Chapter 28
BLAKE
Levi has a voice that would make any woman throw her panties at him. I would know. I practically did that in the Timberline bathroom.
What else is a girl to do after a super sexy man sings My Wish while making eyes at her the whole time?
But the recovery time I’m going to need after mine and Levi’s bathroom shenanigans is going to set a world record.
Swallowing another bite of my cold burger, I exhale a breath of stupefaction and ask, “Since when?”
Santiago, knowing exactly what I mean, gives me a look. “Since forever.”
Swinging my head toward Walker, I question accusingly, “And you knew?
“Yep.” Walker uses the tissue-paper-thin napkin to wipe his hands as he finishes the onion rings.
Levi just sits there smug as a bug, and I can’t fault him for that.
My phone buzzes in my cardigan pocket. I had to fight with Santiago in the car earlier to get it from him. He claimed that I would spend time on it instead of spending time with him.
The phone number is one that I recognize, prompting me to answer. “Hello?”
“Blake, I need you to come back to Moose Gap Lodge as soon as possible,” Mason, the owner, requests. His tone causes my chest to grow so tight that I have a difficult time breathing.
“What’s wrong?”
My question has Levi, Santiago, and Walker perking up in their seats.
A horn blares through the earpiece. “Just get back here.”
“Mason, is Bear okay?”
Silence.
“Hurry.”
All of the color drains from my face as I hold my phone in front of my face and find that Mason hung up.
Levi’s hand lands on my knee, but I can’t feel it. “What happened, Butterfly?”
Walker whips out his own phone, and we all attempt to listen in despite the person wailing into the microphone.
“Jo, what’s going on?” Nodding his head, Walker’s face grows serious.
“I’m on my way.” He stashes his phone back in his pocket and stands as he pulls me up from my seat and slips my arms into his coat.
“Come on,” Walker directs to Levi and Santiago, who are already on their feet and ready to go.
Walker places his hand on my back to guide me forward, but I dig my heels in, panic overtaking my body.
Levi wraps an arm across my shoulders. “We need to check on Bear.”
My heart hammers as my stomach drops.
Bear. I need to find Bear.
I allow Walker to lead me to his truck, and Levi joins us as Santiago jogs to his own.
Walker hops in the driver’s seat, and holding my hand, Levi slides into the passenger seat and pulls me in after him.
He places me on his lap, shuts the door, and somehow gets the seatbelt over the two of us.
We’re a jumble of limbs, but it still soothes me.
Walker peels out of the parking lot, and Santiago zooms behind us.
Levi traces circles on my back, releasing the tension there.
When we pull up to the motel, I have no trouble recognizing a scene I’ve become too familiar with—wild embers.
My car is on fire.
The flames climb several feet into the starry night sky. The windows have already blown out, and a tire pops like distant gunshots.
The billowing smoke rolls from my car windows. The smell of burning rubber fills the car before we’re even in the parking lot.
“Oh, my God,” I breathe out.
Red and blue lights flash in the evening darkness, reflecting off the white snow.
Yellow turnout gear darts through the smoke, and reflective stripes catch the rotating emergency lights.
A firefighter braces the hose while another enters the cloud of steam and smoke.
The firetruck sits at an angle across the motel entrance, its emergency lights washing Moose Gap Lodge in red and white.
The few guests staying at the motel are outside, wrapped in blankets and robes, looking as if they had haphazardly dressed to watch the show.
One guest is filming the entire scene on their phone while another tries to wrangle a grumpy child in their arms. Mason is running around placating the guests and tending to their needs.
I’m out of the cab and running forward before Walker can bring the truck to a stop.
Levi’s voice trails behind me. “Blake!”
Arms encompass my middle, yanking me backward. “Slow down, mi Cielo.”
Walker strides past us, approaching one of the firefighters.
When I stop flailing about, Santiago sets me back on my feet, and he and Levi escort me to Walker.
“We’re almost done putting it out,” the firefighter informs Walker.
“Thanks, Tad.” Walker pats him on the shoulder. “Was there a dog in the car?”
“Not that I could see,” Tad answers honestly.
“I’m going to check your room for Bear,” Santiago mentions, then jogs toward my room on the second floor.
Another fraction of tension releases in my shoulders.
Levi grabs my hand, interlocking our fingers together. “It’s a rental, right?”
I nod.
“Did you have insurance on it?” Levi follows up.
I nod again.
“Everything will be okay. We can replace anything that was in there,” Levi assures me.
“Okay,” I return in a whisper.
“Do we know how this happened?” Walker questions Tad.
“I’ll know more once I can get a closer look.” Tad points his thumb toward my car.
Walker’s gaze lingers on the side of Tad’s face as he watches the fire, perceiving something the rest of us don’t see. “But you have an idea.”
Tad nods. “The driver’s side window looks broken.”
“Which means…” Walker prompts Tad to explain further.
Tad expels a rigid breath. “It might have been intentional.”
“Shit.” Levi curses next to me.
Tad advances into the fray, and Walker spins toward me.
“He could be wrong.” I proclaim in hope.
Walker shakes his head. “Tad has good instincts for investigating fires.”
“Maybe the broken window was an accident.” I try again.
Santiago returns to my side, taking hold of my other hand. “Bear is fine,” he comforts me. “Walk—”
Walker angles his head, directing his question toward Santiago. “Was the window broken when you left?”
“It wasn’t.” Santiago’s response dispels my optimism. “But—”
“It could have been a rock.” I try one more time.
“Hey, Walk—”
Walker gives me a flat look. “A rock picked itself up and jumped through your car window?”
Narrowing my eyes, I quip, “Stranger things have happened.”
“Walker Maddox!” Santiago yells, causing me to flinch.
“What?” Walker’s tone sounds put out.
Santiago shifts his weight from side to side, and my focus bounces between them. Walker’s eyes scrunch while Santiago’s dart to the side.
Their wordless conversation has my jaw clenching, but Levi has no problem following their cues.
“Oh, shit,” Levi curses again, then the attention of the three of them shifts to me.
My brain rattles, scouring for the meaning, but then the fog lifts. Levi, Santiago, and Walker all know when I figure it out.
I drop Levi and Santiago’s hands and pretend to fix my hair, pretending to be completely unbothered.
But I’m not fooling them.
Walker’s voice is almost threatening. “Don’t you dare, Baby Girl.”
Eyeing each of their positions, I duck low as Santiago’s arms attempt to snag me. Walker and Levi bump heads when they both try to bend down and grab hold of me.
Sliding backward, I move myself out of their reach and sprint for the stairs. My legs are long enough that I can take them two at a time.
“Blake, no!”
“Butterfly!”
Skidding to a stop in front of the door, I notice that it doesn’t sit quite right in the frame.
The brass cylinder looks as if someone punched it inward, leaving a jagged ring of exposed wood around where the knob is holding on for dear life.
Long cracks spiderweb over the painted doorframe where the deadbolt tore free.
Even though the door hangs open an inch, I still have to ram my shoulder above the knob to wrench it open.
Bear whines, circling my legs. Once he’s satisfied that it’s really me, he jumps, placing his front paws on my stomach, and sniffs, searching for anything amiss. When he goes back down onto all fours, my stomach drops, and my breath grows thin and uneven at the sight in front of me.
“My stuff…”
The lamp lies shattered on the floor. The mattress has been shoved halfway off the bedframe. Every dresser drawer hangs open along with the closet doors. My clothes litter the room as if someone tossed them over their shoulder, one armful at a time.
Whoever did this wasn’t just searching for something.
They were ripping my life apart.
“Blake, you can’t be in here,” Walker says as more of a command than a suggestion.
“Walk, ya déjenla.” Leave her alone.
“Fine, but don’t touch anything,” Walker commands
“Her fingerprints are already all over the room,” Levi asserts.
“I mean you two,” Walker points to Levi and Santiago. “Gloves. Now.” Walker steps out of the room, and I overhear his side of a phone call. “Jo, call in Tess and Ridge. I need them down at Moose Gap Lodge ASAP.”
Leaving Walker to his conversation, I move around the room, inspecting for anything else out of place.
On Bear’s bed, I find one of my sketches torn apart. I drop down onto my knees and sort through the pieces, putting them together like a puzzle.
I only have a few pieces in place when I realize that it’s a sketch I drew weeks ago.
Levi, Santiago, and Walker were hanging out together in front of the police station.
Flurries floated through the air as bits of sunlight reflected off them, showcasing how they danced in the breeze.
The guys were having a moment. I don’t know what was said, but whatever it was, it had them all smiling and laughing together.
For a brief moment, they were carefree and unburdened.
Why would someone destroy this moment?
The sketch was in my nightstand drawer.
Shaking off the dread, I ask myself out loud, “Who would do this?”
Santiago’s head pops out of the closet, and in his gloved hands, he holds a few of my clothes. “Piss anyone off lately?”
Where did he get the gloves?
I don’t think I want to know.
“Besides Walk?” I retort.
“This is serious.” Walker chimes in. I didn’t hear him come back in.
“I’m not laughing,” I return.