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In Seattle, they relaxed and ate a nice meal on the water. After eating, they went to the park to enjoy the sunny, windless day. Dakota realized she could very much get used to doing nothing other than lying in Ace’s arms as she visited with her best friend and her family.
“We’ve had a fun day,” Ace said as he looked around—he was always looking around. She kind of liked how safe she felt with him. “Now it’s time to head back.”
The girls all groaned, but they cleaned up their blankets and started walking toward the parking lot. That’s when things went wrong. Ace stopped walking, his body on immediate alert.
“What is it?” Cooper asked. Nick and Maverick came to stand by them, all of them instinctively shielding the women.
“Something’s wrong,” Ace said.
“I don’t see anything,” Mav told him.
“I don’t know. I just feel off,” Ace told them.
“It’s been a relaxing day. I think you’re just so used to looking out for danger that you don’t know how to relax,” Nick countered.
“Not worth questioning it if the women are in danger,” Ace insisted.
“Come on, brother,” Cooper said with a laugh. “Relax.”
“We need to get out of here. I’ve learned to trust my instincts,” Ace said.
Coop looked at him for a measured moment, then sighed. “Okay, let’s go,” he agreed.
They stepped forward again, and the air seemed to grow denser. Nick was moving toward his truck at a relaxed stroll. They were less than a hundred feet away when an explosion nearby nearly knocked them off their feet. People screamed and ran away from the parking lot.
Nick stood there in shock, not moving as the heat from the blast engulfed them. They were far enough away they were out of danger, but too close for comfort.
Dakota watched as Nick’s truck went up in flames. She turned to see his ashen face and didn’t know what to say. They were all silent as they witnessed the devastation.
“Who would do that to my truck?” Nick asked, his voice revealing how numb he felt.
“What the hell?” Ace said. “I should have been paying more attention.”
“How is this your fault?” Dakota asked.
“Because . . .” Ace trailed off. He didn’t have an answer.
Cooper was the first to pull himself together. He lifted his phone, dialing the police. Someone else must have already, though, because they heard sirens as emergency vehicles were dispatched.
Another car suddenly blew up, and the people in the park who’d been heading for their cars wilted back. The sounds of screams and crying children could clearly be heard.
The fire department showed up and began to put out the flames that had ignited several other vehicles. The bomb squad screeched into the parking lot.
“What in the hell is going on?” Mav asked.
“I don’t like this,” Ace said. They all huddled together as Ace looked around the crowds, searching for faces that appeared out of place. He couldn’t find any—just a hell of a lot of terrified folks.
The cops showed up, and Ace immediately approached them. Several members of the force began speaking to civilians.
“Did you see anything?” Officer Michelson asked.
“Yeah, I saw my truck get blown up,” Nick replied with a growl.
“No, we didn’t see who did it,” Ace said.
“There have been other vehicles getting blown up. We think it’s a group of radicals trying to prove a point,” the officer told them.
“Are you sure about that?” Ace asked.
