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A blast—a full-on inferno—that was happening. LeBlanc’s was burning right in front of her horrified eyes.
And Beau was hauling her away from the scene.
“Beau!” Avalon twisted and squirmed in his grasp.
He just tightened his hold. “You heard the lieutenant. People can’t be replaced. You can’t be. Nothing can replace you.”
He was at the limo. Royal had the door open. When in the world had Royal reappeared?
Beau dropped her into the limo. She started to shoot right back out. But Beau caged her with his hands on either side of her body. “He’s here.”
She knew it.
The fire kept raging behind Beau.
“I think he planned for me to see the place go up. The sonofabitch. He wanted me to watch it burn. Maybe he’d even set up explosives somewhere inside. Hell, I don’t know. But I felt that blast. There had to be more than what Lane saw. The place is a fucking trap. He got me here. He got you here.” Beau shook his head. “You’re leaving. Now.”
“I’m in this! Dammit, we talked about a partnership?—”
He kissed her. A furious, hungry, desperate kiss. Then, against her lips, he vowed, “My world will not burn.”
“Beau—”
He backed away. Left her in the limo. “Get her to safety,” he told Royal.
Behind Beau, she could see the thick, gray smoke rising in the air. And the flames. There was no missing them.
More sirens wailed.
His world was burning. Because of her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He slammed the door. A moment later, the limo pulled forward. She peered through the window and watched as Beau walked toward the blaze. A firefighter appeared to shove him back. The firefighter wore a mask and helmet, so she couldn’t see anything about his features.
Water sprayed at the blaze.
Then the limo turned a corner, and she couldn’t see Beau or his bar any longer. She lurched toward the front of the limo. Her fingers shoved at the small button that would lower the divider that separated her from the driver. With a little whir of sound, the tinted glass slid down.
“Hello, Avalon.” Royal was as cool as you please. As if they weren’t fleeing a fire that had detonated like a bomb.
“Beau has been investigating my old arson case. He had those people with him—Lane and Ophelia—they are helping him. They have been working on my case for weeks.”
“That doesn’t sound like a question.”
“It wasn’t. And, for the record, your response didn’t sound like a denial.”
“It wasn’t.”
“So he has been working on my case.”
“The man just can’t give up some things.”
Her breath hitched. “He’s been watching me.”
“I think Beau prefers the term ‘protecting’ you. Less stalkery.”
“Am I supposed to be afraid of him or grateful to him?” How in the world was she supposed to feel about Beau?
Royal turned the vehicle to the right. “I don’t know. Do you see a giant red flag waving in your direction? Or, oh, my bad, could it be giant red flames waving toward you? Have you noticed those?”
