Chapter 16 #2
“What the fuck is that?” Jackson screamed.
As soon as we reached the bottom, I knew why the smoke was even worse.
I also knew exactly the reason for the horrific sound.
A section of the wine racks had been pulled down, the heat from the fire forcing the bottles to explode.
Aspen. “Aspen. Aspen!” I shoved my way through the firing range, Jackson right behind me.
I knew we had little time before the kitchen would be engulfed in flames, the stairwell attracting the fire. From there, the wine would become an accelerant. The smoke continued to roll in, stinging the hell out of my eyes, but I kept going.
“Oh, God.” The beam of the flashlight highlighted her crumpled body. She was so lifeless. Lunging toward her, I cradled my body over hers. Her face was covered in blood. I gathered her into my arms, placing the towel over her face.
“We have to get… out of here.” Jackson leaned over, coughing then covering his face with his arm.
“Yeah Go. Go. Go!”
We lumbered forward, several dozen other bottles shattering. There were more creaks and groans as the house continued to burn, the hissing of the flames something that would live in my mind forever. There was a wall of flames at the top of the stairs.
“Fuck. Fuck!” Jackson called. “It’s going to be dicey.”
“Just go. We have no other choice.”
He twisted his head in order to see me then nodded. “We can do this, brother.”
His voice was almost drowned out by the horrific noise. Rearing back, he jumped through the flames. I took a deep breath, holding it then stroking her face.
And I prayed.
Another series of flashing images raced into my mind as I lunged through the flames, stumbling several times in my effort to get outside. I could hear sirens coming from every direction, several of them close. A haze had formed over my eyes, the heat oppressive.
The second Jackson and I bolted out the front door, we heard several people yelling.
“Get the hoses over there, now!”
Another firefighter raced in my direction, holding out his arms.
“Come on, I got her. Let her go.”
The voice was calming, but as I tumbled to the ground, Aspen was ripped out of my hands. “No. No!”
“Get the goddamn fire blanket!”
I didn’t recognize the voice, but I refused to listen, trying to scramble toward her. She was so lifeless. Helpless. As something was tossed over me, I panicked, fighting with everything I had.
“Montgomery. Stop. Stop!” Jackson called.
Nothing was going to make me stop.
Growling, I managed to get closer, reaching out. “Aspen.”
“She’s not breathing,” one of the EMTs shouted.
As a mask was placed around her mouth and nose, I clawed the ground. “Aspen!”
“There’s no pulse.”
The vacuum of voices was spinning in my mind, echoing.
“Get the goddamn paddles over here.”
I felt a hand on my arm and with everything still in slow motion, I turned my head. The vision of Carmine’s face was almost too much to take. I could feel her touch. I could sense her presence. Then I heard her voice, her whisper just as lilting as I remembered.
“Everything is going to be all right.”
But as I concentrated on the sound, I heard something else.
“We’re losing her. We’re losing her!”
Buzz…
Flatline.
* * *
I took a deep breath, trying to control the rattle in my chest. I continued to ache all over, but it had very little to do with the few burns and other scratches I’d suffered during the fire at the villa.
My aches had entirely to do with my heart.
While the burning anger remained, what I was experiencing was a combination of remorse and guilt, frustration and determination.
The bastard was going down.
I’d selected the time of day knowing I had a better chance of catching him undistracted from business or family ventures. I pounded my fist on the solid mahogany panel, planting a smile on my face. The second the housekeeper opened the door, I pushed my way in.
She gasped as she stumbled backwards, fear crossing her face.
I simply placed my finger in front of my lips, giving her a stern look.
Nodding, she shifted her eyes toward the same location where I’d found the motherfucker before.
As I headed toward the sunroom, I placed a mask of sorts over my face, swaggering closer.
I wanted the asshole to think nothing in this world could bother or touch me.
He would look learn what fucking with the Wolfe family truly meant.
When I burst outside, I threw my arms out, enjoying the brightness of the sun. “What a beautiful morning, Prescott. Don’t you think?”
Instead of being startled as he was the last time, he simply took another sip of his coffee, moving both his mug as well as whatever national paper he was reading to the table in front of him. Even out of the corner of my eye, I could tell he was gloating.
“Should I hold a standing reservation for you, Montgomery?” he asked in an even tone of voice.
“That might not be a bad idea. I think you and I do have quite a lot to talk about. Don’t you?” I turned my head, issuing a cold stare in his direction, allowing my gaze to fall slowly.
“I was oh-so sorry to hear about the fire. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I understand that pretty little thing you had working for you perished.”
I allowed my expression to fall, finally shifting my gaze away and walking closer to the exterior door.
“You know my father worked hard often sixteen hours a day to make ends meet for the family. He wanted his kids to have a better life. When he purchased the winery, he thought it was his golden ticket. Sadly, he learned quickly that no one in Napa Valley wanted Cheyenne in their space. While there were wonderful people who helped my father achieve success, there were just as many who did everything in their power to shove him into failure.”
He said nothing, but I heard him shifting in his seat.
“Anyway, that was the past. I plan on moving into the future. The only way to do that is to exterminate roaches. Do you know what I mean, Prescott?”
“I think you’re still rattled, Montgomery. I suggest you go home and rest.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “No, I don’t need rest. What I need is to fulfill my desire for the truth. I made my mind up last night. I thought you could help me with that.”
“I’m not certain what you mean.”
“I think you know exactly what I mean, Prescott.” I moved quickly, lowering into the seat opposite him. I didn’t want there to be a single technical difficulty.
He lifted his head, eyeing me carefully. “Go on.”
I leaned forward, taking my time before addressing him. “I know you were responsible for the fire two years ago as well as torching the Kingstons’ place. I also know you had the fire set at one of my villas two nights ago. What I want from you is nothing more than for you to confirm that.”
There was something almost haunting about the look in his eyes. He turned his head toward his pool, biting his lower lip. Then he stood, moving to the same spot I’d been standing. “Do you think it’s easy trying to forge an empire?”
“Not in the least.” Where the hell was he going with this?
“I put everything I had into purchasing the winery against the advice of my attorney and my family. I lost my family over what I’d hungered to achieve. Granted, it’s their loss as well. They won’t be able to enjoy the pleasures of what I’ve created. And what I’m going to achieve.”
“The resort and casino.”
He darted a glance in my direction. “Yes. Imagine what it’s going to do for the area. The number of jobs created will be amazing and the money flowing into the community? Substantial.”
The man was actually excited about the fact he’d almost won.
Almost.
“But your investors aren’t happy with you. Right?” I knew I was pushing, but I didn’t want to waste any additional time with this bullshit than I had to.
“They are… concerned. Just like you, I have a board of directors to please. That’s not easy. I’m certain you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Which is why you pressured the various winery owners to sell, even resorting to threats.”
He seemed more exasperated, his face shifting into a bright pink color.
“I was willing to pay them a reasonable price! They were stupid in refusing me. Those arrogant bastards thought the pristine atmosphere was more important than making money. So I handled the situation in the methods I knew would work.”
“Arson.”
Laughing, he pressed his hands against the screened-in portion of the door. “It’s my understanding that you were planning on exacting revenge the other night. Coming to my house and invading my space. What were you planning on doing, killing me? That’s not like you, Montgomery.”
I cocked my head, trying to figure out what the hell he was getting at. How would he know that? “Interesting.”
“What do you really want, Montgomery?”
“The truth. I already told you that. I need to know what happened to my wife and to the woman I fell in love with.” My anger was increasing to the point I wasn’t certain I could control it.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep from wrapping my hands around the man’s throat. “I’m going to ask you a question, Prescott, and you’re going to answer me truthfully.”
He laughed, which almost took me over the edge. “Why do you think I’d tell you a damn thing?”
“Because I think you want to. In fact, I know you do.” I gave him a hard look, his eyes opening wide. While I might not be able to snap the man’s neck, I could provide a clear indication of what would happen if he didn’t cooperate with me in more subtle ways.
“What the hell do you want to know?”
“Did you order someone to set the fires?” When he didn’t respond right away, I walked closer, staring him eye to eye.
“Please…”
“Please what? You need to tell me the truth. Did. You. Order. The. Fire?”
“Yes,” he hissed. “I did. And I’d do it again.”