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“We’ve got her, sir. Let us make certain she’s okay.” The man’s voice was comforting as he touched my arm, trying to encourage me to let her go.
“Don’t let anything fucking happen to her,” I snapped.
“No, sir.”
I backed away as people swarmed around her, collapsing on the ground and watching as they placed a mask for air over Delaney’s mouth and nose. I was fucking livid, more than I’d ever been in my life.
Seconds later, I noticed activity from the driveway, Arman and Maddox racing toward me. I dropped my head, wiping my eyes, Sadie refusing to leave my side. Another EMT crouched down beside me, trying to shove a goddamn mask over my face. I pushed him away, shaking my head. “Please check my dog for injuries. Please.”
“Will do, sir, but we need to get you some air.”
“Not gonna happen right now.” I struggled to get to my feet, glancing at the mess that had once been my home.
Arman was shaking his head as he approached. “What in God’s name happened here?”
“Someone with a gas can.” I coughed again, finally managing to take a deeper breath.
As the four of us stood and stared at what was left of the house, I had a feeling we were being watched. Someone was enjoying every minute of watching my pain.
Arman clapped his hand against my back. “Let’s get you to my house. We can’t do anything else at this point.”
“Except track down the fucker responsible.” I turned my head toward him.
“We will, brother. I swear to God we will make the person responsible for this pay.”
Yeah, we would. Not only with the fucker’s life. I would do everything in my power to destroy anything and everything that was important to him, painting the streets with his and his family’s blood.
I threw my head back and roared.
Vengeance would soon be mine.
CHAPTER 21
Francois
I stood with a mug of coffee in my hand, staring out the window of one of the guest rooms in Arman’s house. I hadn’t slept, could barely stomach the bitter flavor of coffee. The morning had dawned with storms on the horizon, which currently matched my mood perfectly.
For about a dozen reasons, I was thinking about my past, the life I’d lived more vicariously through my family than for myself. Maybe everyone who’d given a shit whether I continued down the same ugly path was right.
It was time to move past what I’d endured, finding an entirely different life. What I found oddly freeing was even with the angry banter I’d shared with Delaney, I’d enjoyed every moment with her. Everything about her attitude and take on life was refreshing, allowing me to open my eyes as if for the first time. Maybe I’d been in a deep coma, acting only on reactions and following internal orders.
Not only was I an unhappy man, I was also the kind of man that I wouldn’t want my daughter dating and it had nothing to do with the dangerous profession I was in or the influence my family held. Brandon should hate the fact I’d fallen hard for his daughter for a single reason only.
The demons I held inside, the ones that would eventually consume me with their sharp claws, destroying what little was left of my humanity, continued to nag me. I didn’t know how to love a woman any longer, yet my heart and gut ached given what had occurred only hours before. The fact Delaney had almost died because of me, and out of her loyalty to the furry creature she believed had changed me for the better, was killing me slowly inside.
A bitter laugh almost pushed up from my throat at the realization it had taken a horrific fire for me to embrace how unhappy I’d been. All the goddamn money and toys in the world, power most men would and had killed for and I had fallen into utter bleak despair.
So much for being a ruthless killer, as Delaney had insisted I’d become.
Fuck.
I wanted to concentrate on seeking my own heated revenge. Instead, I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her side even for a single minute. Now I had to figure out what the hell I would do with Brandon, let alone the time it would take to weed through the investigation into the fire and murders of my men.
The fire inspector had only needed to take a single whiff to confirm arson had been the reason for the fire, a combination of chemicals easily purchased at any hardware store and gasstation used as accelerants. I was still sick and angry, and Delaney had almost succumbed to smoke inhalation and a few cuts and mild burns. It could have been so much worse.
The girl was hardheaded as they came, which still managed to give me a slight smile. After everything she’d been through, I was grateful she was sleeping peacefully. After taking a deep breath, I placed the mug onto the corner table, returning to the bed and easing onto the edge.
Sadie lifted her head, her tail thumping. She had barely wanted to leave Delaney’s side. The poor pup was exhausted, drained from what she’d been through. Her paws were bandaged, more out of precaution but with the cuts and scrapes she’d received in doing her due diligence as a protector, the EMTs had encouraged me to keep them on, taking her to my regular veterinarian later, which I would do.
