Burn

by HELEN HARDT

  I stalked toward him. “You want to hit me? Think that’ll make you feel better? Go for it. Then I’ll hit you back. And neither one of us will feel better. You think I like what your father has done? You think I like having to tell you? I’ve been dreading this since I figured it out. I haven’t even told Talon yet because I thought I owed you the courtesy of letting you know first.”

  Bryce dropped his fist, his whole body tense. “I can’t fucking believe it. You of all people.”

  “Look, if you believe in our friendship—”

  “Friendship? We no longer have a friendship.” Bryce raised his fist again, shaking, and then lowered it. “You’re not worth it, Steel. Get the fuck out of my house.”

  He turned and walked inside.

  I sighed. The conversation had gone about how I had expected. I sat back down, resting my elbows on the table, my forehead in my hands. Next, I had to see Melanie. I had put off being honest with her for too long as well. I stood and walked around to the front of the house to my car.

  And then my goddamned phone buzzed.

  I recognized the number. At least it wasn’t my stalker this time.

  “Hey, Mills,” I said into the phone.

  “Got some good news for you,” Trevor Mills said. “We’ve located your mayor.”

  Chapter Thirty–Eight

  Melanie

  The young man turned and walked away quickly.

  “What is it, Doc?” Talon asked.

  “I have no idea.” I tore open the envelope.

  And my heart sank.

  Gina’s parents were suing me for malpractice.

  How dare they? They’d lied to their daughter, and now it wasn’t even clear if she’d indeed committed suicide. I nearly lost my footing.

  Talon caught me, taking the paper from my hands. He helped me into the living room and onto Jonah’s brocade sofa.

  He scanned the paper. “What the fuck? Haven’t they already filed some sort of complaint?”

  “They filed a complaint with the medical board. They can go after my license that way. This is a civil lawsuit for malpractice. Now they want money.”

  “Well, we’ve got that. Joe and I will pay them off to go away.”

  I had no doubt he meant every word he said, but I couldn’t take his money. I ran my fingers over my hair. Couldn’t I catch a damned break?

  Not in this lifetime, apparently.

  “You can’t fix everything with your money, Talon.”

  “The hell I can’t.”

  “Really? You think you can? You couldn’t fix yourself, could you?”

  I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. I was his therapist, his safe place. I shouldn’t have said that, no matter how true it was.

  “I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh. But the words are true. You couldn’t fix yourself solely with your money, and you can’t fix this situation either. You can’t bring Gina back to life.”

  He sat down next to me and looked me in the eye. “I know I can’t. But you can’t either. So why are they suing you?”

  I opened my mouth, but he held out his hand.

  “I’ll tell you why. They’re suing you for money. And we Steels have plenty of that.”

  “I don’t need your money. I have malpractice insurance.”

  “I’m pretty sure we can pay more than your policy limits.”

  “I’m sure you can. But I’ve paid those premiums for years. Might as well put the policy to good use.”

  My phone rang from the kitchen where I’d left it so I wouldn’t be disturbed during my session with Talon. “Excuse me,” I said to Talon.

  I walked to the kitchen, but was too late to get the phone call. It was from the insurance agent taking care of my claim on the loft. I didn’t have the strength to deal with him just now. I made a note to call him back tomorrow.

  Then I noticed a text from Jonah. It had come in a couple hours ago.

  Visit with Larry amounted to nothing. I’m going to see Bryce. I’m going to tell him. I love you.

  Dear God… I could only hope Bryce Simpson could see his father for who he truly was. Otherwise, Jonah would be home soon, and he wouldn’t be in a good mood. I quickly texted him back.

  Good luck. I love you.

  * * *

  Jonah came home looking somber. I went to him immediately and pressed my lips to his. “How did it go?” Although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

  He shook his head. “About how I expected. The man is devoted to his dad, who, apparently, was a really great dad, despite his other faults.”

  “I’d hardly call those other things ‘faults,’” I said. “Sit down. I’ll fix you a martini.”

  Jonah raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t, Melanie. I can’t sit down and pretend like everything is all right with you.”

  “What do you mean? Everything is fine with me.”

  He paced back and forth across the kitchen floor. “You don’t understand. There’s something I need to tell you too, only I’ve been too much of a coward to do it.”

  Me? What on earth could he have to tell me? He had given me a place to live when I couldn’t bear to walk into my loft again. He’d hired private investigators to help me figure out the situation with Gina while he was still working on figuring out his own family’s issues. I opened my mouth to say as much, but he gestured for me to stay quiet.

  “I love you,” he said. “God, Melanie, I love you so much.”

  I touched his cheek. “I love you too. More than anything. So whatever this is, we will get through it together.”

  “No, not this. I failed you.” His fist came down on the table. Hard. “I fail everyone, Melanie. Don’t get close to me, or I’ll fail you. My brother, my best friend, and now you.”

  “First of all, you didn’t fail your brother. You were a kid, Jonah. A kid. And you didn’t fail your best friend. It’s not your fault his father is a psychopath. You were only letting him know. And me? You’ve been nothing but good to me. So get off of this and—”

  “No!” His fist came down on the table once more. “I have to tell you this. I have to. If we don’t have honesty, we have nothing.”

  My heart stampeded. What was going on? He had something to tell me, and I couldn’t imagine what it could be. But it wasn’t going to be good.

  “You weren’t lying about your feelings, were you?”

  “Lying about what feelings?”

  “That you love me?”

  And down came his fist once more. “Goddamnit, no. I love you more than anything. You’re everything to me, Melanie. The fact that I’m about to lose you is killing me.”

  “You’re not going to lose me,” I said shakily.

  “You… You just don’t know.”

  “I do know. There’s nothing you could do to make me walk away from you.”

  “You’re not getting it. I failed you.” He clenched his hands into fists, the muscle and sinew in his gorgeous forearms tightening. “That night when you were taken. I got your call, and I ignored it because I was angry with you for leaving me at my house that night, for not saying good-bye. I was fucking petty, and you went through hell because I didn’t take your goddamned phone call.”

  My heart nearly stopped. My lips trembled. “I don’t understand.”

  “What don’t you understand? I didn’t pick up the goddamned phone, Melanie. I was pissed off at you.”

  “I called you because I thought you would help me. Freaking 9-1-1 was busy. Busy!”

  “Don’t you think I know that? I know the whole fucking story. And I’ve been dying inside a little bit each day, knowing that I did that to you. That I’m the reason you went through hell.”

  “My God…”

  “Great, huh? The woman I love went through hell because I was too petty to pick up the goddamned phone. The brother I love went through hell because I couldn’t be bothered to go with him when all he wanted was to investigate the disappearance of hi
s friend. I fucking hate myself right now.”

  I cleared my throat, willing myself not to break down. Was I angry? Yes. Hurt? Yes. But… “I…don’t know what to say.” I looked at him, at the man I loved, as I fingered the beautiful diamond choker he had put around my neck.

  “No, keep it,” he said. “No one else could wear it now.”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  He silenced me with a gesture. He was distraught, on the verge of tears, and I longed to run to him and comfort him, to tell him everything would be fine.

  But my feet wouldn’t move.

  Damn it, feet. Move!

  Now he did shed a tear. “You don’t have to say anything. I see it in your eyes. We’re over.” He raked his hands through his hair once more and walked out of the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder. “I’ll be out late. That gives you plenty of time to pack up and get out of here. I know you won’t want to stay here. But I need to know you’re safe, so I talked to Talon. You are welcome there, and he has plenty of room at his place.”

  “Why are you putting words in my mouth? And when did you talk to Talon? I was just with him a few hours ago.”

  “I called him after I left Bryce.”

  “Jonah, please, I don’t want—”

  He gestured for me to stop. “I was selfish. I wanted to keep you anyway. Even though I’d failed you. But I know I can’t.” He walked away.

  I stood, numb, watching the man who meant everything to me walk out the door of his own home, to give me time to leave.

  I hadn’t said I wanted to leave. I hadn’t said anything. He hadn’t given me a chance.

  Lucy swished around my legs, looking for attention, but somehow I couldn’t even bend down to pet her. My body was still numb as I stood in the kitchen, wondering what I should do.

  Jonah had already given up on us. Why hadn’t he told me sooner? And why wasn’t he willing to stay? To fight for us?

  Was he truly not the man I’d thought he was?

  No. This was his guilt, pure and simple, and goddamnit, I wasn’t going to let him walk away from us.

  Yes, he should have taken my call, but he’d been angry, and why shouldn’t he have been? I’d walked out on him.

  And now he’d walked out on me.

  Emotions rolled through me. Anger, sadness, fear…all swirling around and through love.

  I stood for a few timeless moments until finally I knelt down and petted Lucy. Perhaps leaving for a day or two wasn’t a bad idea. I needed to take my life back, take myself back. I couldn’t depend on Jonah’s protection forever. Or Talon’s, for that matter.

  I walked slowly to the guest room where my things were. Packing wouldn’t take too much time. I hadn’t wanted to bring much from my apartment. The big problem was my file cabinet. It was heavy and bulky, and I wasn’t sure I could move it by myself. I put all the papers pertaining to Gina in a box. Those, at least, were going with me.

  Within a half hour, I’d loaded my car with everything but my filing cabinet.

  I started driving.

  I wasn’t going to Talon’s.

  I was going somewhere to take myself back.

  Chapter Thirty–Nine

  Jonah

  Nothing.

  I had nothing.

  My family didn’t need me. I’d done nothing but fail them, especially Talon. Bryce sure as hell didn’t need me. He didn’t think our friendship was worth a fuck. And Melanie… I hadn’t had the strength to stick around and watch her leave me. Again I was a coward. I had been a coward, waiting so long to tell her the truth, and now I was even more of a coward, unable to stay and watch the outcome of my decision—watch the woman I loved walk out of my life.

  So I drove. And though I didn’t think consciously about where I was going, in the marrow of my bones I knew.

  Trevor Mills had given me an address.

  * * *

  Two hours later, I arrived in the small town near the New Mexico border. The address hadn’t shown up on GPS, so I had to drive the roads of the town until I found what I was looking for. It was a cracker box house on the outskirts of town. A one-car detached garage sat off to the side.

  Tom Simpson’s hideout.

  I parked a block away to hide my car and then walked stealthily to the small abode.

  I didn’t bother knocking, just turned the knob on the door. Oddly, it was open. I walked in. A nice enough home, sparsely furnished.

  “Tom? Come out here, you sick son of a bitch.”

  No response. Not that I thought there would be. I walked through the living area, down a hall, to a couple of bedrooms. One was clearly being used, but no one was there. The door to what turned out to be a bathroom was also closed, but I opened it and walked in, not caring if I might catch Tom Simpson in the middle of a crap. But it was also vacant.

  On the other side of the bedrooms was a small kitchen. Supplies had clearly been laid in. One more door. I opened it. It led to a dank basement surrounded by dark concrete walls. As I descended the stairs, eerie fingers seemed to crawl over my body.

  The steps. The walls.

  I inhaled, nearly gagging. Waste. Whether it was human or animal, I didn’t know.

  I looked around once I got to the bottom.

  My heart nearly stopped. It was exactly how Talon had described it. I could almost see the phoenix on the dark gray walls, taunting him.

  I had just walked into the cave-like cellar where my brother had lived for two months when he was a child of ten.

  My skin tightened around me. I could hardly catch my breath. Was there no oxygen in this place?

  I suppressed my fears as best I could and looked around. No windows, which was odd, and the room was pitch black. I waited for my eyes to adjust, feeling the wall for guidance, and I checked out the space. The rough concrete walls scratched at my—

  I jerked.

  A groan had come from the corner. I inched forward slowly, and a heap of blankets emerged in my field of vision. More groaning.

  Someone was here. Someone in this basement where those three psychos had kept my brother.

  I didn’t dare speak. I made my way slowly and quietly to the blanketed lump on the floor and removed the dirty covers.

  The body, bound and gagged, recoiled away, whimpering.

  My God.

  It was alive.

  “Hey, hey,” I whispered. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  It was a male, naked, his bony body streaked with blood and grime. His head had been shaved.

  “I want to help you. I’m a friend. I’m going to take the gag off of you, but don’t scream. All right?”

  The man whimpered and nodded.

  I removed the gag carefully. “Who are you?”

  He groaned, muttering unintelligible words.

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk. I’m going to get you out of here.” As quickly as I could, I unbound his ankles and wrists.

  I startled when a sound like a board creaking came from somewhere upstairs. Tom must have come back. I threw the dirty blanket over the sickly man. “Shh,” I said. “Don’t let him know I’ve untied you. I’ll take care of him. If I don’t come back for you in half an hour, find something to use as a weapon, and get the fuck out of here.”

  I hated leaving him there, but he’d at least be safe while I was in the house. I’d told him to leave if I didn’t return, but he was so bony and sickly-looking, I wondered if he’d be able to get up the stairs.

  But he would. Talon had gotten up those very same stairs.

  “I’ll be back for you. I promise.”

  I hoped I’d be able to keep that promise.

  I walked toward the stairway, the dark walls seeming to pulse and close in.

  My God, how had Talon survived this?

  And who was the man in the cellar?

  I willed myself to get a grip and ascended the stairs slowly. I had come here alone and unarmed. I hadn’t thought about protecting myself. I could kick the shit out of Tom Simpson wi
th a look, and if he had a knife, I could easily disarm him.

  But if he had a gun…

  The man was a killer. A cold-blooded killer. And God only knew what he’d done to this poor man in the cellar.

  Bile nudged up my throat. That was a crock. I knew exactly what Tom had done. The same thing he’d done to my brother.

  I shut the door of the basement quietly and walked through the small kitchen. The doorknob to the front door turned slowly.

  A man entered, carrying a bag of groceries. As far as I could tell, he was unarmed. The hair on his head was dyed dark brown.

  But the eyes…

  A maniacal smile crossed my face. I had him.

  Finally.

  Finally, I would avenge my brother.

  My smile became wider.

  “Hello, Tom.”

  * * *

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  Surrender

  * * *

  Coming May 16, 2017

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