creek to solve Emmett’s murder. Good thing, too, or else there might not have been anyone to save her from that barn fire.

But he couldn’t help her get out of this.

“How did you know I was at the hospital?” Tessa asked Joel.