Page 36 of Burned By Love

Sal was a problem, and he wouldn’t stop being one unless someone made him.That someone wouldn’t be West, which meant he’d have to deal with Sal and whatever he tried throwing at Jonathan.At this point, West almost wished that Sal would attack him in dragon form.West had no doubt that Sal could hold himself in a fight, but against a firefighter who was trained to carry people out of burning buildings?He doubted that.

“Well, let us know if you or Jonathan need anything,” Jeremy said.

West had to remember that he wouldn’t fight alone.Lisa, Jeremy, and Taylor were human, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t protect Jonathan.Austin would, too.He might be wary of Sal, but he cared about Jonathan more.If there was anything he could do to protect Jonathan, he’d do it.

They just had to hope that, eventually, Sal would forget all about Jonathan and let him go.In the meantime, West would keep an eye on his boyfriend.

* * * *

JONATHAN DIDN’T STOPat the coffee shop like he normally would.He didn’t take his time getting to his car.As soon as he left the building, he rushed ahead so he wouldn’t be in the open for longer than he absolutely needed to.

This was what Sal had done to him.Jonathan had finally been getting better about it.He’d stopped jumping at every noise and freaking out when he was out of the house or the shop.He’d finally been moving forward.

Not anymore.Sal was back in his life—had never left, really—and he was ruining it.

Jonathan didn’t want to allow him to do that, but he didn’t know how to stop it.Now that he knew that Sal had been watching him since he’d left him, he felt like he had to be more careful.Sal was planning something, and it would be so easy for him to grab Jonathan outside the coffee shop or on his way to work.Jonathan couldn’t ignore it, even though he desperately wanted to.

He had a job he loved.He had friends he considered family.He had a wonderful boyfriend.He should be happy, but instead, he spent most of the time scared and feeling like someone was watching him.

He locked himself in his car and turned on the engine.He didn’t know what to do.Maybe he should leave town.He was pretty sure that Sal didn’t want him enough to follow him to another city, but by leaving, Jonathan would lose everything he’d built here.His friends would still be his friends, but for how long?Besides, he didn’t want Sal to win.He didn’t want Sal to know that he was powerful enough to send Jonathan running.

Even though he was.

The only alternative was to wait and see what Sal would do.He had enough money and influence to create problems for Jonathan, but so far, it seemed like he just enjoyed watching Jonathan squirm.Maybe after a while, he’d get bored and move on to someone else.Jonathan hated wishing such an awful man on other people, but he had to think of himself first.

He sighed.He’d been thinking about this for days, and he still didn’t have any answers.He doubted he’d ever find any.The only thing he could do was wait and see, even though the thought of doing that made him want to scream.He just wanted Sal out of his life.Was it too much to ask for?

Jonathan was still thinking about Sal as he found a parking spot by the shop and left the car.Of course it was too much to ask.Sal had wanted to be the center of Jonathan’s life when they were together, and that hadn’t changed.He found pleasure in knowing that he was torturing Jonathan and taking happiness away from him.Hell, that was probably why he was still after him.No one would ever be able to convince Jonathan that Sal had any kind of feelings for him.That man didn’t know how to love.He only knew how to control and scare, andthatwas what he was doing.

Jonathan was always careful of his surroundings, which was why he noticed that something was wrong with the shop before he even reached the door.He paused, giving himself time to understand what his brain was telling him.

The potted plant they kept by the window had been knocked down.That was what had caught Jonathan’s attention and told him that something was wrong.Any of them would have picked up the plant if they’d been there when it happened, but it was still on its side, dirt spread around it.

Jonathan swallowed.He was probably making a mountain out of a molehill, but something told him he needed to be careful, and he’d learned to listen to his instincts.

“Good morning!”Christy chirped from behind Jonathan, making him jump.

He turned toward her with wide eyes.She’d been digging into her purse, but she glanced up and stopped when she saw his expression.“What?”

He waved at the window.Christy glanced at it as Daniela and Ethan arrived, too.They were drinking coffee and talking, but they stopped when they saw Jonathan and Christy standing there.

“What are we doing?”Ethan asked.

“Someone trashed the shop,” Christy answered.Her voice shook in anger, and she looked ready to find whoever had done this and strangle them herself.If that was to happen, Jonathan would bet that she’d win the fight.

“What are you talking about?”Daniela asked as she reached for the door.

Jonathan caught her wrist and shook his head at her.Now that he was closer, he could see the inside of the shop better.Christy was right.It had been trashed.

The chairs and the coffee table in the waiting area had been thrown against the walls.There were dents there now, and the broken furniture lay on the floor.Most of the art on the walls had been torn down and reduced to shreds, and the other plants they kept in the waiting area were in the same state as the one by the window.

“I’m calling the cops,” Ethan said as he stepped away.

Jonathan felt numb.He didn’t have to wonder who’d done this.It had to be Sal.He was getting revenge because Jonathan had left him and was dating West.

“Don’t start,” Christy said as she caught Jonathan’s shoulder and squeezed to the point of pain.“What Sal did doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“He wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t for me.”

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