Page 99 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“He—” I started, but before I could explain, Rick dropped the knife and threw his hands up in mock surrender.

“They attacked me!” he shouted, his voice hoarse but loud enough to carry. “I was just trying to talk to her, and they jumped me!”

“What?” Colt roared, stepping forward, but Hall quickly moved to block him, his hand resting on the holster of his gun.

“Everyone, calm down,” Hall ordered, his voice firm. “We’re going to figure this out, but you all need to back up. Now.”

Davis gestured to another officer who had just arrived. “Cuff them all. We’ll sort this out at the station.”

“What?” Ryan exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re arresting us? He’s the one who showed up here uninvited and pulled a knife!”

“And you’re the ones throwing punches,” Davis shot back. “Everyone’s coming in until we get this sorted out.”

Before we could argue, we were all being cuffed, the cold metal biting into our wrists. Lila’s voice broke through the chaos, frantic and tearful as she tried to explain, but the officers barely acknowledged her.

Rick, of course, had the audacity to smirk as he was led to a separate car, his busted face belying the sick satisfaction in his eyes.

As we were shoved into the back of the police cruiser, Ryan let out a heavy sigh. “Well,” he muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “this is going to be fun to explain.”

I didn’t respond. My jaw clenched, my mind racing with a million thoughts—most of them centered on Rick and the damage he’d already done.

This wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

Lila

The momentthe red and blue lights disappeared down the street, taking Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan with them, I broke.

The tears I’d been holding back spilled over, hot and unrelenting.

I sank onto the porch steps, my hands trembling as I pressed them to my face. Biscuit whined and nuzzled against my leg, his small body warm and grounding, but it wasn’t enough to stop the ache in my chest.

I had ruined everything.

Rick’s cruelty, his lies, his obsession… it was all because of me. He’d come back to hurt me, but instead, the people I cared about most were the ones paying the price.

I could still see Jaxon’s face as they cuffed him, the way his jaw clenched in frustration, his eyes dark with worry.

For me.

What the hell had happened to Nate?

I wasn’t even sure. He’d gone missing in the chaos, and might not come back now that he truly hated me…

“Lila?”

I startled at the sound of my dad’s voice. Turning, I saw him standing in the doorway, his face etched with concern.

“What was that about?” he asked, stepping outside.

I shook my head, unable to find the words.

“It’s… it’s a mess,” I choked out. “That man… he’s the one who conned me, and that’s the first time I’ve actually seen him in person, and…”

My words trailed off.

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