Chapter Six
Okay, so everything Eva had learned from all the men she’d known hadn’t even begun to prepare her for what was happening here. She stared at her very empty bedroom. Her stuff had been there that morning, but now it was gone. Dalton had left her at the diner to get them both some food for the night, and she figured he went back to the station to finish up whatever he had to do at the end of the day. Mrs. Cooper had been kind enough to keep her company. The older woman had regaled her with memories from Dalton’s childhood.
“Where’s my stuff?” she asked, shouting to be heard over the noise.
He was playing his music way too loud for her to be heard. She’d left him to dish them both some food so that she could quickly freshen up. Seeing as she didn’t have any stuff, she made her way downstairs to find Dalton already eating some of the spicy fries that she had ordered for herself. Mrs. Cooper had been sure to make them for her especially.
She loved spicy food and had a craving for it, especially as Dalton had fucked her brains out on his very sexy fire truck.
“Hey, baby, I thought you were getting ready. You look the same to me.”
“I am the same. Where’s my stuff?” she asked.
He gave her that dirty, wicked glint that always had her pussy growing slick. She wanted him again, and this wasn’t something she was accustomed to.
She was far from being a virgin and had had her fair share of disappointing encounters. Folding her arms, she mock glared at him. “I’m serious, Dalton. Stop eating my food.”
“Mrs. Cooper knows how to make a damn good fry. They’re so good. Heavenly. She even gave you some of that chipotle mayo she’s good for with a spritz of lime.”
Her stomach growled. She was so hungry but right now she was pissed and she wanted answers as to where her clothes were.
“Dalton, seriously,” she said. “Where’s my stuff?”
“In my bedroom.” He held out a plate. “Have a try, you know you want to.”
She rubbed at her temples. “I can’t do this right now.” She barely knew this man, and even though she’d slept with him—well, not slept but fucked—she had no intention of sticking around. In fact, the more she fell in love, the higher her anxiety grew. Settling down was too risky for her heart.
Turning on her heel, she made her way upstairs toward his bedroom. She entered his closet and saw her stuff all neatly organized.
Grabbing all of her clothes that he’d hung up, she began to walk back to her own room, but he stopped her in the hallway. He stood right in front of her, his body becoming a brick wall.
Gritting her teeth, she glared at him. “You need to move.”
“I’m not moving anywhere, princess. You put those clothes away and now.”
“There’s no way that I’m sharing a bedroom with you. Why did you do this anyway? My clothes were perfectly fine where they were.”
He rolled his eyes. “I did it while you were getting us food, and no, they weren’t perfectly fine otherwise I’d have left them where they were. You’re sharing my bed.”
“Ugh, Dalton, we’re nothing more than strangers. You shouldn’t be moving me in with you like this.”
“I fucked you.”
“A lot of people fuck.”
She stared at him and hated the pain that showed in his eyes for just a split second.
“Where are you going to go?” he asked. “Where are you going to run to, or is this just a thing for you?”
“I don’t know what I want, okay? I only know that I’m tired of relationships. They don’t work.”
“Don’t judge all men based on your ex. We’re not all like that,” he said. “You’ll end up running forever.”
She hated being cornered. There was nothing for her anywhere. She had absolutely nothing, and that hurt. Maybe she was running from her own self.
“I don’t have anything here, and I don’t have anything anywhere else. So stop trying to push. This is just a bunch of fun, Dalton. I’m not going to marry you. I’m not going to be anything to you, so just stop!”
Silence fell as she finished what she was saying on a yell. The moment the final words left her lips, she regretted them. Shit.
She’d hurt him, and she saw it clearly on his face.
Panting for breath, she waited for him to spin around, to tell her to get the fuck out. It was kind of surreal to have a guy want her to move in with him, or to try to take it to the next level. She was used to men telling her that she drove them crazy, and that she needed to back off. That always hurt no matter what. She didn’t have a place in the world.
No family.
No chance of love.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she hated that.
He saw them.
He reached out to touch her, and she spun around, not allowing him to see.
“I can’t do this,” she said.
He didn’t leave her alone though. Dalton stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her close. She wished she was strong enough to tell him to leave her alone, but she couldn’t do it. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“This isn’t about being hurt.” She closed her eyes as his lips brushed against her ear.
“I like you, Eva.”
“You don’t know me.”
He chuckled. “So, I know that you’ve got a good heart.”
“I just told you I’m leaving you and you think I’ve got a good heart? This is crazy. All of it is just completely crazy.” She loved this stupid town, and she hated that as well. The people were always so nice even though she was nothing to them, a stranger passing through. She’d seen the way Dalton was with his friends. Everyone was always so close, so caring, so sweet to each other. This place was a far cry from everything she was used to in the city. Everyone hated anyone who got in the way and were always hurting everyone.
Running away meant never getting hurt. She’d been with Mark for a long time, and eventually he tired of her. Eva couldn’t handle that again, especially with Dalton.
She relaxed in his arms. Her nipples tightened as his lips brushed against her ear, sucking on the lobe.
“You want to leave, and I get it. I know what it’s like to want to run, but it’s not going to make whatever pain you’re feeling any less.”
“There’s nothing for me here.”
He groaned. “There’s always me, Eva. I’m here and I know I’m not much of a catch, but I can make you happy. Why don’t you give me a chance?”
The hand on her stomach slowly began to move down, and when he cupped her pussy she gasped.
“I bet you’re wet for me right now. I bet you want to feel my dick sliding into this sweet pussy, and baby, you are so fucking sweet. I can’t believe that you’re all mine, and I take care of everything that’s mine.”
He pushed his hand into her jeans, and she couldn’t hold the clothes anymore. Dropping them to the floor, she reached behind her, locking her fingers at the back of his neck. He kissed her neck, licking over her pulse at the same time he teased her pussy. His fingers stroked her clit, then went down to her cunt. He plunged inside, over and over, fucking her harder with his fingers, his thumb stroking back and forth over her nub.
“You’re like fucking fire in my arms, and I can’t get enough of you. I want you all the time, Eva. I want to fuck you every single chance I get, and I don’t care that we don’t know each other very well. That just gives us time to learn.”
She turned her head, and even though it was an odd angle, she was able to kiss him back. His tongue plunged into her mouth at the same time he finger-fucked her pussy. His cock rubbed against her ass, and it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
“I need you inside me.”
He led them back inside his room. Within seconds he had her jeans around her knees, and her on his bed, ass up. He ran his hands over her ass, spreading the cheeks wide as she groaned.
She heard the unmistakable sound of his zipper sliding down, and she was completely lost to the pleasure.
“Your body is all mine, Eva. All mine and no one else’s until you decide you want to leave.”
His words aroused and saddened her. She liked that he was laying claim to her, that she belonged to him and only him, but at the same time, she regretted her outburst. She didn’t want to be with anyone else but him. It just felt foreign to be wanted.
Dalton was doing crazy things to her head and her body. She didn’t know what was happening. She’d never been the kind of woman to be all over the place about her feelings. Until she left the city, she thought she had a level head.
“Yes.”
“Yes, you’re mine?”
“Yes. I’m yours.” For however long you want me.
He smiled, and his happiness was suddenly her happiness. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
“For what, baby?”
“Everything. Being a bitch. I keep waiting for you to push me away, but you’re right, I can’t compare you to anyone else. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever known.”
“Life with me will be a hell of a lot different. That’s a guarantee.” He kissed her lips, a sensual caress filled with promise.
The tip of his cock pressed against her entrance, and she gasped then cried out as he drove in deep. Every single inch of him pulsed within her, matching the beat of his heart.
“You feel so good,” he said.
He pulled out of her only to slam back inside. She cried out his name, and they both paused as his cell phone started to ring.
“Fucking shit!” Dalton stayed still within her, and she was shocked to see him grab his cell phone, flicking it on. “Dalton here.”
She couldn’t believe that he’d answered his damn phone when he was balls deep inside her. It felt kinky, and her clit tingled.
When he tensed and quickly withdrew, she saw there was worry on his face. “When? Okay, yes, I’ll be there.”
He hung up the cell phone, and seeing that it was serious, she pulled her jeans up. “What is it?”
“There’s been another fire. A teenage girl is in the hospital fighting for her life. Someone set fire to the house that she was in. Her parents had left her alone to do some grocery shopping.”
“Oh, my God, is she okay?”
“She’s in a coma. Smoke inhalation, and she jumped out of her bedroom window. I’ve got to go.”
“Yes, go, I’ll be here.” She kissed him, trying to reassure him.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
****
The girl in question was only fifteen; Mandy was her name. Dalton sat listening to the specifics as the chief recounted them from last night. It was the Chesterfields’ girl, Henry and Darleen. Both of them worked at the local high school, and from what he knew were well-liked.
Glancing around the room at the team of firefighters, he felt sick to his stomach.
Mandy had been too frightened to call for help, and only when a nearby neighbor had looked out of her window while she drew her curtains closed did the crew get called. During that time, Mandy had thrown herself out of her window, passing out. She had broken her leg and arm. She’d fallen onto some soft grass but the impact had knocked her unconscious.
“Where are the Chesterfields now?” Dalton asked.
“They’re at the hospital. Mandy wanted to stay home to study. They figured with her being fifteen she’d be fine,” the chief said.
“These aren’t just random fires,” Luke said, speaking up. “It can’t be. There’s no way that fires like this just start up. Mandy’s not the kind of girl to do this.”
Dalton agreed.
“The sheriff is opening an investigation. Until then, we’ve got to look at the cause of the fire tomorrow morning. I want everyone here, and I want us to go over the previous fires.” In the chief’s hands were several folders of the previously documented fires that had started up in town at random places.
He moved toward the board, and Dalton listened as he began to pin where each fire had taken place, each one becoming more and more severe until now.
“With Mandy in the hospital this is not just arson. If she doesn’t wake up, it’ll be murder.”
Everyone tensed up at that.
Dalton didn’t like it.
The girl’s death would weigh heavily on all of them as they would always wonder if there was something more they could have done. Grabbing one of the files, he opened it up and began to pore over some of the details.
“What’s the sheriff looking at?” Grayson asked.
“For now, we’re not relating the other fires to this one. With Mandy, he wants to start off close to home. He’s seeing if she’s having any problems at school. If her parents have any troubles. Anything like that.”
“This could be all random,” Dalton said, speaking up. “What if this kid or man or woman didn’t even know that Mandy was home? Everyone in town knows that the Chesterfields shop at night.” They all knew each other’s business. That was the point of being part of such a small, close-knit town.
“That’s what makes this scary,” Luke said. “It’s someone close to home who knows everything about us.”
“Look, just go over the details. I’ve got copies of these in my office. Tell me if you see anything that matches up or anything that screams odd to you. I know this is going to ask you all for overtime, but right now I need you guys here.”
“Of course,” they all agreed in unison.
“Let’s hope we can find whoever did this.”
The chief walked into his office, and Dalton went over the first fire in the folder. It hadn’t been significant. They always liked to document any call-outs, as it did cost the state money, and in case of any investigation they carried out their own. The chief was completely thorough. They were all more than happy to handle the details like this.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Grayson asked.
“Nothing at all.” He ran fingers through his hair.
He’d much rather be at home, deep inside his woman, but for now, he looked over the pictures, seeing where the first fire started. Passing the files to each of them, he saw each one had a faster accelerant. Taking the pictures from each of the files, he pinned them up for all to see.
Each fire had a starting point, and it expanded from there.
“This is clumsy. It’s small, and it burned out quickly,” Dalton said. “I was there. It was pretty much embers by the time I got there.” So insignificant he’d not even seen a possible threat. Slowly, each fire became something bigger, more dangerous. At first, they were random points. Some outside, then they went inside, in abandoned buildings but also far enough away from locals. “Who are you?”
All night the men worked, and by the next morning, they were at the Chesterfields’ house. It was safe, so they were able to enter the home. They did so via the back door as the rear of the house had minimal damage since the fire department had been able to contain it before it got too bad.
Using a flashlight, Dalton moved through the house, going toward the front door where the fire had to have started. No one touched anything, and he stood beside the chief.
“What are you thinking?” Dalton asked.
“That right now I haven’t got a clue what I’m fucking looking at. Take some pictures and then head on home. You need to get some rest.”
“What about this?” he asked, waving a hand in the air.
“The house isn’t going anywhere.”
After three hours within the house, taking pictures, taking swabs, and assisting the forensics team that had been called in, Dalton made his way home. He was so fucking tired, and he ached all over.
The moment he stepped into his home he smelled bacon, and his stomach clenched.
Eva came out of the kitchen wearing an apron. “You’re home.” She rushed toward him, hugging him tightly.
“I stink.”
“I don’t care. I heard what happened. I’ve been with Mrs. Cooper helping her at the diner. It’s been chaotic, but I’ve heard what people have been saying. They’re all worried.”
“No one knows who it is, and right now, there’s a lot of speculation.”
All night working, and he wasn’t any closer to figuring out what the hell was going on. Rubbing at his eyes, he sighed. “I’ll go and get washed.”
“Okay. Stay in your bed. I’ll bring you up some food.”
“You really don’t need to do that.”
“You’ve been working hard. At least let me do this small thing.”
He wasn’t in the mood to argue. Capturing her against him, he slammed his lips down on hers. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. Now, go and clean.” She wrinkled her nose, and he laughed.
Making his way to his room, he removed his clothes, and his reflection caught his attention. A day’s growth on his chin, and he looked troubled.
He didn’t like this. Having questions with no answers. No way of knowing who could be harming his town. It pissed him off.
If they didn’t find the person soon, someone else would be next. He thought about Mandy. She was such a nice girl, and now they didn’t know if she’d wake up. Dalton allowed himself to think of his sister for a moment. Pain surged through him, a desperation that nearly incapacitated him. He couldn’t allow himself to return to the past. All that mattered was ensuring that same tragedy never happened again.
Gritting his teeth, he calmed the rage that was building inside him.
Whoever was starting these fires better hope the cops found him before Dalton did. If he got his hands on him, he was going to fucking kill him.