Page 38 of The Burnt Heart

“Do you want me to check on her?” Jonah muttered in my ear. I gave him a narrow-eyed look, but he gave me nothing.

“What’s with the interest in Lara suddenly?” I replied. His cheeks dusted a light pink and his jaw tightened, but he didn’t give me an answer. “Fine, check on Lara, but don’t push her.”

Ray watched him go with stiff, blatant jealousy.

“Whatever you’ve heard is probably exaggerated. Next time keep your—” Ray turned his bottled venom onto my father, gearing up to say something he’d regret before I cut him off.

“Enough,” I hissed. “I have had the worst day imaginable,and I need this sorted. It’s not a coincidence that they sent this the night we were both shot at. They might have hit me if Jesse hadn’t pushed me aside.”

Amazingly, my father looked to the floor, chagrined, and pulled his phone out to make calls. I huffed a breath, rolling my eyes at Ray, who was biting his fist in a mock show of awe. My phone pinged, and I flipped it over.

Are you ok, siren?

I growled. Why did I unblock Logan again? I didn’t want reminders of them. Not when I was dizzy with dwindling adrenaline. The thought of being in their arms was too appealing. I looked at the clock. It had just turned midnight. I wondered if Jesse was feeling alright in the hospital. Today demolition was starting on Calder Place. I tasted regret, bitterin the back of my mouth. So many memories were about to be destroyed, but I needed it. Perhaps it would kill some of the love my heart was clinging to.

“Fill me in Raimondo,” I barked at Ray, who was laughing under his breath.

“Raimondo, is it? She’s in a mood.” He sobered when I leveled him with a deathly glance. “Nothing yet, but I’ve got our best on it, just as I’m sure you do. The bandana could have been Crimson Claw Riders, but I don’t want to jump to any conclusions yet. Did Briar tell you where he might have accessed Cupid?”

I flushed. It hadn’t occurred to me to question Briar about how the experimental drug had gotten into his system. The sight, smell and feel of him against me had short-circuited my brain. Stealing any logic it might have had.

“No, but add it to the list of coincidences from tonight,” I sighed. “What did Harold have to say about it?”

Ray’s fingers tapped erratically on the kitchen counter. “He’s furious. The only good thing I’ve ever done is date you, apparently. If only he knew I hadn’t even managed that.” He muttered the last statement and flicked a quick look at my father, who was talking softly into his phone. “How is Lara?”

I slumped over the kitchen bench, giving up any pretense of control. I needed to be in bed hours ago. “Do you remember what I told you at dinner?” I blew out a sigh.

“This is different.” His jaw clenched.

“I don’t know anything except she seemed upset. But Lara will fill me in, so be prepared for me to ruin you.” I stared him down until he looked away, cursing under his breath.

“It’s complicated.”

“Neutering a man is also complicated, but I’m sure I can work it out,” I promised Ray, and he paled. “What could have changed in a few hours? You were begging me for information at dinner.”

He didn’t reply, and my father squeezed my shoulder.

“You need to sleep, my girl. This is being looked into, and you have Jonah and a handful of guys outside the building. Will you be alright here for the night at least?”

“Can you hang back for a moment?” I murmured. Exhaustion dug its claws into my back, but I wouldn’t be able to succumb until I had answers about what Logan and Briar had told me. He gave me a curious nod and waited as Ray left. My phone lit up with another message from Logan.

We are here if you need us. Briar is sleeping and seems to be back to normal. In case you are worried.

A sense of relief freed my tight chest, and I scowled. I had been thinking about him, worried about him on a drug that I knew nothing about. Worried for Jesse, laid out and wincing from the pain of the wound in his arm. Clearly, I was delirious.

“Adelaide. Talk to me.” My father leaned on a kitchen stool. It was late for him to be dealing with this kind of drama. I searched every well-loved line of his face, trying to imagine him being the ruthless man my ex’s accused him of.

“Did you ever beat Briar, Logan, or Jesse up for being with me?” I blurted out. His thick eyebrows bunched together. The clock on my microwave flashed out of the corner of my eye. It was set to the wrong time, static since a power outage. That was how I felt, in a state of limbo. My heart was on ice, but every breath sent waves of sadness crashing through me.

“Oh honey, I did what I thought was best. It was when you had first confessed it to me and I admit I didn’t react well. They didn’t listen, obviously. But I wasn’t about to let three upstarts stroll in and take advantage of your wealth and position. I needed to know if what they felt was real or if it was a scam. I won’t apologize for that.”

My stomach dropped to the floor, my hands coming out to steady me. It was true?

“You saying you’d never accept them until they bettered themselves was the reason they broke up with me. They were desperate after the last time one of your beatings put Jesse in the hospital. I can’t believe you would threaten Jesse’s family.” I shook my head in disbelief. Father straightened with a frown.

“Look, if they’re using what happened six years ago as an excuse for their stupid deal with the Donatos they deserve my ire,” he scoffed. “If you’d trained them sufficiently, they would have known who he was.”

My head whirled with his words. None of the pieces fit together, jagged and bent. No matter how I tried to puzzle them together, it made little sense. Exhaustion tugged my eyelids down.

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