Warnings and Wildfires

Sully slams the Jeep into park, kills the ignition, flings open his door and storms out of the car, stalking into the building.

I follow him inside, pausing to jump over a pile of broken glass, and stop when I bump against him.

Beside me, he’s statue still, staring at the destruction.

Trashed doesn’t come close to describing the scene.

Blue gym mats shredded. Front desk smashed to smithereens. Holes in the walls where weights were thrown into the drywall. Shattered mirrors. The door to the ladies’ locker room torn off its hinges.

But the absolute worst?

Two words painted in dripping black letters against the bright white wall.

I’m responsible after all.

I brought this on.

My past, my mistakes have destroyed everything he’s worked so hard for.

It’s the exact same message Darren sprayed on my parents’ front door when they tried to end our relationship.

SHE’S MINE.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Utter destruction.

That’s the only way to describe what’s in front of me. The gym. Everything I’ve built over the last nine years—trashed. Some psycho went through like a hurricane, denting, ripping, shredding, and breaking everything he could get his hands on.

I’ve worked hard. Worked my ass off. Tried to give back and keep my nose clean. This isn’t the work of kids who broke in to fuck around and vandalize for fun or to alleviate their boredom. The computers are smashed, but not stolen. Hell, even the petty cash box is still here. I can’t understand this level of hatred.

It borders on insanity.

Then my eyes focus on two words painted on the back wall. Against the stark white paint, the words look obscene.

SHE’S MINE.

My gaze travels to Jake. “Is this you?” I ask in a low voice.

He immediately holds his hands up and steps back. “No way, bro. I got a strict no cheaters policy. I can’t think of a single person who’d do this to you.”

He’s completely serious. Not a hint of fucking around. But obviously his mind went there too, so I don’t suffer too much guilt over the question.

What if this had happened when Maddy was here? Even the thought makes my blood pressure spike.

Aubrey’s quiet. Too quiet. She’s probably terrified. The place she works and spends a lot of her time in has been violently violated. I wouldn’t blame her if she’s mentally drafting her resignation letter.

But then I glance at her.

Tears roll down her cheeks and she shakes her head.

Her eyes. She won’t look at me.

She knows who did this.

My gut says I’m right. Besides the message, this carnage feels awfully personal.

Police radio crackling, Deputy Sheriff Brady O’Connor strolls in the back door and whistles. “Holy shit, Sullivan.”

“I had to call him,” Jake says quietly. “You’re gonna need a report.”

“I’ll be right back,” Brady says.

I pull Aubrey aside. Acid burns my throat and my chest tightens. “Do you have any idea who did this?” I ask in the calmest voice possible under the circumstances.

Her body trembles and she nods miserably. She fixes her gaze on the floor, allowing her hair to cover her face. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

“What the fuck?” I rage, and she flinches. Have I ever raised my voice around her before? Probably not. I shouldn’t be now either.

“Bro, calm down,” Jake says, grabbing my arm. “It’s not her fault. Whatever it is, isn’t her fault.”

“Like fuck it’s not. Who did this, Aubrey?” At the same time I’m yelling at her, I’m scared to death that she has anyone in her life capable of such violence.

I don’t know her at all.

She didn’t tell me. Doesn’t trust me. When I’ve trusted her with so much of myself. I’ve had her at my house. With my family. And the whole time she knew there was some psycho after her?

“I’m sorry,” she says again without looking at me. She bursts into tears and runs out the front door—one of the few things left intact.

What the actual fuck?

“Christ, Sully. Really? What the fuck’s wrong with you?” Jake shouts.

“Look around you!” I yell back.

“Oh my God,” someone says behind us. “What happened?”

“Celia,” Jake says. “What are you doing here?”

Her wild gaze searches the room, cataloging the damage. “Looking for Aubrey.” As soon as she sees the message on the wall, she closes her eyes and lets out a defeated sigh. “Motherfucker.”

I shoot an I-told-you-so glare Jake’s way.

“Who, Celia?” I ask.

“Where is she?”

“What the fuck did she drag me into?” I ask a little louder.

Her eyes narrow and she places one hand on her hip. “Don’t you dare put this on her.” She steps closer, poking her finger against my chest. “You have no idea what hell she’s been through. No idea what that sonofabitch did to her. None.”

“No, I don’t. Because she never fucking told me!” But even as I fling the words at Celia, I question myself.

Fire rages through my blood, incinerating me from the inside out. Not because of the damage to my business.

Because all the little warning signs make sense.

How desperate Aubrey was to take those extra self-defense classes.

Her hesitance to talk about her past. To reveal too much.

Her lack of self-confidence.

And a thousand other little things that should’ve clued me in.

Stupid me, I figured she?

??d been burned by a guy.

Not involved with a sociopath.

A searing rush of protectiveness surges from deep inside me.

“Who is he?” I ask a whole lot calmer now.

“Never mind. If she didn’t tell you, there must have been a reason.”

“Bullshit, Celia.” I take a few steps closer. “Tell me, please.”

She bites her lip and glances at the door. “I need to find her. Make sure she’s okay.”

Brady—who apparently walked back in without me noticing—wraps his hand around my arm before I have a chance to grab Celia and shake the information out of her.

I’m vaguely aware of Jake chasing her out the back door.

“Aubrey’s your girl?” Brady asks.

“Yeah. She works here too.”

“I need to speak to her.”

“You and me both.”

Hysterical and terrified, I run down the street. I pass Busy Beans and speed up. It’s not safe there anymore.

Obviously, Darren spent time watching my every move before visiting me at the coffee shop. To know where I work. To know I’m involved with Sully.

Was involved with Sully.

Am in love with Sully.

Can’t think about Sully right now. Picturing his beautiful, furious face right before I ran out threatens to tear my heart open.

Darren—the bastard—ruined my life before. Took all my plans and hopes for my future and ground them into dust. Six years later, he’s managed to blow up two things that mean so much to me with one destructive act. My relationship with the best man I’ve ever known and a job that finally made me feel like I have a purpose in life.

Gone.

Sully will never forgive me.

Not that I blame him.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

A steady, dull pain throbs behind my eyes while I go over Brady’s endless questions. More guys from the sheriff’s department show up to catalog the crime scene.

My business is now a crime scene.

It’s completely different, yet still somehow reminiscent of the night my stepfather died. Except this time, no one cuffs me and throws me in the back of a patrol car.