Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 502

A long time passed before he finally pulled back just an inch. Cupping her face in both hands, his gaze raked over every inch of her.

"Are you hurt?"

Nora shook her head, her voice rough. "No... I just twisted my ankle."

Hudson dropped his gaze to her foot. Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms and turned back toward the Maybach.

Nora wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively. Seeing him march straight for the car, she suddenly remembered the other presence and patted his chest. "Wait... Vincent is still here..."

She pointed over his shoulder toward the half-slumped silhouette shivering on the shoreline.

Vincent leaned back on the rocks, his drenched shirt sticking to his skin as another coughing fit hit him.

He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over Hudson as he arched a brow. His tone was infuriatingly casual. "Well, Mr. Lancaster, are you blind, or does my life just not matter?"

The night was pitch black, and Hudson was standing far too far away to read Vincent's lips.

But staying silent now would be too suspicious.

"You owe my wife your life."

Vincent looked up at him, those sharp eyes narrowing as a cocky smirk broke across his face. "So? What do you want me to do, give myself to her to repay the debt?"

Hudson couldn't hear a damn word, but he knew exactly the kind of garbage that usually came out of Vincent's mouth. Ignoring him entirely, he tightened his grip on Nora and carried her to the car.

After a few strides, he paused and shot a glance at Arthur. "Call the Vaughns. Tell them their boss is alive and they need to come collect their trash."

"...Right away, sir."

...

When Hudson settled Nora into the backseat, the heavy door slammed shut, instantly cutting off the howling wind and crashing waves.

The interior of the car was perfectly quiet, save for the low hum of the heater blasting warm air.

Hudson sat beside her, pulling a dry towel from the door compartment. He draped it over her drenched hair, gently and methodically rubbing the moisture away.

"Are you still cold?"

Nora quickly shook her head.

The drenched jacket Vincent had lent her was long gone, tossed aside by Hudson the second he reached her. Now, she was engulfed in Hudson's own jacket, soaking up his residual body heat and that intoxicating, familiar scent that belonged strictly to him.

It made her feel profoundly safe.

Nora buried her face against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Only now did the suffocating terror and adrenaline of the night begin to recede.

"You have no idea. The second the car hit the water, I was terrified... I thought I was a goner... but I used everything you taught me. I even managed to drag Vincent out with me..."

Nora's voice was muffled against him, quietly waiting for his praise. But seconds ticked by in total silence.

Frowning in confusion, she tilted her head up.

"Hudson?"