Rescue Me(73)

“Oh dear God. It’s Joel, I know it is. I am coming with you.” She runs to the dresser and starts to pull out a pair of sweats.

“No you’re not. You’re staying right here where I know you’re safe. I will call you as soon as I can,” I tell her as I pick up my phone and open the door to walk out.

“Adam, wait!”

“Erin, I have to go, now go back to bed and I will call you.”

I don’t even give her time to respond as I grab my jacket and walk out the door to my truck. “FUCK ME!” I scream as I start my truck and pull out of the garage, this time making sure I shut the garage door as I speed down the street. Now for the call I don’t want to have to make.

“Adam. What the hell, man?” Trevor answers in a panicked voice when I call him.

“Fuck, Trev. I don’t know how to tell you this, man, but the house we are building for you and Melody is on fire.”

“Come again? Did you just say my house is on fire?” I can hear Melody asking what’s going on in the background.

“The chief called me and that’s all I know. I am on my way there now.”

“I’m on my way.” He hangs up.

I toss my phone on the dash and my mind is all over the damn place. “Why? You motherfucker. Why would you do this?”

The rest of the drive over there I tried to prepare myself for what was in store for me but once I pull into the drive all of it flew out the window as I watch the home we have been working on for months light up the sky in its burning inferno. It’s one hell of a beast of oranges and reds.

Trevor designed this house himself as a surprise for his fiancée, Melody. I force myself to get out of the truck and once I do, I see Trevor pulling in directly behind me. The devastation on his face is more than I can bear.

“I’m so sorry, man,” I tell him as he saunters towards me.

“What the hell happened?” he asks as he stands and stares at the fire.

“I don’t have any proof, but my guess is Erin’s ex did this.”

“Jesus, Adam. If he did, he is crazier than we thought.”

“He’s way past crazy, man.”

The two of us continue to talk as we walk up as close as the fire department will let us.

“Mr. Payne?” A short, stocky man approaches.

“That’s me,” I say as I shake his hand and introduce him to Trevor as the homeowner.

“Do you know how it started?” Trevor asks.

“I have my suspicions, yes. Nothing can be confirmed until we do a thorough investigation, but I suspect arson. There are several containers of gasoline over there by those piles of wood. I assume those are not yours?” Both Trevor and I tell him no at that same time. “Look, you’re welcome to stay here, but please stay back behind the tape. And I am sorry for your loss. I need to get back with my guys and get this fire contained.”

“Thank you, sir.” Trevor and I shake his hand and he rushes away as my friend and I stand there and watch his dream home burn to the ground. But it’s not until several hours later when daylight starts to break and I answer my ringing phone to the sound of a screaming Shelby on the line that I realize my nightmare is about to get fucking real.





Chapter Twenty-Four

Erin



How in the hell am I supposed to go back to sleep after this? I am just so full of guilt and shame as I lay here and stare at the ceiling. Everything that is happening is all because of me. My friends here have been so supportive and helpful. They don’t blame me, yet I blame myself. I know Joel set Trevor’s house on fire, I just know he did. What I don’t understand is, why? Why would he continue to torture me and hurt innocent people? What kind of sick person does this kind of stuff?

All of a sudden my stomach starts to feel queasy and I jump out of bed, making it to the bathroom just in time to empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I feel all sweaty as I start to hyperventilate, so I lay my head back up against the wall and close my eyes deciding I can’t just sit here and wait. It is going to drive me crazy. I take several deep breaths to try and calm my nerves but none of it seems to be helping.

I don’t know how long I sit on the cold tiled floor but when I finally come to my senses I make up my mind that what Joel really wants is me. For whatever reason, he wants to destroy me completely and I am not going to let him do that or hurt any more of the people I love. Somehow, someway I am going to find him myself. I have to. I just can’t let him hurt any more of the people I love. Hoisting myself up off of the floor I stand up and with determination I turn on the shower. Once the temperature is as hot as my body can stand it, I step into the warm spray. The running water helps to clear my mind and eases the tight muscles in my shoulders and neck. After washing myself as quickly as possible, I step out and reach for a towel to dry myself off, wrapping it snugly around my body.