“I have to do this, Dad.” Cora pouted. She shook Alana. “She ruined everything. I was going to marry the sheriff of this town and make you proud of me for once. Noah has no money, but he is in a position of power. You said I should marry someone important. You said you were tired of me wasting my life away.”
Mr. Stanton stood next to Noah and looked surprised. He lost his angry expression, and one of guilt took its place. “Um, maybe you might find somebody more suitable in the city, honey. Put that gun away. Let’s go have dinner at your favorite place, and let me tell you all about my new plans. Plans for the both of us.”
Cora looked interested, and the gun lowered again. “Okay, Dad.” She looked at Alana. “Even if I find someone better than Noah, I still hate you. You stole him from me, and I can’t let you get away with that.”
Alana looked at Cora silently. Noah could see how tense her body was and the fear shining in her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to hold Alana in his arms and never let her go.
Alana looked straight at Noah and mouthed the words “I love you,” as if it was a good-bye. No way was Noah going to let Cora harm Alana.
Cora let Alana’s arms go, and Alana stepped back away from her. Cora pointed the gun at Alana with an evil smile and cocked the trigger back.
“No!” Mr. Stanton yelled, rushing toward his daughter.
Noah gave the signal for Tony to shoot.
A small ping sounded in the air, and Cora gasped with pain and fell to the ground. She dropped the gun, and Noah lunged for it.
Mr. Stanton caught Cora before she hit the ground. She had a bullet in her arm, and it was bleeding. “Oh my God, Cora. Are you crazy? You were actually going to shoot Miss Garcia?”
“I have to get rid of her, Dad. She is a thorn in my side,” Cora argued, looking around for the gun she had dropped.
She saw it in Noah’s hands. “Give it back, Noah. That belongs to me.”
Noah put it in his belt. He looked down at Cora with pity. “You have some serious mental issues, Cora. Your fancy lawyer better hire another lawyer because you are going to jail for a long time.”
“No one got hurt,” Mr. Stanton spit out, looking up at Noah.
Alana had been quiet until then. She stood over Cora and Mr. Stanton looking like an angry angel. “What the hell? No one got hurt? You’re as crazy as your loony daughter. She hired her own cousin to kill me. I almost died. I went through pain and suffering. She ran us off the road. My brother got hurt, too. If you ask me, you are both crazy, spoiled people. She is like she is because of you, Mr. Stanton. Open your eyes, and take some freakin’ responsibility for this mess. Your daughter has mental problems. Get her some help, and quit trying to sweep it under the rug.”
Noah couldn’t wait a minute longer. He ignored Mr. Stanton’s shocked look. No one ever talked back to him.
He pulled Alana into his arms. “God, baby, I was terrified. I couldn’t live if I lost you.”
Alana buried her face in his chest, and he could feel the tears start. He tightened his arms around her and rocked her.
“Drake has Ray safely out of the way. I heard Liam pull up in the ambulance.”
Mr. Stanton looked up at Noah. “Who shot my daughter?”
“One of my newest deputies,” Noah stated. He pointed to the distance. “Tony Smith.”
“Thank you, Mr. Smith,” Alana said loudly. “You saved my life.”
The large burly man saluted her and walked away. Henry and another medical technician went to take care of Cora, who was still arguing with her dad.
Noah led Alana away from the scene. He could feel his body still shaking from the stress and worry. He couldn’t make himself let go of her hand. Ray was sitting up, perched on the edge of the ambulance. Liam was standing over him, holding an ice pack on Ray’s forehead. Ray groaned.
“Ray?” Alana whispered, looking scared all over again.
Ray jumped up and pulled her into his arms, forcing Noah to let go of her.
“I was so scared, Alana,” he mumbled while hugging her. He looked at her face and wiped some falling tears away. “You okay?”
“Thanks to Noah and his sharpshooter,” she sighed. She looked at his forehead. He had a small gash and swollen bump over his eyebrow. “What about you?”
“A small cut and a headache.” He brushed his injuries off. He shook Noah’s hand. “I am so glad you hired those two Smith brothers.”
“Me, too.” Noah grinned. “Where is Drake?”