My chest tightened. I fished my phone from my pocket, checking the screen. I looked at Thomas.
He’d done the same thing I had. His gaze found mine. “Jammed.”
The realization settled like a rock in my stomach. If they were jamming our phones, they’d been planning this.
Which meant they knew exactly where we’d be tonight. I’d left strict orders that she wasn’t to leave the house, and that my men were to keep a tight circle. If Colter thought he was going to ride in and easily take her, he’d find out quickly that he was wrong…
A section of ceiling collapsed twenty feet behind us, sending sparks and burning debris across our escape route. We had maybe two minutes before this place became our tomb.
That’s when I heard it. The shrill ring of an old landline phone just above the roar of the fire.
Kane looked at me. “I think it’s coming from the JP’s office.”
The landlines.
We rushed back towards the JP’s office.
I lunged for the receiver. “There’s a fire in the JP’s office. We’re?—”
“Well, well, Jason.” Colter’s voice was smooth, amused. “Having a hot time tonight?”
My blood turned to ice. “You son of a?—”
“You’re right I am, which means I always get what I want.” I’d heard this laugh many times from people I ultimately killed.
“What do you want, Colter?”
“Nothing you haven’t already given me. See, while you boys were playing detective, I’ve been collecting what’s mine. Beautiful little family you almost had there.”
The phone nearly slipped from my hands. “If you touch them?—”
“Touch them? Jason, I’m about to sell them.” The line went dead.
I told the men no one went in or out of that house. There was no way he could get to her.
Behind me, another section of ceiling crashed down, and the flames roared closer. But all I could think about was Cora and Elias, and how I’d failed her again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
CORA
With Elias on my shoulder,I opened the door. “Hey, Daisy.”
Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and for being so late in the day, her makeup was still perfect. I’d need to ask her what her secret was. I could rarely get my foundation to look that good by the end of the day.
A large blue bag that matched her knee-length skirt hung on her forearm. “Hey, thank you so much for letting me invade your home. I am so sorry about all the confusion.” She held up the garment bag with my dress in it.
She’d called roughly twenty minutes ago. Apparently, one of the other shop attendants mixed a few dresses up and thought mine had been cancelled. They’d taken all the pins out from the day I’d tried it on, and now, they needed to be redone.
I waved her off and stepped aside so she could enter. “It’s okay. Things happen. Come on in.”
She brushed down the front of her dress. “I don’t know what those men were looking for, but my goodness, they sure were thorough.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Jason is protective.”
I’d actually had to beg the men to let her in. Jason had left strict orders for no one to enter the house, but with the wedding so close, she had to take my measurements. Since I couldn’t leave… the only other choice was to let her in.
Her lips curved up. “No need to apologize. I’m just so grateful you’re letting me do this so late.” She wiggled her fingers at Elias. “Hey, there, darlin’. Aren’t you the cutest thing? That red hair is something.”
