Car doors slammed from the area where Finn had parked. Two men in turnout gear pounded toward them, moving at a high speed in the afternoon heat. Both guys were tall. Both took sure steps. But only one of them was a childhood friend.
“Ryan?” Ryleigh asked. “You’re a firefighter?”
“Hey, Ryleigh.” Ryan Maddox flashed her a smile, and she remembered the years as a kid following the lanky, blond boy around the Maddox family resort every summer. “We’ll catch up later. Who’s in charge here?”
Finn held out his hand before she could speak. “Finn Durham. Security manager.”
“Ryan Maddox.” Ryan gripped Finn’s hand. “What do we have?”
“A bomb detonated in the back building about twenty minutes ago now.” Finn jerked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the buildings that had been decimated.
“Anyone injured or trapped in the blaze?”
“Not that we know of,” Finn said before Ryleigh could. “All the workers are offsite all day. The supervisor was in his truck at the road, and the guard was on his way to talk to him.”
“That’s good news.” Ryan looked at the other firefighter. “Go ahead and radio this in and update others. We could need a wildland crew if this spreads to the surrounding trees.”
The guy nodded and stepped away.
Ryan turned his attention back to Ryleigh. “We’re a volunteer group. Troy and I live the closest, and the others should be here with the equipment soon. For now, you all need to—”
“Ms. Steele,” Eckles shouted from behind what was left of the front wall of the back building. He stepped out. “You’ll want to see this.”
“What is it?” Finn demanded in his Navy SEAL domineering tone before Ryleigh could respond.
“A body,” Eckles said. “I found a body.”
Ryan bolted toward the supervisor before Finn could even turn. Finn should wait for Ryleigh to head to the scene, but she stood frozen in the swirling heat, and he didn’t really want her to see the body anyway, so he jogged down the drive.
Please let her stay behind.
Her footfalls sounded, and she caught up to him.
Drat.
She grabbed his arm, slowing him down. “Hold up. We do this together.”
He jerked back and rubbed the area she’d touched. Earned him a raise of her eyebrows, but he wasn’t about to tell her it impacted him. A lot. Or make some stupid comment. Seeing her again had turned his brain to mush, and he wasn’t functioning at full capacity.
“You should stay here,” he said. “A person’s been killed. It’s dangerous.”
“Um, hello.” She rolled her eyes. “I was an FBI agent. I’m trained—”
“Wasan agent?” He eyed her. With her cute short haircut that he learned was called a pixie cut after he’d taken seven-year-old Avery into his life, Ryleigh reminded him of a young girl instead of an FBI agent. “You left the agency?”
“Two months ago to work for the family.”
Wow! Just wow. “You used to bleed blue. You and your whole family. I never thought you’d leave the bureau.”
She fisted her hands on her curvy hips, a perfect place to rest his hand in the past when they’d walked side-by-side.
She held his gaze. “AndInever thought you’d leave the SEALs. At least that was the excuse you used when you ended things between us.” She paused, her gaze intensifying. “And yet, here you are.”
So she was still mad at him. Not surprising, but he couldn’t get into a personal discussion now. “Long story.”
“Yeah, for me too, and not one to get into now. We need to find out this victim’s identity and determine if they’re responsible for the bomb.” She lifted her chin as if she expected him to argue. “And you won’t stop me.”
“We’ll see how it goes.” A noncommittal response, but he didn’t want her wrapped up in a bombing. Didn’t want her in danger. Actually, now that he thought about it, he was thankful she’d left the FBI. He didn’t like thinking she went into potential danger every day, much like he’d done for years.
