Free Withholding Evidence by Rachel Grant Page A

of the town house between the two explosions, they suspected the first had occurred at the front of the structure, on the lowest level.
    Speculation ran in favor of the second, larger blast being caused by damage to the gas line from the first, but whether the initial one was an accident or deliberate was anyone’s guess.
    The fact that the FBI was involved so quickly was a sure sign that they were erring on the side of deliberate.
    Which would mean someone had tried to kill Keith. But why?
    Given his history with the navy SEALs and the nature of the operations she knew he’d been on, there could be any number of reasons and suspects, but the FBI wasn’t ready to rule out Trina as a potential target either. She was questioned extensively on her background and her high security clearance, and the fact that she worked for the attorney general’s wife definitely caused some concern.
    Mara, Erica, and Cressida arrived at some point while she was being questioned inside an FBI van. She had no clue how much time had passed, considering she was still in a hazy blur as the reality of what had happened slowly penetrated.
    Full dark set in, and lights were strung up so investigation of the scene could continue unabated. Thunderstorm warnings meant investigators needed to collect as much data as they could before trace evidence would be washed away.
    A headquarters of sorts had been set up at the perimeter, and Trina saw Keith only in passing as he crossed from the ambulance to a larger mobile crime scene investigation vehicle.
    Curt arrived not long after her coworkers had, and there was a flurry amongst the FBI investigators. Not surprising considering it had to be rare for the AG to personally visit a potential crime scene. He made it clear he’d come out of friendship—but that didn’t stop him from grilling her with the same intensity as the special agent in charge, who’d arrived only minutes before Curt.
    A bomb going off in a former navy SEAL’s town house on the outskirts of the nation’s capital brought out all the bigwigs.
    She recounted her day to Curt and the SAC with the same degree of detail, including the fact that she’d borrowed Mara’s office to talk to Keith at the Navy Yard. Who knew what was important at this point?
    Done answering questions, she waited outside with her coworkers while Curt questioned Keith. Too tired to pace but too freaked-out to sit still, she stood and rubbed her arms, chilled in spite of it being an eighty-degree muggy summer night.
    Finally, Keith stepped out of the mobile unit. Cressida, Mara, and Erica all faded into the background as he made a beeline for her. His arms came around her, and she pressed against him, feeling like she could finally breathe again after having the wind knocked out of her hours ago.
    He held her for a long time, stroking her back. She simply breathed and melted into him, holding him for all she was worth.
    It had to end eventually, she supposed. Keith’s arms loosened, then he kissed her lightly on the lips. He stroked her hair. “You look exhausted.”
    “I am. You, on the other hand, look fine. I find that unfair.”
    “Training. This wasn’t my first unexpected explosion.” He frowned. “But it was the first in the US that threatened civilians.” He sighed. “Listen, Trina, I called Rav. Much as I want to be with you, I’m going to stay at one of the Raptor facilities while we get this sorted out.”
    If there was one thing Trina needed right now, it was to be with Keith. Not for sex, but just to hold him and be held. They’d just been through something together, and maybe it wasn’t rational, but he was the only person she wanted to be with in the aftermath. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”
    “No. Until we know what’s going on, I’m a danger to you.”
    “What if I’m the reason the bomb was set? For all we know, I’m endangering you .”
    “What reason could anyone possibly have to try to kill you? The people you write about are