Page 41 of Crave Me

CHAPTER 10

Wren

Colin is losing his mind, swearing by the entrance to dealership floor. “Sixteen cameras, and they caught nothing that can help!”

He’s not asking, he’s reiterating what the rep from his dumbass security company is telling him. “This is horseshit!”

The other sales reps who came in drift around the lot in pairs, keeping their distance from our boss and scared to get too close. I’m the only one he allowed anywhere near him, but even I am waiting several feet away, my boots leaving marks along the fresh inch of snow.

Char marks coat the shattered Ford Nation sign and the awful stench of burning oil and rubber lingers in the crisp air. The fire department supposedly extinguished the last of the flames a few hours ago. But the smell is there, reminding us how bad the damage is, as if the skeletal frame of that F-150 being hauled away and busted building weren’t enough.

I sigh, taking in the battered building and shards of broken glass near Colin’s feet. I’m worried he’ll finally have the big one and hoped Marianne, his wife, would be able to calm him down. She was always the level-headed one between them, but not now. Not that I blame her.

“I’m really sorry about all this, Mair,” I say.

“Sorry?” she asks. “The only ones who are going to be sorry are those little fuckers when I get my hands on them.” She scowls when the security rep looks her way. “What the hell are you looking at?”

“Ma’am, I know you’re upset—”

“Upset?” she demands. “I would have been upset if I lost one car, but to have that car set on fire and bust my place up, I’m beyond upset, ya prick. My business is wrecked to shit and your worthless device didn’t do anything but set off an alarm!”

I lead her away when her eyes brim with tears. These are furious tears, the ones that come from a woman seconds from assaulting the next person who pisses her off. With all the cops here, I don’t want her doing something that will get her in trouble.

Marianne sniffs when a tear falls down her cheek, followed closely by another. But that’s all she allows herself. Like me, she’s a city girl raised on the kind of streets where you never show your weakness, no matter that you’re seconds away from erupting like a busted hydrant.

For a long time, all she does is stare at the ground. I want to take her out of here and at least buy her a cup of coffee: black with a splash of cream. It’s how she told me she liked it that first day I walked through the dealership doors at eighteen, begging for a job.

But Mair won’t leave. She won’t even move, too busy feeling every emotion that comes when someone soils your life’s work.

“They destroyed my place,” she says.

She’s not telling me anything I don’t know. Whoever planned this was pissed. An angry “screw you” meant to hurt.

“You have any idea how much bullshit we’re going to have to go through with our insurance.”

She’s not really asking so I don’t answer, giving her a hug instead.

Marianne and Colin are good people. They didn’t deserve this and need all the help they can get. “I’ll help with the clean-up. The damage, my brothers can fix within a month tops. They’ll take care of you, I promise.”

She starts crying against my shoulder, unable to keep that eruption of emotion she usually buries deep. I let her cry and grieve for her business, and for all that blood and sweat she and Colin shed making this dealership what it became.

It’s only when she lifts her head and wipes her eyes that I let her go. “Thanks, Wren,” she says.

Curran steps forward. He changed out of his jeans and T-shirt and is now in uniform, a light blue shirt beneath his heavy black bomber jacket and dark pants.

He should be back at my place, watching the game. But when I told him what happened, he asked his captain for permission to come in.

“Can I talk to you a sec?” he asks.

I frown at the way he’s looking at me. He has his cop face on, that one that doesn’t give much away. I don’t know what’s going on, I just know something is.

“Yeah, sure.” I leave Mair and follow him toward the building.

“Did you talk to Angus and Seamus about helping them out?” he asks me.

“No, but I will.” I tilt my chin when I realize how pissed he seems. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to show you something.” He pauses by one of the smaller glass doors leading inside. There’s a chink near the corner, but otherwise undamaged compared to the main entrance.

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