Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
By the time they made it to the house where they were staying, Blakely was exhausted. She needed sleep, lots of it. At least she didn’t have to be anywhere in the morning.
The doctor at the hospital had been nice enough to give her a breathing treatment once they heard she’d been in the fire, too. She needed insurance. Heck, she needed Grayson to leave her alone. She might have what he was looking for, but no way would she ever give it to him.
Worrying about Grayson had never done her any good, so she pushed him from her mind before dropping off to sleep.
When she woke, she heard a noise coming from another room, and sat up, worry filling her.
Then she remembered everything. Grayson, Jump helping her, the fire, the hospital, then coming here and meeting Wave who would be gone by the time she woke up, which was now.
All of her stuff was gone. Well, almost everything was gone. He’d probably come back to her place and trashed it before starting the fire.
Once the police learned that the fire started in her apartment, they would want to talk to her. She would have to play this cool. Just like last time, Grayson ruined everything.
She dressed then headed out to the kitchen where she found Jump and one of his friends eating breakfast.
“Hey, good morning. Are you feeling better?” Jump asked.
She nodded. “Do you have coffee?”
“I do. T even stopped by for some creamer in case you like cream in your coffee.”
“Thank you. I do like my coffee sweet.”
She grabbed her coffee then sat at the small four-person table with the guys. She took a sip and let go a deep sigh.
“I guess Wave is gone?”
Jump nodded. “He left early this morning. He’ll be gone for a month or more, so we can use his place until he gets back. I’ve talked to a few friends. There’s this shop one of the women suggested where you can get some clothes.”
Clothes, she would have to buy new clothes. Just great. “I don’t think shopping is on my agenda. I can’t afford new clothes.”
Jump set his fork down. “It’s not like that. It’s a place that helps people get back on their feet when bad things happen. So the clothes aren’t expensive, and you don’t have to worry about not being able to afford them.”
“Oh, I guess that’s good.”
“And I’ve already received a call from a guy I know who was Navy but left and joined the police force. It was arson. Usually they wait to make that call, but it was obvious. There was a gas can left in the stairwell. They think your bed was in the mess in one of the stairwells.”
“Shit. How many injuries?”
“One guy broke his ankle. A few cuts and scrapes. Some smoke inhalation. No deaths and no major burns.”
“How did everyone get out? The stairs were blocked.”
“Only on our side. And two of the units on my end were empty. So really, it was only us and one other couple who were trapped.”
She took a sip of her coffee, trying to ignore the way his words had sounded. He hadn’t meant they were a couple, though that’s how she wanted to take it.
It was impossible for her to get involved with this man. Now that Grayson knew where she was, he’d probably call for more people to help him. She wouldn’t be allowed any peace until she either gave him what he was looking for or he died. And she would never give him what he wanted.
Jump studied Blakely’s reaction to the news the fire had been deliberately set. She didn’t seem surprised. Had Grayson done this before?
He needed to get more information on Grayson and find out what the dude was about. Was he an ex, family, or just some creep who was stalking her?
“How long until you think the police will want to talk to me?”
Her question wasn’t a big surprise. Of course they would want to talk to her once they figured out where the fire started.
The one problem he had with her was he could tell she was hiding something.
No doubt, the police would pick up on it if they were any good at all.
He needed to figure out what was going on with her and see if he could help.
“They’ll probably want to talk soon. Did you get your phone before we left the apartment?”
Her shoulders deflated, and she closed her eyes, shaking her head. “No. I forgot it.”
“Well, for now they have no way of contacting you. They’ll probably come around here in a few days. So you have two, maybe three days.”
He watched as her lips thinned and her nostrils flared. She sipped more coffee, almost like she thought lifting the coffee cup would save her. There was no way she could hide from the truth, not with a face like hers that showed every emotion.
He took a drink from his coffee and looked at her over the rim. “When the police question you, they are going to know you’re hiding something. It’s as plain as day.”
Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. “No. No, I’m not hiding anything.”
T chuckled. “I don’t know you and I can tell you’re hiding something. If I can tell, the police are going to pick up on it fast.”
She made a noise and opened her mouth to say something, but Jump held up his hand.
“Don’t lie right now. We can’t help you unless we know what you’re hiding.”
Blakely shook her head slowly. “Why would you help me?”
“Because I have a feeling that guy would have killed you last night if I hadn’t intervened.” Jump leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table as he stared at her. “You were in a pickle, and Grayson has something on you. Just tell us what’s up.”
Blakely held his gaze for a moment then she stood and moved to the kitchen sink. She stayed there, unmoving for a long moment.
Jump sat back, giving her a moment to think. If he pushed too hard, she might just walk out of here. That would be okay, he guessed. But he would worry about her. Grayson could find her and that could end up being very bad if there was no one around to protect her.