My mind replays the fire like a fever dream. Our fight. The hard backhand to my face. Aiden screaming. How terribly fast that pan went up in flames. I stared at it, holding my cheek. Mesmerized, hypnotized. The flames licking up the back of the stove to snap at the ceiling. My fingers digging into my purse for my keys like my legs already knew where I was going. Aiden’s hand clawing at me, to drag me back, when in the end he stayed to fight the fire. For his money. For his investment. Because Aiden King doesn’t lose things. And he won’t lose me.
