Page 37 of Burned By Love

“You don’t control his actions.No one does but him, and if thiswashim, he’s the one responsible for this, not you.”

Logically, Jonathan knew she was right, but it was hard to believe when he felt so guilty.

He continued feeling that way as the cops came and went.There wasn’t much they could do except write a report, but even though Christy told them more than once that Sal had to be behind it and Jonathan confirmed that he believed that was the case, Jonathan didn’t think anything would happen.Sal hadn’t hurt anyone.He’d torn some drawings and had knocked down a few plants.That was it.

“I’m not leaving you here to deal with this on your own,” Christy said when Jonathan tried to convince her to go home.Daniela and Ethan had already left.They needed to clean up, but they’d agreed it could wait until tomorrow.

Jonathan wasn’t sure he could wait that long.He needed something that would distract him from his obsessive thoughts about Sal.He’d hoped he could send Christy home, too, then stay behind and clean up.That way, everything would be back as it should be tomorrow, and they could get to work as if nothing had happened.

But he wouldn’t convince Christy to leave.Once she made a decision, she stuck to it.“Fine.Why don’t you go and grab some coffee?You can call today’s and tomorrow’s customers and tell them what happened when you’re back.”

Christy seemed satisfied with that and rushed down the street to get coffee.Jonathan watched her go for a moment before turning and heading into the now-empty shop.Sometimes, he wondered what he’d done to deserve the people he called friends.

He had to start somewhere, so he picked up some of the drawings that were still mostly in one piece.Maybe they could somehow fix them.Most of them were a lost cause, unfortunately, but Jonathan didn’t want to feel like Sal had won, so he’d try to salvage the ones that could be.

“Finally alone,” the voice drawled from the hallway that led to the back rooms.

Jonathan’s heart raced as he straightened and turned to face Sal.“You were hiding in a back room?”

“The cops aren’t great at their jobs, are they?”Sal asked as he stepped forward.Something crunched under his expensive Italian leather shoe.He wrinkled his nose, and Jonathan took a step toward the door.

Sal’s eyes blazed the way they did when he got angry.“Don’t even try,” he said.

There was something in his hand, and Jonathan’s stomach dropped when he realized what it was.“You can’t do this,” he begged.

“Can’t do what?Set your precious store on fire?It took you from me.”

“The shop and my friends have nothing to do with what happened between us.I left you because you were hurting me.”

Sal punched the wall.Jonathan took another step back, but he knew better than to turn and run.Sal would come after him, and it wouldn’t end well for him.

“It was your fault I was hurting you,” Sal snarled.“It’s your fault you’re going to lose the shop.You should’ve thought better before you left me.”

He grinned and snapped his lighter open.Jonathan had seen this lighter in Sal’s hand more than once.It was gold with Sal’s initials engraved on it.As long as it was open, its flame would continue to burn.

He could only watch as Sal dropped the lighter on top of the remains of the art he’d destroyed.

Chapter Twelve

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WHEN THE ALARM BLARED, everyone jumped to their feet and left their food on the table.For a moment, West mourned the pasta that would be cold by the time they returned.He’d been looking forward to it, dammit.

They climbed into the fire engine, and off they went.West adjusted the headphones on his head, not surprised to hear that Taylor’s voice was already coming through them as he explained what they expected to find when they reached the scene.

“The woman on the phone said there was still someone inside the shop, so finding them will be our priority,” Taylor said.“And we’ve been here before, so you’ll recognize the shop.”

West bounced his knee.Fires were always scary, even for him and Austin.They could still get hurt in ways that didn’t have anything to do with the flames, but even more than that, they might lose a member of their fire family.He and Austin were immune to fire, but Lisa, Jeremy, and Taylor weren’t.

He looked outside the window, frowning when he recognized the neighborhood.Jonathan worked here.The shop was just a few streets down, and dread filled West the closer they got to it.He hoped they would drive past it, or maybe stop before they reached it, but he should’ve known better.

Sal had finally made his move.

“My boyfriend works here,” he said, leaning towards Taylor.

Taylor frowned.“Jonathan?”

West should have told Taylor about it, dammit.He’d mentioned that he was seeing someone, but he hadn’t thought to tell Taylor that he was seeing Jonathan specifically.“I’m pretty sure we’re going to his shop.”

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