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"We're all good."

Her gaze moved to the van that was still at the other edge of the parking lot. "They took my bag and phone and pressed this disgusting-smelling towel against my nose and mouth that knocked me out. I wasn't sure I was going to wake up."

"But you did," he said, unable to resist hugging her once more. Then he added, "When I found your bag and phone in the hospital parking lot… You have no idea the terror that I felt. I shouldn't have left you alone for even a second. I don't know what I was thinking."

She gave him an emotional look. "Tyler, it wasn't your fault. I saw Naomi by Megan's room, and when she ran, I followed her out of the hospital and into the parking lot. I made that decision, not you. I should have waited, but I didn't want her to disappear. As soon as I saw her there, I knew she was part of it."

"Well, we have her now. I want to get you out of here. Do you need treatment for the smoke?"

"I'm okay. I'm sure you have things to do. If you give me my bag and phone, I can call for a ride."

"Not a chance. I'll drive you to the hotel, get you set up there, and then I'll rejoin my team at the office. There's nothing more to be done here now. The forensics team will go through the building once the fire is out, but that probably won't be for hours."

"Okay," she said. "I wouldn't mind getting away from here, and that big spa tub is feeling very appealing."

"Let's go." He kept his hand on her back all the way to the car. He didn't think he'd ever be able to let her walk away from him again, not even across a parking lot.

Chapter Twenty-Five

They got back to their luxurious suite at the hotel a little before eight o'clock on Wednesday night. Rachel couldn't believe how much had happened since they'd left that morning. She'd thought her biggest challenge of the day would be facing Dr. Levitan. It had gotten so much worse after that.

She put her bag on the dining room table, but before she could make her way to the couch, she found herself back in Tyler's arms. She sank into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist. She'd been wanting this longer, more personal moment since they'd gotten out of the warehouse, but there had been so many people around and so much going on that a brief hug was all they'd been able to have. But the crowd wasn't even the real reason she'd stopped herself from hugging him longer; it was because she hadn't wanted to reveal how scared she'd been. She hadn't wanted to fall apart at the scene.

But now…

The emotions were rising up within her, and another minute, and they'd be spilling out all over, so she forced herself to step back and give him a tremulous smile. "Thanks, I needed that."

"I needed it, too." He scanned her face with a sharp intensity that made her want to turn away.

"You should go back to work. We can talk later," she said quickly.

"Why so eager to get rid of me?"

"I'm not. I know you have a lot to do."

"My team is already working, and I am going to join them soon. But first, I need to know you're okay, Rachel."

"I'm fine. I'm alive. I'm not injured. It's all good."

He shook his head, his gaze telling her he wasn't buying her words for a second. "There's no way you're perfectly fine. But I will say that you are something else. When I saw you struggling to get that man out of the fire, I couldn't believe it. You should have saved yourself. You should have gotten out of there."

"I couldn't just leave him. I did what anyone would do."

"No. You did what you would do."

"You wouldn't have left him, either, Tyler."

"I'm trying to give you a compliment," he said with a warm smile.

Tears started to gather in her eyes. "Don't be nice to me."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm trying to keep it together."

"I can see that. You don't have to keep it together in front of me, Rachel. I know who you are. And that's a brave, smart, beautiful woman."

"Who's about to cry," she said, fighting her emotions as hard as she could.