Page 124 of Heresy

“She’s fine,” Damon interjects.

We all look at him. He holds up his hands in feigned surrender.

“Oh, hell no. This has nothing to do with me. But I figured since Ezra and I were the ones to let her go, I’d just toss in that tidbit of info.”

Ezra eyes his twin even closer. Damon just shrugs and says, “Okay, back to all the fucked-up stuff that happened to Brinley.”

Luca breathes heavily then admits, “Unfortunately, this group isn’t very good about introducing themselves the proper way. You don’t want to know what I went through with Tanner. But I can promise you, they don’t have bad intentions.”

Brinley looks at me again. She can’t make up her mind. Why am I her anchor in this?

When she doesn’t answer, Gabe asks, “What can we do to prove to you we aren’t the bad side in this?”

She turns her eyes his direction.

“I want to talk to Ames to make sure she’s okay, number one.”

Gabe inclines his head. “And two?”

It would have been really nice to know her answer, but an explosion outside steals our attention, the boom so loud, it rattles the windows and shakes the walls.

We’re already on our feet when the second explosion happens.

Brinley

“No. Ah, fuck. Beauty.”

Shane’s voice is pained as he dodges fire to run past the garage and parking area filled with burning cars to check on his.

Several of his friends attempt to grab him, but he is a man on a mission, easily shaking them off like he’s running into a burning building to save a loved one.

The rest of us stand dumbfounded and confused for what feels like an eternity before Tanner, one of the twins, and Jase jump into action.

Running back into the house, they return with fire extinguishers in hand. But their efforts are forced back when another tire blows, an airbag following that.

The scene is reminiscent of a war zone, missing only the air raid sirens and gunshots that typically follow. Or maybe my imagination is getting away from me like it has a tendency to do.

“What the hell happened?” one of them yell, their voice irate as dancing flames cover and destroy every car in the garage and back parking area.

“You’ve been warned,” Luca says from where she’s standing close to me.

Disturbed by her words, I turn to her, only to see she’s pointing at a message scrawled haphazardly in black spray paint over the entire side entryway of Tanner’s house.

She’s read the entire message.

Just that.

You’ve been warned…

Of what?

Somebody had the good sense to call the fire department, sirens blaring in the distance, growing closer as Tanner’s large garage catches and begins to burn along with the cars.

“Oh thank fuck!” Shane’s voice echoes from the distance. I assume because, despite the rest of the cars burning, his is okay.

Somehow it makes me feel better, not that any of this situation is normal or easygoing. But that car means something to him. Something I suspect no other object, person or place has ever meant to him.

Why I care is another question, but I force it out of mind to watch the scene.

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