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“Better than being boring,” he replied, matching her pace. Then his tone shifted, quieter but edged with that familiar cocky warmth. “Besides, I changed my mind.”

Ruth slowed to a stop, turning fully toward him. “About what?”

Noah stepped closer, his voice dropping to something sensual, smooth and warm against the cold air. “About going home. About packing up and heading to some safe house.” His emerald eyes locked on hers, his meaning clear. “I don’t want to waste tonight, Rae. I want you to take me to your place, grab a few things…” He tilted his head slightly, a faint, confident smile softening his words. “Then we’ll head to a hotel out of town, so I can make love to you.”

For a moment, Ruth’s voice failed her, his words leaving her breathless. She cleared her throat, cheeks flushing as she shook her head and pulled her key fob from her coat pocket. “You’re?—”

* * *

The night shattered.

The explosion came first—a thunderous, gut-punching BOOM that ripped through the quiet, so violent it stole the air from Noah’s lungs.

Then—fire.

A wall of heat and force detonated outward, swallowing Ruth’s car in an instant. The impact tore her off her feet, her coat catching the brunt of the blast as she hit the pavement hard. The sickening crack of her head against the asphalt cut through the roar of the flames, her limbs going limp.

Noah, only a step back, had just enough time to twist away, bracing instinctively. The shockwave slammed into him, hurling him into the side of a parked SUV. Pain flared through his shoulder and down his side as metal bit into his back, but adrenaline blunted it. He hit the ground with a grunt, momentarily stunned, ears ringing violently.

Smoke and fire filled the air, the acrid smell of burning rubber clawing at his lungs. Blinking through the haze, Noah forced his head up, his heart lurching as his eyes found Ruth. She lay sprawled on the pavement, too still, her coat burning, streaked with soot and ash.

“Rae!” Noah’s voice was hoarse as he staggered to his feet, his ribs screaming in protest. The ground trembled under him as flames erupted higher from the wreckage of her car. The fire roared with a hungry, unnatural fury, bright and blinding.

A deafening crack split the air as the blast ripped through the parking lot. Noah flinched as a wave of heat seared across his skin, debris scattering like shrapnel. The flames devoured metal and glass, leaping hungrily to the next vehicle.

This isn’t over.Something in his gut screamed,more blasts are coming. He pushed through the pain, stumbling toward Ruth. Smoke curled around her, turning her skin too pale. But her chest was rising, barely moving—she was alive.

Move. Now.

Noah dropped to his knees beside her, batting at the flames licking her coat. “Rae. Hold on.” His fingers burned, but he didn’t stop until the fire was out.Too close. Too damn close.

A third explosion erupted behind them.

Noah hunched over her, shielding her body with his own as debris rained down—glass and metal, slicing across his hands, cutting into his shoulder. He barely felt it. She wasn’t moving.

Come on, come on, come on.

He pressed two fingers to her throat.There. Pulse. Weak, but there. His breath shuddered out.She’s alive. But not safe.

Another car groaned, fire licking at its undercarriage. The next blast was coming. Seconds—maybe less.

Careful. Focus.

Moving deliberately, Noah slid an arm beneath Ruth’s shoulders and carefully shifted her body. His training from long ago kicked in—pure instinct. He took care to keep her spine aligned as he moved, cradling her head gently and dragging her in line with her body, not twisting or bending her limbs. Every motion was calculated, trying to spare her further injury.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured, his voice low and steady, even though his pulse pounded in his ears. “Stay with me, Rae.”

A fourth car went up, the shockwave slamming into his back like a hammer. Noah staggered, nearly dropping to one knee, but he didn’t let go.

“You’re okay,” he muttered, his voice shaking. “You’re going to be okay.”

Around them, the sounds grew louder. “Don’t move her!” someone shouted from somewhere behind him, but Noah ignored it. Whoever was responsible for this wasn’t done yet. This wasn’t just an accident. This was a message.

“You’re okay. We’re almost clear.” He dragged her farther from the explosions.

Smoke curled around them, thick and choking. The acrid stench of burning tires clawed at his lungs.

Behind them, a fifth car exploded, the blast so loud, it reverberated through his skull. The flames were spreading like wildfire now, leaping hungrily from one vehicle to the next.