Raintree: Haunted (Raintree 2)

Honey glanced around the deck. “She was carrying a big purse. I guess she might’ve left…” She raised her hand and pointed. “That’s it, over there by the beer.”

Gideon rushed past the subdued partygoers, grabbed the purse and ran from the deck.

“Hey!” Honey shouted. “You’re bleeding!”

Gideon ran toward the water, the heavy purse dangling from one hand. Hope was still standing near Tabby’s body, watching, her eyes alternately on him and on the bag. “Get back to the house!” he shouted.

“No way, Raintree.”

He looked her dead in the eye as he passed her at a run. “For Emma, not for me.”

Hope reluctantly did as he asked, hurrying away from the shore as he ran into the water. While the surf crashed around his calves he gave the purse a mighty heave. It flew through the air, tumbling and sailing. He prayed the bomb was no more powerful or complicated than the one Tabby had planted at The Silver Chalice. If that was the case, then he was far enough away. Hope and the people at Honey’s were more than far enough away. If not…

He couldn’t allow a live bomb to float out into the ocean or perhaps wash up somewhere else into innocent hands. With his body shielding what he had to do as much as possible, Gideon let loose a stream of electricity as the bomb landed in the water. It exploded when the spark hit the bag. The force of the blast knocked Gideon back, out of the water and into the wet sand. In an instant it was over, and all that was left were bits and pieces of debris floating on the waves.

Less than a minute later, Hope was there. She didn’t help him to his feet but instead dropped to sit beside him in the sand.

“You’re a good shot,” he said as he placed his arm around her.

“Don’t sound surprised.”

“That’s relief, not surprise.”

Hope rested her head on his uninjured shoulder. In the distance, sirens approached. “For a second tonight, just a second, I thought I was seeing ghosts.” She scooted closer. “It’s not a whole helluva lotta fun.”

“Nope.”

“I thought my heart was going to come through my chest.”

He threaded his fingers through her hair. “You didn’t panic.”

“No. I only panic when I find unexpected fertility charms hanging around my neck,” she teased. “I called it in, grabbed my gun and walked outside just in time to see her following you onto the beach.”

Night was falling quickly, but the lanterns on Honey’s deck lit the beach well enough.

“You’re going to make a good partner.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you that all along.”

“The chief will try to split us up once we’re married. Annoying rules and all.”

“Rules are made to be broken. We’ll find a way.” Hope stood and offered him her hand, as paramedics and two uniforms ran onto the beach. “Come on, Raintree. Let’s go inside and have a look at that shoulder before you blow up the paramedics’ equipment.”

The police and the paramedics and Tabby’s positively dead body had been taken away, and explanations had been made to the neighbors—which wasn’t easy, since a couple of young men swore they’d seen lightning jump out of Gideon’s fingers before the bomb exploded. Fortunately they’d been drinking heavily, and no one gave their account much credence.

Hope was still shaking a little. She’d never fired her weapon in any situation that wasn’t controlled. Target practice, training and testing, that was it. But when she’d seen Tabby shoot at Gideon, she hadn’t had any choice. She hadn’t been thinking about Emma or marriage or special gifts—or nights on the deck, making love in the moonlight.

That psycho was shooting at her partner.

All the officials were gone, and the party at Honey’s was over. Hope locked the doors and led Gideon into the bathroom, undressing him and herself as they went. She let her fingers trail over the bandage at his shoulder. It was just a scratch. Would he heal it anyway, with a tickle of lightning or a surge of electricity? Or would he leave it alone and let it heal on its own?

“A couple of those kids saw me, didn’t they?” he asked, sounding unconcerned.

“Yes. I convinced them they were too drunk to see anything clearly, and I think they believed it by the time I was done.”

“You’re very convincing.”

“Thank you.”