Page 56 of Fire for Effect

Alibis in the military sense was short for alibi fires - a term used for when someone didn’t get all their rounds off on the range and needed extra time to shoot them off. That’s what our afterthoughts were - just alibi fires.

“None heard,” Oscar said. “We can say that we’re adjourned—”

“Wait! Kilo!” Sierra called out before my thumb could end the call. “Tell me when you’re shopping for engagement rings! I want to come!”

“Wait… really?” Not so much that I was supposed to getting engaged, but that she wanted to be there.

“Of course! I’m a woman. I like shopping for shiny, useless expensive things that only men are obligated to pay for. It brings out my sense of feminism that this scam still works.” Of course she’d have a smart ass response. “Also, I want to be a groomswoman. I’ll be your best maid!”

“You’re being awfully presumptive.”

“Pfsht!” She scoffed. “We both know I’m your favorite.”

Was she? I wasn’t sure. The life of a spy wasn’t exactly conducive to making friends. It took a few seconds to run through my list of people, but yeah, there was a huge chance that Sierra would be the person I’d have beside me as I watched Taz walk down the aisle.

“Don’t get a big head about it.” I wasn’t going to admit she was right. When your little sister stumbles on the truth for a minute, you don’t admit it. It’ll just give her an ego. “My last best friend slept with my wife, so the bar’s not high.”

“Hey, a win is a win!” Sierra laughed. “I’ll totally sleep with your wife, too. Don’t count me out yet.”

I hung up on her.

Chapter 14

Penance

Taz

Was I a coward for running away again? Maybe.

I needed to get away from him and the crushing oppression of his presence. He was like an inferno that sucked the air out of a room. I loved fire, but I wasn’t in the habit of getting burned.

I loved explosives, but I wasn’t going to be in the blast area.

There was only one place that Kai Griffith wouldn’t go.

God help me if he did track me here like he said he would.

I rolled my motorcycle off the dirt road, towards the large red barn. It had changed a lot since the first time I had seen it. The building that had been a little tilted was now upright. A broken, white-framed window had been repaired, and a glass pane put in the place of the wooden board. The big barn door that had been half-destroyed with rot was replaced with a perfect red door with a white diagonal cross.

I killed the engine just as Greg “VD” Veder came out with two long bits of lumber on his shoulder.

He took one look at me and dumped the wood on the dirt-swept ground outside of the barn. He pulled off his tanned leather gloves, and without a greeting said, “Wanna light things on fire?”

The man knew how to speak to women, I’d give him that.

“I’m always up for a fire.” I felt the lighter in my jeans pocket through the denim.

I put the kickstand down and dismounted, putting my helmet in the backbox.

“You're not going to see Charlotte and Top first?” He turned and went back inside the building, presumably to pull out more scraps. “There’s paper in the box by the door.”

With my boot, I broke the lumber into small bits, and they fell apart easily under my foot.

“Nope,” I called after his retreating back.

He came back with more lumber, dumping it beside me.

“Griff is here,” I said, in lieu of an explanation.

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