Page 42 of Inferno

Juniper’s lips curled, and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. Kind of gave me chills while simultaneously bringing all the blood in my body straight to my dick. “You think Brett’s planning to do this again. To my building this time.”

“Yeah.” I started laying out the purchase records Knight had pulled. “He bought ten gallons of racing fuel from less than reputable sources. That’s enough to level the bakery and whatever’s next to it. He also bought trackers. We found the one in your recipe box, but there could be another one.”

“Why now?” she asked. “If the review bombs and the health complaints didn’t work, why torch the place? He doesn’t even get the insurance if I lose everything.”

I shrugged. “Best guess? He wants to see you broken. The cash offer was a test. The fake reviews, the inspectors, your girl quitting. Death by a thousand cuts. Now that you’ve refused to budge, he escalates. He tries to make it look like a freak accident or carelessness on your part. Maybe he even doesn’t try to hide that it’s arson. Maybe he makes it look like you did this and you lose the insurance money, as well as end up in prison for insurance fraud.” I saw her anger grow with each passing second. Though I didn’t want to cause her more distress, seeing her ready to fight suited me much better than tears. “This is straight-up predator bullshit, Juniper. And it ends with you, whether you agree or not. So don’t ask to be involved or even know what’s going on if you can’t handle the fact that this fucker is going to die.”

“You’re not doing anything without me,” she said. “I’m not ignorant, so I’m not going to pretend to not understand what you’re talking about. So I will say this. Either we’re a team, or there is no ‘us’.”

“All right, then.”

She looked contemplative. “You think he’ll use the same stuff? Do things the same way?”

“He’s a creature of habit,” I said. “He uses what he trusts. Knight’s tracking the transactions, but the way this is set up, he can strike and be gone in under two minutes. If we’re not on-site and ready before he lights it, it will be too dangerous to approach. The only variable is degrees of destruction.”

She exhaled, jaw clenched. “I really hate that fucker,” she muttered. “Do you want me to keep the shop closed?”

“I’d prefer it. I know you have bills, but you have to know the club will help you out. We can live here. This place takes care of itself.”

“I’m not worried about my stuff or even how my life plays out from here. I can replace stuff. None of it is as important as keeping that bastard from preying on someone else. You guys do what you have to. I can’t do much, but I’ll be an alibi. I can lie with the best of them when necessary.”

I felt pride twist in my chest. She was made for this. There was nothing in her now that looked like prey. “Don’t worry. It won’t come to that. Knuckles is protective of everyone in Kiss of Death. He’s the club president.”

She looked up at me, not a hint of fear. “Just so we’re clear. We’re ending him, Inferno. Right? I’m willing to do everything I need to -- whether or not you ask it of me -- but I want to know what the expected outcome is, so I don’t fuck up and kill someone I’m not supposed to.”

I had to laugh at that. “Honey, you won’t be killin’ anyone, no matter what.”

She narrowed her gaze at me. “You’re not going back to prison for this, Inferno.”

I laid my hand over hers and squeezed. “Don’t worry about that. No one will go to prison for this fuck’s death. He’s not worth it and Knuckles won’t have it.”

Later, we made love late into the night. We both needed it, and I’d been hard for the woman since she’d started showing a vicious streak. No, that wasn’t true. I’d been hard for her way the fuck before that. She kept me in a constant state of arousal when I was in her presence.

At 2:47 a.m., my phone let out an alert I hadn’t heard in a long fucking time. The fire station’s electronic tone drops, followed by the automated message saying what was on fire, the location, and the anticipated resources that would be needed.

I heard “Charlotte Avenue” and “Second alarm requested,” and I was up and moving. Just like I used to when this was my job. I pulled on jeans, boots, and a T-shirt, all lying on the floor.

“Inferno?” Juniper sat up in bed, clutching the covers to her chest.

“I’ll be back, honey. If you need to, go to Knight’s office. He’ll keep you updated.”

“Please be careful, Inferno. I meant what I said. You’re more important than anything else.”

I hurried back to the bed and leaned in to kiss her, then rested my forehead against hers. “I swear to you, honey. I’ll be careful and I will come back to you.”

“You better.”

I grinned, still holding her to me. “I will.” Then I kissed her once more before leaving.

I filled Knuckles in on my way downstairs, and he sent a couple of guys with me as backup. I didn’t wait for anyone to get ready, instead heading to Juniper’s bakery as fast as I dared.

The city was dark, but the sky over her block glowed vicious and orange, underpinned by a rolling, chemical blue. The place was burning very fucking hot.

I parked my bike on the street, far enough away from the scene not to get trapped accidentally or have debris burn my ride. The heat was so intense there was no way to get anywhere near the place, even with the crosswind. The bakery window was already blown out, glass pooling on the pitted sidewalk. Flames worked through the top floor, licking across the roofline to eat into the corner wall with a hunger that wouldn’t be denied.

One engine was already there, laying line and prepping water. The crew chief was a fresh-faced kid who didn’t even register me as I moved past. All focus was on containing the fire because nobody with half a brain would try even getting close to the bakery. Brett had moved, and I’d been one day too fucking late.

I’d been about to go find Danner and thank him for adding me to the loop alert when I heard a scream.