Page 26 of Raging Inferno

“Mind if I check them?” Dominic wanted to know.

Sam waved his hand. “Knock yourself out. I’ll show you where they are.”

Presley waited until the men left the room to pull Jessie aside. “You need to be careful.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because I think someone is targeting the Cheerios, using fire, the way Gwen died, as the mode of murder. First Margy, then Nancy.”

Jessie chuffed a laugh. “You sound like a cop.”

“I am—or was. I’m in private security now.”

Jessie’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “You? No way. I pictured you growing up to be a kindergarten teacher or something to do with animals. Maybe a professional cheerleader.”

“I was a detective, and that’s why I’m warning you to be cautious.”

“You never cease to amaze me, Pep.” Jessie waved her concern away. “It’s merely a strange coincidence.”

It irked Presley that no one took her concerns seriously. “Nevertheless, please be careful. Don’t let strangers in your house. Make sure your security team is briefed. Maintain vigilance.”

“Okay, okay, I will.” Jessie hugged her. “It’s so good to see you after all these years. Hey, we’re having a fundraising gala ina few days. Dominic will be attending. Why don’t you come with him?”

“If I’m still in town, I will.”

“I would love to get together and catch up. Gosh, I’ve missed you, Pep.”

“I won’t be here long, but I’ll make time for you, Jessie.”

#

Jessie King watched Sam escort Presley and Dominic to their vehicle. They stood and talked for a few minutes before shaking hands. Sam patted the driver’s side door and backed away as Dominic motored down the driveway.

Jessie turned from the window. She couldn’t believe Presley Parrish had been at her house. As Sam had said, she’d done a nice job of growing up. She was a gorgeous woman, though Jessie always knew she would be. Presley had been such a sweet child, and Jessie had adored her as much as Gwen had. She’d been their little sister, and Jessie would’ve done anything for her.

If Jessie had any feelings left, she might’ve been jealous of Presley’s beauty. She noticed the way Sam had undressed her with his gaze. At one time, she would’ve been tempted to claw out the eyes of any woman Sam ogled. That Jessie no longer existed.

Unlike Pep, the girl, there was a hardness about Presley, the woman that hadn’t been there years ago. She was both mysterious and alluring. She probably had men lusting after her everywhere she went.

There had been a time when Jessie could turn almost any man’s head. She’d been feminine and sexy and knew she owned the world. Those days were long gone.

The garage door opened, and Sam’s flashy red Mercedes Benz rolled out. He rotated his time between their many car dealerships, but Jessie had a feeling he would be out trollingfor sex. It was his favorite pastime—though not with her. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d slept together in any sense of the world.

Jessie had loved him once, back when she’d been young and stupidly naïve. She’d wanted a slew of children to fill the ginormous house she’d designed, but Sam was shooting blanks. She’d gone through extensive testing to learn that she wasn’t the cause of their infertility. They tried IVF to no avail. They could’ve adopted, but Sam had nixed the idea. He didn’t want to raise someone else’s child—his words. He’d always been indifferent around kids. Sometimes, Jessie wondered if he’d had a vasectomy without telling her. She wouldn’t put it past him.

Jessie picked up her cell phone and dialed Tamera Watts’s number. She’d told Presley a white lie. She had spoken to Tamera after graduation, though it was several years ago. Jessie wasn’t even sure the number was correct. Tamera might’ve changed it. She’d also talked with Margy, Nancy, and Charmaine around the same time, but they hadn’t kept in touch. Charmaine had married a minister and was deeply involved with the church. She’d flaunted her holier-than-thou attitude at Jessie, and it had taken all she had not to slug the woman. Nancy had been aloof, and Margy had been indifferent. It had been evident that they were no longer friends.

Tamera’s phone kicked to voicemail, and Jessie let out a curse. She disconnected instead of leaving a message. She’d pay her a visit after she sobered up.

Chapter Five

Dominic shook Sam’s hand and climbed into the SUV. He’d checked all the fire alarms in the King’s mansion, and they had been in working order. They were hard-wired, so the batteries were for backup in case of a power outage. Celia assured him that their maintenance man replaced them regularly. They even kept a schedule that she shared with him. Plenty of extinguishers were scattered around, all with viable expiration dates. Their security system was state-of-the-art. It would take a determined criminal to attempt to breach the King’s household and start a blaze.

Dom waved at Phil as they exited the estate. Presley waited until they were on the highway before she spoke. “So, that was awkward when Sam arrived.”

“Yeah,” Dominic agreed. Sam was a notorious player. He’d slept with a good chunk of unattached and not-so-single ladies in town. “There’s no love lost in that union. It’s been over for a long time. Jessie leads her life, and Sam his.”

“That’s sad,” she murmured. Dominic agreed. He’d been trapped in an awful marriage, and it’d been challenging for all involved, most especially Gia. At least Sam and Jessie didn’t have children.

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