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The snorts and huffs of laughter from the others who’d been outdoors told Rissa Burke was downplaying both the device and his injuries.

“What kind of device?”

His eyes shifted away from hers, and she wondered if he was about to lie to her. Disappointment rocketed through her for a moment, but then his gaze returned, and he sighed. “It was a homemade explosive device disguised as a Christmas present. It wasn’t a large enough explosion to kill a human, but I was lucky not to take a direct hit.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “I think your military training saved you, not luck. If you hadn’t reacted so quickly, you could have been seriously injured.”

Rissa gulped down the fear, and Frizzle nuzzled in closer. She didn’t want to share her past, but if it was putting Burke and the others in danger, she didn’t have a choice. “Are there any clues as to who put it there?”

Her voice shook, and Burke frowned at her. “Not yet. What are you thinking?”

Frizzle barked, probably recognizing her stress. “I’m not sure, but I’m wondering if it could be my fault.”

Chapter 14

Next Question

Burke watched every drop of color fade from Rissa’s face. Her voice and lips trembled when she told him the explosion could be connected to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a long moment. Then he eased her into a chair and tugged another one close to sit beside her.

He hadn’t shared that the card read Malssum, and he wouldn’t until he found out exactly why she was afraid the incident was connected to her. Did she have a stalker?

Once again, he wanted to kick his own ass for losing touch with her. She’d had a shitty father, and now it appeared someone else had given her a hard time. He wanted to know everything and to make sure she was safe. Forever.

Marcus took another chair across from them and pulled out his notebook. “Who do you think might have left the box?”

Frizzle licked Rissa’s chin again. She petted her dog and dropped her eyes. “I had an issue with a man back in Charleston, but I can’t imagine him following me here. He doesn’t know where I am. I’m sorry I even brought him up. Forget about it.”

Marcus kept his voice calm. Mild. Burke had always enjoyed working with Arrow in the military. He was one of the best leaders Burke had seen. His steadiness and intelligence were legendary. Those qualities also made him a superior lawman.

“I’ll investigate all avenues, but it’s good to have as much information as I can get. If the man is from Charleston, it should only take a few phone calls to ensure he’s there. Then we can eliminate that avenue of inquiry.”

Rissa nodded as she worried her bottom lip. “Okay. His name is Dan Coulson. I have the names and contact information of the officers I worked with on my phone.”

She pulled it out, opened up her contacts, and passed Marcus the phone, giving Burke a few moments to control himself. When he was sure his voice would be steady, he spoke. “What happened? Was he violent?”

The words came out in a growl. He should have let Marcus ask the question, but he needed to know.

Rissa shrugged and kept her eyes down. “I went to his place for a dinner date. He knew I didn’t eat red meat, but he told me I would love the way he grilled steak. Said he’d had professional training, and everyone loved his food. He didn’t like it when I said I’d stick with the vegetables.”

Burke kept the curses internal, knowing he wouldn’t like what was coming next.

Rissa took a few breaths while they waited, giving her time. “He told me he knew how to cook, and I’d eat everything the way he prepared it. I didn’t like his tone and tried to leave. This was our third date, and until then I had seen no indications of violence, but I didn’t like his attitude and wasn’t taking the chance.”

Her voice shook, and Burke wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He wanted to track down this asshole and rip him to shreds.

Lawson’s hand landed on Burke’s shoulder and squeezed. His brother kept it there, helping to ground him in the present.

“Dan grabbed me and shoved me into a chair, told me I would eat what he prepared. When I tried to leave again, he hit me. I screamed for help, and he held the grill lighter up to my face. I tried to kick him away and kept screaming. He sat on me, held my hands down with one hand, and held the lighter to my arm with the other. The neighbors heard me yelling, then the police arrived and arrested him.”

The words came out in a rush and slammed into Burke. There was likely a lot of detail she’d skimmed over in her rush to get it out. How long had she suffered before the police arrived? He lifted Rissa and Frizzle into his lap and cuddled them close. “I’m so sorry, Rissa.”

Marcus spoke with a growl in his own voice. “Is this asshole in jail?”

Rissa shrugged. “Not anymore. It was his first offense, so he was out in a few weeks as long as he spent time with a therapist and his parole officer.”

Marcus frowned. “There’s no way that was his first offense. They just didn’t find evidence of the rest. You got a restraining order?”

She shuddered. “Yes.”