Free Lightbringer by Frankie Robertson Page A

to detail. Explosives. Intent to kill .
    “Bomb!” he shouted, warning Gideon. Moving faster than any human could, Jared snatched Cassie and ran.
    A massive concussion and the sound of shattering glass pounded his back, the force of the blast reverberating in his chest. The shockwave threw the two of them into the air. Jared twisted, taking the impact of the fall on his back. Cassie landed on him, her weight driving the air from his lungs. Flames and smoke blossomed from her Volvo. Car alarms throughout the lot whooped and wailed.
    “Are you all right?” he shouted when he got his breath back. He began to run his hands over her body, afraid of finding blood and broken bones, trying to sense any injuries. He touched her face. Her mind was a chaos of shock and fear, but she wasn’t feeling any pain. Yet.
    Carefully he rolled her off him, then knelt to pick her up.
    “I can walk,” she protested as he held her against his chest. He ran, fear dogging him as he zig-zagged through the cars, in case whoever had set the bomb had a rifle and a backup plan. He didn’t put her down until they reached the lobby. Gideon and Linda were already there.
    “Cassie!” Linda ran forward and drew her into a fierce embrace.
    Jared stepped back reluctantly, surrendering Cassie to her friend. Sirens screamed in the distance, growing louder.
    Gideon clasped Jared’s hand and pulled him into a man hug. *Nice save,* Gideon said, mind to mind.
    Cassie held Linda for a moment, then pulled back. She stared at the keys she still had clenched in her hand. “My car.” Her voice sounded lost.
    Jared’s heartbeat hammered in his chest. He’d almost blown it. He’d let her get too close before checking her car. She’d almost died because he’d been careless.
    Cassie craned her head around till she met Jared’s eyes. “What happened?” She spoke louder than normal. Her ears must still be ringing. He knew his were.
    Jared swallowed the sick feeling rising in his throat before he answered. “Someone just tried to kill you.”

CHAPTER 6

    CASSIE SIPPED THE hot chocolate Jared had pressed into her hands. It was her second. She couldn’t seem to get warm, and shivered despite the blanket draped over her shoulders. Someone had tried to kill her. How could this be happening? Why was it happening?
    Paramedics had checked both her and Jared and bandaged their scrapes. They’d wanted to take them both to the hospital. Jared declined their offer but had urged her to go. She’d refused. She didn’t need to spend a thousand dollars so some doctor could tell her what she already knew. She was okay.
    Her car wasn’t.
    Her Volvo was a smoking ruin. Despite the car’s reputation for safety, it couldn’t stand up to a bomb. What would she tell her insurance company? Would they cancel her policy?
    The uniformed officers who had first questioned her had pulled Linda and Gideon into separate rooms. Linda had strenuously objected, but Gideon had talked her into cooperating. Somehow Jared had managed to stay by Cassie’s side. The police had locked down the hotel. No one had been allowed to leave. Once the fire was out, the police had begun questioning everyone, starting with the intended victim.
    “Ms. Lewis?” A man strode into the conference room. He flashed his badge, then slipped it back inside his dark grey suit. “I’m Detective Morgan.” His voice sounded muffled. The paramedics had said her hearing loss was probably temporary.
    Morgan turned to Jared, who had stripped off his severely damaged jacket.
    That could have been his back , Cassie thought as she noted the shredded leather. But Jared had only a few scratches.
    “Mr.…Price?” Morgan consulted the paper he carried with him. “I’d like to speak with you in a few minutes. You can wait in the lobby until I’m ready for you.”
    A surge of fear tightened Cassie’s chest. “I’d rather he stayed.” It wasn’t reasonable. No one would try to kill her in front of a police