Page 127 of When We Burn

“Wait, you’re not giving me any money?”

I blink at her and then look at the ceiling. “Did you not hear anything I just said?”

“I thought you were just lecturing me. I figured on that. Mr. Goody-two-shoes who never does anything wrong was sure to give me a firm talking to, but I need that money, Bridger.”

“And I need you gone.”

“Bridger!”

“No.” I point at her, my voice rising. “I’m not giving you a fucking dime. Ever. Get the fuck out of my building and out of my town.”

I open the door and point for her to leave. She marches out, past me, and down the hall to the building entrance. As she opens the door, she pauses dramatically and turns back to me.

“This isn’t over.”

“It’s been over for almost five years. Go fuck yourself, Angela.”

After I make sure that she’s pulled out of my parking lot, I call Chase Wild.

“Hey, Bridger,” he says.

“Hey. I have a situation.” I quickly tell him about Angela, remind him about what happened at the school, and then relay what just went down here. “I can give you the security footage from the conference room.”

“Yeah, I’ll take that. We’ll drive by yours and Dani’s houses regularly until we know Angela has left town.”

“I appreciate that. I think she’s all talk. She’s so fucking horrible, so entitled and selfish, but as far as I know, she’s never done anything violent in the past. She talks a big game.”

“Still, we want to keep documentation on all of this. If she does go to your house, or anywhere else on the restraining order, we can pick her up.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yep, we’ll all be there. See you then.”

Chase hangs up, and I walk into the area where my guys are.

“Did you see that woman who was just in here?”

They nod.

“Yeah, we know who she is, Chief.”

“If sheeverso much as sniffs around this place again, you call the cops. Got it?”

More nods.

“Got it.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

DANI

“Dani?”

I’ve just walked past Birdie’s room, and her little voice calls out to me.

“Hey, pumpkin.” I push into her room and sit at the edge of the bed, smoothing her dark hair away from her sweet face. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

Pickles is purring at Birdie’s hip, and I reach over to scratch her behind the ears.

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