Flame (Steel Brothers Saga 20)

“No shit. Anyway, he claims he’s not here to make trouble.”

She scoffs again. “Right.”

“Then he said…” I still can’t believe it myself.

“What? He said what?”

“He swears he never said those things to Donny.”

“Oh? He went into detail?”

I shake my head. “No. I just accused him of telling Donny lies about you and me, and he said maybe he’s not the one lying.”

“Implying that Donny was?”

“That was what I got out of it.”

Rory bites her lower lip. “Do you think Donny’s lying?”

A force makes me stand taller. Donny is not lying. “No. No, I don’t.”

“You sound confident. Almost too confident, Cal.”

“I love Donny.”

“I know. But it was insta-love, Cal. I don’t doubt your love for him, but how well do you really know him?”

I shake my head, vigorously this time. Am I trying to convince myself? “It was quick. I know that. But it’s no less real. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

“That’s the chemistry,” she says. “I’ve been there. But chemistry isn’t always forever. Once the passion dies—”

“It won’t die,” I say bluntly.

“You didn’t let me finish.”

I huff. “Fine. What?”

“Once the passion dies, you need something else to base the relationship on. That’s what happened to Raine and me. We didn’t have that foundation.”

“Donny and I have a strong foundation. We have a lot in common. Our interest in the law, for example.”

“What else?”

“We both like sweet cocktails.”

Rory laughs. “That’s hardly something to build a relationship on.”

“For God’s sake, I know that. Geez. He trusts me, and I trust him. You and I know Pat Lamone. We know he’s a jerk. We know Donny’s not. So which one do you think is lying?”

“Pat,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Then why the third damned degree?”

“Why not? As a future lawyer, you should appreciate that I want all the facts, and you should appreciate a good debate.”

“What do we do now?” I ask. “Our key is gone, so we have no way to get to the box and get the information.”

“Did you check out the statute of limitations?”

“Crap. No. Donny’s had me busy doing research. But that should be easy enough to find. I’ll do it as soon as I get back to the office.”

“Okay. What next, then?”

“We go to Denver, I guess. The safe-deposit box is in your name. I was still a minor then, so you have to go. Somehow we get the bank to open it. Maybe our stuff is still there.”

“And maybe not,” she says.

“And maybe not,” I echo, “in which case… You and I didn’t do anything wrong. Not legally, anyway. We have nothing to fear.”

“Except this whole thing coming out ten years after the fact. I don’t like it, Cal. We could be chased out of this town.”

I sigh. “Then we’ll leave. Start new somewhere else. We’ll have each other’s backs.”

“That would kill Mom and Dad.”

She’s right. Our parents need us now more than ever after the fire. “He says he’s not here to make trouble, but the key to our evidence is gone.”

“Right. I mean, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”

“And he’s lying. Lying to Donny. Maybe… Maybe he’s just trying to mess things up between Donny and me.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know. I’m grasping at straws here. Isn’t it odd that you and Raine decided to call it quits right now too?”

“That was a long time coming, Cal.”

“Was it, though? You were together for almost two years, living together most of that time, and now she’s worried about your attraction to men?”

“That always bothered her a little.”

“Right. A little. But what if Lamone got to her? Spread those lies about you, about how you loved sex with him.” I cringe.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” she says.

“See what I mean? What if he told Raine the same things he told Donny? He can’t get us arrested or anything, but he can destroy our personal lives. In fact…” My mind races. “How long has he been back in town? What if…”

“What, Callie? What?”

“What if he started that fire, Rory? What if this is all related to Pat Lamone?”

Chapter Thirty-One

Donny

I call Callie into my office when she returns from lunch. She seems…agitated.

“You okay?” I ask.

She nods.

I’m not convinced. She’s fidgeting with her hands and having a hard time meeting my gaze.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” She smiles. Sort of.

“I know I said tomorrow was our date night, but some shit has come up. I’m going to Denver tonight. I have some things to attend to tomorrow. I thought you might like to come along. We can still have our dinner.”

She twists her lips. “Uh…yeah. Sure. Whatever you need.”

“I’m leaving as soon as I call Dale. He’ll need to take care of the dogs at Mom and Dad’s.”

“Are you sure you should leave while your dad’s still in the hospital?”

“I don’t have a choice, Callie. I have to make sure things are okay with the Murphy situation. And I have…other things I need to attend to.”