Wrapped in Flame Read Online Free PDF Page A

half bottle went down Mike’s throat. He leaned forward to snag a slice of pizza. “Keith’s car was stolen. He accused Sandy. The deputies were there to check it out.”
    Erica jerked to the edge of her seat and stabbed her finger into the table. “That car was in the driveway this afternoon.”
    “According to the deputy, Keith said he left to meet someone and ran out of gas about two miles from town.” CJ shoved the crust into his mouth and reached for another piece. “He walked back to town, bought two five-gallon gas cans from AutoZone, filled them at the ampm, then walked back to his car, only to find it gone. So he walked back to town and called the sheriff’s office.”
    “He walked two miles with ten gallons of gas?” Gina’s voice danced on the edge of laughter. “Twice?” She held up two fingers.
    Mike shrugged. “Claimed it was no big deal because he’s a firefighter.”
    Berto snorted. “Of course, because he’s such a damn fine firefighter.”
    “Why didn’t he call for roadside assistance? A tow truck? Or call 911 the minute he saw the car was gone? And why blame Sandy?” Gina asked. “He’d know she was on-shift.”
    “Who the hell knows?” Mike downed the rest of his beer and waved off the offer of a third. “The alleged jacking was about the same time she might normally make a chow run. Maybe he thought he could throw suspicion her way. She was on a fire call, so it’s bullshit, and now the deputies know it too. Maybe he accused her to shore up his claim to need restraining orders against us. It might be to help him refute the rape and continue his claim she was a pissed-off lover. He’d apparently convinced deputies of that before. With the suit, he’d want to hit that note again.” Mike rubbed his neck. “Nothing he’s done today makes any sense.”
    Bub leaned on the back of the recliner. “He’d know it would piss us off. So why?”
    CJ hauled in a breath, exchanged a look with Mike, then released it. “We suspect he knew the chief was getting ready to fire him. All of this could be to back up his claim of wrongful termination.”
    It made sense. It’d be something Keith would do. One thing Erica had learned was that Keith was very good at getting what he wanted. He’d mastered the skills of fast-talk, deception, cunning, and all the other traits for which con artists were famous. Erica knew. She’d fallen for his lies. He’d found an easy mark and had gone after her like a great white in a school of anchovies.
    Car doors slammed. Kids’ voices reached them, followed by Trish’s command to help carry stuff in. More doors slammed, more people arrived. Erica appreciated their support but really wished for space right now.
    “I don’t want to talk about this in front of the rest of the family,” Mike said. “Especially not the kids.”
    Erica could trump that. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore at all , and once Trish walked through that door, that was exactly what she’d want to do. For a person who stood at five foot nothing, Trish was a force to be reckoned with. She was their matriarch, the one who handled everything, the one who took care of it all. Nurturing, protective, and yes…bossy when she had to be. Once she got Erica alone, Trish would start digging.
    Nope. Strength was what she needed now. Strength to get through this ordeal, strength to rebuild her life, strength to go after what she wanted. Like the man sitting next to her.
    “This house is about to get very crowded. Let’s take this to the backyard.” She was on her feet and heading toward the back door before anyone else could agree.
    They weren’t long in following her. The men retrieved the white resin chairs from the storage shed in the corner of the yard so that by the time the four Delaney boys burst through the back door, heading toward the pool, tables and chairs were ready for whatever food was following behind them.
    Ensconced in one of the few chaise lounges, Erica laughed