Page 54 of Burning Truth

Severn snorted. “You won’t want to hang out with me once this is all over.”

She drew back, because she’d heard the serious note in his voice. “Um, gonna disagree, buddy.”

She could tell it was in his mind that they were done once they’d caught the arsonist. Well, she would have to disabuse him of that notion. Maybe not right this second, though. She had a feeling she would be screaming into the wind.

“We’ll talk about it later,” she said, and slipped out of the truck.

There was a cop outside of Jake’s room on the fourth floor. They had to show ID to get in to see him, which she was okay with. Her friend grinned behind an oxygen mask when they walked in the door. Then, surprising the crap out of her, his eyes filled with tears. He held a hand out to Severn.

“Dude, you saved me,” he said, his voice so rough and raspy it sounded like it hurt.

Severn shook his hand. “Are you all right? Just smoke inhalation?”

Jake nodded, leaning back against the mattress. “Yeah, but I used to smoke, so they want to keep me overnight. My oxygen isn’t coming up the way they want it to.”

Addie frowned. “You’ll be okay, though, right?”

Jake nodded. “I think so. Just paying for my past sins,” he said, and laughed lightly. The laugh turned into a cough, though that didn’t let up. Addie cringed as she listened to her friend struggle for air. When he finally settled down, she gave him a pointed look. “Maybe more than overnight.”

By the resigned look on Jake’s face, she knew he thought the same.

“Well,” she said, trying to give him something else to think about. “You’ve screwed me. I have to work with Hoffbrau tonight.”

That sent Jake into another coughing/laughing spell. Eric Hoffbrau was a part time cameraman, and he had the emotional sensitivity of a three-year-old.

“You’ll be okay,” he said finally. “I’ll get out of here as soon as I can.” He looked at Severn. “Thank you, man.”

Severn waved a hand in acknowledgement, and they left.

Addie looked at Severn as they went down the elevator. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

He nodded. “I didn’t get nearly the exposure Jake did. I’m fine.”

She wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned into him. “I was terrified you were going to die. I can’t remember ever being that scared in my life. I think that’s why I’m so exhausted.”

He pulled her close, and she felt him drop a kiss to the top of her head. “Your emotions tired you out.”

“And now I have to go in and be bubbly and charming on camera. I’m not looking forward to it.”

“I know you’re not. But we have to give the PD time to gather more evidence. Legal evidence. I don’t know how much they’reable to use of what we give them. Gabbie doesn’t always follow the letter of the law.”

“You don’t say…” Addie said, laughing. “Is she, like, former CIA or something?”

Severn snorted. “Or something.”

Addie was intrigued. Maybe once this mess was all over, she would ask her out for lunch or an outing.

Severn drove them to the station, and she went into the dressing room in the back to find something to wear. Normally, she wore her own clothes, but she hadn’t had a chance to run home and change since the van. She was already running late, and Ron gave her the stink-eye as soon as she walked in. She’d waved at him and continued on. After everything that had happened today, she refused to take any shit from him.

Before she’d even gotten her hair done, the intercom was calling out for team 3. Addie rushed out of the dressing room, slipping her tennis shoes on as she left. No one would see her freaking feet, and she needed the comfort and maneuverability.

Severn met her in the studio. “I heard something about a bomb-scare at a high-school football game. But then I also heard something about a jumper downtown.”

Addie cringed. She didn’t want to go to either. Detective Johnson was investigating her stalker/bomber, though, so if either of them sounded like they were done by Monster, she probably needed to go to it.

She felt her phone buzz, and she pulled it out of her bra. “Ron says we go to the bomb scare.”

They took off. She wasn’t surprised to see Dan at the front door again. She knew Severn would want his own subtle backup, rather than the undercover police.

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