Since Mitch had found the hidden access between the two apartments a couple hours earlier, Fuse had been thinking of all the ways he wanted to torture Reyes, make him give up the people who’d hired him to scare Brittany. No matter the desire, it wouldn’t happen.
Blackmore said the newest threat would occur between Monday and Wednesday. It was now Tuesday night. If the call to the senator was accurate, they had less than thirty-six hours to identify the threat and stop it.
Brittany shoved hair from her face, shifting to a more comfortable position. She checked the clock. Three in the morning.
Lifting up on one elbow, she pounded the pillow, wishing for the hundredth time she’d packed one from her house in Manassas. It had been the first item added to her Bring from Home list started within hours of arriving.
Lying back down, she drew a shallow breath, nose wrinkling. She tried again, this time sitting up at the pungent smell of rotten eggs. Gas.
Throwing off the covers, she shifted on the bed, reaching for the lamp. Instead of grasping the knob, her hurried movements clipped the side of the ceramic light. It crashed to the laminated wood floor, shards flying.
“Damn it.” She stared down at the sharp pieces of ceramic, then winced at the sight of her bare feet. Drawing in another breath, she cringed at the acrid odor. Her lungs stung, head swimming.
Stumbling from the bed, she reached for the light switch, flipping it at the same time an explosion rocked her apartment.
Fuse crashed through her front door seconds after hearing the explosion. “Brittany!”
He rushed through the apartment toward the flames, catching her in his arms as she stumbled down the hall. Not stopping to check for injuries, he lifted her into his arms, heading outside.
The sound of sirens could be heard over the noise of those who’d left their beds to watch. Mitch shouted at them to move to the sidewalk. The fire trucks pulled in behind the complex, acting fast to stop the spread of the fire.
Setting Brittany down, Fuse began to run hands over her body, hesitating when she slapped him.
“Stop it.” She swiped at him again, squirming in his hold. “Get away from me.” Voice rising in panic, she coughed again, doubling over.
“Damn it, Brit. Stop.”
Eyes wide at the familiar voice, she focused on her rescuer for the first time. “Scott?”
“Yeah. Now settle down so I can make sure you aren’t injured.”
Coughing again, she glared down at him as his hands moved up her legs, over her hips, and around her sides. She wore lightweight sleep pants and tank top, making his job easier and more difficult.
Brit had matured since they’d been a couple. The curves were a little rounder, softer. Even if he stayed clear of them, her breasts were a little larger and firm.
“Fuck,” he muttered, feeling his body respond as it always had to Brittany Blackmore.
“What?” She crossed her arms, glaring at him.
“Here.” Mitch joined them, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. What are you doing here, Scott?”
Ignoring her, he turned toward Mitch. “We need to get Brit out of here.”
“You’re not taking me anywhere.”
“We can be ready to go in five, Fuse.”
“You two aren’t listening to me.” Brittany’s voice rose in anger before she fell into another fit of coughing, causing Fuse to tap her on the back.
“Relax, Brit. You need time to get the effects of the gas out of your system.”
Ignoring him, she opened her mouth to respond before another round of coughing gripped her.
Lifting her into his arms, Fuse hurried past the firefighters and onlookers.
“Put…me…down.” Her voice broke on the last, head dropping to his shoulder.
“Not until the firefighters check you out, sweetheart.” Sweetheart? Fuse didn’t want to examine how the endearment had slipped out.
He didn’t stop until they’d reached the ambulance. “She was in the apartment when the explosion occurred. We’re taking her to Liberty Lake as soon as you’ve examined her.”
“I am not…leaving, Scott.” Again, she choked, eyes watering.
Fuse smiled at the young paramedic. “She’s still woozy, ma’am. I’ll be over there when you’re finished.”
“We’ll take care of her, sir.”
Brittany tried to follow him, stopping when strong hands held her in place. “Ma’am, please don’t fight us on this. We understand you were involved in a gas explosion. You may feel all right, but we still need to examine you.”
Closing her eyes, Brittany relaxed, allowing them to do their job. She concentrated on Scott, confusion mounting. Why was he here? How did he know she was in trouble? Then her thoughts began to clear. Did her father hire him to watch her?
Confusion turned to anger. As soon as the paramedics finished, she was calling her father. If he had anything to do with Scott’s presence, she planned to show a side of herself Senator Blackmore had never seen.
“We really should take you to the hospital, Ms…”
“Blackmore. And I am not going to the hospital.” She tried to stand, groaning when the paramedics pressed on her shoulders. Twenty feet away, Scott and Mitch spoke with two officers and one of the firefighters.
The female paramedic gave her a severe glare. “We can’t make you go, but if you were my sister, best friend, or a cousin, I’d make certain you got there. I’ll bet the handsome man over there feels the same.”
Brittany refused to admit Scott would act the same with anyone. His kindness and sense of duty wouldn’t allow him to react differently to a man or woman in trouble. She’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which brought her right back to her question about why he happened to be in the same complex where she lived.
Scott came up beside her. “How is she?”
“Our recommendation is Ms. Blackmore go to the hospital for a thorough examination.”
“I’m not going to the hospital, Scott, so just forget about it.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll make certain she gets there.” Taking her elbow, Fuse guided her away from the crowd, settling an arm over her shoulders. Stopping, he turned her toward him. “We need to get you out of here, Brittany. Mitch and I will explain everything on our way to Liberty Lake.”
“But—”
He pressed a finger against her lips. “Don’t argue about this, Brit. It’s serious shit, but until we’re miles away, we aren’t talking about it. And you aren’t going to give me any trouble.”
Her instincts told her to argue, but studying his intense features, she held back. It had been years since they’d been together.
Back then, he’d been new on the team, excited, and idealistic. The Scott before her had deep lines of worry, features carved by the atrocities he’d witnessed. She wondered if her walking away had contributed to the disillusionment in his eyes.
“You with me on this?”
The question drew her thoughts to the future. “I have a job. A life here.”
“Not if you’re dead.”
Chapter Nine
“Not if you’re dead.”