Page 167 of Exposed

I thought my ears were ringing from shooting the lock off the door. It’s nothing compared to the blast that threw me from the building. I barely clearedthe back door.

I force my hands to the ground under me and push to all fours. When I look back, I was right.

Nothing could be as different from what I opened my eyes to.

Fire.

Water.

The symbolism is not lost on me.

Contrary forces. One can’t live without the other.

They couldn’t be more different.

Too much of one will kill the other.

Water extinguishes a flame.

And fire will boil water away to nothing if left on its own.

Fucking balance. The world would be off its axis without it.

Just like I’ve been off my axis and didn’t even know it.

Until I met Goldie.

The brash ringing in my ears starts to fade as reality sets in. I push to my feet—covered in soot, breathing hard, and spitting sand.

But I’m alive.

I trudge through the beach, away from the fire that’s burning Goldie’s inheritance. I was supposed to get it back for her, not make it disappear into a pile of ashes.

It takes me for-fucking-ever, but I finally find my way to the side of the property. As my hearing returns to normal, sirens ring in the distance. Firemen rush everywhere, pulling hoses, doing everything they can to kill the blaze that burns high in the sky.

When my charred dress shoes hit the parking lot, I stop to take it all in. One of our agents in raid gear is reading Rand his rights.

Even if I had the energy to kill him, it’s too late.

I’ll worry about that later.

As I make my way through the parking lot, everyone is too busy to pay attention to me, and that’s okay.

I only want one person.

That person is easy to pick out of the crowd.

She’s the only one in white.

My bride.

My fucking bride.

She’s crumpled on the ground next to Brax. He’s sitting next to her on the pavement with an arm around her, swaying her back and forth. She’s crying into his Kevlar.

No.

She’s sobbing.

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