That left scant opportunity for rest and relaxation, he decided, and he looked at her with renewed respect.“It sounds like you’re quite competitive.”
“I guess so.There’s a big event coming up in the last week of June in Pontevedra, Spain.If I do well there, then I’ll qualify to join the US team to go to the World Championships.I’ve just moved up to the 30 to 35 age group, but the competition is still fierce and…” Summer stopped, then grimaced and shot him a look from beneath lowered brows, clearly wishing she hadn’t given away that information.Mårten had already guessed she was in her late twenties and was a little surprised to hear she was at least thirty.That made him only four years her senior.An age gap like that was nothing; why, he’d dated women way younger than him before.Wait…what?Why was he even thinking this?He wasn’t about to date Summer, so the difference in their ages was irrelevant.
“The end of June is only a couple of weeks away,” Mårten commented, pushing thoughts about dating out of his head.
“Yes,” she agreed.“That’s why it’s so important I don’t lose any of my training momentum.”
“I can imagine,” he replied.“Do you often travel to events?”He’d never considered when or how these kinds of things were organized; it was interesting.Plus, he was enjoying talking to Summer.Her guard had dropped now that she was discussing something she was passionate about.It made her light up, made even more attractive, if that was possible.
“Yes, I’m often overseas at least two or three times annually.Sometimes I can work a job into the destination if I’m lucky.The meets are always at a different location every year.Last year—”
The sound of Mårten’s phone ringing cut her off.He had half a mind to ignore it so he could continue this discussion.But when he saw it was Jacob, he decided to take it.He could have a new lead from his FBI sources.
“Mårten, get back here, now.”Jacob didn’t even wait for Mårten to say hello.His tone was tight and gruff, immediately putting him on edge.
“Why, what—”
“Someone tried to set fire to Nikki’s house.We’re okay.Nikki’s very shaken up.But the guy got away.”Jacob cut him off again before he had a chance to frame a sensible question.
Holy shit.Mårten couldn’t keep the fear off his face, and as Summer read his features she reared back, shock widening her eyes.
“What’s happened?God, please don’t tell me Nikki or Jacob have been hurt,” she said, both hands coming up to cover her mouth.
“We’re on our way,” Mårten said into the receiver, ushering Summer up the hill as he spoke.“We should be there in ten minutes.We’ll catch an Uber home.”This wasn’t the time to be running, and for once he had no disagreement from Summer as she turned and went obediently in the direction he was pushing her.
“Tell me what’s happened,” she pleaded over her shoulder as she jogged up the hill in front of him.
Mårten looked up from tapping his details into the ride-share app.He couldn’t keep this from her; it was too big.“Someone attacked Nikki’s house.Both Jacob and Nikki are fine, though.”
She shook her head, stopping dead and then taking two steps away from him.“Oh God,” she moaned.“This is because of me, isn’t it?I was afraid this would happen.”
He laid a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look into his eyes.He could feel the agitation thrumming through her, like she was ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.
“We don’t know that yet,” he said, keeping his voice calm and neutral.He didn’t need her any more spooked than she already was.“The main thing is Jacob and Nikki are fine.Let’s just wait and see what the FBI decides when we get back.This could be completely coincidental,” he soothed as he returned to punching buttons on his phone.But inside, his guts roiled with a tornado of emotions.
Because he knew his words were hollow.This attack was definitely connected to Summer.There was no doubt in his mind.
CHAPTER TEN
SUMMER SAT AT the kitchen table staring wretchedly into her cold coffee, the fingers of her right hand resting lightly on the cross around her neck.She never took this necklace off; it was her last link to Marco, and she often felt he was with her when she touched it.Maybe he had been protecting Nikki and Jacob when she couldn’t.Summer knew it was a stupid superstition, but she sometimes wondered if his spirit was still around, kept close by this gold chain.
She could hear Jacob and Nikki talking to the forensics guys out in the yard.Summer didn’t even want to think about the blacked doorway and the few remaining stumps of the front porch.And the back door was nearly as bad.The attacker had firebombed both entrances to make sure whoever was in the house would find it almost impossible to get out.At least the slew of firefighters had left twenty minutes ago, confident any risk of a flareup was now gone, taking with them their muddy footprints and loud voices.
Summer was so lost in her own thoughts she didn’t hear Nikki coming down the corridor until she burst into the kitchen, and Summer stood in a rush, guilt twisting her insides.Nikki’s pretty face was drawn into lines of tension, her long hair falling out of the hasty bun she’d tied it up into earlier this morning.
“I’m so sorry,” Summer said hurriedly.“Your beautiful house.”Tears pricked at the back of her eyelids.This was all her fault.If she hadn’t taken refuge here, Nikki’s place would never have been targeted.“I don’t know what to say.If there’s anything I can do, if I can help in any way.I want to pay for all the damages,” she added with a lift to her chin.
Nikki said nothing for a few seconds, but her face softened as she looked at Summer.“Don’t be silly,” she replied.“That’s what insurance is for.”As she came closer, Summer noticed a smudge of charcoal over Nikki’s left eye, and the guilt twisted sharply once more in her belly.This poor woman had had to flee her burning house, breaking the window in her bedroom to get out.And now her charming cottage was scarred and blackened, and yet she was the one showing Summer compassion.
“I already told you, we got out okay, and thanks to Jacob and my wonderful neighbors, the damage is minimal,” Nikki added.
Summer had previously heard Nikki and Jacob’s account of their escape.They had gone back to bed after Mårten and Summer left for their run, ostensibly to grab an hour more sleep.But it was clear the loved-up couple hadn’t been sleeping when, fifteen minutes later, Jacob heard something suspicious and got up to find smoke pouring through the front door.He’d broken the bedroom window and gotten them both out unharmed, raising the alarm as he did so.Then he’d turned the garden hose on the flames at the entrance, while some of Nikki’s neighbors helped her do the same at the rear, which saved the house from complete destruction.
Summer’s heart clenched as she remembered Nikki’s face, white as a sheet when they’d first arrived back.She’d been terrified, almost swaying on her feet.The only thing keeping her upright was Jacob’s solid presence beside her as firefighters and police swarmed all over the house.She had recovered quickly, however, soon yelling at a firefighter to stop trampling all over her beloved azalea bushes and telling the police officers to please askherfirst if they needed anything moved.But that didn’t make her raw emotions at the time any less valid.
“But.Oh, God… it could have been so much worse,” Summer groaned.“What if you’d been asleep and hadn’t heard the fire start?What if—” Summer daren’t finish her sentence.What if they’d been burned?Or died of smoke inhalation like that poor child Jacob and told her about.Her shame was so strong that she doubled over as pain sliced through her stomach.
“I know you want to blame yourself, but you shouldn’t.”Nikki bent down so she was level with Summer’s face, the other woman’s blue eyes intense and fixed on hers.“Like I said before, I know what it’s like to need a place of sanctuary, and I was happy to let you stay here.Stop letting the guilt crush you.You need to have your head screwed on right if you’re gonna outfox this fucker, and overwhelming guilt will not help you.”Nikki’s use of the curse word made Summer straighten up; in the short time she’d known Nikki, she’d never heard her swear.“If you’re going to feel anything, you should feel angry at whoever did this.Get mad,” Nikki continued, slapping her closed fist into the palm of her other hand.“You need to fight, Summer, not give in.Otherwise, he will win.”
