“Ace, I understand why you think that you have to take on this responsibility and that you feel the need to take control here, but she doesn’t just belong to you, she belongs to us. We care about her deeply. In fact, I’m in love with her. It’s all our jobs to protect her, to protect one another,” Bull stated.
“I won’t fail her. I won’t fail you two either.”
“Goddamn it, Ace, you didn’t fail Marco. He was the one who didn’t tell us about the things left behind at the fires and about the arsonist taunting him. No one knew, not you, not the chief back then, no one knew that fire was a set up and that Marco was inside. It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s but this arsonist’s,” Bull told him.
“It’s the same guy. He took Marco from us. It nearly made us fall apart. Serefina completes us, she’s brought the three of us together just like Marco said. I wouldn’t survive without her in my life. I can’t fail her. I won’t fail her,” he stated firmly and then walked off the porch.
* * * *
Serefina was getting changed out of the dress she wore last night. Her brother Tyler remained outside of the apartment, on guard. She was shaking from the overload of information from Trent and Buddy. The thought that there was a person out there who wanted to kill her, most likely by fire, made her feel sick and petrified. Her hands were shaking as she put on a bra after applying some light lotion to her skin. She stepped into a pair of panties and then a skirt before searching her draw for a tank top. As she approached the dresser, her eyes locked onto the five-by-seven brass picture frame.
Her heart sunk. Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared into Matt’s blue eyes. The picture beside that one was a single picture of Matt in uniform, and he was smiling wide. She traced her finger along the frame and thought about him, about that night he died.
She was suddenly hit with guilt again. A feeling so deep it pulled a hoarse cry from her throat as she grabbed his picture and hugged it to his chest. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. Why had he died? Why was this monster set on killing innocent people with fire now set on having her? She looked down at the picture, tears flowing from her eyes and landing on the glass frame as she snorted and then used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes.
“I miss you. I don’t want you to hate me. But I think I’m in love. Is that fair, Matt? I don’t want to lose Ice, Bull or Ace. I don’t want this same monster to take them from me like he took you from me. Oh, God Matt.” She traced her finger along his picture. His striking eyes, his composed expression, were all things she had been attracted to about him. He was heading places in the fire department. He had dreams, aspirations, and goals.
For a moment she thought about Ice, Ace, and Bull, and about their amazing night together. She felt conflicted. It was like she knew she loved them, yet she still loved Matt even though he wasn’t here anymore. How could she give herself to these three men if she didn’t have complete closure? Matt still held a part of her heart that she wasn’t ready to give up. It just didn’t seem fair. Then again, the fire at the club wasn’t fair to many people.
Closing her eyes, she remembered the crowds of people, the laughing, the conversations, and of course the loud music. But mostly she remembered how she felt. She was in love, she was high on Matt, and no one else existed that night and in those moments, but him, them, their love.
She remembered Matt taking her by the hand and suggesting they go up another floor to see if it were less crowded. From there they headed up again, and she shook her head wishing that they hadn’t. In her mind she even paused on the staircase, looked over the railing and saw all the people and wondered if it were safe to be there. She felt the bump to her shoulder. Remembering that night so clearly. Some guy was walking down the stairs. He stared at her. She caught his eye, and being that she was so in love with Matt, she ignored the way the guy looked her body over and smiled oddly at her. She squeezed her eyes tighter. He said something. What the heck did he say to me?
Her gut clenched at the memory. And then she felt the hand on her shoulder as someone said her name. “Serefina?” She yelped and turned quickly pulling back her arm instantly ready to defend herself.
“Whoa,” Ace stated, grabbing her wrists before she struck him.
She lowered her eyes and threw herself against his chest.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re okay,” he told her as he caressed her back, her waist. She felt the skin-to-skin contact and remembered she hadn’t even put on the tank top yet. She was standing there in only a bra and so lost in the memory, she hadn’t even heard him enter the apartment.
He caressed her cheeks, held them between his palms when she tried to pull back.
“You’re shaking. You were so lost in thought you didn’t even hear me come in. What’s wrong? What were you thinking about?”
“Matt,” she whispered and saw the flash of jealousy in his blue eyes. It was so quick, but she saw it. How could she tell him about what she remembered? Why should she tell him? Was it significant? But how could it be? It was just some guy who bumped into her and wanted to flirt even though she was holding Matt’s hand. But he said something to her. What the hell did he say? Why can’t I remember?
“Baby, you’re scaring me.”
She pulled from his arms, placed the picture she held onto the dresser and reached for the tank top on the table where Matt’s other pictures were on display. Like a makeshift memorial of items she held dear to never forget him, or forget what had happened, what they shared. She held on to the table.
Ace placed his arm around her waist and then pulled her back against his front. With his arms wrapped around her, she felt safe, loved. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as he whispered against her ear.
“I know this is hard. I’m sure everything we all just heard from Trent and Buddy is bringing back memories from the fire.”
She nodded her head.
“It’s okay to miss him. To think of Matt, and the love you shared.”
She was shocked. She turned in his arms and stared up into his big blue eyes. “Is it fair? I don’t want you to be jealous, or to think that my feelings for you, for Bull and Ice, are not as strong or important.”
“Baby, why would we think that? This relationship we have, we’ve started, is so damn special. But as new as it is, I think it’s pretty damn strong.”
“Strong enough to fight some asshole who needs to be put away or put six feet under.” They turned to see Ice and Bull standing in the doorway.
She held their gazes as Ace caressed her back.
“What’s going on in here?” Bull asked, walking closer. Ace gave her a little space but still held her around her waist. Bull took her hand and brought it up and against his chest. He looked concerned.
“I was remembering the fire, and how I was feeling.”
Bull looked at Ace and Ice came closer, ran his finger along her cheek, and smiled.
“That’s expected. We’ve been thinking a lot about Marco.”
“I feel like there is more I can do than just sit here and be a target. My gut is telling me, urging me to do something,” she admitted. She stepped out of their hold, and moved back toward the table.
“It’s just the fight in you and the desire to not allow this guy to break you down. We’re all going to keep you safe,” Bull said.
She shook her head as she picked up the picture of Matt in his firefighter uniform.
“No, it’s different. It’s more than that, Bull. It’s right there,” she whispered, staring at Matt’s picture.
She heard Ace’s sigh of what sounded like annoyance.
She looked at him. “You said that this arsonist harassed Marco. He left him stuff or what?” she asked.
Ice ran his fingers through his hair and Ace took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Why are you asking?” Bull asked.
“Just tell me. Did this guy show his face?”
“What? No, I don’t think so. If he had, then Marco would have known who he was,” Bull added.
“We don’t know if he did or didn’t, Bull. Remember that Marco hadn’t even told us that this guy left him the note, and then the items at the other two fires,” Ice stated.
“A note? Items at fires?” she asked.
“Yes, there was a note,” Ace stated in annoyance at the memory and probably at the fact that Marco hadn’t confided in him, the oldest of the brothers and obvious protector.
She didn’t know why, but she found herself asking what the note said.
“I don’t remember. It was a few words. Nothing that made sense. Trent has a copy in the file with evidence and stuff,” Ice told her.
Ace ran his hands over his face then his hair and to the back of his neck. She stared at him.
“Ace?” she whispered.
He looked up and locked gazes with her. “The words were ‘you’ve been chosen by him.’”
Serefina heard the words and it clicked in her head. She closed her eyes and gasped, covering her mouth and nearly losing her balance she was so shocked.
Those were the words the man on the staircase said to her.
“Serefina?” Ice grabbed her around the waist and steadied her as Ace and Bull gathered around her.