I didn’t remember grabbing my keys or exiting the office. My body and mind went on autopilot as I drove to the hospital. The entire time, I replayed every moment I could recall from that night six months ago.
The faces of each of my brother’s teammates came to mind. The expression that stood out the most from that night was the devastation on Don’s face. It had been more than devastation. There was guilt. It was the way he couldn’t look me in the eyes and how he’d apologized.
That day at headquarters, weeks earlier, came rushing back. The same guilt-filled expression had been there.
Now someone had set Angela’s bar on fire.
Things weren’t adding up. Something was amiss, and I drove across town to the hospital to determine if my suspicions were correct.
Once I got to the hospital, I had to pull a nurse I knew from my time as an officer aside. She was able to tell me what floor the victims of the fire were on. I’d concluded that at least one of the victims had to be Angela. She was Eric’s wife and owner of the bar. The fire occurred before opening hours, so I assumed she’d be one of the only ones there. Maybe with an employee of hers.
The nurse wouldn’t tell me names of whomever had been brought in. All she said was that they were stable.
All sorts of imaginings flashed through my mind as I took the stairs to the third floor. Flashbacks of the night of Corey’s accident came to mind, and every second felt as if it lasted an eternity.
When I made my way to the floor, I spotted a slew of firefighters in their distinct blue shirts and black slacks. None of them was the one I searched for. I already knew where he was.
I headed for the family waiting room. As soon as I entered, Don’s hazel eyes lifted to meet mine.
I stopped short at the door and narrowed my gaze on him. “You lied to me.”
Don
The words she hurled at me, combined with my damn guilt, felt like I’d been run over by a freight train.
I didn’t say anything as Jocelyn entered the waiting room. She came to stand a foot away from me, arms folded over her chest, and copper eyes stern. She had the same color eyes as her brother. They looked a lot alike, but I didn’t see Corey as I looked at her.
What I saw was a raging bull who was doing her best to keep a lid on her anger. It caused ripples of emotion to cascade down my spine. Suddenly, I didn’t want her to bottle up her feelings. The urge to experience all of her overcame me.
I had to fight tooth and nail not to take a step forward to get closer to her. Another few inches, and I would do some silly shit like reach out and take her hands into mine. Or worse, cup her face.
Instead, I kept my hands at my sides. “Jocelyn.”
“Don’t Jocelyn me. You lied.”
I jutted my head backwards as though I didn’t know what she was talking about. “Lied about what?”
“Oh, so now we’re playing dumb?”
“You’re going to have to jog my memory.”
“That night, Don. You apologized.”
I stared but didn’t say anything.
“You said you were sorry,” she said. “At first, I thought it was you saying you were sorry for what happened to Corey the way people always say they're sorry when something tragic happens.”
I cursed myself in my head. Of all people, Jocelyn would be able to take that small moment and parse it out for what it was.
“You looked guilty, and then that day at headquarters, it was there again. The guilt. I asked you how this happened, and you looked me in my face and said you didn’t know.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Bullshit.” She stepped closer, as did I, like two magnets unable to keep apart for too long.
I held my breath.
“Angela’s bar was set on fire,” she said. The air around us thickened with tension, and it wasn’t only from her anger over the fires. “Don, is someone after Rescue Four?”
