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Normally, I did mostly paranormal-style artwork, so the stories I consumed on the sly were usually of the fantastical variety. But a big time publisher had contacted me the other day about doing a stepback for a debut romantic suspense author’s splashy hardcover. The moody inside cover work was a dream job for me, but then I’d made the mistake of reading chapter one before bed.
Then all thirty-two other chapters before breakfast.
Whoops.
A cop had been the hero, and he’d gotten gravely wounded saving a little boy from being shot. The heroine had to nurse him back to health while trying to find the killer.
I was not about nursing anyone. Even if the hero had been described as looking like Henry Cavill.
That meant I had to make sure all of Mav stayed in one piece.
And I was going back to sketching vampires, gargoyles, and large blue mutant creatures with two penises. At least then, my imagination wouldn’t run away with me like it was tonight.
“Listen, call Dr. Thorn if she seems off. He does house calls, I’m almost sure.”
“On a Friday night?” Honey seemed dubious.
She wasn’t the only one, but I was scrambling for any lifeline I could grab. “He’s very hands-on and approachable.”
Mickey rolled her eyes, still petting Daisy. “Says you.”
Okay, then.
“I’ll be back soon. Thanks again.” I left before either of them could ask me any more questions.
Not that I had any answers to give. All I could do was follow my gut to Mav’s location, my hands tight around the wheel, the radio on silent just in case some awful news report would stop me in my tracks.
I was on a mission. God help us both.
But I couldn’t even get near the damn gas station. The road was blocked off and police cars were parked haphazardly, making it impossible for me to even get close in my vehicle.
So I parked around the block and ran.
I was surprised to see the fire department had trucks on scene too. Austin Lancaster, one of the firemen who was close to Brady and Mav, immediately spotted me.
Damn eagle eyes.
I looked around for another hole in the crush of people, but he decided barring a redhead from entry was more important than dealing with the unholy dripping mess I spotted through the plate glass window of the gas station. Everything looked drenched.
“You can’t get your gum now, Monaghan.” Austin threw up a beefy arm when I tried to do an end run around him, using speed and the element of surprise to—
Well, to end up hoisted in the air, my legs still pumping as if my brain wouldn’t accept I wasn’t actually in motion.
“Put me down, you behemoth. I have rights.”
“You do, and you aren’t exercising them in there. Crime scene.”
“Was there a fire?” I didn’t smell any smoke, thank God.
“No. Someone pulled the fire alarm after they called in a false report. And you didn’t hear that from me. Hey, ease off,” he said, affronted, when one of my Keds connected with his shin.
The wordsfalse reportsettled the chaos in my brain. Enough that I took a deep breath and nudged Austin to put me down. “I’m good.”
He lifted a dark brow. “Are you sure about that?”
I nodded and rolled my shoulders, the tension leaving my body. Most of it, anyway. “I had too much coffee today, sorry.”
His brow remained raised, but he set me on my feet.
