Page 19 of Against My Fire

“Talk!” Blake demands and I nod feeling the tell tales of my anxiety perk up. I have tried so hard to forget my past, but I guess that only happens when you have faced it. I need to face it now and make it go away for me to be able to get Jaxon to trust me again.

“The reason why I moved here was because I was a witness in a case against an estate agency. They were obtaining properties illegally. They would do everything they could to get the property and then sell it for a huge profit. I found out about their doings after a suspicious fire was started on one of the properties. The guy who owned the land was in the barn when the fire started and he didn’t make it. It was just after he miraculously signed the deed of the property over to the estate agency. It was suspicious, but our captain didn’t see it as arson. He said that it was an old barn and the electrical wiring was faulty. I went to the police and they investigated it. I also found out that same day that my fiance was involved in all this. That he wasn’t a bank broker as he told me, he was the CEO of Bailman Enterprises, the estate agency that was responsible for the fire that killed that man. I was told to leave the city and start anew, to not tell anyone where I was going. The chief of police in Charlotte helped me transfer here. They were to let me know if I was needed for the trial, but it seems like there wasn’t a trial…” I look at the two men in front of me and they both are staring at me with wide eyes. I can’t tell what they are thinking.

“Sweetheart, we need to go to the police. You need to report this again.” Blake states, not giving me the option to decline. I know I need to go. We need to put them behind bars. “What has this got to do with you crying and Jaxon driving away? I know him well enough to know that he was in a fight or flight mode when he entered here.” I fold my hands together. I forgot they know him way longer than I do.

“He asked me about Patrick. I don’t even know how he knew about Patrick.” Blake and Luke share a look that I have a hard time deciphering. “Patrick was my fiance. I should have known there was something wrong with him when he kept on staying later at work and not coming home. He wanted me to be a housewife and I love my work. I promised myself never to let anyone get close to me again. I didn't want the pain of a broken heart again, but this time it feels as if my heart is shattered into billions of tiny pieces and the only one that can fix it doesn’t want to talk to me right now.” I ramble on and they just sit there and listen to me.

Luke is the first to clear his throat as he leans forward in the chair he is sitting in. “Jaxon will understand once you explain everything to him. First, you need to go to the police. Either Blake or I will go with you. Then you go see Jaxon and speak to him. Don’t let this break the two of you.” His voice is softer than I have ever heard before.

“I will go with her. We need to go now, Jaxon somehow found out about Patrick and we need to find out how.” Blake gets up with Luke following him. I wipe the tears from my eyes before I follow them. Blake talks to Keelan and he nods before he meets my eyes. He gives me an understanding nod.

Blake leads me to the police station right next to the firehouse. We walk in and Blake greets the one officer sitting at the front. He nods for him to go to the back and I follow behind him keeping my eyes on Blake’s back. The last time I trusted the police to do the right thing nothing happened. I don't know what good this will do. My past will forever haunt me and I will never be able to move on and be happy with the man I love.

“Bently this is Caden Andrews.” Blake introduces me to the lieutenant standing in front of us. “Caden, this is Bentley, the one Luke called about.” Caden nods as he opens the door. I didn’t even notice that Luke called anyone.

“Bentley, come in and tell me everything that has happened. I want all the details and then we will take it from there.” His calmness makes me feel calm. It makes me believe that he will help me.

I start from the beginning and how things escalated. How I went to the police and they told me that they will handle it and that it was safer for me to leave and start anew. I tell him how Patrick was part of all this and that he would do anything he can to destroy anyone that goes up against him. How I wanted to leave Charlotte and start over. Lieutenant Andrews writes down everything I tell him.

“We need to find out how they knew she was here.” Blake voices what I wanted to know too.

“We will find that out, but I reckon it was the person that sent her here that told him where she was.” He closes his notebook. “This won’t happen overnight. But if he is here then we will be able to arrest him. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything.” He hands me his card. We shake hands before Blake and I make our way back to the firehouse.

The rest of the shift is going to be a drag, but I will stay focused. If I am not focused I might cause someone's death and I will not allow that. I will speak to Jaxon as soon as my shift ends, he needs to know the truth about my past. I should have told him a long time ago, but I thought I could run from it and never look back.

Chapter Eighteen

? Jaxon ?

I haven't slept in forty-eight hours, not since I woke up next to Bentley. My heart hasn’t been beating like it should be. Half of my heart is missing. She’s at the fire station and I don’t even know if she’s alright.

What tops everything off is that there was a stack of photos of her and her fiance from right here in Piper Falls. How is that possible if she hasn’t seen him since before she came here? None of this is making sense and it hurts my brain just trying to figure it out.

Taylor will be asking for her once he wakes up. He loves her and she betrayed us. She lied to me. She was working with them to try and get me off the ranch.

I shake my head to rid myself of all the horrible thoughts I have. I have to believe that she wouldn’t do that to me. To us. She loves Taylor and I have to believe that she wouldn’t hurt him like that.

“You know she didn’t do it.” Logan points at the photos as he takes a sip of coffee. I glance at him as he holds his cup in his hands.

“Where’s my coffee?” He rolls his eyes before he turns around and smirks like an idiot. I hate my best friend.

“When you fix things with Bentley then I will make you coffee again.” He sticks out his tongue at me and I swat his chest. My eyes land on the white truck driving up to the house. “And my bestie just arrived. Don’t screw this up, I will hurt you.” Logan points a finger at me as he walks past me and down the steps. He gives her a kiss on her forehead before he turns and gives me a warning sign.

She meets my eyes and I don’t know where to look. She starts walking up to the house. I take the steps down to meet her halfway. “I know you said that I shouldn’t come here until you call, but I will not walk away. You don't get to walk away.” She starts and I stare down at her. Doesn’t matter what I think she is still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She’s the little firecracker that makes my heart beat faster. She’s the other half of my heart. “You need to know who Patrick is and I want to tell you. I should have told you a while ago, but I thought my past would stay away.” She takes a step closer and I can’t move. She’s talking about her past, but I just saw photos of her and Patrick.

“Stop… Tell me when was the last time you saw Patrick.” I square my shoulders as much as it hurts me to see her this broken, I need to stay strong and protect the part of my heart I have left. To protect my son.

“A week before I moved here…”

I hold up my hand to stop her from talking. “Then how do I have photos of you with him here in Piper Falls?” Her eyes widen and I see the tears well up in her eyes.

“That’s not possible. I haven’t seen him since the day I found out who he really is. You are the only one I have spent time with here.” She reaches out for me but I pull back. “Jax, I swear that I broke up with him.”

“I trusted you. Taylor loves you and you have a fiance. It’s going to break my son’s heart to know that he won’t be seeing you every day like he used to…” I raise my voice slightly. I am consumed by my hurt. I should just stop talking before I say something I don’t mean.

“I love Taylor. I would never do anything to hurt that little boy. You know that. I am not with Patrick. I don’t know where those photos came from, but you have to believe me. I am here to tell you why I left Charlotte.” She’s pleading with me and I want to give in but I am afraid that if I do, I might get hurt. And not just that, I might lose Taylor and the ranch.

“What about Everton wanting to buy my ranch? What about them setting my paddock on fire? The one I was supposed to have my cattle for the auction on. If we didn’t move them when we did I would have lost all my cattle. No one knew that, but you.” She backs up as she looks at me with tears running down her face. She doesn’t say anything as she stares at me. I can physically see her heart breaking. She shakes her head before she takes a deep breath.

---