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And I just did.
Mason pats my back and pulls away. After he pulls out, I jump off the desk and sink into a chair. Soft. Better.
He puts his pants back on. “So, do you believe me now, Mrs. Burke?”
Believe what? What were we talking about, again? Oh, right. Renee.
“Like I said, I’m not…” I stop as he cocks his head and then sigh. “Yes, I believe you. I have nothing to worry about.”
How can I still feel insecure about another woman after what he’s just done to me?
“Good.” Mason grins as he touches my cheek. “Because I don’t want you to worry about anything at all.”
Chapter Sixteen ~ Battle-Hardened
Mason
“Did you get the picture I sent you?” I ask Jack on the phone as I go jogging at the Mall.
I thought about changing this part of my routine because Owens mentioned it. There’s a chance I might run into him here. Still, I decided to stick to it. He can show up if he wants. I’m not scared of him.
“Yes,” Jack answers. “And I have to say, it’s a good picture. Where did you get it?”
“A friend. I think the woman with Owens in the picture is Lindsey Tyrell. I want you to look into that.”
“Okay.”
If I’m right, Owens is connected to her disappearance, and that’s big.
“Also, look into a man named Harry Duncan for me, will you?” I ask. “He’s a football coach, but he seems to have ties to Owens.”
It may not matter any longer, but I still want to know what he knows.
“Okay.”
“Good. Let me know as soon as you find something.”
I end the call and keep jogging. The soles of my shoes don’t make a sound on the pavement. Beads of sweat form on my forehead, cooled by the breeze that blows against my face.
As I wipe off the rest, I glance around. There aren’t too many joggers today, but I can see some regulars – Secret Service trainees, retired military personnel, young men and women who will probably don jackets or blazers later when they go to work as lawyers or lobbyists.
My phone rings. I direct my gaze straight ahead and tap my earpiece to answer the call.
“Mason Burke.”
“Mason, it’s Leander. Please tell me you’re in your apartment.”
I frown at the panic in his voice but keep mine calm. “Leander, what’s going on?”
“I’ve been trying to call you. You’re in danger.”
Danger? I survey my surroundings.
“Owens is out to get you. He’s…”
I’m no longer listening. I’ve stopped jogging. I’m looking around, remembering my Army training on how to spot an enemy or anything suspicious.
Then I see it. A paper bag next to a trashcan, my company logo on it.
“Bomb!” I shout as I start running in the opposite direction.
A moment later, the explosion goes off. I hit the pavement and everything goes black.
~
The first thing I see when I open my eyes is something white. As my vision clears, I realize I’m staring at a nurse’s uniform. She’s right outside, beyond the glass pane.
A nurse?
My mind clears next and I remember that I was jogging and there was an explosion. I don’t think I’m dead, which means there’s only one place I can be.
A hospital.
I turn my head to the other side and see Aster sitting by my bed. She’s doing something on her phone, but when she realizes I’m awake, her eyes grow wide.
“Hey.” She gives me a smile.
“Hey,” I answer weakly.
She touches my hand. “You scared me for a moment there.”
I can see the worry on Aster’s face, though it’s giving way to relief now. I can only imagine how shocked and scared she must have been when she found out I got caught up in an explosion.
Caught up in an explosion? No. That bomb was meant for me.
“Did they catch who did it?” I ask her.
Aster shakes her head. “But the authorities are on it.”
Of course they are. That explosion was less than a mile from the White House, and even the President goes jogging at the Mall sometimes. I doubt they’ll find any evidence, though. If Owens was brave enough to put it there, it’s because he knows he’s going to get away with it.
“They’d like to ask you a few questions, actually,” Aster adds. “They said you saw the bomb before it exploded.”
“I did,” I admit. “But I don’t know who put it there.”
I can’t tell them Owens is behind the bombing because I don’t have any proof. I only know because that’s what Leander told me.
Leander. I should thank him for warning me. If he hadn’t, I would have been closer to the bomb. I could have died on the spot.
I didn’t think Owens would go so far as to try to kill me just because I refused his proposition outright and refused to discuss it further. I underestimated him. It won’t happen again.
