Page 13 of Chain Reaction

As Jake dove toward the safety of the sand dune, the grenade landed mere feet away from him.

Then an explosion filled the air.

Sand sprayed, the grains sharp projectiles that felt like needles against her skin.

Raven’s breath caught until she could hardly breathe.

She blinked, trying to see what had happened. Where was Jake? But the sand remained suspended in the air, not allowing her a clear view.

Cassidy, Chief Holland, and Officer Leggott ran toward the scene. Raven was only a few steps behind.

Her pencil skirt and blue knit top weren’t ideal for running. But she had to know if Jake was okay.

Finally, the cloud of sand cleared from the air, falling to the ground as if in defeat.

As it did, Raven realized the man Jake chased had disappeared.

But where?

As she scanned her surroundings, she spotted someone dashing over a sand dune farther down the beach. Then, over the roar of the ocean, Raven heard an engine.

The man must have left a vehicle there, and now he was getting away!

Her gaze darted back to the beach. To the area where Jake had sought cover.

A second later, he rose from behind the sand dune, his body hunched over as he coughed.

He was alive!

She released the breath she was holding.

That could have been so much worse.

What exactly had she gotten herself into by coming here? She’d thought this would be a simple consultation where she would identify the remains of a World War II bomb and then be on her way to her next assignment.

But now it seemed so much more was involved.

She drew in another breath before darting across the sand. Cassidy was already headed that way.

What would Jake say? If Raven were honest with herself, she’d admit she wanted to see him up close with her own eyes and make sure he was truly okay.

Just because it was what any decent human being would do.

Not because she still cared about him.

Raven no longer had feelings for the man.

When Jake had shattered her heart, all that affection had vanished . . . never to return again.

CHAPTER 6

Jake coughed to clear his lungs before standing and blinking away the sand in his eyes. His ears rang from the blast.

Thankfully, the only shrapnel the grenade had sent flying was sand.

He glanced at where the grenade had landed fifteen feet away from him.

A crater with an eight-foot radius and five-foot depth had formed in the sand from the detonation.