Page 12 of Wrecker

WRECKER

Her sexy mouth dropped open when I told her she couldn’t leave.

The surprise only lasted a moment before her violet eyes narrowed. Then her mouth parted again, like she was ready to argue. But she wasn’t able to speak before I leaned closer, and the air between us thickened.

“I’m not trying to play caveman, Peyton,” I said, my voice low and rough. Not that I didn’t have the desire to be. “But you’re not walking out that door without me.”

“Because…?” She arched a brow, somehow commanding the room like a queen as if she wasn’t half-sitting in a clinic bed with an IV still taped to her hand.

“Because someone wanted you dead, and I’m not fucking letting that happen.”

Her breath hitched. It was subtle, but I caught that little spike of fear she tried to hide. And beneath it was confusion. I could tell that a mind like hers didn’t like blanks. She wanted to solve the puzzle and hated not knowing what pieces were missing.

I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. “This wasn’t a freak accident.” Slowly, I walked over and sat in the chair by her bed. “They were waiting for you, baby.”

Peyton’s lips pressed together, and her throat worked as she swallowed. “You think the building was brought down on purpose.”

“I know it was.” My gaze dropped to the faint bruising along her collarbone—newer than the ones I’d seen earlier. “The damage pattern didn’t match the structural fatigue. It was too clean. Too targeted. But it was expertly masked. I wouldn’t have recognized it if I hadn’t seen shit like that before.”

Her eyes widened. “How?”

I shrugged. “My degree’s in civil engineering. Structural integrity, load-bearing analysis, that kind of thing. Got it while I was still active duty.” I met her gaze. “Combat Engineer. EOD for Army Special Operations. I know how to bring a building down. And how to keep one standing when everything else around it crumbles.”

She didn’t respond, but I saw the curiosity that sparked in her eyes. She wanted to know more, but she wasn’t sure if she should ask.

I smiled, thinking about how cute my inquisitive little kitten was, but I was also concerned because, as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

“After I got out, I started contracting,” I continued. “Urban Rescue Demolitions. Specialized in collapsed building recovery. Fast entry, tight space clearance, brute-force extractions. Cities or firehouses call me in when shit goes sideways.”

Peyton blinked slowly, like she was trying to figure me out but was failing. “So…you’re basically the guy they call when there’s no path in.”

“Exactly.” I tilted my head, smiling at her astuteness. “And the second I saw what was left of that garage, I suspected youweren’t buried by accident. Then everything I noticed as we worked our way in and out of that building confirmed it.”

She swallowed hard, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t tell anyone I was going there except my roommate. And she would never.”

I shook my head and leaned closer, resting my elbows on my bent knees. “Someone else knew.” I looked straight into her amazing violet orbs. “And they wanted you gone.”

All the color drained from her cheeks. She looked delicate and vulnerable, as if she might break. But there was strength underneath it all, and something told me that if she fell apart, she’d claw her way through anyway. It made me want to wrap her up in my arms and protect her from anything in the world that could bring her pain. But I was also drawn to her courage. She was everything I could ever want and everything I would ever need.

“Why?” she eventually croaked.

I didn’t sugarcoat it. “I’m not completely sure yet. But I’m guessing you’ve been asking too many questions and digging too deep. Kicked a hornet’s nest without realizing it.”

She blinked, and I saw fear lurking in her violet depths. I hated that she was afraid, and I was even more determined to keep her safe.

“Tell me a little more,” I asked, my voice softer. “Why that building?”

Her eyes flicked up to mine, cautious. “There’s a pattern. People don’t realize it, but by trying to be unpredictable, they usually end up doing the opposite. The timing on this one just fit.”

I scratched my chin as I thought over everything she’d told me. “Most likely, they figured it out when you requested the public information and blueprints. How long ago did you do that?”

She bit her lip as she contemplated my question. “Three days, I think?”

I nodded. “Plenty of time.”

“For what?”

“To rig the place so it would blow—with you inside.” I stood and began to pace, my energy keyed up over thoughts of what could have happened if I hadn’t gotten to Peyton in time. It could have been even worse than before if I had gotten there too late. I wasn’t going to let my mind wander down that rabbit hole, so I turned back to the current problem. “Is there anything else you can think of?”

---