Adrian joins us, out of breath. “Not a fucking chance. Must have belonged to Sharp. Maybe he hid it in there.”
“What caused the explosion and the fucking fire?” I shout over the roar as the entire shed is engulfed in flames.
Aaron yells from behind us, “Are you gonna fucking help me over here?” He’s at the well, already popping open the case around the generator. The first thing we did when we broke ground on our return to the mountain was to ensure we had a deep well with a powerful generator.
We will never be caught without enough water to put out flames. All of our cabins and the main house have detectors that will set off the sprinkler system in the ceilings if there is ever any smoke.
This outbuilding is nothing but an unfinished tool shed, though. It’s a total loss now. The important thing is that we get the fire put out so it doesn’t jump to another structure or into the surrounding trees.
Aaron is unwinding the hose as we jog closer to him. Adrian and I grab the end and hustle toward the raging fire.
Asher runs toward us from around the back. “That fucker is still in there,” he shouts.
I wince. I figured he was, but the confirmation is still distressing. No matter what he did or how big of an asshole he is, he’s still my wife’s father. I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about what’s happened tonight.
Three of us hold the hose while Aaron makes sure it’s able to suck water out of the well. Luckily, the shed isn’t large, and we manage to put out the flames in less than ten minutes.
When we all drop the hose, we’re panting from the stress and fear. Fire is our enemy. I’m bent forward with my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. When I look up, I see four of my brothers. Asher is not among them.
Aaric sees me looking around and sighs. “He took off as soon as the fire was out.”
I nod. I’m not surprised. He’s going to need some time to deal with this. He processes things differently than the rest of us. Feels deeper, even though he won’t admit it.
“I called the sheriff. He’s sending two deputies out,” Aaric informs us.
If it weren’t for the fact that there’s most likely a dead body in the pile of burned wood, we wouldn’t need to call it in.
Aaron approaches the smoldering rubble with a rake in his hand. He prods at it before turning back to us. “He’s in there,” he informs us solemnly.
Andrew sets a hand on my shoulder. “Go to your woman. We’ll handle this.”
“Thank you.” I turn and take off toward my cabin, praying Rebekah is right where I left her. I’m not sure how she’s going to deal with this news.
I’m a mess, soaking wet and covered in soot, but I run through the cabin without pausing and don’t fully breathe until I open the door to the saferoom and find my girl curled up in a ball in the corner.
She bolts upright and then jumps to her feet, running toward me. She leaps into the air and throws herself into my arms, totally heedless of how filthy I am. “I was so scared. You were gone for so long. An explosion shook the cabin. I thought I’d lost you.”
Tears stream down her face. She must have held them back until I arrived. I cup her face and kiss her lips. “I’m fine, sweetheart. You can’t lose me that easily.”
With her small arms wrapped tightly around my neck, she kisses all over my face.
I rub her back as I carry her out of the saferoom and close the door behind us. I head straight for the bathroom and reach in to turn on the shower. We’re both going to need to bathe now. I’ve gotten her all dirty.
While the water warms up, I sit her on the vanity and pin her in with my hands on either side of her hips.
She searches my eyes. “It was my dad, wasn’t it?” she whispers.
“It was, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. He started a fire in one of the sheds and didn’t manage to get out.” She doesn’t need any more details. I won’t tell her what her father said about starting the fire that killed my parents. Perhaps someday, but it won’t change anything, and she doesn’t need the added stress right now.
Rebekah nods slowly. Silent tears run down her cheeks. I’m not positive what she’s thinking, but I give her time to process. Finally, she inhales deeply and wipes her cheeks. “He wasn’t a good man. He would have caused us trouble every day until he got what he wanted. Me.”
I grip her hips. “He never would have been able to get you, sweetheart. Not in a million years. You’re mine.”
She sniffles as she nods. “I’m so glad Asher tied me to that chair.” She throws her arms around me again.
I kiss her neck. “Me, too, sweetheart.”
Seventeen
