Free Blind Fury by Gwen Hernandez Page A

else take charge, which was the very reason she dreamed of working for herself someday, she couldn’t help but appreciate the sense of security that Mick’s presence provided.
    “Can we stop and get my mail on the way back?” she asked.
    They reached his car and he popped the trunk before looking at her. “Are you sure you’re ready to see the place in daylight?”
    “No.” But the mail was a small connection to her old world. The one where everything was still normal. “I’ll get a P.O. box later to make it easier, but I still want to pick up my mail today.”
    She spent the rest of the short drive watching the forest speed by. White dogwood flowers lit up the near-leafless stands of trees, seeming to float among the bare branches as if by magic. She had always loved the promise of spring. She could really use some of that promise right about now.
    When they reached her building, she gaped for a minute at the burned-out shell where she used to live. She and Mick could have so easily been inside when it blew up. Too easily…
    “Hey.” Mick covered her hands, which she hadn’t realized were shaking. “You’re okay.”
    With a nod, she hopped out of the car, determined not to dwell on what could have happened. Like he said, she was okay. Still, she didn’t look at the soot-blackened space again. She just blindly grabbed the thick stack of mail in her box, shoved it into her tote bag, then slid into the car and let Mick drive away.
    They finished their errands—including a side trip to a jewelry store to pick up Mick’s recently repaired watch—grabbed takeout, and made it back to the condo without any obvious tails. His building was in a great location within walking distance of shopping and restaurants. Perfect for a bachelor on the go. When he was in town.
    The scent of ginger filled the small space as she opened the bag from the Chinese restaurant they’d hit on the way back. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation while she pushed aside her lists to make room at the breakfast bar, setting out place mats, bowls, and utensils before prying open her little white boxes.  
    She scooped rice into her bowl and dumped half of her cashew chicken on top. “Do you think they’re done following us?” she asked before taking a bite.  
    Mick joined her at the counter, topping his rice with beef and broccoli. “Hard to say. They could’ve just been watching us to make sure they weren’t interrupted at the house. But that doesn’t explain the explosion. I don’t know if it was triggered by the door and set on a delay, or if it was supposed to happen before we arrived. We can’t assume you’re safe.”
    “Could it be an accident? A gas leak or something?” She didn’t really think so, but she clung to a sliver of hope.
    A scowl marred his handsome face. “Could be, but it’s too much of a coincidence for something like that to happen after the place was ransacked.”
    She nodded. “They had to be after something, don’t you think?”
    “Sure seems like it. But what?”
    What indeed? “I didn’t see anything strange in Rob’s bag, but there was that missing memory card. I wish I knew what was on it.”  
    Lost in vague thoughts about the culprits, she chowed down, scraping the sides of the paper box to get every last bit of chicken into her bowl. It was like she had a hole in her stomach. Or maybe she was trying to fill the void in her heart with food.
    What she really didn’t understand was why someone would target her. The idea should have seemed preposterous, but it was hard to argue with an explosion…or the searches and the tails. And—
    Nope. She wasn’t going there. There was nothing she could do right now, and it would be better for her not to think about it. Especially with Mick around.
    Being with him kept her off balance, and as if to demonstrate his skill in disconcerting her, when she was cleaning up after dinner he said, “Don’t be mad, but I lied to you.”
    She frowned. How many