Chapter 15

He'd shot Grayson! Eve winced at how hard Dave gripped her arm, dragging her relentlessly toward the gunmetal-gray SUV. The warmth of the sun didn't reach the coldness in her heart. She'd gone with Dave to protect Grayson, but that hadn't worked.

"Why don't you just shoot me now?" she demanded, instinctively dragging her feet. Maybe Grayson wasn't hurt that bad. Maybe he had been able to call for backup.

Maybe there was still a way out of this!

"I have strict instructions to bring you to a specific location about ten miles from here," Dave said. "Let's go!"

That didn't make any sense. Dave could easily shoot her and Grayson here at the safe house without anyone being the wiser.

The gunmetal-gray SUV was parked on the street just yards away, and she suddenly knew they should not get inside. She stopped walking, allowing all her weight to sag toward the ground.

"What are you doing?" Dave hissed. "Get up! Move it! We're going in the car!"

"No. I think there's a bomb planted beneath it." She was almost on her knees now, looking up at Dave frantically. "You know they killed Geoff Abbott, right? I think there's a bomb beneath that vehicle to take us both out of the equation."

"That's ridiculous," Dave spat. But then he slowed his pace, eyeing the SUV warily. From behind him, she was thrilled to see Grayson coming out of the house then. Upon seeing the weapon he held in both hands, she ducked her head to make herself a smaller target.

"Drop the weapon now!" Grayson barked. A nanosecond later, he fired.

She felt Dave's body jolt from the impact of the bullet striking flesh and bone. Then his body slumped against her, nearly crushing her onto the driveway. She did her best to roll out from underneath him, but the angle was such that she couldn't quite manage it. She was folded in half like an accordion.

Finally, the weapon dropped from his fingers, hitting the concrete with a thud. Then Grayson was there, kicking the gun out of reach and dragging the injured man off her. "Eve? Are you okay? You're not hurt?"

"I'm fine." She silently thanked God for sparing her life and Grayson's. "He didn't shoot."

Sirens split the air as a squad pulled up behind the gunmetal-gray SUV. Roscoe jumped out from behind the wheel, bringing a wave of relief.

But then she pushed herself to her feet. "You need to get the squad away from the SUV," she said. "I think there might be a bomb inside."

Grayson and Roscoe both looked at her as if she'd lost her marbles. "It's okay, Eve. You're safe now," Grayson said in a soothing voice.

"I know, thanks to you." She met Grayson's gaze. "But I'm telling you, there must be a reason Dave was instructed to take me somewhere. He could have shot us both and left, but that wasn't what he'd been told to do. I think the plan was to eliminate me and Dave at the same time. Please, Grayson. Check the SUV for a bomb." She would do it herself if she had a clue what to look for.

Yet something was telling her they didn't have much time.

Grayson and Roscoe glanced at each other and shrugged. "She has a point about why he'd try to take her out of here," Roscoe said. "That only made it easier for you to nail him."

Dave let out a low groan, clutching his shoulder. "He shot me."

She almost told him he deserved it but managed to hold her tongue. Dropping to her knees beside him, she examined his wound. She was no medical doctor, but it looked to be high enough to have missed his heart, but may have hit his lung.

"We need an ambulance," she called. Grayson lifted his hand to acknowledge her comment as he and Roscoe approached the SUV. They each took one side, kneeling, then lying on their backs to examine the undercarriage.

"She's right! There is a bomb!" Grayson shouted. "We need to get out of here now!"

"What?" Dave looked confused. "What's he talking about?"

"Come on, you need to stand." She grabbed his arm on his uninjured side and tried to tug him upright. "We can't stay here. That thing could blow any minute."

The sense of urgency was stronger now. She couldn't help thinking that the device was set to detonate within a specific time frame. He'd been told to take her to a location that wasn't that far away. Maybe that was when it was set to go off.

Apparently, hearing about the bomb gave Dave Firestein the strength he needed to get up from the driveway. She slid her arm around his waist, trying to support him as they hobbled farther away from the SUV.

Grayson and Roscoe ran toward them too. Roscoe took Dave off her hands, half carrying the injured man as they headed down the road. Grayson wrapped his strong arms around her. "Hurry," he urged.

They managed to get halfway down the street, roughly fifty yards from the safe house, when the loud explosion rocked the earth. She would have fallen if not for Grayson holding on to her. She felt the heat of the blast against her back as they kept going down the street, putting as much distance between them and the gunmetal-gray SUV as possible.

"A bomb. There was a bomb," Dave muttered over and over as if he still couldn't comprehend what had happened.

"I told you that." She couldn't explain how she knew; maybe God had given her the wisdom she'd needed at just the right moment. It was the only explanation she could come up with as to how she'd known.

This nightmare had started with a bomb. They should have anticipated it might end with one too.

"How did you know?" Grayson asked, stopping when they were far enough away from the blast. The gunmetal-gray SUV was on fire now, flames flickering up to the sky.

"I just did." Her stomach knotted as she watched the remnants of the vehicle burn to ash. Then she turned into Grayson's arms. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt. I was afraid Dave had shot you."

"He missed, but not by much," Grayson said with a frown. He glared at Dave. "You should have cooperated with us."

"I didn't know about the bomb," Dave babbled. "I didn't know!"

"That's because you're an idiot," she said wearily. "I told you Geoff Abbott was murdered. You should have expected the same would happen to you."

"I agree with Eve; it appears that Powers doesn't like loose ends," Roscoe drawled. "Is he the one who hired you?"

"Yes, he hired me," Dave said, accepting his defeat. "But there's someone else you should look at."

Eve sighed. "Nick Strong."

Dave looked surprised. "Yes, but how did you know?"

"We know more than you think. But how did you get involved in this?" Grayson asked.

Dave looked chagrined. "I'm on the board of directors for O and P pharmaceuticals."

Grayson scowled and reached for his phone. She listened as he filled Rhy in on what had just gone down.

"How were you found at the safe house?" From where she stood beside Grayson, she could hear Rhy's incredulous tone.

"I'm not sure. There's no GPS on the rental. Maybe they traced Eve's disposable cell number, or they had two cars following and I didn't realize it." Grayson didn't sound happy as he offered the two suggestions. "We need a ride out of here ASAP. And Dave Firestein needs medical attention."

"Flynn and Cassidy are on the way, and I'll send an ambulance too."

"Thanks." Grayson ended the call. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I think it may finally be over."

She nodded, leaning against him. As happy as she was about the nightmare being over, she didn't want to let Grayson go.

* * *

Scanning the area,still on high alert, Grayson hugged Eve close, wishing he could tell her how much he loved her. Yet the sirens in the distance indicated both the ambulance and likely the local police were on the way. The explosion would have been called in by someone living nearby.

He still couldn't believe she was right about the presence of a bomb. If Firestein had managed to get her shoved into the vehicle quickly enough to take off, they would both be dead.

It was horrifying to know how close he'd come to losing Eve. He continued holding her, even as the ambulance and local police pulled up next to them.

Roscoe was in uniform, complete with his badge. He stepped forward, dragging Firestein with him. "MPD officers Jones and Clark. We have a perp by the name of David Firestein in custody; he's injured and needs transport to Trinity Medical Center."

"What happened here?" the officer demanded.

Grayson sighed, wishing he could just leave and get Eve out of there. The immediate danger was over, but he wouldn't rest until he'd gotten Strong and Powers in custody.

Especially Powers. The rest of the research scientists were pawns in this deadly game.

He abruptly turned to Firestein. "Where's Nick Strong?"

Firestein averted his gaze. "I don't know, but I was supposed to meet him with Eve at the park."

So Strong had been targeted for elimination too. But he probably didn't realize that yet. "I need you to call him."

"What's in it for me?" Firestein asked. "You said your boss has connections in the DA's office."

It was all he could do not to punch the guy in the face. "Yeah, okay. I'll put in a good word for you. Call him. Explain you've been delayed but will be bringing Eve to the designated meeting spot." As he spoke, Flynn and Cassidy arrived; thankfully, Flynn was driving his personal SUV.

"Ah, okay." Firestein finally relented, reaching for his phone. Giving Eve over to Cassidy, he grabbed Firestein's arm and gestured for Flynn to follow him. He half carried the injured man far enough away from the others so they wouldn't be heard as background noise.

"Hurry," Grayson urged, knowing the firetrucks would be sounding their arrival any minute. "Let him know you're in a different car, a black SUV. Tell him the other one died on the side of the road."

After fumbling for his phone, Firestein made the call. "I have her, we're on the way, but I had to get a different car, the other one died on me." There was a pause as the professor listened for a moment, then he said, "Yes, we'll be there in ten minutes."

"Where?" Grayson demanded when he ended the call.

"Greenland Park near the restrooms." Firestein looked pale, his strength wanning.

He gestured for Roscoe to join them. "Take him in the ambulance. Keep an eye on Eve, Flynn and I are heading out."

"Wait!" Eve pulled out of Cassidy's grip. "If this meeting is about me, I need to be there. Nick may take off if he doesn't see me."

He hesitated. To his surprise, Flynn nodded. "She's right. We'll keep her safe. I have a vest in the back of the car."

"Fine. Let's hit it." He silently prayed he wasn't making a mistake by bringing Eve with him.

"I can't believe how many of them are in this," Eve said from the back seat. Flynn was speeding through the subdivision, forced to go a different route as the firetrucks had indeed arrived. "Dave, Nick, and Geoff. All three of them!"

"Remember Geoff Abbott didn't look as if he'd gone along with the plan voluntarily," he said, trying to reassure her. "That's probably why Nick killed him."

"Still, how could they all be so blind to what Powers is doing?" She clearly wasn't buying it, her voice vibrated with despair. "He's against everything we do. Everything we stand for. Medical research is supposed to be about curing diseases, not capitalizing on sick people."

Hard to argue that point.

Flynn apparently agreed as he sped through the streets to reach their destination. When they were a mile away, Grayson said, "We both can't be in the car. Let me off here and I'll sneak around to approach him from behind."

"Got it." Flynn nodded his agreement to the plan as he pushed open the passenger door. "Be safe, bro."

"You too. Keep Eve out of danger."

"I should sit up front, don't you think?" Eve asked. Without waiting for an answer, she jumped out of the car and threw herself into his arms. "I love you, Grayson. Please don't get hurt."

His heart swelled, even though he knew it was probably just the situation that had caused her to say that. "I love you too. I'll be fine. We're going to get him."

She kissed him, then pulled away to climb into the passenger seat. Feeling infused with strength and purpose, he darted across the grassy parkland, knowing exactly where to go. Thankfully, he and the rest of the team were somewhat familiar with the park.

He zigzagged through trees, slowing his pace when he caught a glimpse of the back side of the restroom building. He stealthily approached the back of the building, keeping his head down and his weapon in hand.

As he eased along the side of the building closest to the trees, he spotted a vehicle parked out front. The angle was such that he couldn't see the driver.

When he reached the corner of the building, he went down on one knee to peer around the corner. The SUV appeared empty except for the driver who had a baseball hat on. It wasn't easy to see the man's facial features, but he was certain the driver was Nick Strong. And that no one else was in the car.

Good, he thought. Less potential for collateral damage.

Flynn and Eve rolled slowly toward the parking lot. The moment Strong looked in his rearview mirror, Grayson sprang forward, rushing the SUV, and then tried to wrench open the driver's side door.

It was locked. He lifted his gun, pressing the muzzle against the window. "Drop your weapon and open the door! Now!"

When Nick hesitated, he fired through the glass, aiming for the headrest. The man let out a panicked shout and lifted both of his hands in surrender.

Punching his elbow through the window, Grayson reached in, unlocked the door, and wrenched it open. "Nick Strong, you're under arrest for murder, attempted murder, and any other charges that we deem appropriate."

In the end, it was easier than he'd anticipated to get Nick Strong into custody. The professor glared at Eve as if this were all her fault.

Grayson thrust Strong toward Flynn, who cuffed him and continued reading him his rights.

It was finally over. Or would be once they had Powers in custody.

Eve opened the passenger-side door and rushed toward him. He caught her in his arms, crushing her close. "I love you," she whispered.

One declaration could be ignored, but to hear it twice? He forced himself to loosen his grip long enough to look down into her eyes. "You've been through a lot. Let's get you home, then we can talk."

The light in her gray eyes dimmed, but she nodded. "I'd like nothing more than to go home."

He kissed her cheek, then turned her back to the SUV. Since Flynn had Nick Strong in the back seat, he put Eve up front before climbing in beside their prisoner.

"How could you do it, Nick?" Eve turned in her seat to face her colleague. "How could you sell out to a pharmaceutical company?"

Strong glared at her. "You think you're so smart," he sneered. "What's a five-million-dollar grant compared to twenty million in cold hard cash in my pocket?"

"You have the right to remain silent," Grayson reminded him. "If I were you, I'd shut up. Besides, we already have Firestein in custody, and he's given us you and Powers on a silver platter."

"Oh, and you should know that the SUV Dave was driving blew up," Eve said. "Powers planned to kill you, me, and Dave with the car bomb, keeping that twenty million all to himself."

The color drained from Strong's face. Then he abruptly faced Grayson. "I'll tell you everything I know."

"Figured you would," Grayson agreed. "But we're not doing that until you've been processed through the system and provided legal counsel. I'm not having your confession thrown out over a lack of due process. And Firestein has first dibs on making a deal anyway."

Strong slumped against the door, as the amount of trouble he was in hit him like a sledgehammer. Which is good, Grayson thought. It was about time.

Strong and the others had been foolish to trust someone as amoral and downright evil as Dennis Powers. But that was what happened when you allowed greed to overrule basic common sense.

The rest of the trip to their precinct was done in silence. He gladly allowed Flynn to take Strong inside, not caring which of them got credit for the arrest. He was just thankful Eve wasn't harmed and that he could finally take her home.

He borrowed a vehicle from Joe Kingsley. The trip to Eve's house didn't take long. She didn't say anything, and he kept shooting her concerned glances, wondering what was going through her mind.

Did she regret saying she loved him? He knew some people used the word love loosely, like something they'd say to a friend.

Not someone they'd fallen in love with.

The way he'd fallen in love with her.

She was still unusually quiet when he pulled into the driveway. She opened her car door, then groaned.

"I forgot my bag with my notes back at the safe house."

"I'll make sure you get it back when they've finished processing the crime scene," he promised.

"Yeah." She looked upset for a moment, then shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm too tired to recreate my research notes now."

"You were going to work?" He shook his head. "No, you really need to rest and recover from all of this."

"You're right." She attempted a smile as they walked up to her garage door. She punched in the key code, revealing her bright-blue SUV.

Inside, her house looked exactly as they'd left it, after bringing Dottie in to assist with dismantling the bomb. She crossed over to drop onto the sofa. He sat beside her, deciding it would not be smart to leave her alone.

"Would you like something to drink?" He wasn't good at this sort of thing. "I can make coffee or tea."

"No, I'm fine." This time, her smile reached her eyes. "Thanks for saving my life. Again."

"You did the same for me." Something that still irked him. But now wasn't the time to chastise her. In truth, he'd been touched by her efforts to save him. "I think it's better if I sleep on your sofa tonight. In case you have nightmares."

"Oh, Grayson." To his shock and horror, tears filled her eyes. "That's so sweet."

"I-uh..." He had no idea what to say, so he simply drew her into his arms. "What am I going to do with you?" he murmured against her hair.

"Kiss me?" She lifted her watery gaze to his. "I love you, Grayson, but I understand you don't feel the same way. Or that you're not interested in being involved after what happened with your former girlfriend. But one last kiss would be nice."

"Hey, I do love you." He'd told her that, hadn't he? "Eve, you're the smartest, prettiest, and kindest woman I know." He scowled. "Don't compare me to that idiot former boyfriend of yours."

She searched his gaze for a moment. "Okay, I won't do that if you won't compare me to Monica."

He sighed and nodded. "Okay, you're right. I have been trying to ignore my feelings for you. But even without Monica, I want you to know I've changed from the guy I was in high school." He offered a crooked smile. "I wanted to date you back then, but you didn't look at me twice. Put me in my place if you want to know the truth."

"Oh, Grayson." She swiped at her tears and smiled. "You're such a goof. Of course I was attracted to you, but I wasn't going to stand in line either."

"I'm glad you didn't because I think God waited all these years to bring us together for a reason. Because we needed to be older and wiser. I think we are right where we are supposed to be."

"You really believe that?" Her eyes were wide with hope.

"Yes, I do." He decided to fulfill her request to kiss her. He captured her mouth with his, hoping this would show her better than his attempt at poetic words, how much he cared.

She melted against him, kissing him back in a way that made his heart soar. Maybe she was telling him how she felt, too, without words.

It was a long time before they came up for air. He didn't want to let her go, but his phone was buzzing in his pocket.

"I'm sorry. I have to answer this." He glanced at the screen, noting Rhy's name. "Hey, boss. I hope you have good news."

"We found a partial print at Andrew Thomas's condo that links Nick Strong to his murder. We picked up Bambi again, and she finally admitted to telling Andrew that Eve's research had to stop as it would impact their sales. Andrew defended Eve, which did not make Bambi happy. After the bombing, Andrew called Bambi demanding to know if she or the company was behind it. She denied it, but as we know, Andrew ended up murdered as a result. We believe the hammer was used to make it look unrelated to the attacks against Eve."

"I guess it's nice to know Andrew wasn't on board with the plan to derail Eve's research," he admitted.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, Powers is still on the loose," Rhy said. "I've called my brother Brady with the FBI to get federal resources to help us find him."

"That's good, he can't hide forever, right?" He tugged Eve closer so that her head rested on his chest. "Did you get anything useful from Firestein?"

"He gave us some information before they rushed him off to surgery. According to Bax, Strong keeps asking for a lawyer so he can make a deal too. Unfortunately, Strong is already looking at murder, but at least they're both ready and willing to turn on Dennis Powers."

"That's good. All we have to do is to find him." He said we, meaning the police, but he had no intention of leaving Eve. "I need some personal time, boss."

"Oh yeah?" He could almost imagine Rhy grinning on the other end of the phone. "Let me guess, you want to spend some time with the pretty doc?"

"As much time as she'll give me, yes." He smiled down at her. "Besides, I won't be convinced she's completely safe until Powers has been arrested."

"I hear you. Fine, take your time off, even though summer is our busiest time of year," Rhy groused.

"Thanks." He felt a twinge of regret leaving his teammates shorthanded but knew that both Rhy and Joe would pitch in. Despite their ranks of captain and lieutenant respectively, both men preferred to have boots on the ground, helping out. "Call me as soon as you find Powers."

"Will do. Say hi to Eve for me." Rhy laughed prior to ending the call.

"Good grief," Eve whispered, pressing her face against his chest. "I feel like he was watching us kiss or something."

"No, but Rhy knows what it's like to fall in love." He bent to kiss her again. "And for the first time in my life, so do I. I love you, Eve."

"I love you too." She hugged him close, and he was thankful God had blessed him with the right woman at exactly the right time.