Page 22 of Burn for Me
Standingat the scene of a fire was always exhilarating but especially so when it was one of their own. They’d pulled all the stops out for this one, making sure nothing would remain standing. They wanted her to feel the same pain that twisted them up inside. She’d hurt them deeply, and they wanted her to know just how much. Now she did. Looking over at where she stood, their face contorted with fury. Whore! Look at you, allowing him to paw at you in public. Now you know what it feels like to lose everything you hold dear. Now you know what that tearing pain feels like as you watch your dreams go up in smoke. We would have given you everything, anything. We waited for you, patiently. You’ve taken it all away and now you suffer like we do.
Chapter Nine
As she listenedto the ringing, Kitty braced herself. She knew sharing the news with her mother not only made it real, but Elenore Spence had the skills of a seasoned investigator. She would seek clarity until the situation had been looked at from every angle, then she’d slip into full Mother Mode, set on fixing all hurts. It was her way.
“Hello, darling,” Elenore’s melodious voice sounded in Kitty’s ear.
“Hi Mom,” she started to reply, but her voice broke at the end. The comfort and security her mother represented always made it difficult for her to speak to her mother when her world was upside down. It made her more tearful.
“Kitty? What’s the matter, baby? Are you all right?” The concern in her mother’s voice broke the tenuous hold she had on her emotions, and she couldn’t get another word out. To do so would require her to be able to breathe. And right that minute, the enormous pressure was back, compressing her lungs.
Thrusting the phone in an unsuspecting Gray’s direction, Kitty bolted. She didn’t see the concern creasing his face as he watched her run. She dashed from the room as if the hounds of hell themselves where on her trail, seeking the sanctuary of her bedroom. Desperate to draw a deep breath, almost hyperventilating in her grief, a distant part of her brain noted she needed to calm herself.
Standing in the middle of her bedroom, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. Her thoughts were fragmented and frantic. The emotions she’d pushed to the back of her mind while dealing with officials at the fire scene were now making themselves felt. Loss, fear, confusion – they all vied for attention.
A small part of her felt bad for abandoning Gray to deal with her mother, but Kitty should have known it would happen. It always did. She should have waited a bit longer or maybe asked her mother to come over. Phoning her had been a bad idea.
Feeling lost, adrift in her misery, she simply stood there, unmoving. Unsure of how long it had been, Kitty finally sank to her knees, giving vent to the maelstrom that churned within. Harsh sobs rasped her throat and shock sent shudders through her frame as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself.
When, eventually, there were no more tears left to cry, Kitty crawled over to her bed. Sheer exhaustion left her weak and barely able to keep her eyes open. Dragging herself up onto the bed, she burrowed under the exquisite quilt her grandmother had made for her when she was a baby, seeking comfort in the familiar. As tired as she was, sleep eluded her. Thoughts and feelings buzzed around in brain, keeping blissful surrender just out of her grasp.
* * *
“Hello? Kitty?Hello?”The frantic voice on the other side drew his attention, and he realised he had yet to speak.
“Sorry, Mrs Spence. Hi. My name is Grayson James. I’m a friend of Kitty’s. She’s somewhat upset. There’s no easy way to say this, I’m afraid. There was another fire in the Kloofnek area, and this time it was Decadence that burned down this morning. As you can imagine, Kitty’s taking it very hard. Much as I’d love to, unfortunately, I am unable to stay here with her, and I don’t like the idea of leaving her alone right now.”
“Oh my God! Is Kitty okay? I mean physically. What happened? Was she there when it happened?”
“Easy there, Mrs Spence. Physically, she’s fine. The fire occurred in the early hours of this morning, so no one was there, thankfully. I took her down as soon as we heard, and we’ve only just returned. In fact, that’s where I need to get back to, which is why I wondered if you could come over and stay with her.”
“Yes. Yes, of course. I’m on my way. And Mr James?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I’m glad she has someone with her. Since I don’t recall having met you, I look forward to it. See you shortly.”
Gray hung up the phone and went in search of Kitty. He found her curled in a ball, huddled under the blanket on her bed. Pulling her into his arms, he rocked her, running a soothing hand up and down her back. Pressing kisses to her temple, he said, “I’m so sorry this happened to you, baby.”
She nodded but didn’t reply, just tightened her grip on his neck while resting her head on his shoulder.
“Your mom’s on her way over. I’ll wait with you until she gets here and then I must go. I wish I could stay, but I need to head over to the site so I can start my investigation. I’m going to nail this bastard if it’s the last thing I do.”
“Thank you, Gray,” Kitty whispered into his neck.
They sat like that until the downstairs buzzer sounded. Setting her down gently on the bed, he went to open up for her mother. Kitty could hear them murmuring in the lounge but couldn’t muster up the energy to go out to meet her mom. Eventually, they made their way into the room. Her mother rushed over to her, gathering her in her arms. Gray leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her lips.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay. Gray? Just– Be safe, okay?”
Nodding, he turned to leave, letting himself out quietly. Thoughts already shifting to the situation at hand.
* * *
There wasno end to their treachery. They’d thought that the message was very clear, would warn him away, show her they were serious, but they should have known. If she could betray them once, why wouldn’t she do it again? The pain twisted in their gut and madness roiled in their mind. Those two would pay. Just as soon as the time was right, they’d make them pay.
* * *
