Meg gasps as she sees him open the bottle of lighter fluid in his hand. He begins to splash it all over the deck.
“No, no, no,” she is muttering. Her eyes are wide. With one hand I reach up to massage the back of her neck, with the other I reach into my pocket to call the fire department. Knowing that the sooner they get there the better. Holt is on the phone talking to the local sheriff. I hear him now. Telling him to meet us there.
Holt and I get off the phone at about the same time. Just in time to watch him take an old school book of matches out of his pocket.Has this guy ever heard of a lighter before?He goes to strike the match and it doesn’t light. He takes a second one off and does it again. It still doesn’t work. Every second that goes by is another second that the fire department has to get there— the sheriff too.
The third time is the fucking charm. The match lights. He waits a moment for the flame to get larger on the match and then throws it and runs off the deck. The camera catches a blur of the side of his face before he is out of frame.
The flames are licking their way across the deck, and Meg goes to make a run for the door. I grab her around the waist and pull her to me.
“Holt, you and Carter head over there. Call me when the coast is clear,” I order. I can’t leave her like this. I sure as hell won’t be bringing her over there yet. Carter shuts his laptop and heads for the door. Holt is right there with him. I watch them hop into Carter’s truck and fly out towards Meg’s house.
Piper comes over and brings us into the back. Away from the public. Meg is still kind of stiff in my arms, but I pull her in closer. All of a sudden I hear a sniffle. I realize she is crying.
“My house, my house,” she keeps mumbling over and over. Its like her brain is experiencing some kind of internal skip. Piper looks at her sadly, pats my shoulder and walks out. She quietly closes the door behind her.
“Shhhhh, shhh, it will be alright,” I keep repeating over and over. I’m stroking her hair and her back hoping to get her to relax. I don’t blame her for being worked up. She just watched someone light her house on fire, in real time. That son of a bitch.
She relaxes enough for me to sit on the small loveseat that was crammed back in this office at least 10 years ago. Pulling her on my lap, I am reminded of this morning.Jesus,was that this morning?
Nudging her chin up, I wipe the tears off of her cheeks. Swooping in, I tangle my mouth with hers. Her lips are slightly salty and I can taste some kind of caramel coffee on her tongue. The kiss distracts her a little, which is what she needed. She brings her small hand up to the side of my head and runs her fingers through my hair.
After a few moments, I break the kiss. Kissing her forehead and rubbing her back. She sighs. She brings her left hand up to her face and takes her glasses off. How they manage to stay on sometimes, I have no clue. She rubs her eyes.
“I don’t understand this, I have no idea what the hell is happening. Who would do this and why,” it is almost like she is speaking to herself.
“We are going to figure this out, the guy has to have left some kind of evidence behind. This could be the break we needed,” I say.
“I know that this isn’t exactly how we wanted things to go, but this guy can’t hide from us forever,” I continue to reassure her.
Chapter 27
Meg
Sitting in Piper’s office, on Sterling’s lap again, I realized how tired I was. I don’t know how women do this on the daily. I know some women have to deal with stalkers for years. I have had mine for a total of 3 days, and it is breaking me. I’m exhausted but I can’t sleep. I’m angry but I’m sad. I’m also afraid. I have never felt so out of control. It is like I’m a marionette and someone keeps pulling my strings.
I was going to give Sterling a piece of my mind for that background check, but that seems so unimportant now. His hand has been rubbing my back and soothing me for the last 15 minutes. He hasn’t rushed me. I appreciate that more than he knows. He is the only thing that has kept me from losing it this entire time.
“Thank you,” I say quietly. The words aren’t an adequate representation of the gratitude that I feel, but I need to say them. If nothing else, he has kept me safe. He may have even saved some of my home. His phone starts to buzz and I tense up all over again.
“Yeah,” he says as a greeting. If it were any other time I would give him hell for answering the phone like such a grouch. But now? I don’t have the energy and I’m anxious to know what is happening.
“You are shitting me. Got it, well the asshole can rot in there. Tell Jensen that. Great, see you in the morning,” Sterling hangs up the phone.
“Well, the asshole decided that he wanted to watch your place go up in flames. He decided to stick close by. Holt and Carter met him as he was trying to come out of the neighborhood,” he informs me.
I’m flabbergasted,it’s over? Who the hell is this guy? How was my house?I don’t realize it but these thoughts are tumbling out of my mouth.
“Your house is okay, you will need a new deck though. The fire department got there in time. I’ll take you over there in the morning once the dust settles a bit,” he answers me.
“As far as who this guy is, Holt said he would call me tonight and let me know. Carter is working on it,” he states simply. I stand up and blush a little.How many times am I going to be comforted on his lap?
I don’t have much time to contemplate this. Holt stands and sweeps us out to the cafe. I have just enough time to grab my tote bag, and ask Piper to hold on to Carter’s stuff. She keeps his laptop and bag behind the counter with her, and gives me a hug. I mention, the most recent developments to her quickly.
“Oh, I’m so glad this is over. Now go home with the hottie, and report back,” After hugging me she shoves me away from her and she wiggles her fingers in a wave. Rolling my eyes, I promise to text her later.
Sterling is waiting by the door. Once I meet him there, he opens it and leads me out towards a big, black shiny motorcycle. I raise my eyebrow at him as he hands me a helmet.
“Ever ridden one of these before,” he asks, smirking. He doesn’t wait for my answer as he takes my tote bag and starts strapping it down on the back of the bike.
