Page 87 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

My hands clenched the stack of photos, and I fought back the urge to shred them into a million pieces.

The sound of a truck pulling into the driveway made me jump. I quickly shoved the photos back into the envelope and wiped at my eyes, but it was too late.

“Lila?” Colt’s voice called out, warm and full of concern.

I looked up to see him striding toward me, his black hair messy, his gray eyes scanning me like I might fall apart any second. He stopped at the bottom of the steps, crouching so we were eye level.

“Hey,” he said gently, his gaze softening as he took me in. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, shaking my head. My voice came out too high, too sharp.

He frowned. “Don’t do that. Don’t lie to me.”

I sucked in a shaky breath, my hands clenching the envelope. He didn’t break eye contact, his steady presence grounding me even as the panic threatened to take over.

“It’s just…” I hesitated, my throat tightening. “It’s bad, Colt. Really bad.”

“Let me see,” he said, his voice firm but kind.

I hesitated, clutching the envelope tighter.

“Lila,” he said softly, placing his hand over mine. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it. Together.”

Something about the way he said it—so certain, so steady—made the dam break. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I let out a small, choked sob.

Colt’s hand tightened over mine, and I nodded, finally handing him the envelope.

He pulled out the photos, his jaw tightening as he flipped through them. His eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their gray depths.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered under his breath.

I wiped at my face, trying to pull myself together. “I don’t know who sent them,” I said, my voice trembling. “Or why. But they’ve been following me, Colt. Watching me. And now they’re threatening to tell Nate… tell the whole town.”

He set the photos down carefully, then reached for my hands, holding them tightly between his own. His palms were rough and warm, his grip solid and reassuring.

“Hey,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Look at me.”

I lifted my eyes to his, the tears blurring my vision.

“Whoever did this is a coward,” he said firmly. “They’re trying to scare you, trying to control you. But they don’t know who they’re dealing with. You’re stronger than this, Lila. You’ve been through worse, and you’ve come out the other side every damn time.”

I let out a shaky breath, his words breaking through the fear clawing at my chest.

“We’re not going to let them win,” he continued. “We’ll figure out who’s behind this, and we’ll stop them. But you’re not alone in this, okay? You’ve got me. You’ve got Jaxon and Ryan. Hell, even Nate would have your back if he knew.”

I shook my head, fresh tears spilling over. “What if he hates me? What if he finds out and… and it ruins everything?”

Colt’s expression softened, and he reached up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear.

“Nate loves you, Lila. He might be pissed at first, but he’d never hate you. And as for the rest of the town? Screw them. What matters is that you’re happy. That we’re happy.”

His words settled in my chest, the truth of them cutting through the haze of fear.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I whispered.

“You’ll never have to find out,” he said, his voice filled with quiet conviction.

For the first time since opening that package, I felt like I could breathe again. Colt pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly as I let the last of my tears fall.

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