The Grave Between Us (A Noah & Cole Thriller, #2)

by Tal Bauer

Noah took in the drowning man in one microsecond sweep, his gaze cataloging the jeans and shoes and jacket, clothes he knew by heart because he saw them every day. Saw those shoes kicked off on the bedroom floor, saw that jacket slung over the back of his kitchen chair. Cole. “Ian Ingram!” Noah roared. Ian jerked back. He stood and faced Noah. Sneered and then reached into the back of his jeans, pulling out a black Glock .40— Noah fired. His first shot grazed Ian’s cheek, ripping off two inches of skin and exposing his cheekbone, a shock of white and red against his tanned skin. Ian howled, and his hand came up to his face. His eyes flared, and took a step toward Noah— Noah fired again. Ian took another step, this time toward Cole, reaching for his unmoving body in the water. Noah kept firing, unloading his weapon until it clicked, all his ammo spent. Ian staggered, and he dropped the gun at the river’s edge as his mouth opened and his hand rose. Blood spilled over his lips, streamed down his chin. Noah had put fourteen rounds in the center of Ian’s chest, sent him stumbling into the river with the force of his shots. His eyes locked onto Ian’s, staring into his twin voids, what seemed like the edges of the world in their depths. He inhaled, held his breath— Ian collapsed, falling backward with a cannonball splash. He hit the water and stared at the sky, unmoving, his arms and legs flung to the sides as the current tugged at his body.