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Chapter Four

Heat slapped Jake across the face From the doorway, he watched the Jeep burn like a bonfire in the parking lot Claire gasped, then squeezed around hiht behind the blaze’s heat forced them to stop

Orange flames stretched froht above the vinyl seats poisoned the air around the gathering crowd of busboys, servers and curious customers

What kind of life was Claire living? Could this be the work of a jealous ex-boyfriend, an angry customer, or had Kendall’s killer picked out another victim?

Jake glanced over She stood an ar Then, she clenched her jaw tight From the looks of her, she was either about to punch sohts out or bawl The real fire had turned her feisty spark to ash

The urge to tuck her into his ar a step toward her before he stopped hiet eht it felt Not a second time

Shouts of, “Get the fire extinguisher,” tore his attention away fro out the crowd’s clamor

Looked like there were benefits to living in a small town, and response time was one of them

People hters roouy peeled off from the crowd He didn’t look forward Instead, he kept his head down and turned slightly away About six feet tall, he had shaggy, sandy hair with a skin-and-bones build The nored the co lot

The hairs on Jake’s neck stood at attention He didn’t have any proof, but in his gut he knew He leaned toward Hank

“Sheriff, see the guy hoofing it out of here? White shirt? That’s gotta be him,” Jake said in a low voice

In tandeh adrenaline puh his veins faster than an avalanche in the Rockies, Jake had to stay slow and in control A wrong move and he’d tip off the arsonist

“You asshole! You set my car on fire!”

Claire’s battle cry rose above the sound of the fire, the sirens and the crowd He groaned as she streaked past him Looked like she’d picked brawl over bawl

As she chased after the suspect, the man booked it at a fast clip away from the banshee on his heels Without hesitation Jake took off after them He didn’t think first, just followed her lead