Page 94 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“It’s him,” I said, my voice shaking. “Rick. He’s at my dad’s house.”

The room went still, the air thick with tension.

“You’re sure?” Jaxon asked, his jaw tightening.

“Nate didn’t know his name, but it’s him,” I said, my chest heaving. “I know it is.”

Colt cursed under his breath, his hands balling into fists.

Ryan stepped forward, his presence calm and grounding. “We’re going with you,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“I don’t?—”

“We’regoing with you,” he repeated, his green eyes locking onto mine. “You’re not dealing with this alone.”

I nodded, too overwhelmed to argue.

Jaxon grabbed his jacket, his movements sharp and efficient. “Let’s go.”

Colt was already at the door, his usual playful energy replaced by something cold and focused.

This was bad. Actually, it was really bad, and it could only get worse.

The drive to my dad’s house was suffocating, the air inside the truck thick with tension.

Ryan was at the wheel, his jaw set like granite. Jaxon sat beside him, a storm brewing in his eyes, while Colt sat next to me in the backseat, his knee bouncing restlessly.

I stared out the window, clutching my hands in my lap as fear clawed at my throat. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the low hum of the tires against the road.

Rick was here.

At my dad’s house.

And Nate was waiting.

I didn’t know which terrified me more, facing Rick or dealing with Nate.

When we pulled into the driveway, the chaos hit me like a tidal wave. Nate stood on the porch, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His face was red, his movements sharp and erratic.

As soon as we got out of the truck, Nate’s gaze locked onto me, and he stormed toward us.

“What the hell is going on, Lila?” he demanded, his voice booming. “Who is this guy, and why is he asking for you?”

“Nate, just calm down,” I tried, but my voice cracked.

“Calm down?” He threw his hands up. “How the hell am I supposed to calm down when some creep shows up here, looking for my sister, and thenthisshows up?”

He shoved a manila envelope toward me, his hand trembling with fury.

I froze, dread curling in my stomach as I took it. I didn’t even have to open it to know what was inside.

The pictures.

My hands shook as I peeled it open, and sure enough, there they were.

The photos.

I didn’t need to say anything. He had a copy of the pictures that spoke a thousand words.

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