LAWMAN TO THE RESCUE

Who placed the bomb under schoolteacher Tess Collins’s classroom desk—and why? There’s only one man who can save Tess—SWAT cop Declan Shaw. Her survival depends on him defusing the bomb and protecting her from an unknown enemy. He can’t afford to be distracted by the alluring beauty who was his onetime high school crush. But keeping her safe soon becomes more than just a job for the highly trained explosives expert. And it’ll take all his professional skills to catch the madman targeting Tess before it’s too late.

SWAT: TOP COPS—Love in the line of duty

The force of the blast sent Declan flying backward against the pavement.

The breath was knocked from his lungs and for a moment he couldn’t draw in any air. Smoke filled the area around them and pain reverberated through his body.

After a few seconds his military survival instincts, along with a healthy dose of adrenaline, kicked in and he rolled over and belly-crawled toward Tess, who was sprawled on the ground just a few feet away.

“Tess! Are you all right?”

She let out a low moan and lifted a hand to her head. “Hurts,” she whispered.

“Stay down,” he ordered, covering her body with his as much as possible. He had no way of knowing if the explosion was only a precursor to more violence or not, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

Not when Tess’s life was at stake.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

“Another bomb,” he said grimly.

That had been way too close. Tess could have been seriously injured by the blast. And this latest turn of events only convinced him more that she was the specific target.

LAURA SCOTT

grew up reading faith-based romance books by Grace Livingston Hill, but as much as she loved the stories, she longed for a bit more mystery and suspense. She is honored to write for the Love Inspired Suspense line, where a reader can find a heartwarming journey of faith amid the thrilling danger.

Laura lives with her husband of twenty-five years and has two children, a daughter and a son, who are both in college. She works as a critical-care nurse during the day at a large level-one trauma center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spends her spare time writing romance.

Please visit Laura at www.laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.

Down to the Wire

Laura Scott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light;

in Him there is no darkness at all.

—1 John 1:5

This book is dedicated to my wonderful husband, Scott, who has done everything possible to support my writing. I love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Tess Collins stood at the front of the classroom, looking out at her new group of fourth graders. More than halfway through their second week of school, things were beginning to settle down. These were her students for the next nine months. For better or worse, she thought wryly.

“Good morning, everyone,” she greeted her children with a smile. “Please take your seats.”

The twenty-two fourth graders radiated energy but obligingly wiggled into their assigned seats. She checked to make sure none of them were absent, before she turned back to her desk. One glance at her seating chart confirmed that a few of the little rascals had switched spots.

“Ellen and Tanya, please return to your proper seats. Hunter and Brett, I also need you to go back to your assigned seats.”

The four kids gaped in surprise but giggled and shuffled around until they were seated at their correct desks. She decided not to make a big deal out of their prank, at least for now. If they continued to misbehave, she’d have to make them stay after school to have a little chat.

“Today we’re going to start with a math quiz that should be a review from what you learned last year.” She ignored the low moans of protest. “Miles, will you please help me hand out the papers?”

Miles, a short redheaded boy with lots of freckles, jumped up and took half of the stack of quizzes from her hands. She handed out the papers on one side, looking over the rest of the class as he passed a quiz to each student on the other side.

“Olivia, please put your book away. Only pencils and erasers are allowed.” Tess waited until the young girl put her paperback away before glancing up at the clock. “Everyone ready? You may begin.”

Instantly, all the students turned their attention to her impromptu math quiz. Satisfied they were all working diligently, Tess took a seat behind her desk to check out her lesson plan for the rest of the day.

Click.

Tess froze, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck lifting in alarm when she realized her knee had bumped into something hard. Battling a wave of trepidation, she bent sideways to see her knee was pressed up against a small box with lots of wires sticking out from it. The box was somehow attached to the inner side of her desk and there was a tiny red digital display with numbers counting down.

A bomb?

For a moment she simply stared in horror, barely believing what she was seeing. Afraid to move, fearing that releasing the trigger might cause an immediate blast, she glanced out at her students, who were all concentrating intensely on the pop quiz. Watching all those innocent faces, she grimly realized there wasn’t a moment to waste.

“All right, class, we have a change in plans. Turns out we’re going to have a fire drill. I need everyone to line up with their buddy and walk down the hall toward the principal’s office just like we did the first day of school. I want you to go all the way outside. Now!”

The kids looked around in confusion but were more than happy to abandon their math quizzes. She quietly urged her students to hurry, unable to bear the thought of anything happening to them.

“Miss Collins, aren’t you going to come, too?”

Trust Miles to be concerned about her. He was the sweetest child and she was often struck by the resemblance to her brother, Bobby. Although Bobby was a sullen seventeen-year-old now, a far cry from the loving younger brother he used to be.

“Not right now. But, Miles, I want you to tell the principal to come and see me, okay? Now go outside, but walk, don’t run.”

Tess held her breath waiting for the students to follow her instructions, walking out of the classroom and then down the hall. She closed her eyes in relief when the last pupil was out of harm’s way.

Thank You, Lord.

“Tess?” Evelyn Fischer, the elementary school principal, came into the classroom, a concerned frown furrowed on her brow. “What’s going on?”

She swallowed hard and tried to remain calm. “Listen, you need to get every student and teacher out of the building, immediately. Tell them it’s a fire drill. And then I need you to call 911, because I’m afraid I’ve triggered a bomb...and if this timer is correct, we only have thirty minutes until it blows.”

* * *

Declan Shaw set aside his M4 .223 and pulled his ear protectors off with a disgusted sigh. “I’m still only hitting the bull’s-eye at sixty-five percent.”

“Hey, you’re getting better,” his buddy Isaac Morrison pointed out. “The rest of your shots are in the next closest rim. That’s not half-bad.”

“Yeah, I think you’re improving, Deck,” Caleb O’Malley added. “Stop being so rough on yourself.”

“We’re down a sharpshooter,” Declan pointed out. “Which means I need to step up my game.”

“Your game is fine,” Caleb assured him.

Their phones rang simultaneously, and Declan reached for his, knowing this couldn’t be good news. “What’s up?”

“Bomb threat at Greenland Elementary School,” their new boss, Griff Vaughn, said. “Get ready to roll.”

Declan didn’t hesitate but ended the call and shouldered the M4 before leading the way through the training facility to the front of the building housing the sheriff’s department. Isaac and Caleb were close on his heels.

“Probably a false alarm,” Isaac muttered as they quickly donned their protective vests and the rest of their SWAT gear. “Some student pulling a prank to get out of school.”

“Doubtful,” Declan said grimly as he headed out to the armored truck. “Have you forgotten how we’ve had two other very real bombs within the past month, including one at the minimart that injured my sister? I don’t think it’s a bogus call at all.”

“Most likely the same perp who seems to be targeting areas where students hang out—the custard stand, the minimart and now the elementary school. We need to catch this guy, and quick,” Caleb added as he automatically slid into the driver’s seat.

Declan knew that he’d be the lead point person during this tactical situation. He might not rock at being the top sharpshooter on the team, but he was the best when it came to disarming bombs.

Provided they could get there in time.

Declan tucked in his earpiece and flipped the switch on his radio. “Give me the intel,” he ordered.

“We have a box with a trigger and a timer fixed underneath the fourth grade teacher’s desk. She heard a click when she sat down and was smart enough to send the kids outside right away.”

His gut clenched as he realized there was a possible victim close to the device. His sister, Karen, was lucky to only have suffered bruises and a broken arm, when she could easily have died from the force of the blast, just like his teammate. Once again, he couldn’t help wishing he’d been the one called to the scene at the minimart. He wanted to believe his being there might have made a difference.

“Have you swept the school to make sure everyone is out and there are no other explosive devices?”

“Affirmative. The teacher managed to get almost everyone evacuated before we arrived. We’re going through the rest of the building now, but so far it looks as if there’s only the one device. We won’t be able to use the robot on this one.”

“Keep searching the rest of the building, until it’s clear. We’ll be there in five,” Declan assured him.

“So it’s the real deal, huh?” Isaac asked.

“Sounds like it. And there’s an innocent victim involved, too. So step on it, Caleb.”

“Like he isn’t already going pedal to the metal with lights and sirens?” Isaac muttered. “Cool your jets, man.”

Declan bit back a sarcastic reply, knowing his buddy was right. He needed to get his mind in the zone if he was going to be successful at disarming the explosive device in that classroom.

He went through his pack, double-checking to make sure he had all the equipment he’d need. Two weeks ago, he’d successfully dismantled the bomb that was found behind the counter at the custard stand. He wanted to believe he’d be able to take care of this latest bomb, too. So far they’d been fortunate that they hadn’t suffered more casualties. Although losing three people after the minimart blast, one cop and two civilians, was three too many.

Declan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When they arrived, the area around the school was vacant. The first cops on the scene had done a good job of getting all the students and faculty as far away from the building as possible. Caleb pulled up to the front door and Declan was the first with boots on the ground, his pack slung over his shoulder.

“I’m going in,” he told them. “Isaac, you and Caleb stay here but keep the lines of communication open. I may need some assistance.”

“Roger that,” Caleb said. “We’ll be ready.”

Declan gave a brief nod before following the cop back into the school. The hallways were lined with coat hooks that were hung at what seemed like dwarf level. Even though he’d gone to school here, the place didn’t look at all familiar now that he was seeing the building through adult eyes. Then again, he hadn’t set foot inside a school since barely managing to graduate from Greenland High ten years ago.

He’d signed up to join the marines and left town a couple of weeks later, without looking back. After completing his six-year commitment, including two tours in Afghanistan, he’d returned home to join the Milwaukee County SWAT team to help support his older sister, Karen, and her young twin daughters.

“Third door on the right,” the cop said, hanging back in a way that made it clear the guy didn’t want to go much farther.

“Thanks.” Declan nodded at him, then headed toward the classroom.

He strode through the doorway, sweeping his gaze over the empty desks, papers and pencils scattered all over the floor. He zeroed in on the slender woman seated at the teacher’s desk. Her long wavy blond hair was pulled back from her face, and when she turned toward him, his gut wrenched with recognition.

“Tess?” He blinked, wondering if he’d made a mistake. But as he came closer, he knew he hadn’t. Tess Collins had been a year behind him in high school, but they’d never really been friends. She was the class valedictorian, while he’d been the town troublemaker. They’d rarely spoken until the night he’d saved her from an assault mere weeks before he joined the service. He wasn’t sure why she wasn’t a doctor the way she’d planned, but there wasn’t time to wander down memory lane.

“Don’t move, okay? I’m going to take a look at this device and see what I can do to get you out of here.”

“Declan,” she whispered faintly. And despite the seriousness of the situation, he was secretly pleased that she’d remembered him, too. “I thought you joined the marines.”

“I did, but now I’m back.” He didn’t want to scare her by pointing out how precarious her situation was, so he chose his words carefully as he gave an update through his radio. “Isaac, this looks to be a homemade device, although it appears the perp stuck a lot of extra wires into it, probably hoping to cause confusion.”

“Roger, Deck. Is there a timer?”

“Affirmative. We have less than twenty minutes and counting.” He knelt beside her and opened his pack. “I don’t want you to worry, Tess. Just stay as still as possible.”

“I’m trying,” she said. “I’ve been telling my students for years to sit still, but I had no idea just how truly difficult a task that really was until right now.”

After taking out his flashlight and peering at the device, he gave Isaac and Caleb more information. “This isn’t the exact same makeup as the device from the custard stand, but I still think it’s the same perp. I’m betting it has basic dynamite inside, along with tacks, just like the last one.”

“Tacks?” Tess echoed in horror.

“Roger that, Deck,” Caleb said. “Can you disarm it?”

“Affirmative.” Declan wasn’t about to say anything else that would scare Tess more than she already was. But the fact of the matter was that the placement of the bomb was ingenious. With it tucked up against the inside wall of the desk, and Tess’s knee pressed against the trigger, his ability to work around the device was severely limited. Their perp was getting smarter and bolder at the same time. Not a good combination.

“I need someone to take the teacher’s place,” he said. “Any volunteers?”

“I’ll do it,” Caleb offered.

“No way,” Isaac said. “You have a wife and daughter depending on you. I don’t have anyone dependent on me so I’ll do it.”

“No,” Tess spoke up. “I’m not switching places with anyone. That’s a waste of time. Just figure out how to shut it down, okay?”

Declan glanced up at her. “Tess, I want you to be safe.”

“I’m not trading places, end of discussion.” Her brown eyes were haunted. “I trust God and I trust you, Declan. We’ll get through this.”

Her faith, even after all this time, was as strong as ever and only proved once again how far out of his league she was. “Negative, Isaac. She’s refusing to leave. Sixteen minutes and counting.”

“I trust you, Declan,” Tess said again.

Humbled by her faith, he wanted more than anything not to let her down. “I’m going to move your chair as far over as possible so I can get closer to this thing, okay?” Deck stuck his flashlight in his mouth and turned over on his back, scooting under the desk. He held the wire cutters and then painstakingly followed the various wires.

Sweat beaded on his brow, rolling down the side of his face. Normally he was glacier cold when it came to disarming bombs. He didn’t mind putting his life on the line to save others. In fact, he figured this weird talent he seemed to have was his calling.

But knowing that Tess would suffer—and probably die if he failed—elevated the tension to a whole new level.

He twisted several of the wires and found the bogus ones, holding his breath as he clipped them and tugged them from the clay inside the box. When he was down to four wires remaining, he wiped his brow with his forearm.

“Five minutes and counting,” Isaac said in his ear.

He didn’t want to think about what Tess was going through right now. She hadn’t said a word as he worked, not even to ask how close he was to disarming the bomb.

“I’ve got four wires left. The rest were decoys,” he informed Isaac. “They’re all the same color, so I have no way of knowing which one is the ground, which one is attached to the timer and which one is the live wire leading to the fuse.”

“You can do it, Deck,” his teammate said. “Go with your gut.”

Normally that was good advice. But not now. Not when Tess was the one who’d die alongside him if he failed.

He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, trying to imagine what the device looked like on the inside. With Tess’s knee pressed up against the trigger, he hadn’t been able to get the casing off to see for himself.

“Three minutes and counting,” Isaac said.

“Dear Lord, please guide Declan,” Tess whispered. “If it be Your will, give him the wisdom and strength to disarm this bomb. We ask for Your mercy and grace, Amen.”

Tess’s prayer caught him off guard, but then again, praying certainly couldn’t hurt. He opened his eyes, and lifted the wire cutters.

“Two minutes, ten seconds and counting,” Isaac told him.

Declan stared at the wires. He grabbed the one that was farthest away from the timer. If he were the one creating the bomb, he would thread it through to come out the opposite end as a confusion tactic. He clipped it with the wire cutters. The timer stopped and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ve got it,” he muttered. He clipped the next wire and relaxed when the bomb didn’t blow. “Tess, I want you to slowly move your knee away from the box.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, fear evident in her tone.

“I’m sure.”

She moved her knee and the trigger popped back out. And then nothing. Relief flooded him. He’d done it. But the danger wasn’t over quite yet.

“I’m going to ease out from under here, okay?” Declan slid out on his back, until his head was clear. He rose to his feet and then slowly pulled her chair back until her knees were free. He helped her to her feet and she clutched his arms, as if her legs weren’t strong enough to hold her up.

“I need you to get out of here. I still have to get rid of this thing.”

“Come with me,” she begged.

“Shh, it’s okay.” He pulled her close for a quick, reassuring hug, before he spoke into his radio. “The teacher is clear, I’m sending her out.”

“Roger, Deck. Good work.”

“Go now, and I’ll be out shortly, okay?” He hated pushing her away, but he needed her to be safe.

She stumbled a bit but then managed to get out of the classroom under her own power.

After summoning Isaac inside to lend a hand, he shoved Tess’s chair out of the way and peered beneath the desk. The device had been neutralized for the moment.

But until they’d safely taken it off the desk and placed it inside the cast-iron container, there was still a chance it could detonate.

Blowing him and everything around him to smithereens.

* * *

Tess shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms, chilled to the bone despite the warm September sunshine. She hadn’t wanted to leave, not until she knew Declan and the rest of the SWAT team were safe. Thankfully, no one asked her to; in fact, they requested that she stay, explaining that she still needed to give a statement.

The parking area was deserted, although there were plenty of cops along the perimeter. She saw a flash of green out of the corner of her eye, and when she swung around to look, she glimpsed a man wearing a green baseball cap, brown shirt and blue jeans hurrying away. She stared for a moment, thinking he looked familiar, but then shrugged it off. No doubt, he’d been told to steer clear of the crime scene by one of the officers.

“What’s taking so long?” she asked after a long thirty-five minutes had passed.

The guy in charge, who’d introduced himself as Griff Vaughn, barely spared her a glance. “They’re trying to cut through your metal desk in order to remove the device. They need to get it inside the steel box for safe transport and disposal.”

Logically, she understood what they needed to do, but she was still inwardly reeling from seeing Declan Shaw again. He looked different from the eighteen-year-old she remembered. Granted, he still had his dark brown hair and penetrating ice-blue eyes, but he was bigger, more muscular than before. And his face had matured, as well. Back when he was younger, he’d worn his dark hair long enough to brush his shoulders, but now it was cut military short, giving him a tough, no-nonsense look.

They’d been as completely opposite as two people could be, yet she felt oddly connected to him, just the same.

How ironic to meet him again in yet another circumstance where she needed to be rescued.

“They’re coming out, boss.”

“I see them. Caleb, get the woman out of here.”

“Come on, ma’am,” Caleb said, taking her arm.

She didn’t want to leave the vicinity, but since she wasn’t exactly given a choice, she allowed the tall, lean, dark-haired man to hustle her away. She glanced up at him, remembering the brief conversation between the guys, when Declan wanted someone to take her place. Caleb was the one who had just gotten remarried, and he had a young daughter. She found herself wondering what it was like for his wife to know he went into dangerous situations every day. She shivered and imagined it couldn’t be easy.

“We’re clear,” Caleb said into his mic.

They were too far away for her to see much, but she shielded her eyes with her hand anyway, catching a glimpse of Declan and Isaac carefully carrying a large box between them as they stepped slowly across the school parking lot. They tucked the box inside the back of the armored truck and then shut the back doors.

The two men spoke for a few minutes before the sandy-haired one opened the driver’s door and slid behind the wheel. Declan jogged over to where she and Caleb were waiting.

“Good job, Deck,” Caleb said as he approached.

Declan brushed off the praise with a quick shrug and focused his intense gaze on her. “Tess, we need to talk.”

This must be the part where she was to give her statement. She nodded and Declan took her arm, guiding her over to another sheriff’s department vehicle parked in the shade of a tall maple tree that was just barely beginning to change colors in the warm autumn sun. She glanced over her shoulder, watching thankfully as the armored truck drove away with the bomb.

She slid into the backseat, feeling inexplicably nervous when Declan joined her. He turned sideways in the seat so he could face her.

“I need you to start at the beginning,” Declan said as he pulled out his notebook.

Tess explained how the events transpired in the classroom before she inadvertently triggered the bomb.

“How often do you sit at your desk during the day?” he asked.

“Hardly ever,” she admitted. “I tend to stand in front of the room and walk around as I’m teaching, but I do sit down for tests. And at noon, since I normally eat a bag lunch at my desk while grading papers.”

He nodded, jotting down a few notes. “Do you have anyone who might be holding a grudge against you? A boyfriend? Maybe an ex-husband?”

She blushed and glanced down at her hands entwined in her lap. “No, I’m not seeing anyone and I’ve never been married.”

“Tess, this is important,” Declan persisted, his gaze serious. “I need you to tell me anything in your personal life that might be remotely connected to this.”

She didn’t understand what he was getting at. “What? Why?”

Declan paused for a moment. “I believe your desk was chosen on purpose. And if you’re the target, we need to figure out what connection you have to the perp.”

TWO

Tess instinctively wanted to protest, but the somber expression on Declan’s face forced her to bite her tongue. She thought back over the past few months. Pathetic as it sounded, she led a boring, noneventful life. She volunteered at the church, playing piano for the choir, and couldn’t imagine anyone who’d want to hurt her.

She didn’t have any enemies that she was aware of. In fact, she couldn’t even think of one single thing that she’d done to make anyone angry.

The thought that someone might have purposefully planted a bomb under her desk made her feel sick. She glanced at Declan, grateful to know she wasn’t alone. Just like ten years ago, she felt safe with him sitting beside her.

“There isn’t anyone I can think of,” she said finally. “The last guy I dated was the vice principal of Greenland Middle School, but he moved last year to take a principal position down in Missouri. I’m sure Jeff would never do something like this.”

“What’s his full name?” Declan asked, a frown puckered in his brow.

She sighed. “Jeff Berg. And I’m telling you, he’s not involved.”

“How long were you two seeing each other?”

She grimaced, wondering if this interrogation was really necessary. “A little less than four months. We weren’t engaged or anything. When he told me about the job offer, I was happy for him.”

“You didn’t want to follow him to Missouri?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling defensive. Maybe she once had a silly schoolgirl crush on the younger version of Declan, especially after he’d saved her from that disastrous prom date with Steve Gains, but at the moment, she didn’t much like the man he’d become. Declan was all business, determined to get to the bottom of whatever connection he thought she had to the person who’d planted the bomb under her desk. There wasn’t a speck of personalization in his tone.

In that moment, he reminded her too much of her father. The thought was enough to get her ridiculous schoolgirl emotions back under control.

“No, I didn’t. Are we finished now? I need to get back to my colleagues.”

“We sent everyone home...there won’t be any school for the rest of the week,” Declan said bluntly. “But I’d be happy to take you home.”

“I don’t need a ride, I have my car here.” She pushed open her door and slid out of the seat, determined to get away from Declan’s overwhelming presence and clear her mind.

She didn’t get very far, because within seconds he’d caught up with her, lightly grasping her arm. “Tess, wait.”

She stopped and glared at him over her shoulder. “For what?”

“Just give me a few minutes, okay? Which car is yours?” he asked.

“The grayish blue Honda Civic parked beneath the large maple tree,” she retorted. “Why? Don’t tell me you think there’s a bomb planted there, too?”

“I’m going to make sure there isn’t,” Declan answered grimly.

What? Tess gaped at him in shock. She hadn’t been serious when she made that remark, but it was clear that Declan really believed she was in danger. As upset as she was with him, when he let go of her arm, she missed his warmth.

Tess folded her arms over her chest, feeling vulnerable and alone as Declan crossed over to talk to Caleb. The two of them jogged across the parking lot to where she’d left her car and dropped to the ground to search underneath it.

She didn’t want to think that she was the target of some crazy bomber, but it was difficult not to be afraid when Declan so clearly believed she was.

Maybe Declan was just being overly cautious. She simply couldn’t imagine what she’d done to cause someone to hate her enough to plant a bomb under her desk, risking not only her life but those of her students.

There had to be some mistake.

* * *

“I can’t see much,” Deck muttered, flashing his light across the undercarriage of Tess’s car.

“The car is too close to the ground,” Caleb agreed. “I can’t even get my head under there, can you?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I can’t see anything obvious, but we’ll need to get it up on a ramp to be sure.”

“Yeah, good plan,” Caleb agreed.

Declan took one last look before he reluctantly rose to his feet. No way was he going to let Tess drive the vehicle until he was certain it was safe. He caught Caleb’s gaze across the hood of her car. “Maybe we should send a team to check out her house, too.”

His friend lifted an eyebrow. “You really think she’s the target?”

Declan nodded, unable to explain the niggling sensation that told him he was on the right track. “I do. But I can’t prove it, at least not yet.”

Caleb let out a low whistle. “Good luck trying to get Griff to buy your theory.”

“I know.” Declan understood their boss dealt with facts, not feelings. “Although it doesn’t really matter if he believes me, since he’ll expect us to cover all possibilities as we investigate anyway. All I have to do is come up with a plan to keep Tess safe.”

“Well, good luck with that, too,” Caleb said, flashing him a wry grin.

Yeah, he already knew Tess wasn’t going to like his idea of forcing her to go underground, but he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer. Not when her life was potentially in danger.

As he walked closer to Tess, he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her. Even wearing her business casual teacher’s attire—gray slacks paired with a bright pink sweater—she was more beautiful now than she’d been ten years ago, decked out in her fancy prom dress. Why on earth had that Jeff dude let her go so easily? Something didn’t seem right with that scenario, and he silently promised himself to double-check the guy’s whereabouts for the time frame in question.

“Did you find anything?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

He hated seeing the fear lurking in the depths of her amber eyes. “No, but we couldn’t get underneath your car to really check things out.”

“So now what?” she asked wearily. “I really need to get home.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, wishing there was an easier way to get her to go along with his plan. “I’m going to take you to my place for a while,” he said slowly. “Just until we can verify that your car and your home haven’t been tampered with.”

Her eyes widened. “I don’t think so,” she said firmly. “My younger brother gets out of school at three o’clock, and I intend to be home when he gets there.”

“Your brother?” Now he was the one who was taken by surprise. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Bobby is ten years younger than I am, so you wouldn’t remember him,” she explained. “He’s a senior at Greenland High School.”

Deck frowned. “And he lives with you and not your parents?”

She hesitated and then nodded. “My parents died in a car crash right after my college graduation. Bobby was only eleven, so I used my science degree to become a teacher and moved into my parents’ home so he wouldn’t have to switch schools.”

He was impressed that she took on the responsibility of raising her brother, and that also explained why she didn’t follow her dream to become a doctor. There’d be time to find out more about that later, because right now he needed to stay focused.

“Okay, then you can both come to stay at my place.” Declan understood Tess wasn’t about to expose her brother to danger, and he didn’t blame her. “At least until we know you’re safe.”

Tess sighed. “Look, I know you’re being extra careful, and I do appreciate your concern, but I’m not at all convinced that I’m really in danger. Why is it so hard to believe this bomb was just as random as the other ones?”

“What makes you think the others were random?” Declan countered. “If my memory serves me correctly, you worked at the custard stand during high school. And I’m sure you stopped by the minimart at some point, too.”

The way she dropped her gaze told him he was definitely on the right track.

“In fact, the more I think about it,” he continued, “the more I’m convinced that you really are the target. And I plan to protect you while we figure out what connection you have to the mastermind behind the bombings.”

* * *

Tess didn’t like ultimatums, especially those given by a bossy, take-charge guy like Declan. He was crazy if he thought she was going to let him run her life.

She’d been taking care of herself and her younger brother just fine for the past six years. Jeff had tried to run her life, too, demanding she do things differently, which really meant his way. He’d specifically expected her to be stricter with Bobby which she refused to do. As a result, she’d broken things off with him a few weeks before he’d gotten his promotion. Jeff’s moving away was a blessing in disguise as far as she was concerned.

She refused to believe she was a failure at being a parental role model. She knew firsthand what it was like growing up in a super strict household. Her father had controlled almost every aspect of her life and she’d refused to do the same thing with her brother. Granted, Bobby was going through a rebellious phase, but she didn’t think his behavior was that much different than most teenagers’. Deep down, she knew her brother still loved her. Even if he didn’t often show it.

“Tess?” The way Declan called her name made her realize she’d been lost in her thoughts.

“What? Oh, I’m not going home with you, Declan. I’ll give you an hour to clear my car, and then I plan on picking up my brother and we’ll go to a hotel if that makes you feel better.”

She sensed he wanted to argue with her, but he gave a curt nod. “Fine, I’ll agree with one minor change. You need to let me drive you to pick up your brother and take you both to a hotel, because I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to clear your car that fast.”

“Deal. Where are you parked?” she asked, glancing around the area.

Her gaze fell on the man wearing the green baseball cap who was lingering near the maple tree where she’d parked her car. She narrowed her gaze, squinting against the sun. He had to be the same guy she saw earlier. And as before, she thought he seemed familiar. “Who is that guy?” she asked, talking more to herself than to Declan.

“Who?” Declan asked sharply.

“That man in the baseball cap standing near my car. I saw him earlier, too.”

As if the guy in question could feel their gaze on him, he turned and disappeared behind the tree.

“Caleb!” Declan shouted, sprinting off after the guy. “Come on! We need to follow him.”

“Who?” Caleb demanded as he ran after Declan.

Tess couldn’t tear her gaze off the two men as they raced toward the area where the stranger had disappeared. She was so intent on watching them that she didn’t notice Griff Vaughn, Declan’s boss, come up beside her.

“What’s going on?” he demanded with a deep scowl.

“I saw a guy over there, the same one who was here earlier,” she explained. “But I don’t get why Declan is so concerned about him. I’m sure he’s just some curious bystander who wants to know what’s going on.”

“Maybe, but sometimes criminals return to the scene of the crime because they like to watch the chaos they’ve caused.”

“I never thought of that,” Tess admitted with an involuntary shiver. She was about to tell Griff about how the guy seemed familiar, when she noticed Declan and Caleb were on their way back.

Their boss jogged over to meet them and the three of them spoke for several minutes before they all turned to face her.

Declan gestured for her to come over by him while Griff and Caleb headed over toward a large unmarked black van.

“I guess you didn’t find him?” she asked as she approached Declan.

“No, but we want you to view the videotape of the scene to see if you can spot him for us,” Declan explained.

“Video?” she echoed. “What kind of video?”

“Video surveillance of the crime scene, including anyone observing from the sidelines,” Declan explained. “We routinely take several hours of film, just in case. We use the film from the media, too.”

“Yes, your boss mentioned how criminals often return to the scene to watch.” She could barely comprehend this shocking new development, but she followed Declan to the back of the van. When he opened the doors, she was surprised to see the massive amount of technology that was located back there.

“Wow,” she murmured. “I had no idea you had all this stuff going on.”

Declan helped her inside. “Nate is a whiz with electronics,” he said. “Do you have the video ready?” he asked.

“Sure thing, Deck.” Nate Jarvis, a tall, lanky blond pulled up a stool and gestured for Tess to take a seat. “We’re going to start at the beginning, and I want you to let me know if you see the guy you spotted just a few minutes ago.”

Tess nodded, blinking to help her eyes adjust to the darker interior of the van. She leaned close, staring at the video screen full of dozens of people standing around the perimeter of the school parking lot, and tried to catch a glimpse of either the green ball cap or the guy’s brown shirt. Of course he wore colors that blended in with the crowd and the trees.

For several long minutes no one said anything, and as much as she tried to stay focused on the videotape playing in front of her, she was far too conscious of Declan crouched beside her.

Ignore him, she told herself, keeping her eyes glued to the video screen. They were mere acquaintances, nothing more, a fact that suited her just fine.

She was so preoccupied she almost missed the brief flash of green. “There!” she said excitedly. “That might be him.”

Nate fiddled with the controls, going backward to capture the image and then moving forward in slow motion. He froze the image. “Is this the guy?” he asked.

She gnawed on her lower lip, staring at the blurry figure. “Maybe, but the way he’s looking down at the ground, I can’t be positive.”

“I can’t seem to get a good image of this guy’s face,” his tech-savvy teammate muttered, going through several frames. “It’s almost as if he knows we’re videotaping the crowd.”

“I think it’s him, but maybe we should keep looking,” Tess said, biting her lip.

“You’re doing great,” Declan murmured encouragingly. “Take your time.”

She was glad he’d dropped the demanding tone. She continued watching the videotape but was disappointed when she didn’t see the strange guy.

But then, just as the camera switched direction, she saw him. “There he is,” she said urgently. “That’s exactly when I saw him, too, as he was walking away from the area.”

“Got him,” Nate declared, freezing the image. “Too bad it’s not his face, though. And it’s hard to tell what color his hair is beneath that baseball cap.”

“I know,” Declan agreed.

“I’ll see if I can keep working the images to make them sharper,” his colleague said.

She glanced over her shoulder at Declan. “I remember thinking at the time that one of the cops must have told him to get lost,” she admitted. “Do you think it’s possible someone spoke to him?”

Declan shrugged. “We can ask,” he murmured. “Although I don’t know if anyone would remember him.”

“How about if I print off a copy of the image?” Nate offered. “It’s better than nothing at the moment.”

“Sounds good.”

Tess stared again at the indistinguishable figure, wishing she could pinpoint what seemed so familiar about the guy. Without seeing his face, it was impossible to guess his age. Was he one of Bobby’s friends? Or a neighbor? Maybe Allan Gray, the rather odd neighbor who was always overly anxious to help her?

“Let’s give this printout to Griff,” Declan said. “He can ask all the cops here on the scene whether anyone else recognizes him.”

Tess took Declan’s offered hand to step down from the van, letting go as soon as she was on solid ground. Despite the jolt of awareness that had just sparked between them, she refused to give in to the schoolgirl crush she’d once had on him. Because, just as they had been back in high school, they were still two completely different people.

She couldn’t afford a relationship, even if she wanted one, which she didn’t. Maybe all men weren’t as controlling as Jeff and her father, but Declan certainly seemed to be. Besides, she needed to stay focused on keeping her brother out of trouble. And that was truly a full-time job.

Declan walked up to his boss and handed over the photo. The two men spoke briefly, and Griff passed Declan a set of keys, before Declan turned back toward her. “Okay, we’re clear to leave.”

She smiled in relief. “Good.”

“It’s that SUV over there,” Declan said, gesturing at the police vehicle that was parked closest to her car.

“You don’t have assigned cars?” she asked as they headed across the parking lot.

“Yes, we do, and that’s the one I normally drive, although today Sam Irving drove it here. Caleb agreed to give Sam a lift back.”

“Are you sure all this is really necessary?” Tess asked.

Before Declan could respond, a ball of fire exploded in front of them, sending her stumbling backward. She hit the ground hard, moments before everything went black.

THREE

The force of the blast sent Declan flying backward against the pavement. The breath was knocked from his lungs and for a moment he couldn’t draw in any air. Smoke filled the area around them, and pain reverberated through his body. After a few seconds his military survival instincts, along with a healthy dose of adrenaline, kicked in and he rolled over and belly crawled toward Tess, who was sprawled on the ground just a few feet away.

“Tess! Are you all right?”

She let out a low moan and lifted a hand to her head. “Hurts,” she whispered.

“Stay down,” he ordered, covering her body with his as much as possible. He had no way of knowing if the explosion was only a precursor to more violence or not, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

Not when Tess’s life was at stake.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

“Another bomb,” he said grimly, watching the SWAT members that were still on the scene disperse and cover the area, rifles held ready. He craned his neck in order to see behind him. A small fire still burned near the maple tree where Tess had seen the guy in the green ball cap.

Had that dude been the perp who’d set the bomb? Most likely, although Declan couldn’t afford to ignore the possibility of the guy being nothing more than a curious onlooker, either. He’d try to keep an open mind even though the stranger was currently the best lead they had.

“I can’t breathe,” Tess gasped, pushing against his chest.

“Sorry.” He shifted a bit so that he wasn’t quite crushing her, but he wasn’t willing to move away completely until he knew the area was clear.

“Deck, are you and Tess all right?” Caleb asked, coming over to kneel beside them.

“I think we’re okay. Are you sure the area is secure?” He was only slightly reassured that he hadn’t heard the sound of gunfire.

“So far there’s no sign of anyone or any other devices,” Caleb told him. “We need to get you both out of here, though. How badly are you hurt? We have an ambulance on the way.”

Declan pushed himself upright but hovered protectively over Tess. “I’m fine,” he assured Caleb. “Tess, where do you hurt?”

“Everywhere,” she admitted with a grimace. She struggled to sit upright, and Declan eased his arm around her shoulders to offer support. The way she leaned heavily against him made him realize she might be hurt worse than he suspected.

“Take it easy,” he murmured. “Did you hit your head?”

Tess put her hand to the back of her head. “Yes, I might have blacked out for a moment or two. I can feel a lump, but there doesn’t seem to be any bleeding.”

Declan battled back a wave of fury. That had been way too close. Tess could have been seriously injured by the blast. And this latest turn of events only convinced him more that she was the specific target.

“Come on, let’s get her to safety,” Caleb urged.

Declan was totally on board with that plan. He helped get Tess up and on her feet and with Caleb’s assistance, walked her over to the back of the van where Nate had opened the doors for them.

“Sit down, Tess,” he instructed. “Do you have a first aid kit handy?” he asked Nate. “She could use an ice pack.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m sure you have a few bumps and bruises, too.”

He did, but that was a by-product of his job. Tess was a fourth grade schoolteacher, and he was fairly certain she wasn’t accustomed to being thrown off her feet by a bomb.

Nate handed him the ice pack and he quickly twisted the bag to activate the coolant inside and gently pressed it against the back of Tess’s head. Despite her earlier protest, she put her hand back there to help hold the ice pack in place.

“Just relax, I’ll hold it for you,” he told her.

“Did you notice that both your SUV and Tess’s car were damaged by the explosion?” Caleb asked in a low tone. “The maple tree was knocked over, too.”

“Yeah, I did. And I don’t believe in coincidences. I need to get Tess someplace safe.”

“I’m not going anywhere without my brother,” she said, joining the conversation.

“I know, we’ll take him with us,” Declan promised.

The wailing sound of a siren indicated the local authorities and the ambulance were getting closer. He appreciated the additional backup, but at the same time, he wanted nothing more than for Tess to get the medical care she needed and then to get her out of there.

Before the bomber made yet another attempt on Tess’s life.

* * *

Ignoring the pounding inside her head wasn’t easy, but Tess knew that was the only way she could avoid going to the hospital. She stared down at her trembling fingers, and did her best to remain calm even though she was still reeling from being so close to the explosion.

Dear Lord, thank You for keeping me and Declan safe from harm. And please watch over Bobby, too. Amen.

“Tess? Is something wrong?”

Declan’s concern was touching, but she knew that she couldn’t keep leaning on him for support like this. They were just temporary allies. As soon as he had her safely tucked away, she knew that he’d go back to his SWAT team, leaving her and Bobby alone.

“I’m fine, but I’m anxious to see my brother.”

“First we need the EMTs to check you out...you said yourself that you blacked out for a minute.”

“I said I may have blacked out for a minute, or it could be that my brain simply shut down for a moment, from the shock of the explosion.” She didn’t appreciate his using her own words against her. “It’s not like I find myself in harm’s way like this very often.”

“I know, but you could have a concussion. Give me a little more time here, okay?”

As if she had a choice. The only reason she wasn’t pushing the issue right now was that Bobby was in school, surrounded by teachers and dozens of kids. He’d be fine there until she could get there to pick him up. At least she was fairly certain he’d be fine.

She winced at the shrillness of the siren as the ambulance pulled up. Within moments two EMTs had taken up residence on either side of her.

“Anyone else injured?” one of them asked.

“No, just Tess. She has a lump on the back of her head,” Declan said, removing the ice pack so they could examine her.

“We were both knocked off our feet,” Tess felt compelled to point out. “You should check him for injuries, too.”

“I’m not hurt,” Declan said firmly.

Stubborn man, she thought, as the EMTs poked and prodded at her. They took a set of vital signs and asked her dozens of questions to make sure her brain hadn’t been knocked off-kilter. She scowled, knowing there was a very good chance that Declan had a bump on the back of his head, too.

“We should take her to Trinity Medical Center to have a CT scan of her brain, just to make sure there’s no internal bleeding,” the EMT on her right said.

“Okay,” Declan agreed.

“No, I don’t want to go to the hospital.” She glared at Declan, trying to get him to drop the idea. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“There’s no need to be nervous,” Declan told her. “CT scans don’t hurt and we’ll still have time afterward to pick up your brother.”

There was that commanding tone again, and just hearing it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Why did so many men like to give orders? Why did everything have to be done their way? “Have you ever been to the E.R. at Trinity?” she asked in exasperation. “Getting cleared could take hours and be a complete waste of time. I’m not going, end of discussion.”

Declan wasn’t happy with her decision, and neither were the two EMTs.

“You’ll have to sign a release form,” the guy on her left informed her. He placed a metal clipboard in her lap and handed her a pen. “Sign here,” he instructed. “This means you can’t come after us if you suffer a massive head bleed later.”

She sensed he was trying to scare her with that comment, so she ignored it, signed her name and handed the clipboard back to him.

“Do you have another ice pack in there? This one is already getting warm,” Declan said. “I’d like to try to keep the swelling down.”

“Sure.” The EMT took a prefilled ice pack out of his kit and gave it to him. Once again, Declan applied it to the lump on the back of her head.

She was tempted to tell him to use the ice pack on himself, but held her tongue. No sense in antagonizing Declan now, not until they’d picked up Bobby from school.

And by then, she’d be glad to see the last of Declan Shaw for a while.

* * *

“Hey, Deck, you need to come over here and see this.”

Declan glanced over at Caleb and nodded. “Sure. Nate, will you keep an eye on Tess for a few minutes?”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Tess muttered.

“No problem,” the other man said.

Declan wished there was a way to force Tess to go to the hospital, but since she signed herself out of the EMTs’ care, he didn’t think there was much more he could do. Her stubbornness might have been cute if it wasn’t so annoying.

He headed over to where Caleb waited. Together they canvassed the scene of the explosion. The fire had been doused by the members of his team, but the burned-out area looked awful, especially with the maple tree being uprooted by the force of the blast.

“I think the center of the explosion was in this area here,” Caleb said, pointing to the blackened area. “The perp must have covered it with leaves and branches or we would have seen it.”

Declan nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Caleb’s assessment. “We went right past this area to chase the guy with the green baseball cap.”

“I know. It’s possible he set the bomb and then took off running,” Caleb mused. “But he took a chance...what if we had caught him and brought him back this way? He risked blowing himself up at that point.”

“I know, but we still need to find that guy, which would be much easier to do if we had a face shot.”

“Nate is going to work on enhancing the image, so maybe we’ll at least be able to get a hair color as an identifier.”

Declan scowled. Knowing the guy’s hair color wouldn’t help them much. “All right. Anything else here that might give us a clue?”

Caleb shook his head. “Not yet. We’ll keep looking, but right now it’s appearing to be more of a crime of opportunity than a planned attack.”

“Putting the bomb under Tess’s desk seems to have been a definite plan, but I’m not so sure that the custard stand or the minimart bombings were thought out the same way. Who is this creep and why does he like setting off bombs?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll find him.” Caleb’s tone radiated confidence.

Declan wished he could say the same. Oh, he knew they’d find the guy eventually, but how many other casualties would there be before that happened?

“I’m going to drive Tess over to the high school to pick up her brother,” he told Caleb. “I’ll be in touch later.”

“Sounds good.”

Declan crossed over to his boss and arranged for a different vehicle to use for a couple of hours. Griff handed over a set of keys and he took them gratefully before heading back over to Tess, happy to see she was standing up under her own power.

“Are you finally ready to go?” she asked.

“Yeah, the boss gave us his wheels to use. Right over here,” he said, heading toward one of the other SUVs on the scene.

“How on earth do you tell them apart?” she asked when he opened the door for her.

“No big secret, we go by the license plate numbers.” He closed the passenger door and then went around and slid into the driver’s seat. “We’ll pick up your brother and get you both settled into a hotel, okay?”

“Okay.” Tess seemed resigned to spending the next hour or so in his company, and if he was interested in some sort of relationship, his ego might have been bruised by her lack of enthusiasm.

But he had no intention of getting personally involved, especially not with a woman like Tess Collins. She was the type who would want a family, and that wasn’t for him. His father had been an angry drunk, lashing out with his fists if Declan didn’t move fast enough. He knew exactly what genes were in his DNA, and he wasn’t about to tempt fate.

Besides, ten years ago, after he’d rescued her from that jerk of a prom date, all he could think of was kissing her, but instead she’d told him she’d pray for him. Really? Not that he didn’t appreciate her intent, but still, what did he know about church and prayer?

Not one thing.

And he really had no interest in finding out. Caleb might have joined the church thanks to his wife Noelle’s influence, but Declan wasn’t about to follow along.

Tess didn’t say much as he drove into the parking lot of Greenland High, but he noticed she scanned the cars as if looking for someone. “What kind of car does Bobby drive?” he asked as he parked in the visitor lot.

“A used blue GMC truck. It’s about ten years old.”

Declan filed that information away for future reference. They walked up to the front entrance and stepped inside the school. Tess headed for the office and he followed, thinking about all the time he’d spent in the principal’s office back when he was a student. Not some of his fonder memories, that’s for sure.

“Hi, Mrs. Beckstrom, I need to see Bobby Collins,” Tess said.

“There’s a bit of a family emergency,” he added, when Mrs. Beckstrom frowned, obviously put out at taking a student out of class in the middle of the day.

The secretary took one look at his uniform and nodded her agreement. “Of course. I’ll see if I can find him.”

But when the secretary returned a few minutes later, she wasn’t smiling. “I’m sorry but Bobby isn’t in the cafeteria. He must have left the campus for lunch. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until he returns.”

“All right, what time does his next class start?” Tess asked.

“Twelve-fifteen. He has the early lunch period.”

“Would you please call my cell number if he returns before we get back?” Declan asked. He took out one of his cards and handed it to her.

“All right,” the secretary agreed.

“Thank you,” Tess said before turning away.

They walked out of the office and headed back outside. Declan glanced at her. “Do you have any idea where Bobby spends his lunch hour?”

Tess shook her head. “Not really. I forgot that seniors were given the option of leaving the school grounds during lunch. So, as far as I know, he could be anywhere.”

“What about Greenland Park?” Declan asked.

Her spine went stiff, and he mentally smacked himself. Of course Tess wouldn’t want to go to Greenland Park considering that was where her idiot prom date had tried to assault her.

He was about to tell her never mind when she abruptly agreed. “All right, let’s check out the park.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. We have almost twenty minutes before Bobby is due back in class. We may as well see if we can find him on our own.”

Tess walked back to the truck, and the dejected stoop of her shoulders bothered him. The events of the morning were obviously catching up to her, especially if her head was pounding the way his was. But he knew she wasn’t going to be able to relax until she was reunited with her brother.

“It would be easier if I had my cell phone,” Tess muttered. “But it sounded as if your boss wasn’t letting anyone back inside the school yet.”

“Sorry, but we’ll get your personal items as soon as possible,” he assured her.

Greenland Park wasn’t very far from the high school, which was why the students liked to hang out there. He wound his way along the parkway, and when he saw a blue GMC truck parked along the side of the road, he gestured at it. “Is that Bobby’s?”

Tess slowly shook her head. “No, his is a much older model. I don’t remember the entire license plate number, but it starts with three letters UTS.”

He nodded, knowing that it was a long shot that they’d even find Bobby here. It took almost ten minutes to circle the park and then from there, he decided to take a quick drive past the local fast food joints that were close to the high school.

“I don’t see his truck anywhere,” Tess said, rubbing a spot along her temple. “Where could he be?”

He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost a quarter after twelve now. Maybe we missed him. Your brother is probably already back at the high school.”

“I sure hope you’re right.” Hearing the worry clearly evident in her tone, he frowned as he drove back toward the high school. Was there something more going on here? Was Bobby the type that might skip school, or who’d been hanging out with the wrong crowd? When the time was right, he planned to get more intel on her brother. By the time he’d parked the car, it was close to twelve twenty-five. His cell phone rang as he was about to open his door.

“Hello, is this Deputy Shaw?”

“Yes,” he said, recognizing the school secretary’s tone. “Do you have Bobby Collins there with you?”

“No, that’s why I’m calling. Bobby never returned to his fifth-hour English class.”

“I see. Will you please call me as soon as he does show up?” Declan asked, feeling Tess’s concerned gaze boring into him. “Thanks.”

“He’s not there?” she asked, her voice rising in panic.

“No, Bobby didn’t report to his English class. Tess, is it possible he skipped school?”

She stared at him. “I can’t say for absolute certainty that he didn’t skip on his own accord, but I don’t think it’s likely. Bobby knows he’s on probation this semester, and he promised me he wouldn’t ditch school. Believe it or not, he really wants to graduate.”

He couldn’t deny the sincerity of her tone. “Then where could he be?”

“I don’t know,” Tess whispered. “But, Declan, what if this crazy guy who’s after me somehow got to Bobby first? What if he plans to use my brother as a way to get to me?”

Declan wanted to reassure Tess that it wasn’t possible, but he couldn’t lie to her.

Obviously anyone who wanted to hurt Tess would know she had a younger brother, one she’d raised for the past few years.

Finding Bobby just might lead them to the mastermind behind the bombings. He could only hope and pray they wouldn’t be too late.

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