Page 69 of Fatal Betrayal

"I think we should spend less time together, not more."

"Because of a kiss. Was it that big of a deal?"

"No, of course not. It was just a kiss. It's not like I haven't kissed anyone, and I'm sure you've kissed a million people."

"You might be giving me a little too much credit," he said dryly.

"But we're working together, and we should keep it professional. I'm going downstairs to wait for the truck." She practically ran out of the room, belying her statement that their kiss was no big deal.

He waited a minute, needing a moment to regroup. Then he walked out of the room and moved slowly down the stairs. Andi was standing in the kitchen. She'd pulled her phone out of her bag, which was on the counter next to her.

"Any more news?" he asked, as he hit the last step.

"No," she said, putting her phone in her pocket. "I'm going to wait outside." She headed toward the door.

"You don't have to leave your own home just to get away from me," he said.

She paused, looking back at him. "That's not what I'm—"

Her voice was cut off as a massive explosion lit up the air, rocking the house, forcibly throwing them off their feet as the front door blew off the building in a rain of fire and debris.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Cooper's earsthrobbed from the roar of the explosion. It took a minute to realize he was in the hallway and the front of the house was on fire and smoke was choking his lungs. He struggled to sit up, and then his heart stopped as he saw Andi laying in the kitchen, blood on her face. She was so still. Terror ran through him. He jumped up, the heat of the fire burning his skin, as he ran toward her. Dropping to his knees, he put his hand on her chest, almost weeping when he felt the soft fall and rise. Leaning over her breath lightly touched his face. She was breathing. She was alive.

He put his hand on her shoulder, afraid to move her, but also afraid to stay where they were. A bomb had gone off outside the front door, and he didn't know if there was another one coming. The fire was also spreading quickly. He thought he heard sirens, but they were very far away.

"Andi," he said. "Wake up." He put his mouth right next to her ear. "I need you to wake up."

He needed her to be okay, too. He felt almost desperate and overwhelmed with that need. He moved his gaze to her lips and put his mouth against hers. He needed to bring her back to life before the fire consumed them.

She started, and then her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked at him with a dazed, confused expression. "Did you push me down?" she mumbled. "Did you just kiss me?"

He was incredibly relieved that she was awake and immediately annoyed. "A bomb went off. We need to get out of the house."

At his words, her gaze moved past him, and she sat up.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I don't know if you should move. But we also can't stay here."

"I'm all right."

He doubted she had any idea if she was all right as blood dripped down her face from cuts that marred her beautiful skin. There was glass and plaster in her hair. Her black slacks and jacket were covered with white and gray soot. And he probably looked just as bad. He could see blood on his arm, but he didn't care about any of that.

Andi scrambled to her feet. "I'm okay," she said. "There's a back door." She grabbed her gun from the floor where it had gone flying and her bag from the counter and then they ran through the kitchen and laundry room to a door leading into the small yard behind the house. They got as far away as they could before collapsing onto the grass.

Andi put a hand to her face, coming away with blood. Her gaze widened as she saw it on her fingers. "Where am I bleeding?"

"Your scalp is cut," he said. "You have some scratches on your face." His gaze dropped. "And your neck. There's blood on your shirt." He suddenly worried that she was far more injured than he thought. "Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"I don't think so," she said slowly. "You're hurt, too."

"I'm fine. I was farther away than you." The sirens were getting louder now. "I think the fire department is almost here."

She pulled a phone out of her pocket and pressed a number. Then she said, "Flynn. Someone just set off a bomb at my house." Pausing, she added. "Cooper and I are okay. We're in the yard. Police and fire are coming. You should, too." She waited a moment and then said, "Okay," and ended the call. "He's on his way." Her gaze moved to the fire that was leaping through the roof at the front of the house. "I can't believe someone put a bomb outside the front door."

"Thank God we weren't any closer. You were headed straight for the door." He shook his head as chills ran through him at the thought of how close she'd come to dying. "When I saw you laying on the ground so still…" He drew in a shaky breath. "I wasn't sure you were going to wake up."

"But I did," she said.

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