Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 103552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“I thought you were under arrest,” Matt said, his eyes narrowing. “I heard you got caught with gas cans at Wild Haven.”
I wound my arms tighter, hugging myself as if for comfort. “West let me out. I guess he found evidence that I didn’t do it.”
“Faked evidence, you mean,” Matt said with a sneer.
“I didn’t do it, Matt.”
He scoffed. “Sure, you didn’t. You’re the only person I knew who had a grudge against Bob. Everyone knows you did it.”
I stared at him with wide eyes, trying to look hurt. I’m no actress, but I hoped I could fake it well enough to get what I needed. “How could you? You should know I’d never do something like that.” I hated the thin, weak tone of my voice. Matthew let a slow smile slide across his face.
“I saw Sawyers Bend Brewing is closed,” he said. “Looks like you need someone to run the place. You here to talk me into taking my old job back?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet. This whole thing has been terrifying,” I said, my voice wavering. “I almost died in that fire.”
Matthew lifted his chin, looking away. “It didn’t sound like it was that bad.”
I dropped my gaze to my feet, my hair sliding into my eyes. My words came out in a whisper that wasn’t entirely an act. “The front door was locked. I couldn’t get out. The doctor said if I’d been in there much longer, the smoke would have killed me.”
His eyes flared wide, and I was suddenly positive that while Matthew had set that fire, he hadn’t planned to kill me. I went with my gut and said what I was thinking.
“You weren’t trying to kill me, were you?”
His head shook in a No before his brain caught up, and he froze. “I didn’t—that’s not—”
I dropped my arms to my side, letting tears fill my eyes. “That’s a relief. Setting me up for arson was one thing, but trying to kill me? That’s a whole new level.”
“I wasn’t trying to kill you,” he ground out, shooting a panicked look at the locked door behind him. “I swear.”
“Then why did you lock the door? I couldn’t get out, and there was so much smoke.”
Matthew shook his head, letting out a huff of air. “I didn’t think about it being the only way out of the building. I just wanted to keep anyone from wandering in once the fire started. I didn’t know how fast it would go up.”
I didn’t react to his confession, focused on getting as much from him as I could before he realized what he was saying.
“But how did you get out?” I asked, needing to know. “I didn’t see the loading bay door go up.”
“There’s a regular door beside it,” Matthew said. “I let myself out and took off.”
“Your car wasn’t there. I wouldn’t have gone in if I’d seen it,” I said.
“Obviously,” he said, staring up at the ceiling as if searching for patience. “I borrowed a co-worker’s. They never even knew.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It got a little out of hand. I wasn’t planning to lock you in there, for one. Or for the damage to be that bad.”
“Why?” I asked, genuinely confused. “What did Bob ever do to you? I could see you coming after Sawyers Bend Brewing, but why Wild Haven?”
“Because you needed to learn a lesson,” he spat out with a sneer. “If I burned your place down, your family would just help you rebuild. This way, you can’t fix it. Even if Garfield figures out a way to keep you out of jail, no one will believe you’re innocent.” He straightened, lifting his chin, a triumphant grin twisting his mouth. “I told you that you’d never run that place without me. Turns out, I was right.”
“Bob is going to have to completely rebuild. It could take months. You don’t feel the least bit guilty about that, though, do you?” I searched his face, hoping for some hint of empathy. It wasn’t there. He truly was the worst.
Proving me right, Matthew shrugged. “Shit happens. Bob was convenient. And you needed to come down a peg or two.”
I wondered if that was enough. I forced myself to stay facing Matthew, eyes on him, though every muscle in my body strained to turn to the shelves at the back of the room. But there were things I needed to know, and if Matthew was arrogant enough to talk, I sure as hell wasn’t going to stop him.
“What about the break-in at Sawyers Bend Brewing?” I pressed. “How did you pull that off?”
“You’re so dumb,” he said with a curl of his upper lip. “Cammie. She had a thing for me before you and I hooked up. I kept her on the side.” He shrugged. “She didn’t have a brewery to go with her, but she was very eager to please. Unlike you.”