“Sorry, occupational hazard,” he said before returning to the doorway. He held her one last time and kissed her gently.
But an hour later Cassidy was still awake, staring at the walls, her thoughts turning over and over. She tried to let them all in, to embrace the process. She imagined she was on a raft in a turbulent river. Would she capsize? Should she paddle for the shore or trust the water to carry her safely?
Finally, she rose from the bed and tiptoed through the house to the guest room. She stood in the doorway for a long moment, listening to Bruce’s soft breaths for several moments before stepping into the room.
Silently, she lifted the covers and slipped underneath. Bruce stirred.
“Is it okay?” she asked, curling into him.
He shifted closer. A soft sigh left his lips. “It’s perfect.” He kissed the top of her head then she felt his breathing relax. Within moments, his limbs grew heavy and she knew he had fallen back asleep. Cassidy closed her eyes, her body gently softening against his.
It seemed only moments that she had been asleep when Bruce’s sharp voice woke her.
“Cassidy!” he barked, shaking her.
She blinked her eyes open, but everything was blurry. It was still dark. “What’s wrong?”
Bruce pulled her from the bed just as she smelled the smoke. “Fire! Cassidy, we have to get out!”
A puff of smoke blasted into the room, bringing a cloud of heat. She heard the roar and crackle of the flames.
“Bruce, wait!” Her mind’s eye spun through every room, picturing her work, her laptop, the tiny collection of Pete’s clothing that sat folded on her shelf, the rest of his notebooks, the last of his life…
“I have to get—” She resisted the tug of his hand.
“It’s too dangerous, Cassidy, we have to get out. Now!”
Anguished, she let him lead her from the guest room. “My glasses! Bruce, I can’t see!”
But it was as if Bruce hadn’t heard her. The hallway was full of smoke. Somewhere she heard glass breaking. “I have to get to my room!” she shouted, and broke away, shielding her face with her arm. But the entrance to the kitchen was a ring of flames, and she jumped back, coughing, the heat searing her face and arms, the smoke filling her lungs.
Bruce grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the front door. This time, Cassidy let him, and together they hurried through the covered porch. Bruce tugged on the doorknob. “It’s stuck!” he shouted over the sound of the flames roaring at their back.
“What?” she cried.
Bruce tried again, but the deadbolt was jammed.
“Stand back!” he said, then raised his foot and kicked at the doorjamb. It bulged but the lock didn’t break.
“Bruce!” she screamed as the flames licked into the doorway behind them.
Bruce tried again, this time ramming the door with his shoulder. She heard the sound of splintering wood. The door popped open and Bruce fell through, landing on his side in a heap. She hurried after him and together, they stumbled from the house. Coughing, they reached the street. Neighbors were coming out of their homes, their shapes a blur that stung to look at. In the distance, she heard sirens.
Bruce pulled her into his arms. She realized he was shaking. “If you had been in your room,” he said in a trembling voice. Cassidy remembered the heat coming from her side of the house, the ring of flames circling her kitchen entryway. If you had been in your room, you’d be dead.
“Holy hell, Cassidy,” he said, squeezing her tighter. “What are we going to do?”
Cassidy’s Crusade Teaser
The same crime ring who murdered her fiancé now wants her dead.
Reluctant sleuth Dr. Cassidy Kincaid stirred up a hornet’s nest when she partnered with the FBI to turn a criminal into an informant. Now, she’s got a target on her back.
Unless she can link her fiancé’s death, the sex trafficking operation infiltrating the west coast, and her family’s secrets, she’ll be forced into the FBI’s Witness Protection Program, separating her from her brother, her gratifying career, and, after two years of being alone, a chance at love.
Will Cassidy find justice and freedom? Or will she be forced into isolation forever?
If you like the suspense of Willow Rose and the plot twists of Kendra Elliot, you will love Amy Waeschle’s clever, nail-biting series.
Buy this page-turning series finale today!
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Acknowledgments
Thank you so much for reading this book and supporting this series. I hope you have enjoyed this next installment in Cassidy’s story! I’m excited to bring you the finale, Cassidy’s Crusade, coming soon. While you’re waiting, you might enjoy my two standalone books: Feeding the Fire, a domestic thriller, and Going Over the Falls, my high-stakes family drama.
Thank you to my family for their unwavering support. To my husband who brings me coffee every morning, listens to me work out plot problems while we mountain bike our local trails, and is a superdad to our daughters, thank you. Thank you to my daughters, who celebrate with me when I finish the first draft all the way to when the first copy arrives in the mail and who tolerate the time I spend wrestling with words. You are the best cheering squad a writer could hope for. A big thanks to my brother for being my friend and for making me laugh like no one else.
I’m also indebted to many helpers for bringing this story to life. Craig Isenberg, family therapist and dear friend, has given me incredible insight into Cassidy’s mind and motivations. Thank you for your time and for answering my endless questions. To “Buddy Rowe,” my retired FBI agent partner
