And if the explosion had happened five minutes earlier, Molly would’ve been in there with David.
She knew if this door was closed, others around the building would be, too. All she could do was wait for the firefighters to do their job. She sat back on the floor and tried to figure out what had happened. Her ears were still ringing and the room still seemed to spin slightly.
Had something in the lab caused the fire? There were always hazardous materials around, but everyone who worked there—including David—was trained in lab safety. She couldn’t think of anything they’d been working on that could’ve caused something this damaging, but right now it was too hard to even get her thoughts straight.
And, oh gosh, David was probably dead.
Molly just closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. Eventually rescue workers came through and led her out. They wrapped her in a blanket and she was now sitting in the back of an ambulance. Still dazed.
She had been questioned multiple times. What did she think had caused the explosion? What hazardous elements had been in active use in the lab? Had there been anyone else working besides herself and David?
She answered each time as best she could about the causes, but just like when she had been sitting inside, she couldn’t figure out what would have triggered an explosion of that magnitude.
And no, no one else had been there besides her and David. The young man’s death had already been confirmed.
She didn’t know what to do, who to call. It was even more chaotic and loud out here than it had been inside near the explosion. The rescue workers were all moving at a brisk pace, yelling to one another, coordinating the best they could to do their job.
Molly liked order and quiet, not the cacophony of havoc currently swirling around her. She resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears and close her eyes.
And then she saw him.
Derek was walking directly toward her, determination in his eyes. He radiated a definite purpose in his walk, because no one got in his way; instead, they stepped around him. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of her.
She wanted to jump into his arms, to beg him to take her from here. But this was Derek Waterman. Jumping into his arms wasn’t an option.
She was shocked when he put his large hands on either side of her head and tilted her head back so she was looking into his blue eyes, and found them searching her face intently.
“Are you okay?” His voice was deep, gravelly. “Injured?”
“No, I’m fine. But David Thompson, the new lab assistant, is dead, Derek.” Molly could feel herself begin to cry. To her shock, Derek pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“I know. I identified the body a few minutes ago.”
She leaned into Derek’s strength. He’d never put his arms around her in public before, but Molly didn’t question it. She needed his strength right now.
“I heard they’d found a body in the lab and I thought it was you, Molls. How did you get out?”
“I wasn’t in there when the explosion happened. I’d gone out to get something to eat.” She leaned back from his chest so she could look at him. “Like you told me to do.”
“I told you to do it hours ago.” He pulled her back against his chest. “Thank God you suck at following directions.”
Everything going on around her, all the noise and chaos, all the danger, didn’t seem quite so overwhelming against Derek’s chest. “Actually, I’m quite good at following directions,” she murmured. “I just lost track of time.”
She heard him chuckle before confirming with the paramedic that she hadn’t sustained any injuries needing further medical treatment.
“Oh, thank God!” Molly found herself ripped out of Derek’s arms and hugged against the even larger chest of Jon Hatton. “You cannot believe how glad I am to see you, Molly.”
Molly liked Jon just fine. And heaven knew he was attractive enough—six-four of solid gorgeousness—but right now she just wanted to jump out of the man’s embrace and back into Derek’s. But the moment had passed. Derek had turned to talk to Director Drackett and wasn’t even looking her way anymore.
As if it had never happened.
As usual.
“Are you okay, honey?” Jon released her from his hug, but kept one arm around her. “When we heard someone from the lab was dead...”
“David Thompson. The new tech.” Sadness filled her again. Nobody that young should die.
“I’m sorry, kiddo.” Jon squeezed her before letting her go. “But I’m glad it wasn’t you.”
As she stood watching the firefighters put the last of the flames out, Molly knew how lucky she’d been. And although she was heartbroken over David, she was glad it hadn’t been her, too.
Derek was listening to what Steve Drackett was saying while trying to force himself not to punch Jon in the face. Seriously, the man had been his colleague and one of his closest friends for over five years, but when he had snatched Molly out of his arms and into his own...
Derek reminded himself that Jon had no romantic intentions toward Molly. And even if he did, Molly was free to date whomever she wanted. Derek had no claim on her.
But damned if he wasn’t totally relieved when Molly stepped away from Jon. Derek pretended not to pay any attention to them whatsoever as he spoke with his boss. But he knew exactly where Molly was.
Of course, he always knew where Molly was if she was anywhere in his vicinity. It was as if he had an internal radar set solely for her. Not that he could do anything but keep a watchful eye on her. Anything else wasn’t acceptable.
“Based on the preliminary report, the fire department feels like it was definitely something from the lab that detonated. Not caught on fire. Actually blew up,” Derek told Steve. “One confirmed death. Protection walls came down, so it looks like other damage and causalities are pretty minimal.”
The director nodded, then turned to Molly. “You okay?”
“Not physically hurt. But sick about David’s death.” Molly’s voice was strained. Derek had to resist the urge to wrap an arm around her again.
The one good thing about the trauma of the explosion was that it seemed to have made Molly forget to be nervous around him. At least she wasn’t stammering.
“Can you give us a report? Do you know what happened?” Steve asked her.
“We were working.” Molly shrugged one delicate shoulder. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Our caseload had heightened, so I called David and asked him to come back in. But we weren’t working with anything hazardous or explosive.”
Molly ran a hand over her face, exhausted. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was shaky. “I’m trying to figure out what it could’ve been. But I don’t think it was anything we were working on. I—” She rubbed a hand over her face again.
“Molly, it’s okay,” Jon said to her, coming to stand close to her again. “We’ll get it all worked out. I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”
Molly just shook her head, her hand still covering her face.
Jon looked at Derek and Steve, then tilted his head in Molly’s direction. He wanted to take her home. She obviously needed to go and really couldn’t help anything here.
But over Derek’s dead body was Jon taking Molly anywhere. Derek would take her home.
Derek