Page 11

CHAPTER 11

R aven hated to admit it, but she was glad Jake was here. For a moment, she felt safe again.

She’d always known Jake would never let anyone hurt her—not physically, at least.

Her heart was a different story.

She swallowed back her emotions and vowed to keep her thoughts focused on anything but Jake. Thinking about her heartache wouldn’t get her anywhere. It would only take her back in time—the last place she wanted to be.

Jake closed the door behind him and locked it again. Then he turned to her and put his hand on her back. “I think you should sit down. You’re looking a little shaky.”

Now that he mentioned it, Raven was feeling shaky. The feeling was because of everything that had happened—not because Jake was touching her. But she couldn’t deny the heat burning her skin where his fingers met her lower back.

She let him lead her to the kitchen table. He didn’t drop his hand until she was seated.

Instantly, she missed his touch.

Not good. Not good at all.

“I tried to call you.” Jake stared at her, concern—and maybe some standoffishness—in his gaze.

“I tried to call you too. My call wouldn’t go through.”

Jake’s jaw tightened. “Most likely a signal jammer.”

Raven blinked. She hadn’t even considered that possibility.

“But if someone is using a signal jammer . . .” She couldn’t finish the statement.

She knew the truth was that if someone had used a signal jammer, it was because they didn’t want her to make any emergency calls.

And the reason someone would do that? They’d planned on doing something terribly tragic to her.

Her throat went dry.

She didn’t dare speak the words aloud. Certainly, Jake already knew the truth also.

“I need to tell Cassidy what happened.” Jake pulled out his phone and stared at the screen. “It looks like whoever was using that signal jammer turned it off.”

“That’s . . . good news?” Raven struggled to find the right response.

“I guess you could look at it like that.”

Raven waited as he made the call.

Jake kept the conversation short. When he got off the phone, he turned back to her. “She’s going to have her guys canvas the area for anyone suspicious. You didn’t hear anything else? See anything?”

Raven shook her head. “No, it was quiet in the house—until I heard someone trying to get in. But I didn’t hear a car pull up or footsteps or anything else like that. I did see a shadow at the door, though.”

Jake grunted. “I see. But why would someone want to break in?”

As soon as he asked the question, Raven knew the answer.

She swallowed hard as her gaze crept up to meet his. “Because I have something they want.”

“What would that be?” Jake held her gaze.

“The fragment of the bomb relic I brought here. Maybe someone wanted to get it from me before the truth is exposed.”

Jake took a moment to process Raven’s words.

“What exactly did you discover?” His heart pounded harder as he waited for her answer.

“This bomb that was found on the beach by Eleanor . . . it wasn’t a relic. It was new, and it was made to look like a relic by someone very skilled. The paint isn’t historical, and the aging process was artificial. Plus, I examined the metal under my microscope, and the alloy is too pure. Those elements weren’t used in manufacturing at that time.”

Jake leaned back and let out a deep breath. He knew Raven was brilliant. But listening to her now just proved that.

Beautiful. Intelligent. Kind.

She was the total package. He’d always known that.

His thoughts continued to churn. “That guy who was watching us on the beach . . . maybe he didn’t want this to be discovered. Maybe he was coming back to the scene to search for any evidence.”

“That makes sense to me. I believe someone made a new bomb to look like an old one, and they wanted someone to do exactly what Eleanor had done—to think it was simply a great beach find, to bring it home.”

“But why? Just for fun?” Jake asked. “Just to see what would happen?”

“You and I both know there’s more to it than that.”

He definitely agreed. “Someone’s trying to make a statement.”

“That’s my best guess. I just don’t know why.” She paused. “Maybe we should give this bomb fragment to Cassidy for safekeeping. It’s not going to be secure with me.”

“And you having it in your possession puts you in danger.” His thoughts continued to race. “Maybe it’s a terrorist who wants to disrupt the American way of life. Something like this will put fear in the average everyday citizen who is just going about their day.”

“It’s a definite possibility.” She paused, a question flashing in her eyes. “You never told me why you came back here.”

His gaze darkened at the memory. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out the photo, and slid it across the table toward her. “I found this at the site of the explosion.”

Her face went white—but she didn’t look totally surprised either. What wasn’t she telling him?

“Raven?”

She swallowed hard and looked up at him. “I saw that earlier—right before the second bomb went off. I assumed it had been destroyed.”

“A metal box landed on top of it. It’s probably the only reason it didn’t burn up.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why didn’t you mention it?”

Raven shook her head. “I . . . I really don’t know. I was frightened, I suppose. Wondering if I was reading too much into this. Then everything happened . . .” Her gaze drew up to meet his. “Do you think Eleanor had some kind of connection to me?”

He didn’t have to think long about his answer. “I have a hard time believing that. I think the person who left the second bomb at the scene may have also left this photo.”

“How would this person know I’d be investigating?”

Jake shrugged. “Maybe he wanted to lure you here.”

“But why?”

“I have no idea.”

“Then that’s what we need to figure out.” Raven paused and traced her finger through the air as if mentally calculating something.

He hid a smile.

Raven always did that when she was deep in thought, and he didn’t even think she realized it. He found it adorable—like the air was her whiteboard as she mentally tried to visualize something.

“I am the leading expert in historical artifacts and weaponry on the East Coast—some people say in the US. I suppose it won’t be a stretch to assume I’d be called.”

“I agree.”

She paused from doing her mental calculations and sighed. “There’s clearly more to this story than we initially thought. We have to figure out what’s going on here before someone else is hurt.”

We , Jake realized. That was the word Raven had used.

Good choice. It seemed clear right now that the two of them needed to work together if they wanted to find answers.

That would be another challenge within itself.