Michael

“You see the news?” Declan asked.

I didn’t look at him, instead kept my gaze glued to the screen.

“Yeah, I see the news,” I said through clenched teeth. I’d heard it on the radio as I’d driven as fast as I dared to Patrick’s. Finding a dead body hadn’t been ideal, but nothing about this day was shaping up to be.

The TV blared, describing the scene in detail as M. Lounge and Hotel burned to the ground.

“What the fuck is this about, Michael?” Declan asked.

“You think I have any damn idea?” I said, frustrated I had again been caught off guard.

“Then think. There has to be something. That guy Kevin, those two guards, and now the hotel is on fire. That’s not a coincidence,” Declan said.

Of course it wasn’t a coincidence. But I didn’t have any answers.

“Wait,” Sean, who was sitting next to me on the sofa, said, “what are you asking?”

Eventually, I’d thank Sean for standing up for me, but for now I could barely do anything, not with the way my mind was racing as I tried to get a handle on what was happening.

“Yeah, Declan,” I finally said, “what are you asking?”

I looked at him then, but I don’t think he noticed. He and Sean had locked eyes and the silent communication between them was something I could read loud and clear. After a long moment, Declan looked at me.

“Are you asking if I think you killed those men and burned the hotel?” he said.

I appreciated Declan being direct, because that was exactly what I thought, and I told him so.

“Yeah. That’s what I think.”

“Then you’re an idiot. Of course I don’t think that. But you obviously got on someone’s bad side, and they are working hard to make people think you did. I don’t need to remind you that those people are disinclined to give you or the rest of us the benefit of the doubt. So you need to tell me what’s going on,” he said.

“I…” I trailed off, considering. Not too long ago, I had asked Patrick a similar question. He’d been able to answer quickly if not entirely accurately.

I didn’t have that option. Because I couldn’t say for sure that no one had it out for me or that I hadn’t pissed off the wrong person.

“I don’t know,” I finally whispered.

I hated confessing that, hated even more that I didn’t know, that I couldn’t say for sure who might hate me enough to try to frame me.

But when I looked at my brothers, I saw understanding.

“Figure it out,” Declan said, his voice stern but his eyes betraying how worried he was.

“Yeah, I will. Where’s Patrick?” I asked.

“At the hotel. He wanted to be there, see if they would tell him anything,” Declan said.

“Do you think they will?” Sean asked.

Declan shook his head. “No, I don’t. He doesn’t either, but he wanted to be there anyway.”

“I need to be doing something,” I said, jumping from the couch and beginning to pace.

“Yeah, you do need to be doing something. And that something is staying put and lying low and letting us handle this. There’s no way you can be out there right now, Michael. We don’t know what’s going on, and with those bodies and the fire, the cops would grab you in a heartbeat.”

I knew he was right, but I had a hard time accepting it. Even more, though I wouldn’t say it out loud, I was worried about Eden. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking of me, if she thought the worst of me as I suspected everyone else did.

I hoped she didn’t, but I realized now I hadn’t given her reason not to. I’d never opened myself to her fully, never given her any real hint of what I felt. She had every reason to believe the worst.

I didn’t know if I’d ever have a chance to prove to her otherwise.

Declan slid his arms into his leather jacket and I watched him curiously. “Where are you going?”

“That’s unimportant. What’s important is that you stay put. Sean, you stay here with him and babysit,” Declan said.

“I guess I can handle that,” Sean replied.

Declan looked between us, his expression serious. “I mean it. Both of you stay put. Don’t make this worse.”

After another moment’s pause, he left.

Less than ten seconds passed before I looked at Sean. He met my eyes, a little smile on his face.

“I’ll drive,” he said.

* * *

Michael

“So where are we going?” Sean asked.

“You didn’t ask that before we left,” I said.

“No, because it didn’t matter. I’m with you no matter where we go. So where are we going?” he said, glancing at me before he looked back at the road.

“Eden’s house,” I said.

I felt some residual embarrassment at admitting that to Sean, but he simply nodded, then turned the car in that direction. I was relieved because I would see her soon, and once I knew she was safe, I’d be able to focus on what the hell was happening.

“You know where she lives?” I asked Sean a moment later.

“Yep,” he said without adding more.

Just twenty-four hours ago, I would have been furious at him for that, but now I didn’t care. Those brief hours had left me no question as to what was important, and nothing, not even a chance to snipe at Sean, was more important than getting to her.

As Sean turned the car down Eden’s quiet street, I focused on her house.

My brain fought to deny what my eyes saw, but the black smoke that billowed from her roof, the way Sean sped the vehicle couldn’t be denied.

“Michael, wait—”

I didn’t hear what else Sean had to say, because before the car had fully come to a stop, I jumped out and ran toward the house.

The door stood wide open and a body lay on her front steps. Seeing it told me I had been right to come here and made me wonder if I was too late.

I only looked at the prone form long enough to confirm that it wasn’t Eden, and once I had, I rushed inside.

The heat, the thick, billowing black smoke was overwhelming, but not as explosive as the worry that made my heart boom.

“Eden!”

I called for her, looked around wildly, ignoring the way my lungs burned, the way my eyes stung from the smoke.

None of that mattered, because I had to find her.

Would find her.

I made my way through the living room as best I could, knocking down anything in my path. I cursed myself for not knowing her home better, for not taking the time to.

“Eden!”

I yelled as loud as I could, my voice frantic, but not nearly as frantic as I felt inside.

I had to find her, wouldn’t let her die like this, and I promised myself that whoever had done this would suffer, suffer so very mightily.

“Eden!” I screamed again.

Then I stood still, listening, hoping for some sound that would lead me toward her. I could barely hear anything over my pounding heart, but after a second, I heard something. I might have been imagining it, but I thought I heard a cough.

Hope, relief, unlike any I had ever felt lifted me, and I moved toward that sound, desperate to find her.

When I saw her lying there, her hair unruly, her face covered with soot, I rushed to her.

“Eden!” I yelled, a sound that was cut off when smoke began to fill my lungs.

Still, I tried to keep focused, held her to me, my heart dropping when I saw the blood that dripped along her hairline, fear that she was gone threatening.

Then she moved and I was able to breathe again.

As gingerly as I could, I lifted her and then carried her out, tried not to jar her while still moving as fast as I possibly could.

When I went through the front door again and took my first deep breath, I thought my chest would explode from the relief.

Relief that was short-lived.

I gingerly laid Eden on the ground, then held her face, moved down her neck to find her pulse.

It was strong, and she was coughing.

I willed her to move.

She didn’t.

My heart was beating so fast, I was light-headed, but I was completely focused on Eden.

“You can wake up now,” I whispered, brushing my hand over her hair.

She didn’t move, and her stillness, the horrible thought of what that meant crushed me.

“Eden,” I said, practically yelling, “wake up. Now.” I used the voice I knew she hated, hoped that it would piss her off enough to wake up and tell me to shove it.

She didn’t move.

“Michael, Gerald’s over there,” Sean whispered.

I’d forgotten about the person who’d been lying on her front steps when I’d arrived, but when Sean pointed at him, I turned, saw him on the ground.

“Gerald, what are you doing here?” I asked forcefully.

He rolled, brought himself to his knees, his suit jacket still buttoned though it was ripped, blackened with ash.

He looked at me, and when I looked into his eyes, I saw a glimmer of pure malice. Then, right before my eyes, he morphed, his face breaking, tears springing from his eyes.

“Oh God! He tried to kill her! Tried to kill me!” Gerald screamed.

I tightened my grip on Eden but kept my eyes on him, my stomach dropping as I watched him, everything in me certain this horrible day was going to get worse.

Gerald fell on his backside and then began to crawl away from me, moving away from the house and me with wide eyes, his hand extended, finger pointing at me in accusation.

“It was him!”

In an instant, I knew. Gerald was behind this. He hated me so much, he’d hurt Eden to get to me. At that moment, I’d never wanted to kill anyone as much as I did Gerald, not even my father.

I might not have the chance.

“What the fuck are you talking about, asshole?” Sean said.

At the sound of his voice, Gerald looked over, screamed, and then began to crawl faster.

“Help! Help!” he cried.

I wanted to go after him but couldn’t leave Eden’s side. So instead, I held her hand, waited.

“Sean, get an ambulance,” I said. I’d deal with Gerald. Eden was what mattered now.

“On its way,” he responded, though he didn’t take his eyes off Gerald, who had now crawled toward the street screaming.

“He tried to kill me!”

“If you want to get out of here, now’s the time,” he said.

I looked at him, then looked down at Eden, knowing there was no way I would leave her side.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, wrapping my hand around hers.