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She smiled, eyes tired but full of happiness. “Lia said I was fine and perfectly capable of walking up and down stairs as long as I’m careful.”

Burke and his brothers looked at Gray. He grinned at them. “Relax, guys. I’ve got her, but she’s a really smart woman and knows exactly what she’s capable of doing.”

Which was true, but didn’t lessen his panic much.

Gray held out a chair for Amber, and she settled in with the infant snoozing in her arms.

Seth stood. “I need volunteers to bring in the food. It’s time for Jayna’s first family meal. Let’s celebrate.”

His buddy was right.

Rissa sat with Burke on the small couch in the inn’s lobby. Frizzle snoozed in her lap while Marcus led them through their statements. Burke’s voice had tightened when he’d talked about the Q Lab lifting into the air. She leaned into his side and tried to offer the comfort of her presence. They hadn’t been hurt, and Victor was in jail.

Marcus closed his notebook with a sigh. “Victor Anderson followed Curt’s instructions to buy a gun. He didn’t take any lessons on how to shoot it, figured he knew enough from watching TV shows.”

Rissa shuddered. “He still came close to hurting Burke.”

He shifted to put his arm around her. “We’re lucky he didn’t do more damage with his errant bullets.”

Marcus nodded. “Weapons in the hands of untrained personnel are dangerous. Victor is talking to everyone who will listen about Curt and how he pressured him into preparing the IED and then the rest.”

She frowned at that. “Did Victor visit Curt in jail? I thought someone told me he hadn’t had any visitors.”

Marcus nodded. “You’re right. From what Victor tells us, Curt was jealous of Burke. Curt figured he should be second-in-command because his father ran the company. Even though he didn’t have Burke’s skill or experience, he wanted the respect Burke had from others, including his father. Curt originally thought Burke would stay in Boston. Victor was to go to Boston and leave the exploding present at his condo. If that didn’t scare you into leaving town, Victor was to buy a gun and kill you.”

Rissa shuddered again. “That’s horrible. Why would Victor go along with that?”

Marcus shrugged. “He said his cousin threatened him with mob connections and told him he wouldn’t last a week if he didn’t follow instructions. Curt would have people hunt him down no matter where he went.”

Burke rubbed her arm. “Curt overstated his importance and his connections. There wouldn’t have been any threats.”

Marcus nodded. “Exactly. Victor didn’t know better or ask questions. Now he’s thrown away his life because of that choice.”

Rissa patted Frizzle. “It’s over?”

Marcus nodded. “The FBI will continue to investigate, but mostly to add evidence to keep both men in jail as long as possible. Curt hasn’t had any visitors or calls since he’s been inside. He attempted to call his father and another gambler when he was allowed to make the calls. Both refused to speak to him.”

Burke sighed. “I can’t feel sorry for him because he could have killed Rissa or anyone else on the farm, but I wish I could have seen something that would have stopped this mess before it happened.”

Marcus smiled. “I understand, but at least the mess had you heading to the farm at the same time that Rissa was teaching at the local school.”

Rissa’s face flushed at the comment, but she smiled.

Burke grinned down at her. “You’re right. The farm appears to draw people in at the right time.”

They waved Marcus off, and Burke wrapped her and Frizzle in his arms. For a long moment, they enjoyed the fact that there weren’t any more threats out there.

He rubbed his hands over her back and then stepped back to take her hand. “How about we go straighten out the Q Lab? It shouldn’t take long to put everything back in place.”

She nodded. “I want to check for damage. I know Lawson and Graham checked for structural issues, but the Q Lab has been our home for years, and I want to ensure she’s okay.”

When they arrived at the RV, they heard voices inside. Before she could panic, Charlie’s laugh reached them. She looked at Burke. “What’s going on?”

“Let’s find out.” Burke opened the door, and they stepped inside.

Charlie, Olivia, Jolie, and Ford were inside, making it crowded when she and Burke joined them.

Charlie grinned at them. “Good timing. We’re almost done.”