Page 26 of Saving Wyatt

"If he was, he wouldn't have called me to warn me. No. He's sweeping the rug out from under my feet. He wants me to know he's the dealer and I'm under the gun."

"He called you?" Slade asked.

“One of his men.” Before I could say more, two more cars pulled up at the scene. A police car with Dakota in the front seat and Warren’s car with my brother and Ari next to him.

Great. Because I needed the handsome distraction.

"What's going on? What happened?" Warren jumped out and ran toward me.

Ari stood a couple feet behind him, casting glances at me and the burning building but not saying much.

Maybe it was for the best. He was distracting enough without his beautiful accent and kind words. Especially when I needed to keep my composure.

Flashes of my earlier dream flickered before my eyes, and as I watched the fire cast a warm glow on the side of his face, the feelings that had overwhelmed me in my sleep took over in reality, and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks before I made an even bigger mess of things.

"Are you guys okay?" Dakota asked, approaching us. "Was anyone hurt?"

I shook my head, and Warren turned to him.

"Seriously, Mitchell? Seriously? You ask if they're okay? First they plant a dead body and now they set the bar on fire. Of course they're not okay. Who would be in their position? You need to do something about these bastards."

"What bastards?" Dakota asked, his gaze darkening.

"No one!" I said, glaring at my brother. "Warren doesn't know what he's talking about."

He grimaced but didn't say anything further.

"You guys know I can help you, right? I'm here to help," Dakota said, but none of us spoke.

What was there to say, anyway? Either he worked for Salieri and telling him anything only put us in further danger, or he didn't and he could do nothing with our baseless accusations.

Somehow this evil man had succeeded in cutting us off from everything and everyone that could help. Not that I would have ever trusted an outsider with any of the intel we'd gathered on Salieri, but we didn't have the option.

"Do you want to take a statement?" I asked him, and he turned to glance at the fire then at my feet.

I did the same, and it was then I realized I had put on two different shoes.

"No. That can wait. Your safety comes first. Where are the others? Are they okay?"

"They've gone to Luna's already," Parker said, and I felt Warren's hand on my back as he guided me toward the car.

Ari stalked behind us, and I was grateful I didn't have to look him in the eyes in my current state but also embarrassed that he had to witness me at my lowest.

I didn't know why I cared, but I did. I knew there was no universe in which he'd ever be interested in me and no universe in which I'd ever act on my attraction to him. We were from different worlds, different generations, different walks.

The car door shutting on my side snapped me back to reality.

Why the fuck was I concerned about a man when I didn't even have a pot to piss in?

What is wrong with me?

I must’ve been losing it. There was no other explanation. Everything that had happened had finally made me crack, and I was spiraling out of control. There was no other explanation.

The ride to Luna's Lodge was quiet, and I even managed to resist the urge to stare at the handsome man, focusing on my myriad other problems, but when we got to the bed-and-breakfast, another problem was added to my list.

"No more rooms," Autumn said. "Not for at least another week, I think. Even Elliot will be sleeping on the couch in the living room for a couple nights until a room is cleared."

"Great," I muttered under my breath.