Beware of Me (Dark Obsession 4)

“He’s…coming for you…” Static crackled on the line. “Get…out…”

Get out? “Where are you? The FBI is searching for you!”

“Bomb…wants to take out you…and Ethan…knows…”

That one word went straight through her. Bomb. “Ethan.” The phone nearly fell from her hand as she stared at him. “Bomb. Nelson says there is a bomb!”

But where was the bomb? At her apartment? At the PR Firm?

Dear God…at Reflections?

“Get out…” Nelson’s words were a rough tangle of sound in her ear. “Of…club…”

How did he even know she was in the club?

But Ethan was grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the front door. She ran with him, desperate to escape. If a bomb was inside, just how much time did they have? Carly feared the explosion would go off at any moment, rocking the building and killing them both.

Ethan shoved open the door. He pushed her out front, then followed but—

A man was in her path. A man with blond hair and green eyes. Eyes that were familiar to her.

Those eyes widened when he saw her. “Ms. Shay. We need to talk.”

He needed to get out of her way. They all had to get out of there.

“You don’t know me,” the guy continued, side-stepping when she tried to get around him. “But I’m Curtis Thatch. And—”

He didn’t get to say anymore. Because Ethan had just driven his fist into the guy’s face. Curtis went down, slamming into the ground. And Ethan wrapped his arm around Carly’s waist. “Move, move, move…”

Only he wasn’t giving Carly the chance to move. He was carrying her and running and Curtis was stumbling after them.

Then Reflections exploded. She and Ethan hurtled toward the ground, and even when they hit, he was on top of her, shielding her with his body. She could feel the lance of fire against her skin, and for a moment, she stopped being able to hear anything at all. The boom had been so loud and the sudden silence after it was startling—no terrifying. At first, she feared that her ear drums had burst.

She could see Ethan above her. His mouth was moving. What was he saying? What—

“—Baby, where are you hurt?”

His voice hit her like a drum, each word pounding through her. Carly shook her head. She didn’t feel particularly hurt. Maybe some bumps. Maybe some bruises, but she was okay. She hadn’t burned alive so that was a serious win in her book.

Ethan rose slowly and pulled Carly to her feet. Her shoes crunched on something and when she looked down, she saw shattered pieces of glass littering the ground. Not just glass—mirror. Broken mirror chunks were everywhere. So much more than seven years bad luck…

“Is she hurt?”

Her head whipped to the left. Curtis Thatch was there. His clothes appeared ash-covered and blood dripped from a cut on his cheek. He started running toward her. “Is she okay?”

Before he could reach her, Ethan grabbed the other man. He shoved Curtis to the ground. “Stay the hell away from her!”

But Curtis didn’t stay down. He surged right back to his feet. “I’m a doctor, dammit! I can help her!”

She didn’t need help. Her ears were ringing, but she was fine. Her gaze slid to the burning building. So much for Ethan’s new club, but at least they were okay. Alive.

Ethan caught her hand in his. His fingers threaded with hers. “We have to get out of the open…It’s not safe like this.”

But bystanders had gathered around them. A thick crowd, seeming to come from nowhere. A cop was there, too, trying to control the scene, but madness was taking over. So much madness.

A dark SUV slid to a stop near the curb. She wasn’t surprised to see Agent Monroe leap from that vehicle. He rushed toward her and Ethan.

Another hand grabbed her, trying to yank her away from Ethan. She looked up and into Curtis’s eyes. No wonder they’d seemed familiar. They were the same shade of green that Quincy’s had been. For just a moment, past and present blurred for her. She screamed and kicked at him.

“No, no, I want to help you!” Curtis said. He swore and tightened his grip. “Let me—”

He didn’t say anything else. Because Ethan attacked. Not just a punch this time. Not some shove. Ethan launched his body at the other man and tore into him with a fury. Violent. Hard. Primal. Again and again, Ethan slammed his fist into the other man.

Curtis didn’t hit him back. Carly wasn’t even sure if Curtis could fight.

“Ethan…” Carly barely whispered his name.

His head swung toward her.

And that was when Agent Monroe grabbed him. Victor yanked Ethan away from Curtis and pushed him to the side. Only Ethan didn’t seem to realize that an FBI agent had grabbed him. He whirled and lunged right for Victor.

“No!” Carly cried. But it was too late. Ethan had driven his fist right at Victor. And blood had just poured from the agent’s busted lip.

“That’ll do it,” Victor snarled. “Assaulting a federal officer. Ethan Barclay, I think your ass is finally getting locked up.”

Carly glanced behind Ethan. Reflections was still burning. And the cops—they were all closing in. Not on her.

On Ethan.

***

Ethan was used to being inside an interrogation room. Over the years, he’d gotten plenty of interrogation experience. So he sat back and made himself comfortable as he waited. He glanced at his hands. His knuckles were red. Scratched. And he still smelled like fire and ash.

My club…destroyed.

But it had just been a building. Wood, bricks, and mirrors. Reflections could be replaced. If something had happened to Carly, if she’d been hurt—there would have been no replacing her.

The door opened. Agent Victor Fucking Monroe stood there. The guy looked cocky and arrogant. That wouldn’t last long.

Ethan just lifted a brow as the other man approached him and sat down at the little table in the room.

“For someone who just committed a major screw-up,” Victor drawled. “You don’t look particularly concerned.” He tilted his head to the side. “No lawyer?”

“Sophie is

in D.C. If I need her, she’ll be here immediately.” But he didn’t think he needed Sophie Sarantos, not just yet. He also didn’t want to pull her into this mess, not until he figured out exactly what was happening. He and Sophie had been friends since they were kids, but the woman was happy now. All snug and in domestic bliss with her fierce bastard of a lover. While Ethan didn’t always like the guy, he respected the hell out of Lex Jensen. Lex was fanatical about Sophie’s safety, so if Victor called in his lawyer and Sophie came to New York, he knew that Lex would be in tow, too.

“Oh, I think you’ll need her,” Victor said. He touched his lip. Yeah, it was busted. So what? “You assaulted a federal officer, and I got about ten witnesses who say you also assaulted Curtis Thatch, when all the guy did was say he was a doctor who wanted to help.”

Ethan laughed. “I don’t believe in coincidences. They just don’t happen.”

A furrow appeared between Victor’s eyebrows.

Did he really have to break this shit down? Fine. “My place explodes, and just who happens to be standing outside my door? Curtis Thatch. Standing there, just waiting for us to run right out after Dr. Nelson calls with his desperate warning…”

“We’re still trying to locate Nelson,” Victor said. “I’ve got techs trying to track his phone.”

“Good for you,” Ethan murmured.

Victor’s blue eyes narrowed.

“Coincidences,” Ethan continued, giving a shake of his head. “No, it wasn’t by chance that Curtis was out there. He was waiting for us. Maybe he planted the bomb and he wanted to see for himself when Carly and I both were blown to hell. Maybe he’s one of those hands-on types.” He shrugged. “You’re the FBI agent. You figure that crap out.”

Victor leaned toward him. “You’re right. I am the FBI agent. And I’ve definitely figured out one thing in particular. You’re dangerous. Unstable. You can’t be trusted to keep Carly Shay safe, and I think you’re a threat to everyone you meet.”