Page 110 of Love Bomb

“I thought it was obvious.” Kirsty pointed to the end with the prongs.

Rona frowned. “I didn’t get a chance to look at it before I used it.” She turned her face up to Bain. “I see where I went wrong now.”

“I’m so relieved,” Bain said.

Through the crowd, two identical cashmere coats made a beeline for them. Bain did not have time for this. It’d been a long, long night and nothing had gone right. He held up a hand to stop Rona’s parents before they could open their mouths.

“Think before you speak,” he ordered. “My threat still stands, and I am pissed right now.”

Rona squeezed his waist.

“We’re disappointed in you, Rona,” Lorna said, with an air of someone who felt entitled to judge. “We had hoped that you’d behave in a more circumspect manner. Obviously, you can’t be trusted. This will now have to be resolved in court.”

“We also plan on suing Benson Security,” Rona’s father said. “They’ve done a shoddy job of protecting the folly. How they can claim to be a world class outfit, I don’t know.” He sneered at the group behind him. “They let a group of old women get the better of them.”

Kirsty took issue with that. “They aren’t old,” she said evenly. “And the folly is still standing. I’d call that a job well done.”

Lorna stuck her nose in the air. “What on earth has this to do with you?”

“I’m married to Lake Benson,” Kirsty said.

Her parents shared a look that said Kirsty’s declaration explained everything.

“Mother, Father,” Rona said wearily. “Please go away.”

Lorna looked startled. “I didn’t raise you to be rude.”

“You never raised me at all,” Rona said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go inside out of the cold. A woman just held a knife on me, I accidentally electrocuted myself, and I think I may have eaten a cookie laced with laxatives. I don’t have time to deal with you.” She looked back up at Bain. “Can I wait in the church while you dismantle the explosives?”

“Sure.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll get it done now.”

Neither one of them paid any attention to her parents who were staring at them in disgust—probably because they didn’t recognize genuine affection when they saw it.

“Will you stay with her?” Bain asked Kirsty. The thought of her alone and easy prey for George and Lorna was just too much.

“Absolutely.” Kirsty put an arm around Rona, who smiled gratefully.

“Shouldn’t be too long,” Bain said. “It’s faster dismantling that it is setting things up.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Rona called, making him smile.

As he strode toward the folly, he scanned the perimeter line again, just to make sure there weren’t any curious people ignoring the order to stay well clear of the building. To his relief, there were none.

He was almost at the folly when he heard George call out behind him.

“I say,” George said. “Has anyone lost a car remote?”

An icy sensation went through Bain, and he hurriedly unzipped the pocket where he’d placed the detonator. He plunged his hand inside.

And came up empty.

The remote must have fallen out when he’d removed the stun gun. He spun on his heels and started running back towards Rona’s parents.

“Put it down,” he shouted, making heads turn his way.

None of them belonged to George.

“Nobody’s listening,” Lorna said, her superior tones carrying over the murmur of the crowd. “Press it and activate the car alarm. That should bring the owner running.”