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He’s careful to stay out of the splash zone, which tells me this isn’t the first time he’s done this.
“Any last words before I send you up in flames?”
I look at Kyle and see a kid who could’ve had a much better life if someone would’ve cared about him. All he needed was for one person in his life to give a damn, but he never got it, and this is what he’s done because of it.
Noah’s little face pops into my head, and I have to grit my teeth at the pain in my chest. I don’t want to be another person to have disappointed him. To leave him when he needs me the most. And Natalie, my green-eyed goddess, will have to go through the pain of losing another person she loves.
No.
I refuse to hurt the two people I love the most. If I have to rip my own hand off to get out of here, I will.
A movement at the doorway catches my attention. Cooper and Todd rush into the bedroom with shouts of, “Police, don’t move!” They have their guns drawn and pointed at Kyle.
Kyle’s head whips towards the guys in surprise. “Don’t come any closer, if I light the match, this whole room will go,” he threatens, holding the match to the striking surface.
“You’d go up with us if you do it. Is that what you want?” Todd asks.
Kyle frantically looks around the room, and I watch as he realizes there’s no getting out of this. His shoulders drop and he nods in acceptance of the situation.
Suddenly, he lights the match, and the sound of a gunshot rings through the room. I watch Kyle drop the match and collapse onto the ground. The match seems to move in slow motion as it falls to the ground, sputtering out before it hits the gas-soaked carpet.
There’s movement around me, but my eyes stay focused on the match that could’ve started another house fire if it had stayed lit.
The ringing in my ears slowly fades away as Cooper and Todd come toward me to help me out of the chair.
“You okay, man?” Todd asks as they work to uncuff my arms.
“Well, I found out I have a brother who tried to kill Natalie, and I have a knife in my leg. All in all, I’m dandy.” I look at Todd and raise my eyebrow.
He huffs out a laugh. “Right, stupid question.”
Once they get the cuffs off, I roll out the kinks in my shoulders from them being pulled back for so long. A quick glance at Kyle’s motionless body tells me the shot was fatal. Am I supposed to feel something about my half-brother dying?
“I’m going to call this in to get an ambo and crime scene unit out here. I’d pull the knife out, but I’m pretty sure Nat would kill me if I let you bleed out,” Cooper says, pulling out his phone and making the call. I’m thankful they’re joking around with me because I need the distraction from what just happened. It’s going to take a serious amount of time to process everything.
“Ambo’s on the way, and I let everyone know you’re okay. What the hell happened?”
“Apparently, Kyle is my long-lost half-brother who was pissed our asshole of a father chose me over him. Then, when he didn’t get picked to join the SFD, he took it upon himself to right the wrongs of his life.
“He set the fires at the rec center and the group home as well as the fire at Natalie’s. He told me he was connected to all of it. Even my dad’s death was because of him.”
“Jesus, and I thought I had some psychos in my life,” Cooper says.
Between being a cop and the murdering lunatic he and Quinn had to deal with, he’s not wrong in his assumption.
“Yeah, I mean, I knew my dad was less than stellar, but finding out I also have a crazy half-brother was a surprise.”
The paramedics come in a few minutes later and stabilize my leg so they can transport me to the hospital. I’d ask them to stitch me up in Nat’s room but I don’t want her to freak out, so I let them take me into a curtained-off area in the ER after we arrive at the hospital.
Cooper and Todd stayed back at my house to coordinate the crime scene, and I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay them for coming to my rescue. I’ll also have to ask how they knew I was in trouble.
The doctors run scans to make sure nothing major is wrong with my leg and then get me stitched up. Once they’re done, I convince one of the nurses to wheel me up to Natalie’s room so I can see her.
I was worried she’d take a turn for the worse while Kyle held me hostage. That I wouldn’t be there if she needed me. I need to check on her to make sure she’s okay and still functioning how she should be.
The nurse pushes me into Nat’s room and I can finally take a deep breath. I watch her chest move up and down as she sleeps. I want to wake her up to be sure she’s okay, but I just hold her hand instead.
There was a moment while I was with Kyle when I didn’t think I’d get to see her again. I was scared she’d have another person she loves die. Despite the guilt piled high on my shoulders, I’m glad to be here with her and not on the wrong side of a fire.
After going through what we did, I think I am finally understanding our love for each other is enough. That I can be enough for her. She could have anyone she wanted, but she picked me to marry and begin a family with. It’s a miracle and one I hope to cherish for the rest of my life.
“You’re okay,” she whispers, her eyes fluttering open as she tries to fight sleep.
“I’m fine, love, go back to sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up.” I run my hands through her hair, and she smiles as she falls back asleep.
She’s my everything, and I’m finally understanding that I’m hers.
