Nun the Wiser (A Deadly Habit Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Morgana Best

I saw what appeared to be headlights shining. The light was extremely bright. I raised one of my hands to cover my eyes as I slowly pulled myself up and then walked toward the light.
    I fought the cold as I pushed onward toward the source of the light. To my enormous relief, I saw Adam standing in front of the headlights. “Adam?” I shouted as loud as I could muster. The strain of yelling through the sleet hurt my throat, but it didn’t stop me from calling out again.
    “Rose?” he called. I had the sensation of Adam running toward me with open arms, as I stumbled once more. My body began to feel weightless just before the darkness engulfed me.
    Emptiness faded away as my eyes slipped open. My vision was blurred at first, but then it slowly grew clearer. I felt a strange sensation on my hands, so I looked down at them. What I saw was a long, warm coat draped across my body, and my hands were in the hands of someone else, who was rubbing them gently. It slowly dawned on me that Adam must have pulled me inside his car to warm me up.
    The vents in the dashboard roared to life as the car filled with merciful heat. For the first time all night, I felt safe. I struggled to speak, but couldn’t quite manage.
    “Shush,” Adam said softly. “You need to take a few minutes to warm up. You were freezing and barely conscious when I found you. Don’t you ever do something like that again,” he said, the panic evident in his voice.
    I looked back down at my hands and realized that his were trembling more than mine.
    “You scared me. These guys aren’t playing anymore, but I’m not going to let them hurt you. Next time, please wait for me.”
    I gripped his hands tightly and looked up at him. I was still cold, but my voice was returning to me. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
    In an instant, what looked like fear clouded Adam’s eyes. “No! Don’t you ever say you’re sorry. I was terrified. As soon as I got your message, I just knew something wasn’t right.”
    I looked out of the window and could see nothing but darkness. “Whoever it was must have been waiting by the gate. I got out to open it and as soon as I turned around, the car was peeling off in the opposite direction.”
    “Your car is about five miles down the road. They must have planned to leave you out in the cold all night. It’s obvious that they wanted it to look like an accident.”
    Adam slowly lifted his hands from mine and repositioned his coat, which was acting as my blanket. His voice was soft and gentle as he spoke. “I know you’re still in a bit of shock, but we have to face the reality of what this means.” He gazed out of the driver’s side window before he continued. “I think they were trying to leave you out here to freeze to death. When I tried to call back, but your phone went straight to voicemail, I knew something was wrong. That’s when I knew I had to find you.”
    “Look like an accident?” I asked.
    “It would have looked like your car broke down and you wandered around trying to look for help. The cops would have assumed you froze outside.”
    I could hear a shakiness in his voice. I was finally beginning to feel better, so I sat up higher in the seat and grabbed his hand. “You saved my life, Adam. It doesn’t matter what they were trying to do. They failed because of you.”
    He looked back and stared deeply into my eyes. “They haven’t failed yet, but they will if I have any say in the matter,” he said in an authoritative tone.
    “You mean we ?” I asked.
    “Yes,” Adam said with a smile. “They will fail if we have anything to say about it.”
    I smiled and tucked my arms under Adam’s large coat. “So, what are we going to do about my car? Are you going to make me drive it back alone?” The notion terrified me.
    “I would never leave you alone again after a night like this,” Adam said. “I actually think I should sleep on your sofa tonight, just to make sure you’re safe. I’ll make you some hot