Page 47

Flames consumed the R&D. Cole slammed on the brakes and parked, then jumped from the Land Rover. He raced to the shop.

God , please don’t let Jo be inside. But he feared she was inside with her father and that someone had set the place to burn down.

In his mad search for Jo, he’d thought about her father’s shop.

Cole might find clues there, so he’d driven through Forestview.

He’d been praying for a signal, a sign, or a clue .

.. something. Anything. But he hadn’t expected this—the worst-case scenario he could have imagined.

Sirens rang out with the approaching volunteer fire truck, which had gotten here entirely too late.

Cole raced around the back. He kicked open part of the fence that was warping under the heat and hoped Jo had found a pocket, some place that wasn’t burning.

Behind the structure, flames licked the skies, and the heat prevented him from going in.

He searched for a way he could get inside, while he was dying on the inside.

“Jo!” He should have told her he loved her when he had the chance.

What have I done? He shouldn’t have chased after Merrick. He should have stayed with Jo.

God , please let her not be inside. Please...

Anguish gripped him.

His knees buckled.

“Cole?” A shout came from behind. He twisted around to see her beyond the old salvage cars and parts. She was halfway up the privacy fence. “Cole!”

She jumped down and he raced toward her, grabbed her up into his arms, and held her tight. Cole would never let her go.

I love you!

Jo pulled away and gripped his arms. “Cole, we have to go. We have to save Pop! Follow me.” She raced back to the fence, and he followed.

“What’s going on? What happened?” he asked.

“Help me over this.”

“We could just go—” He glanced back at the part of the fence he’d kicked in, but it was on fire now. “Never mind.” He clasped his hands together, and she used the extra step to pivot over the top of the fence.

Cole climbed over and dropped down into a patch of ferns.

The fire still raged, but the fire truck was here to put it out, and Cole would leave them to it. If the rain started up again, that would help. Someone had obviously used accelerants.

He couldn’t have been more relieved that Jo was safe. But this wasn’t over yet. She took off running in the early morning light.

“Where are we going?”

“To the bridge. Martin is trying to make it look like I died in the fire and that Pop was so distraught he threw himself from the bridge.”

“That old bridge.”

“What other bridge would I be talking about? We have to hurry. They could already be there by now.”

He’d never seen Jo run so fast. Cole kept up with her, followed her. She knew the way. He had to focus on avoiding trip hazards in the dense foliage. He could barely see as it was.

Jo didn’t shout or call out after her father. Which was good. If Martin had a gun on him and tried to force him over the bridge, their silent approach would be the advantage they needed. The rush of the river grew louder as they drew near.

Jo suddenly stopped and pressed behind a tree. Breathing hard, she tugged him with her. “They’re on the bridge. Cole, you have to take a shot. You have to take Martin down before he kills Pop.”

“I thought you said he would try to force him off the bridge.”

“He’ll try, but Pop isn’t going to jump. He wants the bullet to prove that he didn’t commit suicide, that someone shot him, so there’s an investigation into his death that will lead to Martin.”

“Stay here.” Cole crept forward, formulating the best way to get Ransom off that bridge and safely away from Martin. The river beneath the decommissioned bridge covered the sounds as he moved.

But neither could he hear the exchange between Jo’s father and Martin. He didn’t have a rifle with a scope, and it was far too dark for him to try to shoot the gun out of Martin’s hands. But he didn’t want to kill the man who had so much to answer for.

Cole got up on the bridge behind Martin. “Put the gun down, Martin. It’s over.”

“Stay out of this,” Ransom said. “This is between Troy and me now. Step off the bridge. I want Troy to know firsthand what it feels like when your life is being held up by substandard materials and engineering and too many careless mistakes.”

Gunfire rang out at the same moment Ransom dodged the bullet Martin intended for him. Ransom moved from the bridge and hid.

Cole could not shoot someone in the back. “Drop the weapon, Martin.”

Cole rushed forward.

“Cole, don’t,” Jo said behind him, her voice shaking. “Just step off the bridge. Come back to me.”

“Jo, please. Stay back. It’s too dangerous.” What was she thinking?

“You’re in imminent danger if you stay on that bridge.”

Ransom appeared on the far side, but he hadn’t stepped back on the bridge.

No way was Cole allowing Troy Martin to walk away.

Cole closed the distance to Martin, who had put his gun down and lifted his hands up.

He expected this guy to fight tooth and nail for his survival.

After all, he’d committed heinous crimes to save himself.

Cautiously, he approached, prepared for anything.

Martin turned, an evil smirk on his face. He held a detonator in his hand.

“I’d rather die than let you take me.”

Cole didn’t believe that for one second. He’d destroyed too many lives to save his own skin.

But Martin pressed the trigger in his hand. An explosion rocked the bridge, destroying the north end. A loud crack resounded, and the boards beneath him shuddered. Cole braced for the rest as he looked down.

A horrific sound met Cole’s ears as the bridge crumbled beneath both him and Martin. He tried to grab Martin, but the man twisted free at the same moment Cole grabbed at anything that wasn’t crumbling and falling beneath him.

Jo screamed. She’d come out onto the bridge too and now grappled with the rickety beams, barely hanging on.

“Get off the bridge, Jo.” This from Ransom Driscoll on the other side. “This bridge isn’t stable. You’ve always known that. I warned you never to get on it. Now, please, just focus on getting off. Both of you.”

Cole glanced down at the rushing river. “I can’t let him get away.”

“Cole, you can’t go after him,” Jo begged.

“It wouldn’t be the first time this week that I’ve jumped into the water to save someone.” Yeah, and it had been a near miracle that he’d survived. But he would do it again if necessary.

“Son, he isn’t worth saving. You can’t save him anyway. Now I’m begging you to save my daughter. I’ll go after Martin. If he’s still alive, he’s mine.” To Jo, Ransom said, “Get off the bridge, Jo. I’m telling you right now.”