Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3) - Kahlen Aymes (old books to read .TXT) 📗

the jobs we had before, and he was hitting me daily and drinking heavily. I didn’t go into town as much because I didn’t want people to notice.”

“If Carter were here right now, I’d literally beat the shit out of him,” I growled. Marin’s eyes widened in surprise. “I mean, I’m sorry he’s dead, but maybe he got what he deserved.” I wished I was sitting next to her and not across the table. I wanted to touch her, to hold her, to take away the pain I saw behind her eyes. “Remember, I told you about Missy.”

“I remember.” A tear tumbled from her beautiful eye and she quickly brushed it from her cheek. “I don’t wish him dead, but I do wish I’d never met him. I was stupid. I believed him when he said he loved me. He was good looking and he swept me away. All he wanted was the money and the business, and I realized that the man he was at the start, was just a charade. He played both me and my uncle.”

Did Carter kill her uncle? I couldn’t keep it from crossing my mind after what she’d told me. As delicious as the food was, the conversation was taking away my appetite. “Well, he can’t hurt you anymore.”

“You’re right, but his family…” Fear laced her voice. “They blame me for Carter’s death since it happened at my business.”

“I’ll ask Davis if he knows a good lawyer to help figure it out, but I think you need to file a restraining order.”

“Would it work? I mean, I know Apollo’s name and his mother, but there were many others. I can’t get a restraining order on someone when I don’t know who they are.”

She was right, it could be complicated, but I was grasping at straws. I couldn’t stay with her twenty-four-seven because of my job, but the thought of them hurting her filled me with terror.

“All of the files from the business burned up in the fire, but I’ll call the insurance company on Monday. I think it best to just pay his family off.”

I ran a hand down my face and over my jaw, feeling the growing scruff on it. I was frustrated and angry. “Marin, you can’t reason with criminals. They won’t stop.”

Something haunting crossed her face and another tear fell. “My uncle said something just like that. About reasoning with bullies, I mean.”

“He sounds like an amazing man, but I think he’d agree you can’t pay those bastards off because they’ll just keep coming,” I insisted.

“I don’t know what else to do,” she said simply. “I think there is an injury or death clause in the insurance, and we carried workmen’s comp insurance, too.”

“It was an accident, right? What happened, Marin?” It was direct of me to ask, but I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t do it without the full story. “What were you doing there?”

I could see her visibly stiffen and the color drained from her face. She hesitated a moment too long.

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I know.” She nodded. “I went to The Shop to talk to Carter. He - he was drunk, and he got upset. He came at me and knocked over a lantern and it started burning some spilled oil on the floor. There was grease everywhere and it flashed. He was standing too close.”

Tears flooded her eyes by the time she finished. It was a short explanation, but it was clearly an accident. I wondered if the coroner had taken a blood sample as part of the autopsy. Even though the poor bastard was burnt to a crisp, it was usual for any victims who succumb during fires to be taken to the coroner and an autopsy done.

“Was there an autopsy report?” I didn’t know why I even asked. The poor bastard burned to death and had been obvious by the condition of the body.

“I’m not sure, but I think it would have been sent to his family.”

“As business owner, you have a right to know, too. I’ll check it out. If it’s okay.”

“Okay.” She wiped at her face with both hands but ended up burying her face in her hands and crying.

I felt like crap. I should have just shut my damn mouth and just enjoyed breakfast. I got up and walked to her side of the table, crouching down so my face was level with hers.

“I’m sorry. Marin. I shouldn’t have brought it up and ruined this amazing meal. I just… I want to take care of you.” My voice was soft, but she only started crying harder. I couldn’t help myself, I reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her forehead landed on my shoulder, her face turning into the cord of my neck as she cried. I stroked the back of her head with one hand and held her close to my chest with my other arm. Her arms curled against me.

“Ben, what am I going to do?”

I inhaled a big breath and filled my lungs completely while I continued to comfort her. “It will work out. I think you need security cameras on the house, though.”

She pulled back to look up into my face with sad eyes, then nodded. “Okay.”

“I’ll handle it, if you’ll let me.” I reached up and pushed a stray tendril behind her ear and placed a long, gentle kiss on Marin’s opposite temple. Our bodies were still close, and her hand came up to circle my wrist and her chin lifted, silently begging for my kiss.

Electricity shot through me at the innocent touch of my mouth against her skin and went straight to my dick. I wanted to kiss her mouth so fucking bad. I was shaking, yet I resisted, telling myself that she was still too vulnerable. I wanted her so much it hurt, but I wanted more than sex once. She was fragile and she needed more than an orgasm and I realized… so did I. I wanted more and