Page 34 of Penance (Rising From the Ashes #2)

Theo

T he next time I work at the fire station, a somberness hangs over the place.

With evidence of arson, everybody is wondering when the next fire will be and if someone will get hurt.

We’ve been lucky so far, but if the fires continue, eventually, our luck will run out.

So when Eric darkens my door, it only adds to my overall bad mood.

My office door is open, and he saunters in like he owns the place, picking up a picture of Tanner and me off my desk and sneering at it.

“Nice picture. It will be good for you to have it after this whole nasty court case is over. Give you a nice memory of your kid since he’ll no longer be in your home.”

Anger boils in my blood, and I stand up, jerking the picture from his hand.

“Is there something I can help you with, Eric? Because, not to be blunt, but get out of my office if there’s not.”

Instead of leaving like I had stupidly hoped he would do, he makes a show of sitting down, crossing his ankle over his knee and putting his hands behind his head.

“Nah. I figure I’m here to say. After all, we have business to discuss.”

“We don’t have business,” I say, remaining standing.

“Ah,” he says, taking his ankle off his knee and putting his foot back on the ground, “but we do. One, because there was a fire in my subdivision, and word around town is that it was arson. Again. And two, because we both know a pretty principal who was involved in a fire earlier this summer that was also suspected to be arson. From what I hear, you’re dating that principal now.

You wouldn’t happen to be showing favoritism and ignoring the signs right in front of you, would you?

I’d hate to talk to the mayor about your job.

I’m sure the courts would be interested in your unemployment if that happened. ”

It’s a threat, but he’s half cocked if he thinks he threatens me. Not anymore.

For a second, I think about knocking him out, teaching him what it really means to threaten me, and then I look down at the picture of Tanner on my desk and remind myself why I need to hold my temper.

“Get. Out,” I say, punctuating each word. My voice is deadly, warning him I’m not one to be messed with.

I’m sick of his smug face showing up. It’s bad enough that he had moments with Tanner that I never will—and honestly, I wouldn’t have resented him so much if he didn’t take every one of them for granted—but I will not sit here and listen to him threaten my son, my job, or Lily.

Eric raises his hands innocently, insinuating that he gave no reason for my anger to flare.

Always playing the victim. He stands to leave, but I walk around my desk, crowding him so he has to sit back in his chair.

Eric’s a big guy, but I’m bigger. Leaner.

Meaner. I tower over him, daring him to say a word, then I lean down until I’m in his face.

He tries to scoot back, but I have my hands on either side of the chair, trapping him.

“The next time you want to threaten me or anyone I care about, you better bring someone bigger than you,” I say, pitching my voice into a menacing whisper. “I can guarantee I grew up rougher than you, pretty boy. I dare you to try me. ”

Straightening back up, I stand and dust off my shirt, smiling as if we just had a pleasant conversation about the weather. “Now, Eric, I know you have concerns about the recent fires, but I assure you I’m doing everything possible to find the culprit. Have a good day.

I walk out of my office, leaving him gaping like a fish.

______________________

Theo: I nearly murdered Eric.

Annoyance #1 (HM): And you didn’t invite me? Wait….is this actually Theo, or did someone steal his phone? Because no way he’s texting the group chat.

Annoyance #2 (CR): I’m too pretty to go to jail, so thanks for not inviting me. Also, maybe aliens took over his body. That would explain it.

Theo: HA. HA.

Silas: Maybe we should get milkshakes to discuss this.

Annoyance #1 (HM): Silas, didn’t the doctor tell you to lay off the milkshakes?

Silas removed himself from the group.

An hour after I text the group chat, which I regretted as soon as the message was sent, Hayes, Campbell, and Silas come marching into the fire station with milkshakes in hand. My guys eye them just like they did at the last fire, and I shake my head when Zane and Campbell stare each other down.

“Would you get in my office before you start a riot,” I hiss.

“Here,” Hayes says, shoving a milkshake in my hand as he passes. “We got something for you?”

I eye it suspiciously as I close my office door behind us. “Is it poisoned?”

Hayes shrugs. “You’ll have to try it and find out.”

I sit it on my desk, slowly pushing it away from me, and Hayes throws his head back and laughs .

The three men spread out around my office, making themselves at home, and I only have myself to blame.

I never should have sent that text .

“So,” Hayes says, settling into the chair across from mine. “What did Eric do this time?”

“He accused me of not doing my job,” I say, seething at the memory alone.

Campbell and Hayes look at one another. Silas just slurps on his milkshake.

“Sooo?” Campbell says, as if that’s not enough reason to want to murder the man. Sitting on the edge of my desk, he turns to prop his feet up. He’s practically sprawled on top of it. I smack his feet, and they hit the ground with a thud.

“What do you mean, so? He came in here, talking a big game about how I’m playing favoritism with Lil—” I stop, trailing off on Lily’s name.

Hayes smirks. “I think we found the problem.”

“You mean the solution,” Silas says, willingly leaving his milkshake long enough to bounce his brows suggestively. Campbell snorts and raises his hand to cover his mouth, but he only manages to knock half the stuff off my desk. It clatters to the floor, and my eye twitches.

“Okay, time for you to go,” I say, standing and ushering them out.

“Ah,” Campbell cries. “We were just getting to the good stuff.”

“There is no good stuff. No, get out.”

Campbell follows Silas out, and I don’t miss that the older man now has two milkshakes in his hand. He swiped the one that was supposed to be mine. Hayes lingers, though, letting them get ahead of him.

“Listen,” he says, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “Lily’s a great woman. So treat her right, okay?’

I cock a brow. “Are you saying I won’t?”

He drops his hand and glares, but I can see the humor behind it. “I’m saying you better.”