Page 75 of Burn for Me

Thankfully, Jasmine walks out the door right on time, giggling when she notices my annoyed expression. Everything seems tobe in order, but she continues to give me a curious tilt of her head the longer I stare at her.

With a huff, she rolls her eyes and says, “I was nice. Can we go now?”

I don’t respond verbally but walk around the car to open her door. Once she’s buckled and I'm settled, I start the car, but the stiffness in her shoulders catches my attention.

“Jasmine?” Brushing my fingers through her hair, I loosen some of the strands from the black band beneath.

“This is my fault.”

Letting out a sigh, I rub the back of my neck as I shift away and dig into my pocket to pull out my mask. I should have known this would weigh on her for a while.

“I found most of what I was looking for: the fire at your family home and your father's 'business.'” I clear my throat and put my mask in place, prompting her to look away. “But I want you to tell me—why did you do it?”

She twirls her fingers and gnaws on her bottom lip, so reaching over, I pull the flesh back from between her teeth.

“Come on, darlin',” I whisper, and she nods.

“I was sick, so I stayed home one night during one of the Bravetti balls. I don't know how long I was asleep, but I woke up to a horrid smell and was sweating through my clothes.”

Letting her have her moment, I try to act as if I’m solely focused on reversing the car, but I’m already categorizing this moment in my mind.

“I was trapped, and I couldn’t find a way out. A new beam fell everywhere I turned, and the staircases gave out. I was convinced I had died and gone to hell.” Her breathing quickens, so I slide my palm against her thigh to keep her in the moment. I don't want her slipping away to battle demons on her own again.

“This is why you hate fire, isn’t it?” I ask, showing that I’m paying attention, and she nods as I turn onto the road.

“Eventually, I jumped out of the window. My parents showed up not long after. My father's business was going under, and he couldn't figure out why. We knew he owed favors to various mobs, but we didn’t know which one was responsible. My mother blamed the Bravetti and decided…” She whispers but cuts off her statement, changing it to another.

“It was easier for them to send me away to gather intel to support their interests and maintain our family name in good standing. I didn’t want to do it, but—” She trails off, and I feel a rush of concern that she might cry, so I tense my shoulders.

“Hey…” I gently hook my finger under her chin and turn her attention toward me, trying to balance my focus between the road and the glimmer in her eyes.

“I have a little sister.”

I already knew most of what she was saying. It all appeared in the headlines about the tragic burning of the O’Hansons’ mansion. With her notes, I had pieced together the connections between her father's security system business, the exposure of elected officials, and his ties to various mob groups.

I felt helpless while scanning my screen, trying to piece everything together. No matter how many times I replayed the scenarios in my head, thinking about what I would have done differently in her situation, I couldn’t.

The things we do for the ones we love.

I take a deep breath and brush my thumb over her cheek. “She’s safe. Although I wish you had told me sooner, I understand. Now it's time for me to help fix this, okay?”

I grin, though she can’t see it. She exhales and nods against my hand, so I shift my thumb to the corner of her mask where the switch for her earpiece is.

“Wait!” she gasps, grabbing my hand. “I need to tell them.”

I huff and shake her hand off mine, not out of anger but stress. She doesn’t need to come clean. I can handle that part myself,but it will mean another fight with Tide to keep her by my side. I’m not ready for that argument yet. I want her to show him what I’ve known all along—that she’s smart and a valuable asset to the team, even if she can be a bit treacherous and reckless.

“We can deal with that later; you focus on this. Got it?” Without waiting for her response, I flick the small switch below the brim and then turn mine on.

It will be a minute before they get the notification to respond, so I take my time admiring the lights flashing on the business empire buildings and the people casually walking along the sides of the street. The stars aren’t as bright as they usually are, but I’ve learned that when we're so close to the ground in the middle of such a big city, they’re hard to see anyway.

“Alright. Who's ready to get this shit done?”

My brows furrow as I hear Moe's voice come through, and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“I swear I can’t stand that damn mouth of yours,”Caspian crackles, his voice fading in and out.

“Where do you think he got it from?”Now it's Sharkie's turn, her voice slightly clearer as if they're adjusting the communication devices. I growl in frustration, and Jasmine's hand on my thigh does little to ease the spinning in my head from all the voices trying to blend at once.

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