break his concentration. Besides, nothing needed to be said. Hawk and Vivian had to be OK. Had to! Her sister was pregnant. The baby ... Emma bit back her terror, and tried not to think about the fact that Hawk and Vivian were almost certainly asleep in their bed when their house exploded.
As they drew close, Emma saw exactly what she was praying she wouldn't. A glow in the sky ahead of her. Something was definitely on fire. Emma squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to condemn her sister and Craig's best friend to death in her mind. They were OK. They had to be.
Craig rounded another corner and advanced up the street fast. Emma could see Hawk and Vivian's house, fully ablaze, barely any part of the structure left. A fire truck in front had just arrived and was putting out its hoses. Four or five people thronged on the sidewalk. Emma leaned forward and strained her eyes, trying to pick out Hawk and Vivian.
Craig slowed and Emma opened her door, popping her seatbelt and jumping out at a run. She reached the small knot of people and almost cried in relief at the sight of Vivian and Hawk looking sad and horrified, but very much alive.
Emma slung her arms around Vivian, who was wearing only a man's shirt and a sheet around her waist. "What happened?" she asked, her eyes on the blazing house she'd been in so many times.
Hawk stepped in front of her, dressed only in dark silk boxers. "There was a bomb under our bed. I found it just before it exploded. I dropped it and we ran."
Craig walked up, already holding up his spare clothes and boots for Hawk. "A bomb? What in the hell?"
Hawk turned a knowing eye on him and nodded. "Someone's not happy about something I'm doing."
Emma stared at the two men, unable to believe Hawk and Vivian had almost been murdered in their bed ... because of Hawk's job? The same job her own husband did? She hugged her sister harder as Vivian began to cry.
Chapter 5
Emma swayed on her feet, blinking up at the late-morning sun. She'd been given the day off at work, since she'd been at the scene of the explosion all night, but she wouldn't leave this scene until she heard what the fire inspector had to say. She had to know .
Hawk, Vivian, and Craig had also chosen to stay, the three of them huddled around the back of Craig's truck, waiting for news. They'd called JT and Dani at the hotel they were staying in while they were in town, but those two lovebirds hadn't picked up their phones yet or responded to any messages. Emma knew they tended to turn off their phones when they were on vacation. They'd check in when they got up.
Jerry had been by, as soon as he got the message Emma left for him at dispatch when he arrived at work, but he couldn't stay. He was working on the ambulance all day. He'd been offered a promotion similar to Emma's but had declined it, saying he wanted to work on the ambulance as long as his bad leg let him. Emma thought that was probably an excuse. His leg seemed fine these days, almost never giving him problems. He just liked the ambulance. And he didn't need the money. Emma liked the ambulance too, but she couldn't turn down the hefty raise that came with the Lieutenant's position.
Jerry had said Sara wasn't feeling good, and that's why she hadn't come by, but he offered their spare room to Hawk and Vivian. His sister had moved in with her boyfriend and it was just empty. Emma had cut in, thanking Jerry but saying Vivian and Hawk could stay with her and Craig for as long as they wanted. They had a spare room too.
Emma watched the fire inspector move about the smoking pile of melted concrete and burning wood that had all collapsed into the centuries-old cellar and wondered at how hard and fast the fire had spread. The other items Hawk had seen under the bed had to be an accelerant of some kind. That was the only thing that could possibly explain how little of the structure was left. Well, that and the fact that only one fire truck had ever arrived to fight the fire. Last
As they drew close, Emma saw exactly what she was praying she wouldn't. A glow in the sky ahead of her. Something was definitely on fire. Emma squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to condemn her sister and Craig's best friend to death in her mind. They were OK. They had to be.
Craig rounded another corner and advanced up the street fast. Emma could see Hawk and Vivian's house, fully ablaze, barely any part of the structure left. A fire truck in front had just arrived and was putting out its hoses. Four or five people thronged on the sidewalk. Emma leaned forward and strained her eyes, trying to pick out Hawk and Vivian.
Craig slowed and Emma opened her door, popping her seatbelt and jumping out at a run. She reached the small knot of people and almost cried in relief at the sight of Vivian and Hawk looking sad and horrified, but very much alive.
Emma slung her arms around Vivian, who was wearing only a man's shirt and a sheet around her waist. "What happened?" she asked, her eyes on the blazing house she'd been in so many times.
Hawk stepped in front of her, dressed only in dark silk boxers. "There was a bomb under our bed. I found it just before it exploded. I dropped it and we ran."
Craig walked up, already holding up his spare clothes and boots for Hawk. "A bomb? What in the hell?"
Hawk turned a knowing eye on him and nodded. "Someone's not happy about something I'm doing."
Emma stared at the two men, unable to believe Hawk and Vivian had almost been murdered in their bed ... because of Hawk's job? The same job her own husband did? She hugged her sister harder as Vivian began to cry.
Chapter 5
Emma swayed on her feet, blinking up at the late-morning sun. She'd been given the day off at work, since she'd been at the scene of the explosion all night, but she wouldn't leave this scene until she heard what the fire inspector had to say. She had to know .
Hawk, Vivian, and Craig had also chosen to stay, the three of them huddled around the back of Craig's truck, waiting for news. They'd called JT and Dani at the hotel they were staying in while they were in town, but those two lovebirds hadn't picked up their phones yet or responded to any messages. Emma knew they tended to turn off their phones when they were on vacation. They'd check in when they got up.
Jerry had been by, as soon as he got the message Emma left for him at dispatch when he arrived at work, but he couldn't stay. He was working on the ambulance all day. He'd been offered a promotion similar to Emma's but had declined it, saying he wanted to work on the ambulance as long as his bad leg let him. Emma thought that was probably an excuse. His leg seemed fine these days, almost never giving him problems. He just liked the ambulance. And he didn't need the money. Emma liked the ambulance too, but she couldn't turn down the hefty raise that came with the Lieutenant's position.
Jerry had said Sara wasn't feeling good, and that's why she hadn't come by, but he offered their spare room to Hawk and Vivian. His sister had moved in with her boyfriend and it was just empty. Emma had cut in, thanking Jerry but saying Vivian and Hawk could stay with her and Craig for as long as they wanted. They had a spare room too.
Emma watched the fire inspector move about the smoking pile of melted concrete and burning wood that had all collapsed into the centuries-old cellar and wondered at how hard and fast the fire had spread. The other items Hawk had seen under the bed had to be an accelerant of some kind. That was the only thing that could possibly explain how little of the structure was left. Well, that and the fact that only one fire truck had ever arrived to fight the fire. Last
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