Mastered by Mavericks (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 3)

She felt an arm come around her shoulder.

“It’s going to be okay,” a woman’s voice said. “Reed and Sawyer will be fine. You’ll see.”

She turned to the blonde woman. “I hope you’re right. I just feel so helpless.”

“I’ve been there. I know the feeling, and it sucks. But trust me, it’s going to be okay. Eric and Scott are volunteer EMTs. They’re helping with the fire, too. They’re my guys.” The kind lady, Nicole guessed to be in her mid-twenties, stood with a few of Destiny’s citizens that had been allowed closer to the action. The rest were on the northwest corner of the town’s park. Everyone, including her, was in shock at the destruction they were witnessing. “I’m Megan.”

“Nicole.”

Megan smiled broadly. “Everyone in Destiny knows who you are, Nicole.”

“They do.”

“I’m still getting used to this town, but you’ll come to love it like I have.”

“I’m only here for a week or two, Megan. No more.”

“That’s what I thought when I came here.” The blonde squeezed her tight. “You might be surprised.”

Even surrounded by other onlookers, she felt so alone. Her three newly appointed bodyguards had gone into action in a flash after her cowboys and Jason had left, stepping away into the background to remain inconspicuous. The three men weren’t quite invisible but close.

Alexei stood twenty feet away in front of Blue’s Diner, constantly scanning the area for any trouble. She found it ironic that one of her protectors against the Russian mob was a former Russian mobster himself.

Dylan was closest to her of the three. He stood about four feet to her right still wearing his dark sunglasses. Law enforcement was something she’d been around since childhood, but Strange was unlike anyone she’d ever known. His intensity was substantial.

Dylan and Alexei clearly had experience in covert operations. Cam, not so much.

Even though they were brothers, Cam and Dylan had completely different personalities. Dylan was a cool operator. Cam seemed almost manic and argumentative. Dylan’s tool of choice clearly was his gun. Standing across the street where Dylan had sent him and Erica, Cam held his tool of choice, his cell. He held it to his ear, but the majority of his focus clearly remained on Reed and Sawyer’s lovely sister as his eyes never left her. Being an attorney, maybe he was dealing with a big case. She wasn’t sure, but still felt Cam’s frame and height would intimidate just about anybody.

Nicole looked back at the smoke above the clinic. She prayed silently, “Please God, let Reed and Sawyer be safe.”

* * * *

Sawyer knew fighting a fire was part sc

ience and part luck. Flames were consuming the walls of the clinic’s lobby, as he and Reed fought to contain the blaze.

This disaster was the worst the Fire Squad had faced in town ever. Even though the risk had been high, he and Reed had gone into the burning structure because eight souls were still inside. Cody Stone had joined them, leaving the other volunteers to man the hoses and fight the fire from outside.

Sawyer would bet this had been an act of arson, though he had no proof of it yet. If he was right, it meant Nicole, the woman of his dreams, needed protection from the Russians. It would be only a matter of time before they came for her. He regretted not going along with Dylan’s suggestion of pulling her into a secure room. Once done here, he would make sure to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

“Guys, over here,” Reed yelled.

* * * *

Nicole could taste the acid from the fumes of the fire on her lips. She couldn’t imagine what Reed and Sawyer were dealing with inside the structure. She could see the flames coming out of the upper floor’s windows. She had to remind herself to keep breathing.

More people were joining the rest of the onlookers, but most were silent as they gawked at the blaze. The few words uttered came from two silver-haired women a few feet in front of her.

“My God, did everyone get out safe, Ethel?” one of the senior ladies said in a distinct British accent.

“No word yet, Gretchen,” Ethel answered, looking at her cell’s screen.

A couple of men rushed past her.

“Where are you going?” she shouted to them, unable to not take charge, despite Wolfe’s earlier demand.

“We’re volunteers, miss,” one of them yelled back over his shoulder. He knocked over one of the sawhorses, but didn’t stop.