“I’m gonna call the doctor and get him to check you out,” he says with a frown, noticing my discomfort before looking to Jovie. “What about you, Jon Bon? You got pain anywhere?”
She lifts her chin proudly, shaking her head. “I’m okay.”
He brushes his hand over her hair. “You did real good today, damn proud of you.” She beams up at him like he just handedher an Olympic medal. “Come on, lets get inside before you both freeze.”
With his arm around me, and Jovie leading the way back into the bar, I can’t help but feel another ache.
One in my chest.
One that’s a lot deeper than anything I’ve felt before.
One that feels a lot like falling.
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13 - GRIZZ
The fire chief leans forward, gently lifting some charred debris with the end of his pen. “The damage looks to be contained to this side of the loading dock. You boys were smart to smother the fire with snow. Not a lot of people would have done that.” We've all moved our bikes, shining the headlights where the fire started. The ceiling lights must have blown in that part of the dock when the fire took hold. “I’m not saying this will be in the official report, but it's clear the fire was started here,” he says, pointing to a charred section of drywall. “If thiswasan accident, I would expect to see this sort of damage in or around the fuse box here, but there's nothing.”
I rub my hand over the wall, black soot staining my palm. Opening the fuse box only shows it in perfect condition.
“You’re saying this was intentional?” I growl.
“I’m saying thislooksintentional. We will contain the site tonight, and tomorrow the team will conduct an official investigation. You’ll need it for insurance anyway. I suspect most of the damage will be from the smoke, but we should be able toclear the kitchen and bar area for you to keep operating, but this half of the loading dock will be cordoned off until we're done.”
“Thank you, chief. We’ll check the cameras and let you know if we find anything.” Hades says, shaking his hand.
Pushing open the staff door, I leave the guys to sort out the loading dock, breathing a sigh of relief when I see Brynn and Jovie getting checked over by the doctor. Sarah sobbing next to them.
“Grizz,” she cries. “I’m so sorry, I didn't know Jovie was upstairs.”
“What do you mean youdidn'tknow she was upstairs?” I snap.
“Brynn, I'm so sorry,” she whispers, wide eyed. Shaking from fear or adrenaline, I'm not sure.
“Sarah… Sarah, did you start the fire?”
“No! I swear I didn't. I wouldn't do that. You guys are like my family. I promise I didn't start it. “
Her shoulders shake as she cries into her hands. I believe her when she says she didn't start it. In all the time I’ve known her she's been nothing but honest and truthful, but as I look over at the doctor listening to Jovie's lungs, my willingness to blindly support someone I would have called a friend disappears.
“Sarah,” I bark, shocking even myself at the conviction in my voice. “Until we look at the footage and see what the fire investigation says, I think it's best you take a few days to collect yourself.”
What I want to say is if I find out you had anything to do with what happened, the only way you will stay alive is if you leave town. Change your name and start over because there was a second in time that's now ingrained in my memory. A second where thick black smoke covered everything I could see. I couldn't find Jovie, and I had left Brynn to search the bathroom. That second was all it took to be suffocated by sucha fear, such a loss, my imagination could never conjure it on its own. For that one second, I had lost them both, and my heart screamed alongside my lungs. I have only just found them, and now, a cruel twist of fate will take them away, reinforcing that I'm destined to walk this life alone.
“Grizz, you don't really think Sarah would start the fire,” Brynn says, standing and limping toward me. Her voice raw from smoke inhalation.
“Right now, I don't know what to think. What I know…” I grit out, “Is my best employee seemed agitated and went out back for a break, where only a few minutes later a fire started that could have burnt down the building.”
“Sarah, tell him.Tell himit wasn't you.” Brynn’s voice rises as she looks at the friend she trusted with her daughter only a day earlier. “Sarah!” Brynn yells.
“I… I?—”
“Oh my god! My baby, are you alright?” Victoria's shrill voice rings out. We all turn to watch her push her way past a fireman, throwing the back of her hand to her forehead in such a dramatic fashion, I swear I was watching some low budget, Broadway show. “I heard about the fire. You’re all so brave putting it out like that.”
She moves to Sarah, pulling a tissue from her purse and wiping her tears. Despite everything unfolding, it’s nice to see her dote on her daughter for a change.
Clearing my throat, “Victoria, I was just saying Sarah should take some time to recuperate. We’ll let her know when it's safe to return to work.”
