Caleb’s ears flared with pain. Too loud. And then everything was muffled by an odd ring. They would be ringing for hours.
Alexei leapt into action, covering Holly with his big body, and Caleb took the kids. He felt the blast from the explosion heat his skin as he tugged at the kids, trying to protect them with his own body. He covered Nick’s head with one hand and pulled the twins in with the other.
When it was over, he looked to Nick, who had lost his “perpetually amused with the world” expression. His eyes were wide with terror. He stood and tried to brush away the smoke that seemed to be everywhere. An acrid smell permeated the air.
Caleb was well aware he was speaking far too loudly as he talked to Nick. “Take care of the boys. I need to check on your mother.”
Holly’s son nodded and immediately took the twins under his wing. He moved them away from the site to the other side of Main Street. Logan was moving Jessie and Michael to the other side, too. Cam checked on Mel.
Nate was already on his radio. “Hope, get the fire department out here. Yes, we just had a bomb go off. Try like hell to keep people away from the area.”
But they were already streaming out of homes and businesses. Well-meaning citizens were suddenly everywhere. Chaos. It was chaos. Caleb was far too well acquainted with chaos. Holly. He needed to get to Holly.
“I don’t think the Sasquatch did that, Doc,” Mel yelled. “They’re not real good with electronics!”
Caleb ignored him and moved to Holly. Alexei had her on the ground, his big body covering every inch of her. She was struggling beneath him, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Is danger passed?” Alexei asked, yelling a bit.
It was a good thing because Caleb’s ears were still ringing. “It’s good.”
It was also good to know that Alexei had her back even when she was fighting him.
Alexei let her up.
“Nicky?” She looked around for her son.
“He’s fine, sweetheart. I think we’re all fine.”
“My ears are ringing,” she said, calming visibly once she could see her son.
“Mine, too,” Alexei said, pulling at his ears.
Caleb slapped at his hand. “It’s tinnitus. It’ll go away. Don’t pull at them.”
Nate walked over. “I think we need to take this to the station house. Logan and Cam are going to stay here and see if we can get anything off the car—once it’s not a flaming ball anymore. We need to talk. All of us.”
Nick stepped up, his face white as a sheet. “I think I should come, too. I think maybe my dad might be more involved than I think.”
“What?” Holly asked, taking his hand.
“Well, I might be blackmailing him, and he might be really pissed off.”
Yeah, it was definitely time to talk.
Vince was just about ready to call it a job. A fucked-up job. A big, old pile-of-shit job. He’d never before screwed up the way he had in this town.
He trudged through the woods, cursing nature at every turn. Where had he parked his Jeep? He’d seen an opportunity to get at one of the vehicles the target used. It seemed to be the only car left between the three of them, and if he got one of the others, his employer was okay with that. Collateral damage.
But he’d been made. Oh, they might not know exactly who he was, but they knew someone was after one of the townspeople. It wouldn’t take them too long to figure out who was the target. They only had three fucking choices.
And the sheriff seemed much smarter than a local yokel. The whole fucking town was a bastion for former feds and conspiracy nuts, and every goddamn one of them had a gun.
Life was easier in New York.
He’d blown the car because he was afraid he’d left something behind. He knew he’d done a hack job on it, but he couldn’t get at the damn car while it was parked at the woman’s cabin. Last night had proven that. He’d watched as six huge men had shown up to take care of one skinny-ass kid.
No way. No how.
The parking lot of the clinic was away from the street. It was surrounded by a concrete wall. He’d watched the three of them enter the clinic after his botched attempt to take out the target with the car he’d stolen after hiding his Jeep on the mountain. He’d listened and heard the freaks all having sex. After deciding they would be occupied for a while, he’d decided to give it a go.
And that dumb bitch had found him. He’d barely gotten the device in place when she’d called out to him like they were old friends or something. She’d said hi and he’d taken off.
He’d barely made it over the wall when the sirens had started up.
He felt sick to his stomach. He wasn’t this guy. He wasn’t the guy who screwed up. He should never have taken the job. He should have known how many goddamn eyes would be on the target.
But he wouldn’t quit. He would just simplify finish the fucking job. No more accidents. No more close encounters.
The target was getting a bullet to the brain the next chance Vince got.
He was going to end this.
Chapter Fourteen
Holly stopped her pacing long enough to stare down at her only child.
“Dad told me to get a hobby.” Nicky sat back in his chair with a little shrug. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and looked distinctly uncomfortable to be sitting in the Bliss County Sheriff’s Office.
They sat in the main room, all of them. It was getting crowded. The US Marshals Alexei had neglected to mention to her sat together watching the scene play out. They leaned against the back wall, talking to each other in low tones. Alexei looked as uncomfortable as Nicky, though Holly was sure it was for different reasons. The last time Alexei had been in this room, he’d nearly died. He’d been shot in the gut, and only Caleb’s sure hands had saved him. She remembered how it had felt to clutch him and know she couldn’t hold him together. It had been horrible, and she hadn’t even been in love with the man then.
Now she wasn’t sure she would be able to survive it. She tried to give him a reassuring smile before she turned back to her baby boy.
“So explain to me how blackmailing your father is a good hobby. I think he was talking about something like stamp collecting or reading. I doubt he meant for you to dabble in crime.”
Nicky leaned forward. “It was photography. It seemed like a good idea. And Dad made a really good subject. I mean, he didn’t know at the time that he was the subject, but he was really good.”
She put her head in her hand. He was so stubborn. “Please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”
“I think the boy catches father with many womens.” Alexei sat back in his chair and gave Nicky a look of deep respect. “This could ruin career. How much did you get?”
“Don’t encourage him,” she said Alexei’s way. The last thing Nicky needed was a partner in crime. He seemed to be doing so well on his own.
Caleb leaned forward, joining the other two men. “It wasn’t money, was it? You wanted out. You wanted to be free of the whole ‘political family’ thing. I can understand that. It’s hard. Everyone’s always looking at you. You can’t just be yourself. You have to live up to the family name.”
Nicky pointed to Caleb. “He gets it. I did it to get away from my dad, but I also took a lot of money. Hey, I wanted to be free, not dirt poor.”
“Holly, I know you want to throttle the boy, but how about we hear him out?” Nate asked, sitting on Hope’s desk.
Nicky seemed to suddenly remember they weren’t alone. “Crap. Is that really a crime? Am I going to be arrested? I don’t look good in orange.”
Oh, she hadn’t even thought about that. “You can’t arrest him.”