Connor looked over the school’s lawn, catching sight of Scarlett as her car pulled up. With one hand stabilizing the strutting they were putting in place, he couldn’t leave to go over and meet her, but a smile crossed his face as relief settled on his shoulders at the sight of her. She was there at the disaster, yes, but in one piece. The makeshift command center was just across the way. Make her way there and she’d be safe, surrounded by half a dozen captains and battalion chiefs from their own departments, let alone the sheriff’s deputies as well.

His smile dropped away when he spotted Captain Harrelson storming his way out of the command center and over to Scarlett. Her eyes focused on the massive damage to the structure in front of her, she didn’t notice him coming until he had caught up to her. Connor shifted, his gaze swinging back to the rigging as he crouched down further to stabilize the load.

He knew Scarlett would have preferred to avoid her boss and march into the fray head-on, but Connor’s gut, let alone his heart, would relax properly once he knew she was at command and safe. Besides, Alex Stone was doing a great job ensuring that no one else got access to the scene—cops or otherwise—until his squad and others had shored up the structure and made sure everyone had the right protective gear. Even then, it would likely be them clearing anything inside. The cops and associated law enforcement could help with rescuing surface victims and crowd control.

He grimaced, not from his hand tightening on the rig, but from the realization that whoever did this was likely standing out there, somewhere among the vast sea of people on the lawn. Arsonists loved to revisit the scene of the crime, often even situating themselves into the handling and investigation. He’d hazard a guess that asshole bombers were no different. Scarlett’s perp was likely out there right now. Watching. Waiting.

And she was standing right in the middle of the fucking lawn. The rigging finally in place, he stood and looked over for her again. What Connor saw made the knot in his belly from his fears for Scarlett’s safety unravel into a massive rush of adrenaline as her Goddamned boss grabbed her arm and dragged her around the building’s corner. The disappearance of Scarlett from his line of sight and likely away from anyone’s view at all made Connor’s breath quicken to match his thumping heart.

He looked over to Seth, who had followed his line of sight. His jaw was tight and his muscles tensed, too. “Go,” Seth said. “I’ll hold it down here.”

Connor didn’t need to hear anything more. He dropped his tools and ran. The distance was minimal, just enough to get away from the crowd and likely not be overheard, but every step felt like an age. When he finally reached the building’s edge and turned the corner, he stopped dead. His heart nearly did the same in his chest at the sight of Scarlett scrambling on the ground, a gun pointed directly at her head.

His feet were moving again before his brain had even made the call. It was instinctual, his need to place himself between Scarlett and the gun, and Connor’s body reacted.

He threw himself at Harrelson, throwing his arm wide as their bodies collided. They hit the ground in a cloud of dust, blanking out Connor’s vision for a critical few seconds. He could still hear, and the sound of the gun going off splintered through his mind. Had he been fast enough? Was Scarlett safe?

He reached out blind, struggling against a body lying underneath him. Sweat ran down his face, barely able to make out the face of Harrelson beneath him. The man might have been able to best Scarlett physically, but Connor was bigger, younger, and fitter than the captain. He’d die himself before he let the man get another shot at the gun.

Harrelson got a leg out and managed to lever himself up and over Connor. Not on his watch. He rolled, grabbing the man by the throat. He didn’t care if he suffocated the bastard, as long as Scarlett was safe.

Scarlett.

He heard her voice, ringing out over the sudden chaos surrounding them. “Connor! Don’t kill him! I need to know.”

What on earth had the bastard told her that had her pleading for his life? The pain in her voice was enough to have Connor loosen his grasp just enough for Harrelson to breathe. He hadn’t counted on the man’s hand coming up with a rock, impacting the side of Connor’s head. He fell backward, his vision darkening around the edges as pain danced and swirled through his mind. No. He couldn’t lose consciousness. He wouldn’t allow it. Had to keep her safe.

Connor lurched to his feet, and he launched at Harrelson again, when another crash rang out, along with the best sound he’d ever heard.

“Freeze, Asshole!” Scarlett yelled. “Or I’ll take you out myself.”

The shock of the sound had Harrelson twisting, and Connor saw his chance. He grabbed Harrelson’s arm, locking the elbow and moving it behind him, forcing the man to roll. Once the other man was on his belly, Connor ignored the pain shooting through his spine and moved, locking the arm behind Harrelson and placing his knee square in his back. Only when he’d grabbed the man’s hair and forced his head up, completely immobilizing him, did he dare look up. The sight before him made him finally be able to breathe again and almost stopped his heart all at once. Scarlett stood before them, blood pouring out of a wound on her shoulder, holding her gun in a shaking, single hand.

“I dare you,” she said. “Twitch, and I’ll do it.”

Harrelson grunted beneath him, and Scarlett’s hand shook with the exertion of holding up the weapon. Just as Connor thought he’d have to race Harrelson to the discarded gun lying just yards from them on the ground, Seth rounded the corner, followed closely by Mason and then Scott Wilder, Seth’s best friend and a member of Monroe P.D. Scott’s eyes widened at the sight of his boss lying restrained on the ground, but seconds later, he was standing by Connor’s side. The man deserved a damn medal. He didn’t question a thing, just took one look at Scarlett and grabbed his cuffs, taking Harrelson into custody.

The moment Scott took ahold of his boss, Connor dropped his own hold and ran to Scarlett, scooping her up in his arms and planting a hand over the wound in her shoulder. “Medic!” he called. He looked over to Mason and Seth with wild eyes. “Where the hell are Shane and Charlie?”

Scarlett looked up at him, a soft grin on her face, despite the pain in her eyes. “We did it, Babe.”

Connor leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her forehead, his hand still pressing firmly on the wound. “We sure did, Gorgeous. Together.”