Page 28 of Frostbite & Mistletoe
“This isn’t about us, Kymberlie. One grease fire without proper suppression could destroy this entire building in minutes, with everyone inside.”
Her silence was more damning than any argument. Gabriel watched as she turned and walked out of the kitchen, her shoulders rigid with anger or maybe despair.
He didn’t follow. He just stood there, trying to process the fact that he’d just torpedoed the happiest two weeks of his life.
But he didn’t have any other choice.
Even if it meant losing her, Gabriel couldn’t compromise his integrity.
∞∞∞
Kymberlie sat on one of her new—well, lightly used from another restaurant that had gone under—barstools and tried to get her tears under control.
Her wolf bristled inside her, hackles raised and growling loudly at this betrayal from the man who’d been driving her wild with pleasure every night since their memorable road trip.
How could Gabriel switch so easily from passionate lover to cold, rule-enforcing stranger?
She was so fucking exhausted right now. It seemed like each time she fixed something, another delay and another expense pushed her closer to financial ruin.
Tyler and his crew had worked miracles in her place, repairing all the smoke and water damage, renovating her kitchen and bathrooms, painting her new drywall, and installing LVP flooring that looked like weathered boards. Her replacement tables and chairs had been delivered yesterday, ahead of schedule.
When she woke up this morning, she’d been happy knowing her place was ready to host the wedding reception that would mean the difference between her club living or dying.
Only this one last inspection had remained. And after all the help Gabriel had given her, she’d figured it would be no big deal.
And now this.
“Kymberlie,” Gabriel’s voice was softer now, but still professional.
She wiped angrily at her eyes with a Kleenex and saw him standing behind her new bar with its salvaged granite top.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“That’s—that’s an understatement,” she managed.
Her shoulders tensed as she fought to control a fresh wave of tears. Crying wasn’t going to help her now.
The rational part of her brain knew that Gabriel was just doing his job. Fire safety codes existed for good reasons. That he couldn’t—shouldn’t—compromise his professional integrity for their relationship.
But understanding didn’t ease the sting of betrayal.
“You know this isn’t personal,” he said, his tone cold again.
But, dammit, itfeltpersonal. Her wolf paced anxiously inside her, alternately wanting to lash out at Gabriel and whimpering at the growing distance between them. It couldn’t reconcile how their mate could do anything to hurt them like this.
“Personal? You want to talk aboutpersonal?” Kymberlie felt her control slipping.“I’ve sunk every penny I have into this place and gone into major debt. I’ve followed every instruction you’ve given me. And just when I think everything’s actually going to be okay, you find somethingelsewrong! It’s like youwantme to fail!”
Gabriel flinched. Then his expression hardened.“I didn’t create the problems here, Kymberlie. I just noticed them.”
The worst part was that he was right, and she knew it.
Great-Uncle Jack hadthoughthe was helping her when he went easy on the club, but now she realized he’d been setting her up for this disaster.
“I—I need a minute,” she said, pulling her phone from her pocket and walking outside.
She sent a text to the only other person she knew would understand what she was going through. Maggie.
Failed my fire safety inspection. Going to lose Xmas Eve booking. End of the road for me. Got any openings at C+S?
