Chapter Three
Lily hadn’t expected that answer. “Why would your ex-wife want to destroy your property?”
Mr. Toma’s lip curled. “I’m guessing it’s because I’m not always on time with my alimony payments. How the hell do I know what’s going through her bat shit crazy head?”
“Burning down your warehouse might cause you to become even more delinquent in your payments.”
“Yeah, well Marla is a vindictive bitch—and a not very bright one to boot.”
Lily made a note to speak with the wife. “Your daughter, Anita, called in the fire. I’m guessing she was at your house at the time?” His home sat less than fifty feet to the west of his office. If any of the windows had been open, she would have smelled the smoke.
“Yeah. Anita and my two-year old granddaughter, Monique, moved in with me last month when Anita’s no-good husband landed in jail. She said she was watching television when she smelled something burning.”
Maybe he wasn’t as rotten as she first thought. “After she called the fire department, did she notify you at the bar?”
“She texted me, but my eyesight was a little blurry at the time. I had to call a cab just to get home, and by the time I arrived, the warehouse was gone.”
“I’m sorry. Where is Anita now?”
“She works at that titty bar on Derlorn Avenue. She’s a stripper. My daughter wants to go back to school so she can raise her kid right. She says the pay’s good over there.”
Lily didn’t want to know what she did with her child while she was at work. Maybe the crazy mom watched her. “Did Anita hear anything before she smelled the fire?”
“If she did, she didn’t tell me.”
He wasn’t being cooperative. “I have one more question. It says you had a room full of shingles stored in the warehouse, but the arson investigator said he found no trace of them.”
Toma’s mouth opened. “Then he’s a goddamn liar. Did it ever occur to him that they burned up?”
Lily hated bullies so she didn’t answer. Josh had explained that the tar from the shingles would still be there. “Tell me about the Cantoron stone you claimed you had in the warehouse. According to the inspector, the fire didn’t burn hot enough to cause it much harm, yet it’s not here, just the marble.”
He moved closer and glared down on her. “Then whoever set my warehouse on fire must have taken the goods first and used the fire as a cover up.”
“That’s a nice story, but can you prove it?”
Toma grabbed her arm, and the pain had her letting out a gasp. She struggled, but Toma kept his hold and shook her. “I didn’t take pictures of it, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Get your god damn hands off her now, asshole,” came a booming voice behind her.
Toma released her, but from the way his lips sneered and how heavily he was breathing through his nose, he wasn’t happy. Lily wasn’t sure whether to be relieved Birk had come to her rescue once more or be pissed that he had followed her there.
Toma moved around Lily and tried to get into Birk’s face, but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t be intimidated by the likes of Toma. Not only did Birk outweigh him by a good fifty pounds, he was a half a foot taller.
“Fuck off, Caspian. What the hell are you doing here anyway?”
“I was in the neighborhood and spotted the warehouse—or rather the lack of warehouse. I thought I’d check it out.”
“I want both of you to leave.” Toma glared at Lily. “I’m calling the insurance company and asking for a new rep—one who knows how to do her damn job properly.”
That would never happen. Alea wouldn’t kiss his ass.
Before she could wish him good luck with his request, Toma hopped into his cart and took off, leaving her there with Birk. Whoa. She spun to face him and cleared her throat. “Thanks for stepping in, but what are you doing here? Or were you really just out for a spin?”
Birk glanced at the sky. “No. The truth is when I was walking by the café in town, I spotted you through the window with Josh. I’d heard about the warehouse fire and feared you might be asked to investigate.”
That might have been true, but it didn’t explain his presence. “And you came here to protect me?”
“I won’t lie. I wanted to make sure you stayed safe. Toma is not a nice man, as you’ve now witnessed.”
Lily might have told him that she was capable of taking care of herself, but given what just happened even she didn’t believe it. “I could have promised to request our company compensate him fully, and he would have let go. It’s happened to me before.” Just not with someone as creepy as Toma.
As much as Lily wanted to storm off, Birk ignited a deep passion inside her, but it was one she could never act on.
Birk blew out a breath. “The man is dangerous. There’s a reason his wife left him.”
Lily didn’t want to sound ungrateful. Birk had good reason to follow her, but did he worry about everyone? “Then thank you.”
“I’ll walk you back to your car.”
When he placed a hand on her back, a shot of warmth tingled up her spine. While it would have been wise to step away, Lily enjoyed his touch, perhaps a little too much, and let him guide her.
Halfway back to her car, she looked over at him, only to find his gaze on her, making her uncomfortable. “Just so you know,” she said, “I plan on working this case. If I have to speak to Toma again, I’ll ask someone to come with me.”
“Good.”
She had half expected Birk to volunteer for the job, and when he didn’t, a small part of her was disappointed.
When they reached her vehicle, he opened the door. “Watch your back, Lily,” he said.
Way to scare her. “I will.”
Birk didn’t move, so she started her engine, backed up, and left. Guilt blasted her once more. Maybe she should have offered to drive him back. Yes, he could fly, but he’d taken time out of his day to watch over her, and she’d barely thanked him. But if she had offered him the ride, during the ten-minute trip, he’d for sure ask her out again, and she wasn’t sure she had the emotional strength to turn him down.
With shaky legs and less than a firm grip on the wheel, Lily headed to the office to regroup. If Toma’s daughter had been home at the time of the blaze, she might have heard something, especially if someone had snuck into a warehouse and stolen half its contents. Even setting a building on fire had to have been noisy. Though, if Anita was really watching a movie with her daughter, they might have had the volume on high.
Lily pulled into the parking lot of her workplace and sat there, debating her next move. Once they proved Toma had nothing to do with the destruction, there was no reason why Thresh Toma shouldn’t receive the value of the warehouse and some of its contents. The first step in getting to the bottom of this case was to make certain Toma had been at the Hog’s Head bar when the fire started. Even if he had been there, it wouldn’t prove he hadn’t hired someone to torch his warehouse.
She’d investigated a ton of false insurance claims before, but this one seemed to be extra difficult.
Birk hadn’t wanted to interfere in Lily’s case, but the moment that ass touched her, his dragon had gone ballistic. When he stormed out from the forest and shouted at Toma, Birk had been unable to get a read on Lily’s expression, other than she was surprised he was there. He supposed he should be happy she hadn’t punched him—and had thanked him instead.
Right now, Birk needed to figure out who’d burned down Toma’s warehouse. If someone thought Lily knew who’d done it, she might be in danger, and Birk couldn’t let that happen. Or was he making a big case out of nothing? It didn’t matter. He couldn’t change who he was.
The person with the most knowledge about the case was fellow dragon shifter, Josh Gerrard. If his friend was out on another case and couldn’t be reached, Birk would leave a message for Josh to contact him.
Sure, he was going behind Lily’s back in speaking with the arson investigator, but it was for her own good. When it came to his mate, there was no line he wouldn’t cross.
A few minutes after he shifted and took off, he arrived back in town and headed over to the fire station to see if he could catch Josh in person. Luck was on his side. He was in his office, and Birk knocked.
“Come in.” When he stepped in, Birk was met with a broad smile. “Caspian. Haven’t seen you in a while. What can I do for you?” They shook hands.
Birk wanted to set things straight with Josh from the start. “This is a bit delicate so I’d appreciate your discretion.”
“You got it. What does this involve?” He motioned Birk to take a seat.
“Lily Harper. She’s my mate.”
“Congratulations. She’s a great girl.”
Because Josh’s smile was genuine, his dragon calmed down. “As you know, she’s been in a lot of danger recently, what with the whole Landry Madison incident.”
“I’m sorry she was caught in the middle. I’m glad everyone is okay now.”
Birk nodded. “Today, when Lily went to investigate Thresh Toma’s warehouse fire, he became agitated when she more or less accused him of falsifying the report. He grabbed her, and I had to interfere.”
Josh’s eyes turned turquoise with rage. “Fuck. I should have gone with her. Is she okay?”
“Yes, but I’m worried if Toma is guilty, he might want some kind of revenge.”
“How can I help?”
“What can you tell me about the case?” Birk asked.
Josh blew out a breath. “I didn’t tell Lily how I knew what wasn’t in the warehouse at the time of the fire, but my dragon abilities allow me to sift through ashes and tell what was burned or what wasn’t. Trust me when I say that what Toma said was in his warehouse wasn’t really there.”
“Ah, I see. When Lily told him there was no evidence of the stack of shingles Toma claimed was there, it really pissed him off.”
“I’m not surprised, but he should know that the shingles would leave a tar residue after it burned, which was how I know they weren’t there in the first place.”
“Interesting. Lily promised me that if she had to speak with Toma again she’d take someone with her, but that might not be enough protection against a panther shifter—assuming he’s guilty.” Birk leaned forward. “Was the fire arson? Or could a dragon shifter have burned down the warehouse—which technically would still be arson?”
“An accelerant was definitely used, but dragons have access to that stuff too.”
Bottom line was that Toma might have been involved in all of this mess. “I appreciate the information. If I learn anything more, I’ll let you know.” Birk stood.
“I won’t mention your visit to anyone. When I clear this case up, we should grab a beer sometime. It’s been a while.”
Josh was a stand-up guy. “I appreciate that, and that’s a definite on the beer. It has been too long,” Birk said.
He left the fire station and walked up the street to Kyle’s office.
As much as he wanted to shadow Lily’s every move, it would put her more on edge if she caught him. However, he couldn’t leave her to do whatever she saw fit. Lily was a highly motivated insurance agent and would put her job above her safety. The only way to ensure no harm came to her was to ask one of the other Guardians to watch her, and the best candidate was their newest recruit—Lily’s brother, Kyle.
Since the Mining Inspector’s office was only two streets away, now was as good a time as ever to tell Kyle about being his sister’s mate. Birk would then ask for his help in keeping an eye on her.
When he entered the office, Birk asked the woman at the desk if he could speak with him. As soon as he told her his name, she beamed. “You’re Nessa’s brother.”
“I am.”
She placed her hand over a glowing light. “Birk is here to see you.”
A moment later, Kyle’s door opened. “This is a surprise. Come on in.” He quickly sobered. “Nessa’s okay, isn’t she?”
Birk chuckled. “Since you are mates now, you’d be the first to feel if something wasn’t right.”
He swore Kyle blushed. “I keep forgetting. Have a seat.” He stilled. “Oh, no. You’re here about Lily, aren’t you?”
Birk nodded and sat down. “She’s been assigned a dangerous case, and I’m worried about her.” Before he told Kyle he was Lily’s mate, he explained about the fire and how Toma had grabbed her.
Kyle hissed. “That’s terrible. I’ll speak with her to make sure she has someone with her if she interviews him again.”
Birk held up his hand. “No. She’ll know I spoke with you. Don’t tell her I came to see you, okay?”
“Why not?”
“Because Lily thinks I’m stalking her.”
Kyle raised both brows. “Are you?”
“I guess I am, but it’s because Lily is…my mate.”
Kyle then pumped a fist. “Yes! Nessa and Greer suspected as much, but they said nothing because they were waiting for you to admit it.”
He couldn’t believe his sisters never said anything. “I didn’t because I didn’t want them to tell me it was a lost cause.”
Kyle sighed. “I hope it’s not. Lily has no idea, does she?”
“No. Cripes, I can’t even get her to go out for dinner with me. She just shuts me out completely. I understand why she wants nothing to do with dragon shifters, but I was hoping that with you and Nessa mating, she would come around. Unless, it’s just me who’s the problem?”
“She’s never said anything to me about it being personal. Lily has been through a lot and has become very cynical. My advice is not to give up; she will come around. If anyone can get through to her heart, I believe you as her mate can.”
Birk blew out a breath. “Yeah, well, siblings usually don’t discuss their feeling about the opposite sex freely—at least in my family we don’t. I’m not giving up, but I have to admit constant rejection sucks, man.”
“Lily and I are the same in that respect. Don’t look at it as rejection; look at it as a learning curve.” Kyle gave a short laugh. “Things will work out. Give her some time. Tell me more about this Toma fellow.”
Birk filled him in on what he knew, including the information from Josh. “If Lily continues to investigate, I fear she might upset someone. As much as I would like to be by her side, or watch from above, she won’t be happy if I show my face too often.”
“I see, so do you want me to watch her?” Kyle asked.
He was glad Kyle understood. “As much as you can. Lily won’t question seeing you around like she would if it were me. I figure she might tell you what her plans are too. In the meantime, I want to investigate Toma, and I can’t have Lily around when I do that.”
“Of late, it’s been quiet in the mining world, but that could change at any moment. Right now, though I have some free time.”
Birk smiled. Fate certainly had picked a fine man for his sister.