After a few minutes of sinking into the kiss, he leaned back and said, “Sergeant-Major got in touch with me. We have three suspects now. All are men from my past in the military and all three are vacationing out here somewhere.”
“Does he know where?”
“Not yet, but he’s looking into it.” He rubbed a hand through his hair and she could see the tension in his body. “I want you to be extra careful. These men are dangerous and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
The concern in his eyes almost undid her. It’s what stopped her from scoffing at his sentence. “I will,” she said softly.
“Good.”
“What about your sisters?” Addie didn’t really care about Jenna, not that she wanted her to die in a fire, and even though she hadn’t met Kelsey, she’d picked up on Finn’s obvious affection for her.
“I’ve talked to them. God knows if Jenna will listen, but Kelsey will. They’re just out there on the edge of town by themselves.” He looked down at his hands, where they were balled into fists.
“You should stay with them tonight. It would make you feel better,” she suggested, even though the thought of him not staying disappointed her.
“What about you?”
“I can handle myself.” Addie flexed an arm. “They’d be sorry they even tried.”
His lips quirked and he tested her muscle. “Yeah, I bet they would. I’ll eat with you and then head out to their house. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Addie kept the disappointment out of her tone when she replied, “I’m sure.”
She listened to him tell her about how Carter now knew what was going on, and how the Sergeant-Major had an FBI buddy helping out. She hoped this would be over soon. Whoever the arsonist was, he’d already murdered two women. What would happen if he decided his game with Finn was over?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Finn
A week passed with nothing to show for the arsonist. The FBI agent that Jack knew had gotten back to him. Steven Marshall was in Tampa, FL so that ruled him out. He wouldn’t have time to get back and forth from where he was. Roy Smith had yet to be found, but the agent was still looking. What really boiled his blood was that Todd Aldrich was vacationing in Virginia Beach.
A flash of anger hit Finn when he thought about the weekend he and Addie and their friends had gone down there. Was that fucker hanging around even then? Had he watched everything that had happened? If that man had laid eyes on Addie, with an intent to hurt her, he’d kill him.
Halloween was coming up in the next few weeks, and the town was busy in preparation. Unlike where he was from, Sanctuary Bay liked to throw itself fully into the tradition. Pumpkins and fall wreaths decorated porches and doors and window decorations were everywhere. Twice he’d gone to the store, hoping to pick up Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, and the shelves were bare each time.
He had a shift for the next two days at the station and was disappointed that he wouldn’t get to see Addie. With everything going on and him staying with his sisters when he wasn’t at the station, time to spend with her had been sparse. He only hoped that when this was finally over, he could spend a lot more time with her.
“Finn, I need you to check the inventory tonight.” Chief called from his office.
“Sure thing, Chief.” Finn stood in his doorway.
“Get Carter and Caleb to help.”
“Yes, sir."
He located them in the kitchen, snacking on some leftovers. “Chief wants us to work on inventory tonight.”
“Damn.” Caleb brushed his cheese coated fingers on his pants. “I hate inventory. It makes my eyes cross.”
“Everything makes your eyes cross.” Carter punched him in the shoulder. “It’ll go faster with all three of us.”
"Start in a few minutes?” Finn asked.
“Sure.” They both agreed. Carter shot him an unreadable look and Finn just shook his head. Although he couldn’t read the expression, he knew it had something to do with the arson case. Finn didn’t want to pull anyone else into this. The more people that were involved, the more people who could get hurt.
He sent Addie a quick text, telling himself it was just to check on her and that he didn’t really miss her that much. Then he started in the supply room, a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Inventory was important because all of their supplies needed to be up to code. Going into a fire with defective equipment could be dangerous to all parties involved.
Carter and Caleb joined him soon after. They moved through the shelves, systematically checking the air masks, gloves, and boots for need of repair. It took a few hours and when Finn checked the time, it was past ten-thirty. He stopped, and when Carter and Caleb noticed, they stopped also.
While they took a fifteen minute break, Finn texted Addie and told her goodnight. She responded with a goodnight and that he better call her in the morning before she went to work. He couldn’t help but smile at the commanding tone of the text. Somehow he’d gone from being wary of her fiery personality to admiring it.
When they went back to work, it was to check the hoses. Using sharp eyes and trailing fingers, they looked for wear and tear or holes. They checked the back up ones first, and then the ones on the trucks. The moon shone outside, and Finn’s thoughts turned to Addie.
He shifted when his phone rang, putting the clipboard and pen down. The screen flashed Jenna’s name and he answered.
“God, finally. Finn, something’s wrong.” Jenna’s voice shook over the phone.
Finn’s heart dropped. “What is it?” He didn’t mean to snap, but worry made him anxious.
“The house…Jesus…it’s a mess. I can’t find Kelsey.” Jenna’s voice cracked. “The door was kicked in.”
“You went into the house?” Finn took a deep breath when she sobbed. “I’m sorry, Jenna. I’m just worried about both of you. Did you call the cops?”
“Yes. Right before I called you. Finn, I need you.” Jenna had never admitted it before, never asked for him.
“I’m on my way.”
Carter and Caleb had heard his side of the conversation. “We’re coming with you. I’ll call the Chief on the way. Nate and Noah can come in.”
“Someone has to stay here until they come.” Finn walked out the door, his heart racing with apprehension. Where was Kelsey and who had her?
“I’ll stay until they get here,” Caleb said, “and I’ll call the Chief. Go.”
Finn and Carter got into Finn’s truck and he sped out of the parking lot and down the road toward his sisters’. What the fuck was going on? Who wanted to hurt him through his sisters?
Blue and red lights flashed in the night as they approached. Finn slammed on the breaks by the curb. He noticed Carter let go of his death grip on the safety bar.
A cop standing at the door stopped them as they ran up. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go in. It’s a crime scene.”
“Where is my sister?” Finn growled at the young guy.
“Finn?”
He spun around, saw Jenna standing by one of the police cars, another officer beside her. Finn ran over to her. Her face was streaked with tears and even before he hugged her, he could see her shaking. Damn it, he’d kill whoever scared her and took Kelsey. He just had to find them. “Are you okay?”
Jenna nodded against his chest. “Where’s Kelsey?”
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”
“Excuse me, sir. Who are you?” The police officer interrupted them.
“I’m her brother.” Finn looked at him over Jenna’s head. His name tag read Dunnam.
Dunnam nodded. “Can we get a statement from you?”
“Sure. But I need to know if this is tied to my case? The one with the arsonist?” Finn clenched his jaw. He was wasting time out here when he should be inside figuring out what the hell was going on.
“Let me check with dispatch. Your name?”
“Finn Thompson. It’s about an arsonist case. Someone's been stalking me, car
ving my tattoo into almost dead women and setting shit on fire. My chief and I spoke with Detective Krakowski last month about it.”
“Okay, give me a minute.” The office spoke with dispatch and then walked back over. “The detectives in charge of your case will be here in a few minutes.”
“Kelsey may not have a few minutes!” Finn shouted. Jenna jumped in his arms and he rubbed her back to soothe her.
“Sir, I can’t allow you in there,” Dunnam called as Finn rushed past the officer at the door. Carter stood between the officers and the house, face menacing.
The broken door was lying to the side in the foyer. His stomach clenched when he saw the living room. The coffee table was on its side, a glass of wine soaked red into the rug. Pieces of its glass was scattered across the floor. Finn tried to block the image of someone hurting his sister from his mind.
Something caught his eye, and he knelt down to pick it up. It was a necklace, one that he knew didn’t belong to his sisters. He picked it up, letting it twirl on the silver chain. Spotted the black dragon. “Son of a bitch.”
Aaron had his sister.
He rushed back out of the house, stopping by Carter and holding up the necklace to the police.
“Holy shit. Is that Aaron’s?” Carter’s mouth set in a grim line.
“Yeah.” Finn tossed it to Dunnam. “We need to figure out where he is.”
Dunnam must’ve heard the threat in his tone, because he spoke into his radio.
Finn needed to find his sister and he needed to find her now.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Addie
She got the call around 11:00pm and shot out of bed. Kelsey was missing, her house a wreck. She ignored the fact that Finn hadn’t called her, that it came from Gemma, who’d heard through Carter. It was just because he was worried about Kelsey, and she would deal with that, but later. Now, she threw her hair up and pulled on some yoga pants.
Late at night the streets of Sanctuary Bay were empty. She went a little faster than she should have, following the address Gemma gave her, but she wanted to make sure Finn was okay. Soon, blue and red lights illuminated a house near the outskirts of town.
Once she stepped out of the car, the October chill hung in the air, and she wished she’d brought a light jacket. Gemma stood in a group with Carter and Caleb. Addie’s mouth went dry when she saw Finn standing next to Jenna, an arm around her. From the way he stood, she could see the tension thrumming through him, the need to move--to do something.
Swallowing her distaste about Jenna, she stopped next to the group. The despair and anger in Finn's eyes shocked her. Not the despair as much, but that anger was fueled by something else. Was he angry that she was here? He stepped aside from Jenna for a second.
“Why are you here?” Even his voice sounded angry.
Addie blinked, ignoring his tone. He was worried and this was how he dealt with it. “Gemma called me. I came to help you.”
He stared at her another few moments before his arms went around her. “Thank you for coming,” he whispered into her hair.
“Of course.” She stepped back, giving him room to move back to his sister.
He did, his arm going around her again. Jenna cast a look at Addie, but Addie looked away, not wanting to tempt fate by getting angry at one sister while the other was missing.
Gemma, Carter, and Caleb stood to the left and a group of police officers to the right. A detective in a suit scribbled furiously on a pad, shooting questions at Finn and Jenna every time he paused. Addie moved to Gemma, Carter, and Caleb.
“I called Autumn. She should be here in a few minutes.” Gemma leaned into Carter and his arm went around her. “I know we probably can’t do anything but we can be here for moral support.”
“I can’t believe Aaron would do this.” Carter frowned, eyes sad. “He always seemed like a nice guy. He joked around with us, had fun. He never seemed to dislike Finn in any way.”
“It’s one of the guys you work with?” Addie glanced at Finn. He was looking at the house, a dark expression on his face. She shivered and had no doubt that if he beat the police to Aaron, the arsonist was dead.
“Yeah. Finn’s Sergeant-Major and FBI friend are trying to locate Aaron now. They’re tracing his phone. I’m not sure that will give him anything,” Carter said.
“Was his tattoo anywhere?” Addie asked. She prayed that Aaron wasn’t carving it into Kelsey. The thought made her stomach queasy.
“Finn said it was painted on the living room wall. When this is over, I’m going to help Gemma paint over it. Don’t want the sisters having that reminder when they get back.”
“That’s sweet of you, Carter.” Gemma’s eyes softened when she looked at him.
A crowd of people began to form. The officers started to move them back to the opposite side of the street. Addie wished they’d disappear, go back home. What did they expect to see?
Finn’s phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket. His movements were sharp and quick, and he brought the phone to his ear. “Yeah?” He barked the question out. His eyes narrowed as he listened. Then he moved toward his truck, running, his face grim. The officers called out after him but he was already peeling out of the driveway and gone.
Addie’s stomach rolled. He must’ve gotten Aaron’s location and was going after him. But what about the police? Why didn’t he let them handle it? She knew why, but damn it, she didn’t want him in harm’s way.
Two of the officers and the detective hopped in a patrol car and sped after him. Addie hoped they’d catch up and keep him safe. She shared an anxious look with Gemma.
Jenna stood there, shaking in the wind, her face forlorn. Addie wondered where Trevor was and why he wasn’t here comforting her. Then she let go of that derisive thought and sighed. The girl was all alone, and even though she hated the thought of being nice to the girl who broke her sister’s heart, Jenna was also Finn’s sister. So she walked over to her, hating the manners her mother taught her. “Hey, would you like to come back with me to my apartment?”
Jenna looked at her, brows drawn in. “What?”
Addie sighed. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to be besties or that I even like you, but you’re Finn’s sister and I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“I’ll come with you, too,” Gemma said. “Moral support. You don’t mind, right?” She asked Carter.
“No, go ahead.” Carter kissed her. “I’m going to wait here for Finn.”
“Okay.” Gemma turned to look at Addie and Jenna.
“Well?” Addie watched Jenna, waiting on her answer.
“Okay.” Jenna deflated, like she thought that once she was at Addie’s, she was going to be beat to death or something.
Addie felt a tiny smidge of pity and maybe that would keep her from lashing out at her. Jenna had enough to deal with at the moment. Before they walked to Addie’s car, she spoke with an officer, letting him know that she was going to take Jenna to her apartment. The officer nodded and took her information, in case they needed to contact her.
She prayed it wouldn’t be about Finn getting hurt. Or killing someone.
She and Gemma led Jenna to her car. Unfortunately she’d parked where the loads of people gathered. An officer stood on the other side of her car, keeping people from bumping up against it. After unlocking the doors, she let Gemma and Jenna get in before walking around to the driver’s side.
A woman grabbed her arm. Addie jerked her head up. “Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure everyone was all right.” The woman had light brown hair and hazel eyes, which were full of concern.
Addie pulled her arm away, worry for Finn and Kelsey making her short with the woman and moved to get in the car. “It’s really none of your business.”
The woman narrowed her eyes at Addie’s brusque tone.
Chapter Thirty
Finn
His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his fingers ached. Questions swirled
like a tornado in his mind as he thought about why Aaron would want to hurt him or his sister. He flew down the road, going at least 80, knowing that the cops weren’t far behind.
Jack had called and told him where Aaron was. It didn't surprise him to find out that Aaron had taken Kelsey to the fire station, but now he worried about his crew along with his sister. It seemed fitting, even if Finn didn’t understand what the hell was going on. It blew him away that Aaron was the arsonist. He’d been so sure that it was someone from his past, someone from the military who knew about his tattoo.
Either way the guy was fucked up. Mentally and soon to be physically. He wouldn’t get away with scaring his sisters and if he so much as made Kelsey shed a damn tear, he was going to rip him to pieces.
The fire station was close and Finn jerked the steering wheel, flying into the parking lot. His heart thudded in his chest. The fire station was dark as he got out of his truck and he could hear sirens in the distance and knew the police would be here soon. Moving quietly, he headed into the garage bay. Where would Aaron take his sister?
He almost tripped, his foot connecting with something. Using his phone as a flashlight, he illuminated the floor. Breath rushed from his lungs. Nate and Noah lay on the ground, bleeding from both their heads. He leaned over them, checking both their pulses and heaved a sigh of relief. Both men were alive, but he wasn't sure how much longer Kelsey would be.
He moved around them, shutting the light off on his phone. Giving away his position would only help Aaron. Finn knew the firehouse like the back of his hand, he could navigate it in the dark. His training in the Marines immediately came back to him, not like he’d forgotten, and he crouched low, moving toward the living room and kitchen area.
The problem was, Aaron was just as familiar with the firehouse.
He heard a muffled scream and froze. It was coming from the bunk room upstairs. A cold sweat broke out on his skin. That was Kelsey screaming, which meant that bastard was hurting her. Without thinking, he ran to the stairs, skirting the pool table, and took them two at a time.
Taking the Heat Page 14
