Flash Burned (Burned 2)

His blue eyes clouded. “You heard from him.”

“No. Amano.”

Kyle seethed. “This could all blow up in your face, Ari.”

My stomach knotted. “Bad choice of words, Kyle.”

With a miserable sigh, he said, “Yeah, I know. Sorry. It’s just … Okay, Amano is alive. That doesn’t mean Dane is. This might be where you get the confirmation you’ve fought so hard to accept.”

I’d already considered that myself. Still.

“I’ll take my chances.” Though Kyle’s warning would not go unheeded. It was entirely possible that he was right and I would be devastated all over again.

Fear mingled with my unease. I wrung my hands, wondering if I was being masochistic. Setting myself up for a really hard fall.

I wasn’t sure I could make it through a second time around. Were it not for Dane’s baby growing inside me, I would have been the walking dead.

But I had to find out the truth. I had to know one way or the other. It was time to see if there was a silver lining somewhere on my horizon.

I remained positive as we headed to Oak Creek Canyon, despite Kyle’s dour mood.

“I swear, if this is a setup or if you find out he really is gone … Jesus, Ari.”

“Lighten up on the steering wheel,” I said. “You’re going to rip it from the dash.”

“You do realize how fucked up this all is?”

“I realized that a long time ago,” I conceded. “But this isn’t your everyday intrigue we’re dealing with here.”

“It never is with Dane Bax.”

I smiled, the hope building within me.

We reached the gate and I perked up in my seat as Kyle punched in the code. One of the stall doors of the detached garage opened.

“Pull in,” I said.

“Do we really have to get all Mission Impossible?”

Revenge was more like it, I suspected. “Just do it.”

The door lowered behind us. Kyle cut the engine.

I said, “You know how much I appreciate this, right?”

“You know how pissed off I’m going to be if he breaks your heart again. Right?”

Leaning over, I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re a great friend. I think I’ll be okay. You, too.”

He scowled. “Let’s go.”

Regardless of the reassurance I’d given us both, my nerves jumped as I reached for the handle.

I’d walked into a very easy trap once before. Considering the people we were dealing with, it could happen again. Even though it had definitely been Amano’s voice on the line, there could have been a gun to his head when he’d called me.

I suddenly regretted involving Kyle. I should have asked to borrow his Rubicon, not have him drive me.

Why hadn’t I thought of that before?