He’s safe, he told himself.And that’s worth any price I’ll ever have to pay.
A half-hour later, Joshua lifted his head and smiled. Despite Colin’s amorous intentions, he was fast asleep. Joshua brushed a stray, sandy curl from his forehead.He’s had a tough few months,Joshua thought gently.He needs rest more than sex right now.
Carefully, Joshua eased himself off Colin’s body and stood, pressing a soft kiss to his husband’s forehead. “C’mon, darlin’. Time for bed. Time to rest.”
Colin staggered upright, barely awake, leaning into Joshua as they made their way upstairs. While Joshua slipped out of hisclothes and pulled on his pajamas, Colin peeled off his own shirt, letting it drop to the floor. He slid into sweatpants and a soft T-shirt, then crossed to Joshua—close enough to feel the warmth of his skin. With a sigh, Colin cupped Joshua’s face and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to his lips before crawling into bed, sheets cool against his bare arms.
As Joshua got into bed beside him and nestled close, Colin managed one final thought before sleep overtook him:We’ve got the whole weekend. I’ll make it up to him.
Sarah—12:02a.m.
Sarah Mitchell tightened the strap on her vest, rolling her shoulders as she stepped out of her vehicle. She drew in a lungful of cool night air, grateful to finally stretch her legs. Surveillance was hours of boredom punctuated by seconds of adrenaline—tonight felt like all the former, and she was more than ready for her shift change.
She rounded the side of the garage and moved quietly toward the front of Colin and Joshua’s house, senses alert. Her eyes scanned methodically—windows, bushes, the quiet street beyond. She’d almost completed her perimeter check when something made her pause.
A car, she thought. Parked just beyond the driveway, it sat dark and silent, engine off but pinging faintly with cooling metal. Her pulse quickened.
She keyed her radio mic with one thumb, never taking her eyes off the vehicle. “Possible approach, front yard,” she murmured, sending the alert straight to nearby units. Her voice dropped into a clipped command. “Daniel—front yard.Now!”
The driver’s door swung open, slow and deliberate. A male figure emerged, shadowed by the moonlight. He hunched slightly, arms tight at his sides, something heavy in his grip. A glint of metal. A wrapped, bulky container. The weight of it obvious even at a glance. Sarah’s heart kicked harder, adrenaline sharpening her senses. He moved toward the house, footsteps deliberate, shoulders tight with tension, every movement betraying the strain.
Shit. He’s heading for the porch.
Her hand dropped to her Glock. “Stop! Police! Hands up!”
The figure spun sharply toward her, caught off guard. A flash of confusion crossed his face, quickly replaced by cold determination. He didn’t throw it. He set it down—just beneath the front window, near the door.
Her breath caught as she saw it clearly in the porch light: A pressure cooker bomb.
He was already backing away, turning, running.
She didn’t hesitate. She bolted toward the porch, toward the bomb, toward the house where her people slept. Her gaze shot to his retreating hand—a small device clutched in his fist. A remote.
Her foot hit the ground once more, and she took a breath that felt impossibly deep, as if her lungs meant to hold onto life a fraction of a second longer.
“COLIN!” she screamed—loud, guttural, full of terror and command. “WAKE UP! GET OUT! BOMB!” Then her scream shattered the stillness, an anguished cry hurled into the dark.
Oh god.
White fire filled the world.
Then, nothing.
Daniel
Daniel Lopez was halfway along the rear perimeter, flashlight slicing quietly through shadows, when Sarah’s voice crackled urgently in his earpiece:
“Daniel—front yard.Now!”
His heart jolted. He pivoted sharply, breaking into a run, legs pumping hard across the damp grass. Somewhere beyond the neighborhood, the faint wail of sirens began to rise, growing sharper with every stride. Before he reached the corner of the house, her voice rang out again—this time not through the radio, but from the front yard itself, full and raw and real.
“COLIN! WAKE UP! GET OUT! BOMB!”
Daniel ran faster, heart pounding, eyes locked on the front yard.
“SARAH!” His shout fractured the silence a beat too late.
Her shrill scream tore through the night—urgent and impossible to misread.
