It had been one hell of a night. After getting the all-clear from the docs, she’d stayed around, hoping for good news on Wade.
Kenton stepped closer to her. “Lora?”
“A ride?” She cleared her throat. “Yeah, that’d be good, thanks.” It beat catching a cab.
They didn’t talk again until they were in his car. He cranked the engine, and it roared instantly to life, but then his fingers tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles flashing white.
“Uh, Kent? What’s—”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. “He went after you.”
“No.” It had to be some mistake. “It was the kid, I saw him.”
“It was Phoenix,” he said, and a shiver skated down her spine. “Michael Randall was in Meadows Rehab when the other fires were set. Phoenix used him. I don’t know how yet, but he set that boy up as—”
“Bait.” Her eyes drifted to the ambulance that had just raced past them.
“Yeah, f**king bait.” He shifted gears, and the SUV shot forward. “How’s your man?”
Lora took a deep breath. “He went into cardiac arrest about an hour ago.”
“Lora…”
She swallowed and tried to breathe nice and easy. Real hard to do. “He’s stable. For now.” She wasn’t sure how long that would last. The docs hadn’t looked or sounded hopeful. And Wade had a wife in there, pacing the sterile halls. Newlyweds. “He’s got burns—second and third degree—on his face and chest. Randall… he just went after him. Ripped at him as the fire burned.” I couldn’t get to him fast enough. Not with the flames and the walls falling.
“I’m sorry.”
So was she. Sorry she hadn’t moved faster. Sorry she hadn’t yelled out her warning sooner. “Randall had set an accelerant trail all over the house. He was just waiting for us to go in so he could light it.” And trap us inside. Because he’d wanted them all to die.
“I wanted Phoenix to come after me. Not you.” Kenton took two turns and then a hard left. Her house wasn’t far now. She wanted to shower, to wash away the grime and soot.
Laura’s hands pressed against her thighs. “How… how did he get the kid to kill himself?” An image flashed in her mind of another fire. Randall and that smile.
He’d fought her when she tried to pull him out of the flames. He’d screamed, “No, no, I want to see!”
This time, he’d seen everything.
“We’re gonna check to see if there’s any connection with Meadows Rehab. Maybe Phoenix met up with the kid there.” The rumble of his voice filled the car. “Sure seems like Randall was willing bait.”
Her head turned slowly as she leaned back against the seat. So tired.
Another trap. Only this time, the victim had wanted the flames.
“Using the boy was a mistake,” Kenton said. Another turn, then a couple more blocks, and she’d be home. “The boy is gonna lead us to Phoenix.”
Lora exhaled. “Phoenix is a sick freak. And the fires—they’re just getting worse.”
The SUV slowed down. She could see her house. Surrounded in dawn’s light, the white paint gleamed. Kenton braked, and her fingers reached for the door.
“Lora…”
She glanced back at him.
“I want to come in.” His voice was demanding, with an edge of—
Fear.
Lora understood. He’d been watching. While the fire burned and death came, he’d been outside.
Her head moved in a slow nod. She wanted him there with her.
Her steps were slow as she headed for the door. The keys in her hand trembled just a bit. Kenton followed her, close enough for her to feel his warmth.
Then they were inside, and she could finally breathe. She could draw in a deep breath and not taste her own fear.
“I—I’m going to take a shower.” First. Because she didn’t want to touch him like this. But she did want to touch him. She needed to push away the death and grab life.
He caught her hand. “Is there room for two?”
There was lust in his eyes. But need, a deeper, darker need, shone there, too. The same need she felt, coursing through her blood.
“Yes.” A simple answer that meant so much more.
Staring at her, he removed his weapon. He secured the gun by tucking it inside her desk drawer.
Then he followed her up the stairs, down the narrow hallway, and into the bathroom. He was silent while she twisted the faucet, then started the shower. Water thundered down in a hard blast.
She stripped without looking at him. Kicked off her shoes, tossed the socks, and dropped the borrowed scrubs.
Her fingers hesitated on her panties. Stupid. Why would she be nervous now?
Lora shoved them down, then she twisted a bit as she unhooked her bra. The fabric fell, and she didn’t glance back as she stepped into the hot stream of water.
Blindly, she reached for the soap and started scrubbing hard. Almost scratching her flesh.
Wade hadn’t been moving. She hadn’t gotten to him fast enough. She’d been too far away.
Like Carter. Oh, Jesus, like Carter…
“Let me.” His hands covered hers and took the soap. Smoothed where she’d scratched. Lathered over her arms, down her back, and over the scars that another blaze had left.
Her eyes closed, and the water pelted her. Washing away the fire. Washing it all away.
“You scared the shit out of me,” Kenton said gruffly, and she almost smiled.
“You do this every day, though, don’t you? Even without Phoenix…” His soapy hands slid around her waist and began to move up to cup her br**sts. “You do this every day.”
She inhaled on a deep breath. “Uh, not every day… most days it’s just life at the station when I’m on… ah… shift.” His hands were on her br**sts now, fingers rubbing the soap over her ni**les.
Her sex tightened. I need this. Need him.
“Lean against me,” he said.
She let her body slide back. The water washed away the soap, but his fingers stayed on her skin, stroking her ni**les. Squeezing and caressing them.
Then his right hand moved down, even as he reached for the soap once more with his left.
She tensed when his fingers pushed between her thighs. Wet, slick with soap, his broad fingers parted her folds with deft skill. Lora rose onto her toes, arching toward the spray of water.
His fingers slid against her sex, found her clit, and pressed.
Lora’s breath hissed out as her palms slapped against the tiled shower wall.