Fighting the Flames (Firefighter Romance #1)(76)

“You left Angela in charge?” She chuckled at the thought of leaving her lush friend in charge of liquor.

“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.” He scratched his beard and shrugged. Toby had cared enough to leave the bar for Jacqueline. She beamed inside at the warmth spreading through her body.

“Go take your shower,” Jacqueline said, but worry washed over her as she recalled her friend’s boyfriend. Would Derek do anything to hurt Angela? “Hurry, Toby. I want to make sure Angela is okay.”

He nodded, but as he disappeared into the next room, Jacqueline couldn't help but ask herself the question that tormented her.

What was Derek going to make her do?



****



In the shower, Toby puzzled over the situation.

Could Jacqueline be right?

Could his son be alive?

Jacqueline's logic made sense. Thinking back to that night, he realized he had no reason to suspect that his child had lived. In his mind, he'd always assumed that if the child hadn't been stillborn, Josiah would have killed the boy anyway. Saving him and giving the baby a chance at life—would have gone against the Brotherhood's wishes.

His father never broke the rules. But what if … No. Still… the little voice in his head agreed with her train of thought, but almost like a whispering wind, his conscious said there was more.

Jacqueline.

A twinge shocked his heart at the sound of her name inside his head. He'd sensed the anxiety in her, but chalked it up to her being frightened about her experience with Derek. What if there was something else? Even though he needed to know what happened, Toby had been afraid to push her.

Why had he been able to save her so easily? His brows furrowed. What trick did Derek have up his sleeve?

Turning off the shower, he grabbed a towel and dried off.

In some ways, why or how didn't matter. He had Jacqueline back, and nothing was going to take her from him again. Not Derek. Not Gabe. Not even the Brotherhood. Yes, they could present a problem, but he was ready. He'd made up his mind.

Jacqueline was not going to die.

Not if he could help it.



****



The bar was still busy even though it was close to closing time. When Toby walked in, a collective groan reverberated from the walls. Jacqueline stifled a giggle. No one ever wanted to go home. She understood as Merlyn’s Bar became a second home to her over the past year.

“Hey. I thought you were gone for the night,” Angela shouted at him from behind the bar as she wiped the surface. Several one-dollar bills jutted from the top of her shirt. Jacqueline raised an eyebrow but couldn’t see Toby’s reaction. As if catching him looking, she added, “That's where I keep my tips. No change jar for me.”

Her expression changed as Jacqueline stepped out from behind him.

“Jackie,” she squealed and tossed the towel onto the bar. Rushing from behind the counter, Angela brushed past Toby, and threw her arms around Jacqueline. “Are you all right? You left so suddenly. I was worried.”

“I'm fine. I just had a headache,” Jacqueline said, giving her a tight smile. Toby eased behind the bar, keeping his eyes on the pair as he assessed Angela’s damage.

“Don't forget our arrangement.”

The voice in her ear was not Angela.

It belonged to Derek Spark.

Startled, Jacqueline yanked back and gulped. Angela smiled at her, but her eyes—those eyes belonged to another person.

“Are you ready to do as I command?”

Weird seeing Angela's lips move but Derek's voice came out.

“Are you ready, Jacqueline?”

“Please… I don't want to hurt him.”

“It's what I want that matters. I let you go free because I knew Toby had feelings for you. I certainly hope you showed him a good time. A man needs to have sex one last time before he dies. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out that, once again, his lady love has betrayed him.” Derek gave her another hug. “Get ready for some fun, my dear.”

With that, he pulled away and, still looking like Angela, sauntered toward the bar.

Jacqueline's heart pounded. Toby was so close to his enemy, and she was powerless to tell him the truth. Stricken, she could only watch them interact and wonder what she could do to stop Derek.

“Something wrong?” Matilda had snuck up on her. “You look worried.”


“I am.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“I can't.”

“Is it about my son?”

“Yes.”

Matilda studied her, and Jacqueline tried to think of a way to convey the danger that Toby was in. She just had to find that magical loophole allowing her to talk about what was happening.

“What are you thinking about, Jacqueline?”

Her fingers twitched. “A loophole. I need one.”

“I don't understand. Are you talking about like a legal loophole or something?” Matilda wrinkled her nose. “I hate law shit.”

“Yeah, but sometimes in law people don't go to jail because of legal loopholes.” She faced Matilda.

Maybe this was her chance to get help.

If she could just get Matilda to understand…

“Matilda, did you ever talk to Gabriella after she had the baby?”