Page 88 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“We’ll figure this out,” he murmured against my hair. “I promise.”

The drive to Ryan’s house was a blur. Colt kept his hand on mine the entire time, his thumb running soothing circles over my skin, but my mind was too tangled to settle.

What if the whole town turned on me? What if people thought I was some kind of… I couldn’t even finish the thought.

The fact that I’d helped with the firefighter calendar only made it worse. What if they thought I’d been using the project as an excuse to get close to them? What if Nate found out and thought the same thing?

By the time Colt pulled into Ryan’s driveway, I felt like I was seconds away from falling apart again.

The cozy house stood in stark contrast to the chaos swirling inside of me. It was a simple place, tucked away on the edge of town, with a wraparound porch and a few strings of twinkling lights still up from Christmas.

Jaxon’s truck was already there, and Ryan stood on the porch, arms crossed over his chest as he watched us pull up. His brow furrowed when he saw me, his eyes softening in that way that always made my chest ache.

Colt parked the truck, then came around to open my door, his hand outstretched. I took it, grateful for the steadiness of his touch.

“Let’s get you inside,” he said gently.

Ryan met us halfway down the path, his sharp gaze flicking between the two of us before settling on me.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.

“She got a package,” Colt said, his tone dark. “Photos. Threats.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Show me.”

Colt handed him the envelope, and Ryan took it without a word, flipping through the photos with a look of growing fury.

Jaxon appeared in the doorway, his expression tense. “What’s going on?”

Ryan handed him the envelope, his lips pressed into a thin line. Jaxon’s eyes scanned the photos, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the stack.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, shoving the photos back into the envelope. “Who the hell is doing this?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I just shook my head, fresh tears spilling over.

“Hey,” Ryan said softly, stepping closer. “Come here.”

I didn’t hesitate. He pulled me into his arms, his strong, steady presence wrapping around me like a shield.

“We’ve got you,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing. “You’re safe.”

Jaxon joined us a moment later, his hand brushing over my back as he stepped into the circle Ryan had created around me.

“You’re not alone in this, Lila,” Jaxon said. “We’ll figure out who’s behind it. I swear.”

I nodded against Ryan’s chest, the warmth of his embrace easing some of the tension in my body.

“Let’s get you inside,” Colt said gently, his hand resting on the small of my back.

Once we were inside, they didn’t give me a chance to spiral.

Ryan disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a cup of tea, the mug warm and comforting in my hands. Jaxon grabbed a blanket from the couch and draped it over my shoulders, his hands lingering just long enough to reassure me.

Colt disappeared for a moment, then returned with a plate of cookies he’d apparently stashed somewhere.

“You guys are ridiculous,” I said, a weak laugh slipping out despite myself.

“You’re our girl,” Colt said with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We take care of our girl.”

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