Page 19 of Burning for the Truth

I’m walking back to the party as Tate catches up. “Dean, I didn’t mean—”

Suddenly, Sterling appears walking toward us with furrowed brows. “Where’s Bree?” he asks.

Tate and I stare at each other before facing Sterling as Hawk comes up beside us. He answers, “She went home. Said she was tired.”

Sterling crosses his arms over his chest and stares at me. I don’t back down. I won’t. I hurt his sister, intentionally or not, and I’ll take whatever he decides to give me. He finally lifts his chin. “Get back up here to your party, man. You have guests waiting to catch up with you, and a certain blonde you need to ask out already.” He turns and walks back toward the party.

Tate and Hawk simply look at me, as if silently letting me know they’ll keep my secret. Hawk claps me on the shoulder before following Sterling. Tate isn’t so easy. He seems disappointed. But why? I’m not going after any woman, Briella or otherwise.

My only concern is burying the arsonist who destroyed everything and keeping my promise.

We rejoin the party and Lucy meets us. “What’s wrong?” she asks searching both our faces for answers. Apparently, these days I wear my heart on my sleeve. Lucy is Tate’s better half though, so obviously she can read him like a book.

He kisses her and smiles. “We’re okay, firecracker.”

He walks to the drink table and grabs a cold one as Lucy returns her gaze to me. “Tell me a lie I’ll believe, Dean.”

I see the scar running from her ear to her jawline thanks to her pyscho ex-boyfriend last year and I’m instantly reminded of Briella. She has one from that very night on her throat. She’s everywhere, in everything I see and feel. She’s been through more than any person should ever deal with.

“I know this party is in my honor, but I think I’m about to call it a night.” I smile tightly. Before I can walk away, she grabs my arm. “It’s Briella.” I stop as Chelsea comes back into view. She’s making her way to us. I want nothing more than to go after the one woman I can’t have, while this woman is doing her best to get me to chase her.What a mess.

I turn and face Lucy, getting close enough she’s the only one who’ll hear me. “Whatever you think you know about Briella and me, forget it. We all know that’s not a possibility, it never really was, and it never can be now.”

Lucy seems about to say more as Chelsea reaches us. Lucy pulls me into a hug and whispers, “Don’t walk away from someone you love, Dean. She may think she doesn’t need anyone, but she does. And so do you. If you ask me, I think you’re exactly what she needs. And when things are meant to be…they are.”

She releases me and smiles before leaving to find Tate.

It’s logical, what she said. But there’s too many reasons it can never be.

“So, I was about to leave, but I wanted to ask you something first. Do you want to hang out sometime soon? Like on a date?” Chelsea asks nervously. I can see her pulse jumping at her throat.

I love Sterling like a brother, and I know he means well, but damn him for this…

The little cottage comes into view. When I left the party, I wasn’t ready to go home. I find myself stopping by Drew’s house a lot. His parents have yet to clean it out or sell it. I’m not sure what they’re going to do in the long run.

I get out and feel a chill from the night air. It’s dark. His truck is parked in the driveway just waiting on him to return. Sadness steals my breath. I know I shouldn’t keep doing this. I find the key to his front door still attached to my own set and let myself in.

I shut the door behind me, close my eyes, and breathe in his scent. This place still smells like him, and I can almost feel him beside me. I put my hand over my broken heart. When I open my eyes, my blood freezes.

There’s a black figure standing mere feet from me.It’s him!The bastard who did this! No one knows what this person looks like, but we’ve all assumed it’s a man. I have no proof this is him and not just some random intruder, but my instincts know this is the man who ruined our lives. How dare he step foot on this property much less in this house! I reach for my gun and realize it’s missing. I still step forward ready for a fight. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for—to face the monster who waged this war on my soul.

I want to say all the things which, as a police officer, I should say in this moment. But all I manage to get out is, “Why? Why did you do this to me?” It agonizingly comes out as half question, half shout.

He steps for me, and I roll back on the balls of my feet preparing to take him down. I’ve sparred enough at the gym; I hope my speed will give me an advantage. As soon as I make my move, he anticipates it.

He grabs me and puts me in a choke hold as he whispers in a gruff voice, “It was never supposed to involve you, but it does now.” He keeps his hold on me, cutting off my air supply while I claw at his arm. I’m not sure if my emotions made me slip, or if he has some sort of training that makes him better than me. The move to overpower me wasn’t really skilled, he just seemed ready for me. And unfortunately, I feel the roped muscles in his arm, signaling at the very least he works out regularly. I feel my body fading as I wonder if this is it.

I fall to the floor, and he keeps his hold on me as black tugs at my vision. He releases me and takes off, leaving me too disoriented to move. I cough and sputter as I try to catch my breath while holding my throat. The scent of something familiar tickles my nose, but I can’t place it. And it’s not associated with Drew’s house, it came from the man who just choked me.

I call the first person I can think of—Sterling.He answers on the first ring. “Bree? You left without telling me bye. Are you okay?” he asks.

I cough again before saying in a raspy voice, “I need you, Sterling.”

He yells for Tate before speaking to me again. “Where are you?” I can hear the metal of what’s probably his keys, and I assume he’s making his way out to his vehicle.

“Wait, Tate can’t come. I’m at a crime scene,” I finally get out, shutting my eyes as angry tears fall down my face—angry I faced Drew’s killer and let him get away.

“What do you mean, Briella? Where the hell are you?” he says with deadly calm.

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