Deadly Heat (Deadly #2)(47)

Her fingers rose and caught his. “If you need me, call. I want to keep working on these cases.”

But he wanted her the hell away from the fire. Right. Like that was going to happen. Her life was fire.

And his was death.

They were some pair.

“Kenton, it’s not someone at my station. You saw how we all fought today… it’s not one of us.”

He knew how badly she wanted to believe that. His lips brushed over hers. “Get some sleep.”

A moan rumbled in her throat. Come on. Was the woman trying to break him?

“I will,” she promised, and her voice was slurring, her eyes closing.

Kenton eased out of the bed and stared at her a moment. She was rolling, turning onto her side and away from the light. Curling up her hand, curling her body. So beautiful. And in sleep, so fragile.

When she was awake, the woman radiated energy and strength. Nothing she couldn’t handle—nothing.

But in sleep, he realized her bones were small, so very breakable. Her skin delicate.

And she was one person he never wanted to see broken.

He found the clothes that he’d torn off earlier. But dressing took a while because he kept looking at her. The long lines of her body, the sweet curve of her hip.

“I’ll be back tonight,” he told her, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. But she didn’t hear him. Lora was out.

Kenton left her, but made damn sure to lock the door behind him. The lock seemed like such weak protection. Locks wouldn’t stop someone like Phoenix.

I’ll stop him.

? ? ?

Kenton went to the hospital first. He wanted to check on the firefighter and see for himself how Wade Copeland was doing. It wasn’t a pretty sight, and the guy’s wife kept crying the whole time he was there.

By the time he left, his shoulders were stiff and a dull throb pounded behind his right eye. Kenton headed for the parking garage and froze when he saw Frank Garrison.

It’s not one of us.

Garrison was walking toward the hospital with his head down. Kenton shifted and blocked his path.

Garrison looked up, and a frown flickered over his face. “Special Agent? What are you—”

“I just stopped by to see Copeland.” His gaze swept Garrison’s face. The chief looked haggard, with deep shadows lining his eyes. Kenton hesitated. Hell, Lora would be pissed at this, but he had to do his job. “When we were at the station before, where’d you go?”

Garrison blinked at that.

“When the call came in about the Randall fire, you weren’t there.” Kenton lifted a brow. “But you sure did make it to that crime scene fast.” Fast enough to beat him.

Garrison’s jaw locked. “I was scheduled to do a safety program for some elementary kids. The school was a few blocks away from Randall’s place, Agent Lake. I was with the kids when I got the call—and that’s why I was able to get to the scene so fast.”

Garrison shoved by him.

“Lora respects you,” Kenton said the words quietly.

The chief halted. “I respect her. The woman isn’t scared of anything.” He paused. “She’s smart, and she’s strong, and I don’t know why the hell she’d waste her time with you.”

Kenton took the hit because he figured the chief was entitled to his anger. He watched Garrison hurry toward the wide hospital doors.

Garrison’s story would be easy enough to check out. And if he found out that Garrison was lying…

Then the next time he questioned the chief, he’d do it at the police station.


Thirty minutes later, Kenton walked into Seth MacIntyre’s office and stopped dead. His eyes locked on the bulletin board hanging on the right wall. The one lined with pictures of burnt bodies and flames.

Monica rammed into him. “Kenton, what are you—”

He stepped to the side and heard her quick intake of breath.

“They’re his.” Seth rose from his desk and jerked his thumb toward the photos. “I–I’ve been going back over all the cases, trying to find a link.”

Christ, that shit was bad. And during his time on the force and then in the Bureau, he’d sure seen his share of horrific crimes. But…

Kenton forced his eyes away from the photos. “Did you find a link?” Lora’s ex-lover was up there. Damn good thing he hadn’t brought her with him. He didn’t want her seeing that.

But she’d been there that night. She’d seen him like that, up close and personal.

Then the woman had gone right back out and walked into the flames again.

“Actually…” Seth licked his lips. “I did find something.”

Monica brushed by him. “Then don’t keep us waiting, MacIntyre.” While Monica pretended to be all icy and controlled, deep inside, she was just human. And he’d seen the brief flinch from the corner of his eye when she’d caught a glimpse of those photos.

Her shell had cracked, just a bit.

Seth rummaged through the mountain of files on his desk. “The station logs…”

Kenton’s brows rose.

“I’ve been—I’ve been going back over every detail of these fires.”

“You know there was another arson last night.” Monica’s voice was smoother now. Her control was coming back. “Wade Copeland was injured. He’s in the burn unit at Memorial Infirmary.”