Page 37 of Burning for the Truth

“Please. Please just be honest with me, Dean.” She swipes at a falling tear.

“Briella and I are complicated. We have a long history—” I start but she interrupts.

“Do you love her?” Her voice is so small.

I don’t answer her, but it’s an answer. She nods and starts to leave. “I have too many demons. I’d never drag you into my mess,” I say honestly. The same fear seizes my heart when thinking about loving Briella.

Her doleful gaze snaps to mine. “And if I wanted to be part of what you call your mess anyway?”

I laugh humorlessly. “No one deserves to deal with my mess.”

“Except her it would seem,” she snaps.

This time I try to stop her, and she pulls away from my fingers. “Chelsea, I care about you, but just as my friend—not in a romantic way.”

She pins me with a tortured glare. “It was me who was by your side as you healed. Not her. Me. She didn’t even want to see you. But I was there. And even though you warned me about your mess many times, I fell for you anyway and hoped you’d come around.” Another tear drops as she rushes out of the room leaving me hanging my head, angrier with myself than I was only moments ago.

I turn to check on Bree again but this time she isn’t sleeping. She’s staring a hole through me, and my heart sinks as I realize she heard most, if not all, of the conversation.

“She was there for you when I wasn’t, huh?” she asks hoarsely.

I reach for her, but she pulls away. “Sweetheart, she became a friend. She helped take care of me because she was my nurse.”

A tear slides down Briella’s pretty face. “Did you sleep with her?”

My spine stiffens. “What? No, I didn’t.”

How could she think that? I’d never do that. My mind chastises me…the old you would have.

“Briella…” I say her name like a prayer.

She sniffs loudly. “I’m tired. You don’t have to stay. Go home and get some sleep.” She tries to turn to her side but can’t because of all the cords she’s hooked to.

“Scoot over,” I tell her.

“Dean,” she starts.

“Scoot.” My voice is gentle but I’m not playing. She moves over and I lie down beside her, pulling her to my side. I press a kiss to her hair, and I can still smell the smoke.

“You can go,” she whispers as another tear escapes.

I kiss her tear away, tasting the salt on my tongue. “I’m not going anywhere, BB. I promised you that and I meant it.”

Maybe I should let her go. After all, she deserves more than what I can give…more than I am. But selfishly, I can’t do it. I’ll hold on tight as long as I can—as long as she lets me.

Dean is on my heels as he closes my front door behind us. I should get ready and go meet Chief Trudeau. “You said he wanted to see me after I got released.” I spin around and throw my arms in the air as if to say “here I am.”

Dean stares at me in concern. “There’s no rush, Bree. You can take a moment to breathe and shower before you go.” He drops my bag, and much to my dismayor pleasure, I’m not sure which right now, he drops his as well.

I prop my hands on my hips. “So, it sounds like you’re saying I stink, and if you recall…all I’ve been doing for the last thirty-six hours is breathing…literally. We need to be working on the investigation before something else happens.”

He moves forward and stops in front of me, staring at me through worried, tired eyes. “Sweetheart, you are where this investigation is. Can’t you see that? Think about it. He said it’s about you now. Look at what’s happened since then…your car and now the stables. It may have been about revenge before, but now…now I think it’s all about you.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s ridiculous. The stables are Sterling’s.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear. “And yours. It’s all pointing to you right now. You’re what he’s after. It might not be a bad idea for you to stay at my place with me some, and maybe take a step back from the case. You’re too close.”

I pull back as if he slapped me. “Too close to it? The hell I am! If I’m too close, what are you, Dean? You could’ve been killed in that fire the same as…” My voice trails off. The thought nearly scorches my soul.

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