Lotz-Moore inched away from the water, but there was nowhere to go. All he could do was curl up in the corner and watch it fall.
I sighed as I peered in the front window at the rubble that used to be my beloved restaurant. Not much was left. The tables and chairs were lumps of ash. The walls were singed. The floors too. Everything still smoked. A heavy, pungent smell hung in the air. It stung my nostrils. My eyes.
My heart.
"This sucks," Jules said, putting an arm around me.
He and Archer had headed down here, ahead of us, hoping to find out more.
"Yeah," I said softly. It was bricks and mortar, yes, but it was more than that. It was memories. I met Cass and Jules here. And Erin. Shelly too.
With the good memories there were bad. I'd also met Gina and Yvette here. Hypnos. Lotz-Moore.
"Maybe this isn't a bad thing," I whispered. "As long as this place is standing, I'll remember all the things that happened here. Now we can start over."
"You want to rebuild?" Jules glanced over at me, his brow creased as if he couldn't understand why I wouldn't take the insurance money and walk.
"Yeah, I do," I said. "What I built here was something special. If I rebuild, it can be even better. Why wouldn't I want to do that?"
"I don't know." He looked back at the debris. "Because you have the chance to put it all behind you? Your sister and all of those monsters."
"Is that what you'd do?" I asked gently.
He thought about that for a moment before saying, "Fuck no. That would be letting the asshole win. In my book, assholes don't get to win."
"Amen to that, brother." Boner offered him a fist bump.
Jules hesitated for a moment before accepting, tapping his hand against Boner's.
"This place will be amazing. Rising from the ashes like a phoenix," Boner said.
He raised his hands in front of himself, fingers upright, splayed apart, pushing them up slowly like they rose toward the sky and beyond.
"I'm keeping the name," I said, before they decided to call it Phoenix Rest or something like that.
"I'd expect nothing less. Looks like we're going to be busy for the next while." The enthusiasm in Boner's eyes suggested he was up for it. Of course, he was up for anything.
"We are," I said. "I've already made an offer on the other restaurant. We're going to be renovating two at a time. I hope you're good with that." I smiled up at Jules.
He groaned. "I guess so. After I finish my father's job down in the Hamptons. I guess I should do that." His expression was grudging, but accepting. He'd give his father this opportunity.
Hopefully Forrest didn't squander it. I wanted them to have a relationship with each other, when they were ready. I knew Cass wanted that too. He wanted his father back in his life.
"Did they say anything about who started this?" I asked.
"They aren't sure." It was Archer who answered. "My bet is Lotz-Moore paid someone to do it. It wouldn't be difficult to find someone with an accelerant and a lighter."
"I'm glad it didn't damage the businesses to either side," I said.
Getting to me was one thing. Hurting other people in the process was something else. This was my battle, my mission, not theirs.
"The fire department had a quick look. There's minimal damage," Archer agreed. "It was contained to the restaurant."
"Are you sure it wasn't faulty wiring?" Boner said, shooting a sly look toward Jules.
"It wasn't fucking faulty wiring,” Jules growled.
"Accidents happen," Boner said, continuing to grin.
