Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
“Fire!” Cora yells, taking Bailey with her. Doors are opening and people start shouting. There should be building alarms going off, and fire engines one their way but why am I surprised this place isn’t up to code? I drag Ben beside me. He’s crying and soot runs down his cheeks, and I feel bad for getting mad at him. Kids don’t think when they’re in danger. Hell, that’s why they need parents to take care of them.
I’ve got three people coming to my place tonight.
I call 911 on my phone when we get outside, and we spend hours answering questions. The police officer interrogating Bailey tries to give her shit, but when he sees me, he gets his act together. Bailey insists she was doing her homework in her room with her earbuds in, and she had a tray of frozen macaroni and cheese in the oven. The next thing she knew, smoke was creeping under her door. She ran out to see what was going on, and the kitchen was in flames.
“Did you have anything on the stove?”
“No, officer,” she says. “Nothing at all.”
“You’re her father?” The officer asks, giving me a once-over.
Father? Jesus God. The idea… Well, hell, I guess I can’t blame him for thinking that though. She looks like a kid and I’m much older than she is.
“No,” I tell him. “Sister’s boyfriend.” I tell him my side of the story.
“There was nothing on the stove, I swear,” she says. “I’m super careful about those things.”
Finally, he leaves them alone. I make sure the fire department knows there were no fire extinguishers or alarms that went off, and they ask me for my name for questioning.
I give him my business card, and he whistles. “Liam Alexander,” he says. “Of Alexander Enterprises?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you doing in a place like this?” he asks.
Asshole.
Cora flinches and I clench my jaw.
“Call me with any questions about the fire,” I tell him, then turn to Cora, Bailey, and Ben. We could go to a hotel or some other place for the night, but after this ordeal, I want Cora with me, and I want her brother and sister to have more security than a transient hotel room. “You three are coming home with me.”
Seventeen
Cora
So, suffice it to say, this wasn’t how I thought the night would go.
I went from mentally cataloging my closet of clothes Liam’s bought for me to choose the best outfit to wear to the play, from watching Ben and Bailey slide into his car with wide-eyes, their cheeks still smudged with soot, their clothes a wreck.
And now we’re heading to Liam’s place.
Just. Great.
“We need to get them checked out, Liam,” I say gently.
I don’t know what’s going to happen in a couple of weeks, but I will never forget seeing that man pull my brother out of that apartment. Ever. God, what he’s doing to me is dangerous as all hell, but I can’t stop it. I mean, I’m only human.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says. “I’ll call my doctor and have him pay a visit.” Well, yeah. Of course, he has a doctor that does house calls. I don’t know why this surprises me.
Turning to Ben, he lowers his voice. “You alright?”
He leans over and ruffles Ben’s hair, and it makes my heart squeeze a little.
“Yeah,” Ben says quietly, but his face is all rumpled like he’s about to cry. “But what about my bag? And my Legos? And your stuff?” he says, turning to me. “All those pretty clothes you got? You didn’t have a lot of those and now they’re gone.”
“Hey, we don’t know that,” I say to him. “Maybe they put out the fire before all our stuff was destroyed,” but Liam gently shakes his head at me as if to warn me not to make promises I can’t keep.
“Stuff’s replaceable,” Liam says. “People are not.”
And hell, for some reason, just hearing him say those words? Right then, right there, I’ve broken rule number six and I know it.
I love this man. Jesus, I love him. And there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.
I told myself he was a jerk, and I really thought he was. I told myself this was just a business arrangement. I’m not sure when it ceased being one, but there’s more than a superficial exchange of power here.
“I agree with Liam,” I say to them, though my voice is wavering. They’re my brother and sister, and I’m not their mom, but it feels right having Liam by my side through this. “Liam’s right. Let’s get settled at Liam’s—” and then I remember. “Oh, Liam.” My heart sinks. “The play.” We’ll miss it now, and the knowledge makes me want to cry, but I have to stay strong. Things happen.
He reaches for my hand and gives it a little squeeze. “It’s okay,” he says. “I promise. I’ll make it better.”