Page 23 of Rescued Dreams (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #8)

TWENTY-THREE

A car pulled into the drive. Amelia watched as it rolled slowly down the gravel toward where she stood in front of the house. Kane and Maria were close by. The twins had gone to school hours ago, and Ridge had to be on shift later, but right now he was beside her.

The light breeze making everything feel colder than it should be ruffled her hair. At least it wasn’t raining.

“Tell me again why we agreed to this?” She glanced at Ridge, who had been in the kitchen this morning making pancakes. Sweats and a tight T-shirt, his feet bare.

That little peek into his personal life had been like being launched away on a rollercoaster. They’d gone from easing into personal conversations to sleeping in the same house in just a week. She felt like she’d been spun around too fast and was still trying to get her balance at the sudden change.

“Elam offered information freely, but this was the price.” He didn’t look any happier about this situation than she was, which counted for something.

But not enough to void the fact that he’d gone out with Kane last night and not woken her to tell her.

Though, the way he’d told it, Kane hadn’t even told him they were going after Elam. Just that they were following a lead.

“He could have knocked on the door when he got out of prison.” For her father, this would’ve been about leverage.

And when had Elam been so different from him?

“Now I have to let him walk through the house and do whatever he wants? There’s nothing I can do about it.

He could take anything…or burn the place down. ”

All that had been her fear every night she’d stayed in the cabin out back.

That something terrible would happen during the night.

But last night, she’d slept great and woken up in Ridge’s bedroom—which had been a little unnerving, if she were honest. Her cabin had become a sanctuary, not just a home. His place was different from her style, but knowing she was safe in a way she might never have been before counted for a lot.

Ridge said, “It sounded like he just wanted to retrieve something.”

Even though she didn’t think there was a huge payout hidden somewhere by Steven Hilden, her brother might be aware of something in the house. A secret compartment where the old man had left…whatever he would leave. Amelia tried not to think about it.

“I hope so. This could go so many different ways, and most of them are nasty.” She glanced at him. “Did I tell you what kind of kid he was?”

“Sorry, but it’s a means to an end.”

“I’m just scared.” She had to admit that to someone. “Not that I think he’s going to make my life a nightmare. It’s that he could , but I have no idea if he intends to or not.”

Ridge’s expression softened. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

The car stopped on the gravel in front of them.

She felt Ridge’s hand a second before he slid his fingers between hers. Her brother climbed out of the passenger side, which meant he had someone in his life he trusted to drive him around…or he was honoring the fact his license had no doubt expired while he was in prison.

He still had that long hair he’d grown in high school. Their father had hated it long and threatened to shave his head clean while he slept, but the elder Hilden had never followed through on it.

He’d much preferred the mental game of fear.

Elam’s hair was tied back behind his head.

He wore a T-shirt over jeans, with a denim jacket over the shirt.

Black boots. Chains around his neck, and a few days’ worth of stubble on his jaw.

He was more slender than he’d been before prison, but at the same time he seemed more solid.

As if he was tight-packed muscle under those clothes.

“Elam.” She had no idea what to say. It wasn’t really nice to see him, but she did live in his childhood home.

Did he want it back?

“If you want the house, you should just ask.” Amelia tried to sound strong but not obstinate. With the weight of fatigue on her shoulders, she had to fight to be who she wanted him to see her as. “It’s been on the market for a long time. No one else wants it, so there wouldn’t be any competition.”

Elam’s expression shifted. “No kidding.”

Not what he’d expected her to say, she supposed. She wasn’t going to be who he thought she was, because he’d never bothered to get to know her. And wouldn’t now—hopefully. As far as she was concerned, he could have the house and she would leave. He’d never have to see her again.

Elam gave the house an assessing look.

Ridge said, “Not a bad place to house a criminal empire. You and all your buddies. There’s plenty of room.”

“It would be a little on the nose, considering the house’s history,” Elam said. “Don’t you think?”

Amelia didn’t know whether to laugh or not. “Well, I don’t want the place. And no one else will buy it. Maybe you should take it off my hands.”

Elam scratched his jaw.

Probably trying to figure out how to get the down payment.

“How about five thousand dollars?” Amelia said. “You can have it all free and clear.” He’d get a shock when the first tax bill showed up, but by then it would be firmly his problem.

“I’ll think about it,” Elam said. “For now, I just need five minutes inside.”

They didn’t need to follow him because of Kane’s security cameras. Elam wouldn’t even know they were there, but she would be able to see exactly where he went and what he got later. After he left.

“Go ahead.” She and Ridge moved out of the way, staying outside. Even though she owned the place, Amelia tried not to go inside unless she had to. Sometimes it seemed like the house had a…darkness to it that seeped into her skin. Almost like it would poison her with its history.

“You okay?”

She looked over at Ridge. “I don’t like the house. It scares me. More than just what it represents. I want to get rid of it.”

“Maybe he will buy it. Or we can figure out something else to do—like donating it to an organization. Someone could turn the place into a small charter school or a church annex.”

“It just feels like…” She looked at the exterior. “Oil. The way it sits on water and doesn’t mix. The way it coats your fingers and takes forever to wash off.” In her nightmares, the house was a living thing. She could run and run but never quite escaped it.

“Or the way sin stains a person’s soul.”

Amelia needed to let him share his faith. “How do you get rid of it?”

“We don’t. The death of Christ paid the penalty to wash our sins away. Forever. To cleanse us from all unrighteousness. No matter who we are, we’ve done wrong.”

“We all need that?” It didn’t sound complicated. She could easily admit she didn’t know everything and often wanted advice. Getting it from the Being who had created the universe meant it would probably be good advice.

He said, “It’s the only way to have hope and peace.”

She loved that look on his face so much. The softness of his expression and the way he so clearly believed what he was saying. Before she could respond to it, her brother stepped out of the house.

She wanted to talk more with Ridge about what he believed, but that would have to happen later now. This afternoon, maybe. He had a twelve-hour shift tonight, so it would be breakfast before she saw him—unless she hung out at the firehouse.

“I’m done.” Her brother wasn’t carrying anything, and none of his pockets were bulging.

“You didn’t find it?”

Elam sniffed. “Don’t worry about me, Amelia. I don’t deserve it.” He started to walk away.

“That’s always been true enough.”

He stiffened and slowed a little.

She continued, “But that was before. It’s been a long time. I’m guessing we’re both a lot different than who we used to be.”

He opened the door and looked back at her. “Not that different. Stay away from me.”

She bit her lip. Elam’s driver pulled out. She said, “It would be easier to believe he’s still a jerk.”

Ridge watched the car head down the drive. “If he cares about you, but in the circles he runs with you’d be in danger through association, it makes sense to push you away.”

“That would mean he’s had a total personality transplant.” She rolled her eyes. “Prison might’ve changed him, but making him empathetic? I’m not so sure. He never cared about me then, and he doesn’t care about me now. I want him to take the house so I can walk away.”

Ridge shrugged. “At least we’ll be able to see what he took from here. He might get back to you about the house.”

“What he took or what he did. Given we don’t know which it was yet.” She glanced at the house. “I really hope he agrees to take the monstrosity off my hands. Then the police will know whose door to knock on when there’s a crime in town.” She let out a sigh.

Ridge grinned. “It’ll be okay. Really.” He tugged her into a walk. “You can rest today, take a nap. Hang out with the girls a bit and do some studying for the lieutenant’s exam. You’ll be back to work in no time.”

They circled the house and met Kane and Maria on the back patio, which now had weeds growing in the cracks of the concrete. From back here, the place looked like a deserted psychiatric facility—the kind featured on scary TV shows she couldn’t watch.

“What did he take?” Amelia said.

Kane looked up from the tablet. “He went downstairs, into the cellar. There’s a panel that opens, and he took a pouch from some kind of compartment.”

“Small enough it fit in his jacket?” When Kane nodded, she said, “What did he give you guys? Because I can’t help wondering if you got double-crossed in this trade.”

“Who knows what’s in that pouch? But we can look at the compartment.” Kane studied the screen of his tablet. “He didn’t do anything else but look around while he walked. He went right to what he was looking for and then straight back. No detours.”

“And the trade?” She looked at Ridge.

“Kane took it to the police.”

His cousin said, “I met with Sergeant Donaldson this morning and passed him what Elam gave me, which was security footage from a gas station down the street from one of the fires. It shows your hoodie guy running from the scene. He goes into the gas station and pulls his hood down, so they’ll be able to ID him. ”

“Which means they can interview him and find out who he’s working with and why he did that to us.” Amelia felt better than she had in days. A little more rest and she’d be back to work. Then things would feel normal once more.

Once she passed the lieutenant’s exam, she’d have her life back.

No one would be able to take it from her ever again.