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“We don’t know yet.” I laced my fingers behind my neck, the stress of the situation eating me from the inside out.
“Fuck!” Jace rubbed his forehead as he continued to search through the multitude of cops, firefighters, and EMTs. “Fuck!”
Brynn stood in the middle of us and slipped an arm around Jace and me. We stood silently with heavy hearts as we waited for our friend. We silently witnessed the fire as it continued to rage through the building. I’d decided to wait to tell everyone that Tim was behind it. At the moment, I didn’t care. I just needed River and Chance safe and sound and next to us where they belonged.
“Holden, we’ve got great news,” Officer Walters said to me. “We found Chance.”
“You said great news. Chance is alive?” I held my breath while I waited for his answer.
“Yeah. He’s good.” Even with his mask in place, I could see the officer’s smile touch his warm brown eyes. “He’s behind the building getting checked out by an EMT. He’ll join you shortly.”
Brynn burst into tears, and I fought mine as well. We all hugged each other.
“I knew that son of a bitch wasn’t dead,” Jace laughed.
“I didn’t, but I was on the phone with him right before the explosions.”
Brynn pointed ahead of us, and we stared at a dirty and exhausted Chance walking toward us. Brynn scooted beneath the yellow tape and sprinted to him. I laughed as he braced himself, and she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, looping her arms around his neck. I quietly watched them as Brynn planted a kiss on his lips. I was relieved that he was all right, but witnessing Brynn and Chance together reminded me that River was still missing.
It was nearly midnight by the time they'd contained the fire. Once we thought the blaze was over, the embers would start smaller flames again. It was a constant touch-and-go waiting game.
When Chance had rejoined us, we all headed to his place so he could shower and change clothes. I wasn’t able to do anything at the scene anyway. Brynn stayed glued to Chance’s side after he got cleaned up. I think we all wanted to stay close to each other, but Brynn was the one that could get away with hovering, and it not be weird.
Brynn ordered a few pizzas, and we huddled in Chance’s living room. I gave Zayne a plate piled high with several slices, then he resumed his post near the front door of Chance’s house. I sat on the floor with my back against the black leather couch and stretched my legs out in front of me.
Chance had remodeled lately, and the light wood floors gleamed. He hadn’t known the first thing about interior design, so he’d hired someone. A mocha-colored loveseat and couch occupied the living room, and a black rug covered the floor between them. A whitewashed brick fireplace was the focal point on the far wall. A large Samsung flatscreen was mounted to the left. Tan, full-length blackout curtains hung over the windows. The home was comfortable and sophisticated but not stuffy.
Brynn and Chance sat next to each other on the love seat while Jace and I took the sofa.
Surprisingly, I was starving. Maybe the adrenaline of almost losing Chance today kicked my appetite into high gear. I scarfed down four pieces of cheese and pepperoni along with a Heineken.
“How did you find out about the fire?” Brynn asked, nibbling on the crust of a piece of Meat Lovers.
“I texted him,” Chance said and took a drink of his beer. “The alarms went off and I used the cameras to figure out what the hell was going on. I finally realized it was the penthouse.”
I rested my plate in my lap. “When we were waiting to see if you were alive …” I gripped the neck of the bottle, anger rolling to a boil beneath my calm exterior. “Tim called me. He admitted to starting the fire.”
“What?” Jace nearly shot off the sofa.
“Why?” Chance leaned forward. His expression grew intense as Brynn pursed her lips.
I took a drink, then set the beer on the floor next to me. “He tried to recruit me to work with him. I said no, and the next thing I realized, the club was up in flames.”
Brynn’s mouth gaped, then she slapped a hand over it, her eyes wide with shock and realization of how fucked up my father really was.
“Fuuuckkk,” Jace swore, scooting to the edge of his seat. “That’s twisted.”
“Oh shit. I’d totally forgotten that you met him for breakfast,” Brynn said. “Is that when he asked you to join the dark side?” She flashed me a sheepish grin at her lame attempt at humor.
I massaged the corded muscles in my neck. “Yeah. And he swore up and down that neither he nor Logan had anything to do with River’s disappearance.”
“Do you believe him?” Chance asked, disbelief lacing his words.
“After he burned my club down? Fuck no. But Zayne was able to put a tracker on his car, as well as a recording device. If he was driving when he admitted to coordinating the fire, then we have evidence against him.”
“Oh my God. I hope so.” Brynn folded her legs beneath her. Color returned to her cheeks after she’d eaten a little. “Honestly, I’m still stunned that he asked you to work with him. And did he happen to tell you what kind of job he was referring to?” Brynn tilted her head slightly, an indication she was chewing on the new information.
“I asked if he was involved with illegal firearms. He didn’t lie to me. He said yes.”
