Matt shielded Elizabeth in response to the sudden explosion. They heard the chorus of car alarms going off outside the building. He released her and then grabbed his gun to move towards the front doorway of the restaurant.
People scurried around outside on the sidewalk and he saw a smoldering hunk of metal parked underneath a good sized palm tree that now looked like a roman candle. He grabbed his phone to call 911 and talked to the dispatcher.
"It looks like it might have been a car bomb," he said, "What's left of it is underneath the burning tree."
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"Wait a minute…"
It dawned on him that he was staring at what was left of his own car. The red convertible Mercedes which he tooled around town on that could corner like a dream was just a charred relic of its former self.
"What the…?"
He didn't approach it because if it could still be booby-trapped depending who on his laundry list of enemies was responsible.
"Matt what happened?"
Elizabeth had followed him outside wringing her hands obviously traumatized by what happened. Scratch one off his list perhaps? No, his ex-fiancée might have tried to blackmail him into marriage but surely she wouldn't try to blow up his car.
"You were supposed to be inside of it weren't you? Oh my god…Matt if anything had happened to you I don't know what I'd do…I'd just die inside you know…"
Matt's attention was focused on his car. He had some wonderful memories spent inside of it as well, none really with the woman standing next to him.
He felt her hands digging into his arm and her cologne shroud him like a thick cloud.
"Elizabeth…"
"Oh Matt, it's events like this that make it clear what really matters…and you…me we matter and we're meant to be together forever and ever so…"
Matt heard the sirens in the distance and knew the police would be arriving. He saw some squad cars running code three, some fire trucks and an ambulance.
"Oh Matt why would someone try to kill you?"
Why not, he thought. Just another typical day in his life…not that his life was threatened every day but it wasn't all that rare really.
"Elizabeth, it could be the engine catching on fire."
Not that he really believed that seeing how far the shrapnel from his car littered Sunset Blvd but he didn't want her any more panicked than she was acting right now. Seriously, how long would she had lasted married to him if she fell apart into hysterics at the sight of a crisis? The woman he wanted to share his life had to be made out of tougher stuff than that. Speaking of which…
He reached for his phone.
"Excuse me…"
C.J. didn't pick up her phone and he remembered that she was out with Chris doing some errands. Damn he was so glad she hadn't been here to see this or that they hadn't been in his car. He flashed back to that case they worked where she'd nearly been blown up by an extortionist who planted a bomb in her car. No, don't think about that so he remembered something else about that case which was how sexy she looked in a bikini instead.
The police officers walked up to him including a plain clothed detective he knew as Randy. He'd worked narcotics for several years before switching to special crimes which included anything that might be linked to terrorists.
Oh and he and C.J. had been an item for about six months when he'd been working narc. Randy reached his hand out.
"Matt Houston…I see you've been out making friends again."
"I was getting some food in that restaurant…there and all of a sudden, there was a loud explosion outside."
Randy digested that.
"You have any idea who might have done it," he said, "because the debris field is a bit wide for an engine fire."
Matt rubbed the back of his neck.
"I know that…no I don't have any idea at the moment," he said, "I'll have to go back to the office and cross check this bombing against my master list."
"Oh yeah, you once pissed off Marquis Duval," Randy said, "though I think he'd just settle for blowing up Houston Enterprises."
Matt doubted it was him or any of his followers.
"No…they're all locked up and I heard he found God, turning a new leaf and all that," he said, "Like I said, got to go some intelligence checking. Just got my new system set up at the new place."
Randy nodded.
"Oh yeah…C.J. told me about that," he said, "Someone took over your company….that woman you almost married right?"
Matt nodded.
"Guess a woman scorned and all that."
"It was mutual and she was right here with me."
Randy arched his brows.
"That sounds…coincidental."
Matt sighed.
"Look why don't you fellows work the case and get back to me when you find something okay?"
"Okay but you know we'll need your help on this one."
Matt knew that but he just wanted to get out of here and find C.J.
"So your better half, where is she anyway?"
Matt wondered if Randy still had designs on her. He got his hackles up a bit even though he knew it silly.
"Busy…"
"Damn she's a hot one isn't she?"
Randy probably didn't know the half of it but Matt didn't want to hear about it second hand not when he'd come closer to it than that.
"I shouldn't have been such a jerk with her," Randy said, "Suppose she might want to take me back?"
Matt frowned.
"I doubt it…because we got together."
Randy looked incredulous, stunned nearly into silence.
"You…her…really?"
Matt smiled.
"Yes really…."
Then he looked past Randy and saw her walking towards him, a look of concern on her face. Chris followed behind her. C.J. brightened when she saw the cop.
"Randy…"
"C.J…"
They embraced each other then C.J. put a hand on her hip.
"Houston…what the hell happened to your car?"
"You got my message?"
She looked confused.
"No…Chris and I were down the street at the coffee place and we heard a big explosion. We slipped past the perimeter cops."
"I'm fine…the car isn't but I'm okay."
"Prove it…"
He kissed her softly on the mouth after putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I will…later."
She smiled and then turned to look at the car which had been put out by the firefighters. Her face turned solemn.
"Who would do this Houston? Then again maybe a better question would be who wouldn't do it."
"C.J…"
She nodded.
"I'm just glad nothing happened to you so I won't have to kick your ass."
"I'm just glad you weren't here," he said, "if anything happened to you or the baby…"
Randy definitely heard that last part.
"Baby? Damn you don't waste anytime do you?"
Both Matt and C.J. looked at him and Randy smiled back.
"I'm happy for the two of you," he said, "So when's the wedding?"
Ouch.
C.J. and Matt just looked away from him.
"We're still working on that."
"Well don't take too long," Randy said, "Don't want to wind up proposing between labor pains."
He walked away shaking his head. C.J. arched a brow at him.
"That was smooth…"
Elizabeth walked up towards them.
"Oh god…C.J…he…I…we both nearly died," she said, "but he protected me with his own body. I knew that he was still in love with me."
C.J. cleared her throat.
"Okay…look I got to head back to the office," she said, "I'll see you later Houston…"
He slid his arms around her waist and drew her closer for another…longer kiss this time.
"I'll be on my way there too when I'm done here…"
C.J. walked away from him towards her car with Chris but waiting there was Delilah, note pad in her hand and a gleam in her eyes.
"Hi there…I'm here to interview you about the father of your baby…"