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Braxton shrugged. “That’s where I found the flames. The fire department is in there now, looking for the point of origin or anything suspicious.”
“How much damage was done?” Sophie asked, shifting her weight to her good side.
“I don’t think much.” Braxton brushed his hands down his shirt, ran his hands through his hair, and sighed. “It’s going to put us back, but I don’t think for very long.”
“Did someone call Liam?” she asked.
Braxton nodded. “He’s on his way.”
“There’s no way that wiring was faulty,” Zach muttered, almost as if he were talking to himself. “I’ve never had a problem.”
An SUV roared up the drive. Liam had arrived, coming in as fast and frantic as Zach had.
Sophie placed her hand on Zach’s arm. “I’ll go talk to him.”
As she started to step away, Zach reached for her. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. You and Braxton go inside.”
She didn’t hang around to see the concern staring back at her. No doubt Liam would be angry and confused at this unfortunate turn of events, and if she could play buffer, then she certainly would, because the last thing any of the boys needed was to get into an argument over how the fire started.
She met Liam at the end of the walk. His eyes searched beyond her.
“Braxton and Zach are inside,” she told him, stepping so he wouldn’t pass. “Calm down and look at me.”
With his focus centered on her, Sophie reached for his hand. “We don’t believe there’s much damage and the fire was contained to the kitchen. Nobody was hurt, so that’s what’s important.”
“How did it start?”
Sophie swallowed, leading him up the walk. “They think the wiring in the kitchen.”
“The old wiring?”
“No. The new.”
Liam cursed as he came to an abrupt stop and pulled his hand back. “How the hell can new wiring go up in flames?”
“Don’t go there,” she warned. “Accidents happen and placing blame now will get us nowhere. The kitchen was getting an overhaul anyway, and fighting now will only set us back.”
The muscle in Liam’s jaw clenched. He was angry and looking for an out, and Sophie wasn’t about to let him storm inside and zero in on his target. If he wanted to yell at someone, he could use her . . . not that he would, but she was going to stay in his face until he cooled down.
“Zach is inside with the firemen and he’ll get it figured out,” she went on. “You know he’s never had anything like this happen before.”
The muscle in Liam’s clean-shaven jaw clenched. “That doesn’t mean this isn’t his fault.”
Sophie placed a hand on Liam’s firm chest. “Listen to me and calm down. He’s as upset as you are, but check your rage before you walk inside. Got it? I won’t have you going in there and starting a fight.”
Liam’s dark brow lifted. “You’re pretty territorial with Zach. I don’t want to know why.”
“Good, because it’s none of your business.”
Sophie pivoted on her heel and started back up the walk.
“He’s going to hurt you.”
The low, bold warning had her freezing. With her back still to Liam, she replied, “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
Because she was. Zach might not want more, he might not be ready for more, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t keep trying to chip away at his defensive walls. And having anyone, including his own brother, cause more harm, would not happen while she was around.
