Mastered by Mavericks (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 3)

She fought back the tears, trying to convince herself those amazing men were safe and would be headed her way soon.

Though the people around her were clearly in shock given their collective gasps and whispered questions to each other, she couldn’t move her attention away from the flame-engulfed structure.

Sawyer and Reed had been wonderful to her. They’d made her feel alive, really alive, maybe for the first time in her life. They were incredible, loving men. Charming. Funny. Warm. She’d brought this hell to them by insisting on coming here to look into the error on the Missing Person’s Report. Had Nicole’s desire to try to clear her name and Henry’s brought her bad luck to Destiny somehow? God, if she could only take it back. But she couldn’t. She tried to calm her mind. Her cowboys had to be okay. They must. She wrung her hands, waiting for the official word to come. She’d already fallen for Sawyer and Reed hard. How would she survive without them? The answer was—she wouldn’t.

“Ethel, get on that thing and find out what the bloody hell just happened.” Gretchen looked stricken, as her friend, also white as a ghost, nodded.

Ethel punched a number on her cell and then brought it up to her ear. “It’s ringing.”

Nicole could feel her heart beating in her chest. Maybe they went out the back of the building. Please be okay. Please.

“Patrick. Thank God. What happened down there? No.” Ethel shook her head and said quietly, “The second floor collapsed?”

Oh God!

“Ask him if any—” Gretchen said.

Ethel held up her hand, which was shaking. Everyone seemed to hold his or her breath, hoping for news. “Yes. Okay. Okay. I love you, too.” She clicked off the phone and addressed the crowd in a steady, authoritative tone. “Folks, please remain calm. At this point they do not know what caused the fire or what exploded. They are working to control the fire so it doesn’t spread to the hotel or other buildings nearby.”

“My house is on the opposite corner of McDavish and Big Elm,” someone said. “Is it okay?”

“So far only the clinic is in danger,” Ethel informed.

“What about the patients inside the clinic,” a man to the back of the throng shouted. “Is anyone hurt?”

“No news on that, but my husband Patrick just told me they would be sending someone to us with an update shortly.”

“Ethel, you’re not just stalling are you?” Gretchen asked quietly but loud enough for Nicole and those closest to hear.

The judge shook her head. “Six were still inside when the explosion happened.”

Six? God, don’t let it be them.

Nicole swallowed hard, trying to quell the dread wrapping its claws around her throat. Being positive was never something that came natural to her. She was more of an expect-the-worst-and-you’ll-never-be-disappointed kind of girl. Right now, she wanted to be the opposite but was having a difficult time turning her old habit around.

A figure in full fire gear ran toward them from the clinic. Nicole could instantly tell by the person’s height they weren’t either Reed or Sawyer, both of whom had a full six or more inches on this one.

When the firefighter removed his hat, Nicole realized this person was a woman. The firefighter’s long, dark hair spilled down to her shoulders. Her lips were red and her eyes were deep blue.

“Phoebe, what’s the news?” Amber asked the question everyone was longing to have answered.

Breathing hard, Phoebe took a bottle of water and downed half of it. “I’ve got news,” she said between more sips and breaths.

“Spill it, counselor,” Ethel ordered.

“It’s not good. Looks like the clinic will be a total loss.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Nicole asked, fearing what the truth might be.

Phoebe closed her eyes. “It’s bad,” she choked out.

Her insides tightened into a horrific knot. She’d never let her attention move from the clinic, hoping against hope for two figures to emerge from the blaze. They hadn’t.

Nicole wanted to scream, wanted to run, wanted to pound her fists on something hard until they bled.

Chapter Fifteen

Nicole’s head swam as she stared at Phoebe. “Who? Are Reed and Sawyer okay?” The pit in her stomach tightened like a vise.