Page 103 of Phoenix


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The true definition of a phoenix rising meant to emerge from a catastrophe stronger and more powerful. But to me it meant rising from the dead where I’d been for half my life.

All because of a woman who refused to believe that I was anything but a hero.

* * *

One week later

“Are you certain you want to do this?” I asked Wren before climbing from the truck.

“I’m positive. Stop worrying about me.” She gave me a sideways glance, the smile on her face one she’d had for days, although I wasn’t certain how she’d managed after the ugliness of what we’d faced, unannounced visits from the FBI and the press camping outside our door. She’d handled it with grace and intelligence, never losing her cool.

I, on the other hand, had been a grumpy fool who’d wanted to protect her from the evils of the world. I’d confronted Bart before he and his buddies had been arrested, but they’d been smalltime players, replaced by professionals.

Now, I sat on the charred-out road leading to Sapphire Ridge, a location I’d avoided since the incident all those years ago. However, this was the right thing to do, letting go of the past in order to make way for the future.

She opened the door first, stepping out into the sunshine. While the fire had been considered contained for days, the area had remained blocked off to tourists and hikers for fear of unearthed dangers. We had the area to ourselves. In her arms was a bouquet of flowers at her insistence. I wasn’t certain what she had planned on doing with them, but I didn’t object. How could I?

As I replayed the last few days, everything still seemed like a whirlwind of information. Secrets. Lies. Greed. Power. At least the resorts were no longer on the city council’s agenda.

And the ranch was all mine.

Still, none of that was as important as the woman standing next to me.

Sophia had trampled her in fear, leaving Wren with a mild concussion. But she’d been lucky, no bones broken or internal injuries. And Sophia had saved our lives, the horse receiving only minor burns.

The fire had been contained to the barn, another warning sent by the two people hired to try to force several individuals to sell.

From what Gage had told me, the owners of Shadowland had called the FBI, but someone from Blue Waters had learned they were being investigated, sending the assassins they’d hired to the ranch, trapping all four inside. Their planned visit had been documented, but as an ongoing investigation, the FBI wasn’t obligated and had no plans of supplying any additional information at this point.

There were rumors all over town, speculation there were other members of the elite group of men who’d formed Blue Waters. There were even reports other resorts had been planned. Then I’d heard the resorts were merely legitimate businesses as fronts of the mafia. Nothing was concrete.

What Gage had been able to learn as factual was that the people involved had used blackmail and extortion in an attempt to get what they wanted. That had included two prominent members of the city council, who’d always voted in approval of the resort projects, even though it would mean destroying several historical pieces of property on top of the group of ranches that had been targeted.

At least the two assassins hired, both ex-military with one serving time for arson, had been arrested and were facing long prison terms.

As far as the other men who’d been arrested, Missoula would be embroiled in a circus for a long time to come.

“Are we close?” Wren asked.

She’d waited until I’d flanked her side, looking up at me then taking my hand. While I had a general comprehension of the location where Belle had been lost, the terrain was too scarred, and my memory too fucked up to know for certain. But Wren had reminded me that Belle’s spirit wasn’t in one location.

“Close enough.”

We remained silent as I guided her through the fallen debris, watching carefully to make certain there weren’t any remaining hotspots or other dangers.

“Why was the agent killed outside the cabin?” she asked out of the blue.

“From what Gage mentioned, the assassins hired were staying in another cabin not too far away. He and his deputies found an area where it appears they were burning various substances to try and get the formula right.”

“Because it could get out of control.”

“Exactly. I think he just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ll venture a guess he smelled the chemical and went to find out what it was.”

While she nodded, I could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced. Then again, neither was I. There were questions that wouldn’t be answered within the next weeks or months, at least not until the information came out in trial. Or so we hoped.

She threw her hand in front of me, forcing us both to stop. “Do you hear that?”

“What are you talking about?” Forests were always eerily quiet after a horrific fire.

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