Page 76 of The Red-Hot Stakes

And that was all I told him.

* * * *

It was hard keeping a secret from Liam. We were both stressed from the added work of cleaning the bar, throwing everything out, restocking. Again. And I had classes on top of it.

I’d talked to Liam about the photo on the desk, asked him once more if Brad was truly out of the country. Liam spoke to the officer assigned to the case who assured him they had actual footage of Brad leaving as well as his ticket and passport being scanned. But I couldn’t shake the feeling we were missing something.

We opened as usual on Wednesday, advertising karaoke and chili, our old standby. The chili was particularly popular since November was here and brought its cold snap with it.

Anytime the phone rang, I tensed. An hour in, Sarah held out the phone to me, and I took it to a fairly quiet corner, whispering my hello.

“Ready to reconsider, Gina?”

My voice shook as I asked, “Why would I do that?”

“I told you, the longer you wait, the higher the stakes. And this time, for this bet, we’ll make sure to raise the bar. I have someRed-hotstakes in mind.”

Shivers ran down my spine at the emphasis on my nickname. “What sort of game is this?” Tension coiled in my gut, and I hated the fear building inside me.

A raspy chuckle filled the line. “This is no game, Gina. This ends when you break up with Liam, and the longer you take, the more he suffers. I win either way, remember that. I’m sure with your sharp tongue and fiery temper, you can find some way to manage it. The bar closes at two a.m., right? I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give you until two-thirty.”

Then the dial tone sounded in my ear.

I hung up, feeling unsettled and pissed off. No one told me how to run my life, let alone tried to make me give up the best thing in it. If I ever get my hands on that creep—

“Gina!” Sarah called, bringing me back to earth.

We’d sent everyone home but us and Wendy, one of the new girls. I shoved my emotions aside, plastered on a smile and focused on doing my job. I went home at midnight, leaving them to close.

At four a.m. Thursday morning, Liam’s phone went off, pulling me from a dead sleep. He fumbled around, finally answering it. Then he shot straight out of bed, hurrying to pull on some pants. “I’ll be right there.” He flipped on the light.

I groaned. “What’s going on?”

“The High Five is on fire.”

“What?” I was suddenly wide awake. I hopped out of bed, scrambling for clothes. He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “If you even try to tell me to stay here, you’ll regret it.”

His jaw snapped shut, and one corner of his mouth tipped up as he finished getting dressed. I gripped his arm the whole way there. An orange haze rose from the direction of the bar, and the sinking in my gut grew the closer we came.

We squealed to a stop in front of the caution tape, where the police officers had shut down the whole block. Liam told them who we were, and we rushed around the corner to see the building devoured in flames. I’d been there mere hours before.

My knees buckled. Liam caught me, though he too stared at the blazing inferno in shock and horror.

An office came over. “Mr. Davenport, you’re the owner?” At Liam’s nod, he continued, “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

After helping me to a nearby bench, Liam willingly went with the officer. I heard the word arson as they walked away. My cell phone rang. Goosebumps appeared on my arms at the unknown number on my screen. Fear clenched my gut, but I knew I needed to answer.

“Hello?”

“Admiring my handiwork?” the now familiar voice said, pride dripping from his words.

Anger surged through me. He had no right to toy with us like this. “Listen here you little creep—”

“Ah, ah, ah, Gina. I did warn you, if you’ll remember. I even gave you several clues. And since I seem to have your attention now, perhaps you’re more inclined to listen.” His tone grew icy, malicious. “If you don’t, more people will end up like Wendy.”

I sat up straighter. The trickle of fear turned into a stream, dousing my anger. “What happened to Wendy?”

“Wrong place, wrong time.”

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