“Emma!” her brother called out for her.
Strong footfalls traveled down the hallway. Seconds later, Coop’s worried face appeared.
“Where is she?”
“She’s fine.” Eric put a hand up. “She’s with Riley giving her statement.”
Scooting out of the way so Maggie and her team could put the dead guy onto the gurney, Coop squeezed his way into the room.
“What the hell happened?”
“We got here, I was clearing the apartment, and the guy took a shot at me from inside the closet.” Trace pointed to the demolished wooden door.
“She’s okay. The guy got ahold of her, but she held her own. Actually fought him off so I could get a clear shot. You would’ve been proud of her.”
“Proud?” The man huffed out a humorless laugh. Then, with anger and fear clouding his judgement, he went after Trace. “You were supposed to protect her!” Coop filled his hands with the front of Traces shirt. “She could’ve been killed!”
Doing his best to remember this was Emma’s brother, Trace looked down at where Coop had a hold of him. “You’re gonna want to let go of me.”
“No, what Iwantto do is kick your ass!”
“Let him go, Coop.” Eric put a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Trace did the same thing we would’ve done. More importantly, you’re sister’s fine.”
“Then where the hell is she?”
“I’m right here!” Emma yelled as she stormed into the room with Riley.
“Sis!” Coop grabbed her in a rough hug. “Oh, thank god.”
“Don’t ‘sis’ me.” She pushed her brother away. “What the hell are you thinking, coming in here and attacking Trace like that?”
“He was supposed to keep you safe.”
“He did!” She threw her hands out to the sides. “The only reason I’m stillaliveis because of him.”
With his anger beginning to dissipate, Coop looked back at his sister with an apologetic expression. “I was in Mac’s room watching T.V. when the news broke through about a shooting at your apartment building. I knew it had to involve you guys, so I grabbed my keys and ran out of the room.”
“And you didn’t think to, I don’t know,callone of us before you raced over here?”
“I tried to.” Coop assured his sister. “The second I got into my truck, I reached for my phone. That’s when I realized I’d left it in Mac’s room.”
“So because you were an idiot and forgot your phone, that makes it okay to barge in here and go after Trace the way you did?”
Coop put his hands on Emma’s shoulders. “I was worried about you. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”
Rolling his lips inward, Trace did his best not to smile. But fuck, if it wasn’t a hard task to accomplish while watching a tiny bit of a thing like Emma put a badass former Ranger in his place.
“Sorry, man.” Coop held out a hand.
Trace considered not taking it, for no other reason than to be a stubborn prick. In the end, he shook hands with the man. For Emma’s sake.
“That’s twice you’ve put your hands on me, and I’ve let it go.” He stared down the other man. “There won’t be a third.
“Understood.” But then Coop’s mouth began to curve. “Well, unless you deserve it.”
“Sean,” Emma warned her brother.