Page 113 of Burning For You

“Because your fucking girlfriend is the one getting the attention on these stories. The one writing them. So yeah, I think it’s you.”

His fingers flexed.

It wasn’t him, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it came from GFPD or the sheriff’s department.

Tate or Keegan.

That call he’d gotten last night. From Tate, telling him about another email.

It’d already put him in a mood that she’d not only gotten another email—and didn’t tell him—but that she’d gone to dinner with Sean Murphy.

So yeah, he was already ready to put his fist through a wall last night.

He didn’t need Corbin blasting him over not sharing the news Skye was in contact with Sean.

Here he’d thought he was doing her a favor not saying a word.

It was her right to try to mend a fence with her biological brother, but it hadn’t seemed as if anything was coming about it.

What he didn’t understand was why she hadn’t shared her dinner plans prior.

Were they disagreeing? Yep. They were.

But he was willing to bet those plans had been made prior and yet she was still keeping it from him.

“It’s not me. The chief didn’t tell you who it was?”

“No. He said they have to look into everyone and my name came up. I had to explain why I was there for them all.”

“And what did you say?” he asked. “Because we know damn well you weren’t working them all.”

“First off,” Alan said, “I wasn’t at them all. I wasn’t at the first one.”

“Maybe no one saw you there.”

Might as well play devil’s advocate and push some buttons.

The way the guy was coming at him now, Alan deserved it.

“Don’t push me,” Alan said. “This is my life you’re playing with. Do you know what it’s like to be accused of something like this?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe you shouldn’t be running out to fires every time there is one when you aren’t working. It looks suspicious. Enough that other people are noticing it.”

“Yeah, well, you know what I think? I think maybe it’s Skye. She’s been to just as many of them as I have. I made sure the chief knew it.”

“Don’t be a dick,” he said. “There is no way Skye could be starting those fires.”

“Really? And you think I am?” Alan walked closer and got right in his face. “You think I don’t know the history there? That her family died in a fire? Maybe she’s got a bit of a bug herself. Maybe she likes things going up in smoke? Or getting attention for that? Could be she wants to see if someone else can make it out alive or dies like her parents did.”

He grabbed Alan by the shirtfront and slammed him into the wall. “Watch your fucking mouth,” he snarled.

“What’s going on in here?” His captain came in, pushing closer and pulling Ash off Alan.

“Someone is running their mouth when they’ve got no right to.”

“Alan,” Christian said. “Don’t take this shit out on Ash. I’ve seen you at every fire on my shift along with all the guys. I’m not sure why you’re narrowing in on Ash.”

“Because Skye is his girlfriend. His best friend’s sister. It stands to reason it’s all connected.”