Tension roiled around us, but they seemed so serene. I shut my eyes and tried not to breathe. Was this what they did for their jobs? Diffused deadly explosives while talking it out? Who were these guys?
“See it,” Aiden said. “Hold steady.”
“Three seconds,” Saber said.
I inhaled Aiden’s scent. Man, motor oil, and leather with just a hint of an Irish storm. The scent I’d take with me forever.
Something clicked.
My eyes shot open.
“Move, now,” Aiden said, unzipping the brace and gingerly setting it to the side. Then he stood and caught me up in his arms before I could move. “Run, Saber.”
Saber was already ahead of us, opening the door. We ran into the storm and rain lambasted us. The emergency vehicles and personnel were visible at the far end of the runway, blue and red lights slicing through the storm. Aiden turned and ran into the forest with Saber at his side.
The world stilled. A moment of silence, pure and calm, descended. Then the wind roared through the trees, pulling us toward the building.
The explosion rocked the storm. Pieces of debris flew between the trees, and smoke billowed into the sky. The force knocked Aiden off his feet, and he turned mid-air, landing on his back with me on his front. We landed with a hard thud, and he groaned. He immediately rolled over me, holding me to the wet and dirty ground.
Mini-explosions rocketed out from the bigger one, and even the earth moved beneath me.
I turned my head and coughed out dirt. But I lay still, totally spent beneath Aiden. So long as we were both in one piece, I didn’t care how heavy he was.
The rain hit the fire with a mutinous hiss of steam. I shivered.
Aiden lifted up and set me with my back against a tree. He wiped rain and dirt off my face. Mud covered the side of his jaw. “You okay?”
I couldn’t move. Every bone in my body turned to liquid. Tears leaked down my face. I’d never, in my entire life, been that terrified.
He lifted me right onto his lap and held me close. Heat, male, and strength surrounded me and helped ground me. Kind of. “You’re okay,” he murmured. He looked over my head at Saber, who sat against a tree with a burning piece of wood next to him. “Told you there’d be other explosives.”
Saber grinned.
I shook out my legs because I could. “Barensky got away.”
Aiden tightened his hold. “I know. We’ll get him. There’s a net around town, and we have blockades up. I’ve got you.”
I mulled over the entire situation while being held safely by my badass. “He thinks the Queen is dead,” I murmured, playing through the chess game in my head.
Aiden leaned back, his expression alert. “True. What’s your point?”
I rubbed more dirt off my neck. “The Queen is the protector. In chess, when the Queen is no longer on the board, every piece is in danger, especially the opposing King, which would be you. It’s king against king, and you’ve lost too many pieces. It’s the time for checkmate. You’re about to be vulnerable, and he knows exactly where you’re supposed to be tomorrow.”
A slow smile tipped Aiden’s lips. “You’re right. You’re a genius, Angel.”
Chapter 41
Ihunkered down in Aiden’s truck, partially hidden behind a sweeping oak tree. The rain had softened to a light patter but bruised, and swollen clouds still covered the moon, giving us perfect darkness. “We’ve been here for two hours,” I murmured.
“Stakeouts aren’t fun,” he said, peering through his binoculars. “There’s probably something wrong with me, but I’ve always found cemeteries at night to be peaceful. Even comforting.”
“There’s definitely something wrong with you.” I reached into the potato chip bag for more chips. It was odd, but I was comfortable wherever we were, so long as we were together. What was it with Aiden? There was something just so solid and tough about him, and yet, he had a great brain. More than that, he trusted my brain. I liked that. A lot. “What if I was wrong about Barensky?”
Aiden took a drink of his soda. “Then we’ll figure out another way to get him.”
I looked out at the different shapes, all marking graves. Round gravestones, square ones, even a few spherical ones. A huge gravestone across the cemetery held a cross up to the darkened sky. I guess it was peaceful. The quiet was calming, even with the rain. I yawned and tried to keep my buzz of excitement going, but it had been a long day. My leg still felt the bomb strapped to it, even though that had been hours ago.
He took another drink. “It’s against protocol to have you here, so remember your promise. No matter what happens, you stay in the truck until I signal otherwise. Got it?”
