Page 133 of When We Burn

I’m shouting orders in my radio, calling for an ambulance and police presence, and when I turn the corner and take in the scene before me, nausea rolls through me.

“Jesus Christ, warn a guy.”

“I didn’t want to say this on the goddamn radio,” Martinez says, shaking his head. “He’s bleeding fast.”

Martinez and I jump into action, stopping the blood pouring from his leg. He probably nicked the artery, and if we don’t staunch the bleeding, he’ll die before we get him into an ambulance.

“Damon Evans.” Martinez shakes his head as we work on him. “The guy who applies for a job with us every fucking quarter, is passed up, but keeps coming back. This motherfucker has been torching our town.”

“Made everyone pay,” Evans whispers. “Passed me up, but I’ll make them pay.”

“Shut up,” Martinez says. “Or I’ll let you bleed.”

“Go for a walk.” I shove Martinez out of the way as more medics approach. “Go. Clear your head.”

He doesn’t argue with me, and I can’t blame him for his outburst. I’m fucking pissed as hell, but we have a job to do.

“It’s because of you that I’m missing the rest of my Thanksgiving with my family,” I tell him, and watch as he smirks. “You think that’s funny?”

“Should’ve given me a fucking job.”

I lean in so only he can hear me. “You weren’t good enough for this job. You’re a fuckup, Damon. You couldn’t pass the physical tests, and you couldn’t pass the psych. No matter how many times you applied, you were never going to be chosen.”

“You’re a motherfucking asshole,” he growls.

“Yeah, but I haven’t tried to torch my whole town.”

“I should have set your house on fire,” he spits out. “I was going there next, and then I had to fall and get fucking caught.”

What the actual fuck? Did he seriously just threaten to hurt my family?I want to put a fist through this guy’s face, but I rein in my anger.

We’ve caught him.

The girls aren’t in danger.

This madman will be put away and won’t be able to harm anyone else.

We’ve got him.

“I think you should stop fucking talking right about now, asshole.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

DANI

“I’m gonna need a dumpster brought in for all of this junk.” I blow out a breath, eyeing my kitchen. Almost everything I have is old, second or third hand-me-downs, and Bridger has nicer stuff than I do, so I don’t really have to take any of this over there.

In fact, it’ll mostly just be the rest of my clothes and bathroom stuff, a few personal things, and that’s about it. I’ll donate the furniture.

I glance over to where Birdie’s sitting on the couch, with my makeup bag in her lap, but she doesn’t look terribly enthused about looking through it.

“How are you doing, pumpkin?”

She looks up at me, and I set the old dishes on the counter and hurry over to her. Something’s not right.

“I don’t feel so good.” She shakes her head mournfully, and I kneel in front of her and brush my hand down her long hair.

“Okay, what do you need? Should we go home?”

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