Parker’s startled shriek filled my ears as I sprang into action. Everything fucking exploded around us with shards of glass landing everywhere, scorching as they landed on my shirt and burning their way through it and into my skin. I pushed Parker onto the ground, pressing my body over hers, protecting her the same way I knew Daisy would be protecting Nox upstairs.
“Did someone just throw a fireball through my window?” Her words were short and winded, probably because I was squishing her into the carpet. “Where’s Nox?” She started to shove at me, and I had to scramble to get off her before she clocked me in the face. “What the hell just happened?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “I’m pretty sure they did. Nox is upstairs, Parker, remember?” Out of everything there was to be worried about, Nox wasn’t currently one of them. Daisy was with him, and she’d do whatever it took to keep him safe. It’s literally what she’d been trained for.
The fire started to spread, the liquid from the glass having spilled onto the floor and splashed the wall. I grabbed the blanket off her couch, smothering the flames before they could catch onto anything else.
Parker groaned on the floor, rolling around as she tried to get up while I kept putting out the fire.
“Why would someone throw a fireball through my window?” She clutched the back of her head and headed toward the stairs to check on Nox, wavering slightly with each step she took.
While I pulled out my phone to call it in, I shook my head. “I don’t know. But we’re going to find out.”
15
Parker
Flashing red and blue lights filled the night air around my house. Somehow, Nox didn’t even seem to care that someone tried to burn our house down. He hadn’t even twitched when I burst into his room ready to face the worst.
“Look at all the cool trucks!” Nox laughed and raced around our lawn, winding around firefighters and cops alike, having the time of his life. “One day, I’m gonna be a firefighter!”
Both Remy and Linc stood a few feet away from me, talking quietly among themselves. When they heard Nox’s announcement, I had two pairs of irate eyes staring directly at me.
“Not gonna happen,” Linc retorted. “My nephew isn’t gonna be a nozzle jockey.”
Remy snorted in agreement. “We’ll fix it if you won’t.”
Me, having absolutely nothing against the fire department, wisely chose to keep my mouth shut. Especially since I could see Jake, the sheriff of Birch County and my uncle, getting out of his car and crossing the lawn.
“What the hell happened?” he practically roared. Not at me, but at Remy. “You’re supposed to keep her safe.”
My spine bristled at that, and I turned away from the charred front of my house to glare at Jake. “Excuse me!” Disbelief and unmitigated anger filtered through my brain and down to my mouth. “Why do I need anyone to keep me safe?”
Jake rolled his eyes, not wanting to engage in that particular topic of conversation. Although, I couldn’t blame him. Anything he said right now would be the wrong thing, and I was adult enough to admit that I was feeling pretty petty.
Instead, I tried a different tactic, lacing my question with saccharine sweetness as I batted my eyelashes at him. “Why are you asking Remy about it?”
Linc took a step back, out of firing range. “Don’t fall for it. She’s doing that thing. You know, where she tries to trap you.”
Jake snorted. “Do you honestly want me to answer that, Parker Jane?”
A hot flush stole up my cheeks, and I put my hands on my hips in defiance. “No.” Then I turned back to my house, where the fire department was finishing up whatever they were doing.
“You can’t stay here,” Jake said needlessly.
“Uncle Jake!” Nox screeched to a halt in front of the older man and threw himself onto Jake’s legs. “Did you see? Mom and Uncle Remy almost died ’cause our house caught on fire.”
My cheeks flamed even brighter at Nox’s ability to throw me and Remy under the bus. When I looked over at the man in question, he didn’t seem to care about anyone knowing. Not only that, but no one had even the slightest bit of shock in their expression at his announcement.
“Am I missing something?” I asked the group as a whole.
One of the firefighters walking by stopped, his helmet slightly askew. “Yes. Definitely.” Then he laughed and kept going, but he called back over his shoulder, “Just kidding!”
“Shut up, Kevin,” Jake called out. “Mind your business.” Then he turned his attention back to us. “Who’s the officer on her case? Care to tell me what we know?” Again, he looked at Remy for an answer, and I had enough.
“I’m over here,” I told him irately. “Me. Your niece. I’m the one who owns the house. The one who had a fireball, which I’ve now learned is technically a Molotov cocktail, thrown through my window. You should be asking me.”
With one eyebrow raised, Jake waited for me to finish speaking. Then he smacked his lips together. “You’re right,” he admitted. I felt a surge of happiness at someone finally listening to me, only to have it dashed a moment later. “But you’re also not law enforcement. Nor are you the highest-ranking officer on scene.” He ticked off his statement on his fingers. “Oh,” he added and put up another finger. “You’re also not an officer, did I mention that?”
Being chastised by my uncle was one thing, but having him do it publicly made it worse. That and the fact that he was actually right on all counts.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, feeling ridiculous.
Jake put an arm around me and squeezed lightly. “You’re allowed to be worried, Parker. You’re also allowed to have help. You don’t have to do it all alone. And this is one of those things that we have to do for you whether you like it or not. So let us do our jobs and keep you safe, okay?”
I didn’t look at him. I was staring at Remy, whose eyes were locked on mine, imploring me to just agree.
“Okay,” I said quietly.
Nox was still holding on to Jake, and he promptly let go. “You guys are boring. I’m going to go hang out with Daisy.”
Daisy, who we had found lying on top of Nox, guarding him with her life, when we’d run upstairs to check on them.
“I love that dog,” I told my uncle. “You should have seen her. She was lying right on top of Nox, covering him completely. I don’t think anything could have hurt him.”
Jake snorted. “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s a good dog. Does her job every time we call BPD for help.” He looked back to Remy. “You didn’t answer my question. Who’s got her case?”
Remy coughed, dragging himself out of whatever pool of thought he’d been stuck in, and nodded toward the house. “Dominic Ortiz is in the house, taking photos and making notes for his report. He said he’d be out to speak with Parker, and then I’m gonna take her home so she and Nox can get some sleep.”
“Home?” Jake raised an eyebrow at him. “Your place? She can come stay with me and Margot and the kids. No reason to put you out, Remy.”