Worth the Risk(97)
She followed the long hallway, instinctively going all the way to the end.
An older lady at a desk called to her. “Ma’am?”
His office would be the biggest.
“Excuse me? Do you have an appointment?”
Hannah kept walking. “I’m looking for the person in charge.”
“Well, that’s Mr. McKinney, but—”
Hannah didn’t hear the rest. Stephen was in charge. He had the power here. He would know the truth and she’d talk to him and her chest would stop feeling like it was being crushed. Dave was lying. She knew it, had gotten a bad feeling from him the first time she met him.
“Hannah.” Stephen rose behind a giant desk, looking surprised. An entire wall of glass served as a backdrop behind him.
He’d figured a way to keep it from the city. He’d bought it for her. That’s what he’d wanted to tell her. It would be just like him. He’d smile, a little embarrassed, and she would thank him and kiss him and—
“Is it true?”
He stilled where he was coming around to meet her.
Why was he leaving so much space between them? He never wanted space between them. Why didn’t he touch her? “Dave came to see me. Tell me it’s not true.”
“Hannah.” The muscles in his face tensed, his expression pure misery.
“Is it true?”
“He told you.”
Three words, spoken softly, evenly, and her heart broke into a thousand pieces. Just shattered right there on the office floor like a piece of glass. He didn’t even look surprised.
She couldn’t speak. Her head spun. So when Zach appeared in the office doorway, it took her confused mind a second to wonder why.
“Hannah.” Her brother’s voice was firm and he held out his hand. “Come here.”
She shook her head. At her brother. At the truth written across Stephen’s face. Just standing there, eyes fixed on hers. Sad. Sorry. And guilty.
“Hannah,” Zach repeated, his voice unusually hard. Not Zach’s sweet-natured, all-is-good face. Why was he even here?
Stephen finally spoke. “This isn’t a good time, Zach.”
Zach bolted forward, exploding. “Shut the fuck up!”
Already shocked, she jerked at Zach’s reaction. Then she noticed more people in the hallway. Another man in a blue uniform stepped into the doorway, dressed like her brother except for the shield on his pocket.
“Zach? What are you doing?”
“Hannah.” His hand was still outstretched, his face etched with concern like she’d never seen it. “The fire was arson. I’m sorry.”
“What?” Her already spinning mind spun faster. “Who would do that?”
Stephen took a step toward her. “Hannah—”
“Don’t you talk to her, you piece of shit!” Zach was in his face. “You own her land! You bought her land, you motherfucker!” Zach lunged, but two of his fellow firefighters grabbed him before he made contact.
Another man, one with a badge, took Stephen by the arm. “You’re wanted for questioning in an arson investigation. You’re not under arrest at this time but you are required to come with us.”
“Get off me.” Stephen jerked away, using his size and strength to easily shake him loose, and catching him in the face with his elbow in the process.
The man came back harder, Zach with him, her brother erupting into a string of curses and threats.
Her pulse pounded in her ears. The room was like a house of mirrors and everywhere she looked something was wrong. Stephen with both powerful arms locked behind his back. Zach losing his cool. Men she’d known for years from the firehouse standing in the middle of Stephen’s office.
“Okay! All right!” Stephen stopped fighting against the men’s hold. “Take care of Hannah,” he said, looking at Zach. “Someone needs to stay with her.”
“Fuck you,” Zach spat.
Then Stephen’s hot, brown eyes pinned hers until that was the only thing she could see. But she felt like she wasn’t seeing him at all. The blood drained from her face and she felt herself sway.
“I didn’t set that fire, Hannah. You know that.”
No. She didn’t know anything. Not about him. Not about herself. She didn’t know people at all. Seconds passed; the only thing marking time was the pounding of her heart and the pain of it being broken.
Chapter 45
A warm drizzle dampened the steps of the courthouse as Hannah walked stiffly past a horde of reporters. Numb and unseeing, eyes straight ahead, nestled protectively between her brothers. Luke’s hand tightened around hers, Nick’s arm at her back. Cameras flashed, reporters lobbed questions.