Page 167 of Controlled Burn
He wanted her reborn.
On her knees.
At his feet.
Where she belonged.
It wasn’t about hurting her.
It was about making her see.
See him.
The unit buzzed with heat and hunger and something far more dangerous.
Dark.
Electric.
Waiting to burn.
A new alert blinked red in the corner of the screen.
Brooks clicked it open.
And smiled.
Chapter 57
Powerline
It started with footsteps—heavy, clipped, angry.
Talia looked up from her clipboard just as Jake Hastings emerged from the shadows of the apparatus bay. His boots echoed off the concrete, harsh and rhythmic, blending with the ever-present scents of diesel, sweat, and scorched metal that lived in the station walls. She didn't move. Just watched. Her breath tightened behind her ribs, her pulse kicking up, muscles primed for whatever came next.
His eyes were bloodshot. Skin pale. That same sick mix of fury and desperation clung to his movements like static electricity after a long night.
She knew something had snapped.
Earlier, she'd overheard Reyes and Brent laughing by the rig.
"Guess Maddox was the one she really wanted," Brent had said. "Jake was just a pit stop."
Jake had walked by just in time to hear it. His eyes darkened. Jaw flexed.
Later, he'd caught Kennedy slipping past him in the hallway. She didn't look at him. Didn't smile. She practically flinched when his shoulder brushed hers.
And then Brooks had found him in the lot—handing off another burner, whispering about doctored videos, about how the crew was laughing behind his back.
Jake had swallowed every word.
Now, when he saw Talia in McKenna's office with HR—laughing?
That was the final straw.
Now, he stormed toward her.
"We need to talk," he said, voice rough, low, and dangerous.
