Rebel's Desire (Iron Portal Paranormal Romance Series) (Iron Portal Series Book 4) by Laurie London

all, it benefitted them to keep the tension high between the two worlds. You couldn’t exactly justify a big military presence without an imminent threat.
    “Wait here. I’ll go see.”
    She scoffed. “I’m coming with you.”
    Jaw set sternly, he placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her in an iron grip. “No, you’re not, Keely. Not this time.”
    The men were now hunched over a small black box with wires sticking out. As the Guild’s explosive expert, he had no doubt what this was.
    “Fuck. It’s a bomb.” He shoved her in the opposite direction. “Run.”
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    K eely thought Toryn was right behind her until she got to the corner, threw a glance over her shoulder and saw that he was halfway back to the bridge. He’d run toward the men who were setting the bomb, not away.
    She came to a screeching halt, sheer terror racing through her body. What was he thinking? It was two against one, and they were most likely armed. The authorities should be handling this, not Toryn.
    She patted the pocket of her sweatshirt and remembered she’d left her cell phone in his Jeep. She’d once lost a phone in the lake while rowing, so she’d stopped taking it with her when she went out.
    Damn it. She needed to call the police.
    She spun around, looking for someone— anyone ——and gasped with relief when she spotted an elderly man walking a tiny dog. Dashing over to him, she asked if he had a phone.
    He frowned, his bushy gray eyebrows pulling together. “What?”
    “A phone! Do you have a phone?”
    “You want to use my phone? Well, yes. I have one back at my apartment.”
    Oh my God, could he talk any slower?
    He pointed a gnarled finger in the general vicinity behind him. All she could see were empty warehouses. He must live a few blocks away. But she didn’t want Toryn out of her sight.
    A maroon sedan was pulling into the rowing club parking lot. They had to have a cell phone, but in case they didn’t, she needed to have all her bases covered.
    “Can you call the police?” she asked the old man. “Tell them there are two men down at the base of the bridge. My…my boyfriend thinks they’re planting a bomb.”
    “A bomb? Oh my gosh. That’s terrible! Yes, yes, of course.” The man hurried off.
    She turned to sprint toward the car but hesitated when she saw Toryn. He was crouched behind a stack of pallets about thirty feet from the men and was reaching out a hand in their direction.
    What was he—?
    Suddenly, both men jumped back from the box as if they’d been hit by something, but she couldn’t tell what.
    Had Toryn done that? Used his Talent, maybe?
    One man was covering his head with his arms as if he were expecting an explosion. She froze, holding her breath in horror. Toryn was too close. If it exploded, he’d be seriously injured…or worse.
    When nothing happened, the men stepped back to the box. Then one of them reached down and jerked something out. Looked like wires. The other man shoved him and gestured wildly. He was clearly angry with his partner about this.
    She glanced at the car. Crap. It wasn’t pulling into the rowing club. It was driving back out of the lot on the far side.
    It was then that Toryn chose to step out from his hiding place and sprint toward the men.
    They jerked their heads up in unison, but Toryn was lightning fast. One man swung a fist at him, but he easily dodged the punch and sent the guy skidding back on his haunches.
    The other man reached into his coat, drew a weapon and pointed it straight at Toryn.
    “Noooooo!” she screamed, anguish ripping a hole in her chest. This couldn’t be happening.
    She braced herself against the coming bloodshed, but…wait. It looked like the assassin was saying something to Toryn. Then, a moment later, the gun flew from his hands, the trajectory arching upward as if it had been thrown, and it flew into the water about thirty feet from shore.
    The man looked down, dumbfounded at his empty hand. It appeared as though he might