SECRETS & LIES 7 (Secrets & Lies #7) - H.M. Ward Page 0,21
floor, light a match, and walk away.”
“But, the neighbors, they’ll say they saw us here.”
“No one will mention me or you. That yellow bus of yours is all but forgotten. It’s amazing how little it takes to bend a man’s will. A few dollars and they suddenly have no morals at all.”
My jaw is locked, and I don’t say anything for a few moments. My gaze cuts to the bag on the counter. I do this and save Nate, or I don’t and let him die. Ferro is a liar, so there are no guarantees my ass won't end up in jail. Even more upsetting is Nate. If he ever finds out. He won’t forgive me for this.
“So what’s the plan? Burn the house and then buy the land?”
“Not that it matters to you, but yes.”
“That will leave Nate with nothing.”
“That’s not my problem, Miss Hill. Your involvement guarantees Nathan lives. His life is in your hands. Nothing else matters compared to that, does it?”
“You suck.” I growl, wishing I could hurt him. But I can’t do anything. I’m caught in the middle.
Ferro walks over, towering above me, getting so close that I reflexively back into the cabinets. He’s in my face, his voice low and seductive, “I’ve heard how much you enjoy sucking cock in the kitchen, Miss Hill. I never could say no to a woman on her knees. Do it and beg me to spare you. I might reconsider.”
I don’t hesitate. My hand flies, ready to punch Ferro in the temple. At the last second, he reaches out and grabs my fist, crushing it in his hand. “Don’t fuck with me, Miss Hill, unless you want to be owned. You’ll lose.”
He twists my wrist as he crushes my knuckles. I let out a yelp as he forces me to my knees. His eyes glint like he’s enjoying my pain. I try to jerk away, but he’s too strong. I’m about to do something desperate to make him stop when Ferro releases me. “If I don’t hear this home burned to the ground by midnight, I’ll take care of it, and you’ll still owe me a favor.”
CHAPTER 11
How can that man be Nate’s father? He’s evil. I remain on the floor for several minutes after Ferro leaves, cradling my wrist in my hand. He didn’t break it, but it’s screaming. I glance around at all the things that will burn. Every last trace of Nate’s life, of his mother and father, any happy memories he had will be gone. But Nate will live. That’s all that matters. That’s the part I can control, so I need to pull my shit together and get to my feet.
I stand and walk over to the bags from the hardware store and pull out the gallon jugs. If I torch the place and it’s deemed arson, Nate won’t get anything from insurance—especially if they think his girlfriend did it. And I don’t trust Ferro. The neighbors all see that bus and know I’m here. A plan forms in my mind, and I can’t think of anything better, so I open the cabinet next to the stove and pull out a frying pan. After filling it with grease, I turn on the stovetop.
My conscience dies in my chest as I open the bottle of smelly green liquid and splash it on the floor by the stove. I trail it across the room knowing it’ll ignite instantly and go up without a trace. They’ll think it was a grease fire that got out of hand. They’ll also believe a stupid college girl didn’t know that dousing it with water would make it worse. In truth, I can’t cook, but even I know that.
I place the jug of oil on the stovetop, close enough to the burner to melt, and back away. It’s over half full. My heart is thumping in my throat. I’m not this person. How am I supposed to stand there and watch Nate’s home burn? But that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Trembling, I pull out my cell phone and hit the three digits, 9-1-1. I don’t press send. I put the phone back in my pocket, grab a book of matches from above the stove, and light one. The grease is smoking, and the bottle next to the pan already has a hole in the side. Oil drips down the front of the appliance and onto the floor. I stand there, waiting for the trail of oil to spread, to get bigger.