Page 86 of Baited

He had to think. The fire department and police would be here any minute. It’d look really strange if he hadn’t come out to see what had happened.

He lifted the hem of his shirt, rubbed the sweat from his brow and face and then lifted his glasses to do the same around his eyes.

He could do this.

It was just like every other encounter with the police. Only now, Ethan wasn’t gone. His plan had failed and he’d still be looking for Riley. He pressed his palms into his knees and stood, rounding the house and toward the front where Ethan and Nate stood on the sidewalk.

Both men swiveled to him as he approached.

“Are you guys all right? What the hell happened?” He kept his tone shocked and adjusted his hat to survey the flaming house.

Ethan closed the distance between them, his gaze like hot lasers. Black soot coated his tanned skin and his electric blue eyes burned into him.

It was all Michael could do not to take a step back. He had to tread carefully.

“Yeah, my house blew up.”

Michael mumbled a curse. “My god, it’s a good thing you weren’t inside. We should probably alert the neighborhood, get everyone to clear out until they find out—”.

Ethan’s shoulders bunched, his body radiating rage. “Something happen to your cheek?”

Michael touched the gauze with his fingertips. “Ah, that. I was out fishing early this morning and caught a hook in the cheek from a friend’s line. I’m lucky, it came pretty darn close to my eye.”

Ethan’s top lip lifted skeptically. “That so?” He looked back at his friend who moved closer to them.

“That’s funny. You see, I’ve heard you don’t have many friends. A successful dental practice yes, but friends? I think that’s a stretch.”

Michael’s fingers twitched at his sides. Riley had been telling the truth, the bastard was on to him.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Ethan took another step forward; his shoe stepped on Michael’s bare toes exposed through his sandal. He didn’t pull away.

“Riley is missing, Dr. Ball. Would you happen to know anything about that?”

Michael let his jaw go slack. He stepped away, and ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Riley? Oh my goodness. I hope she’s all right. I haven’t—”

A patrol car pulled up, its lights going but the siren off. Joe and another officer stepped out of the car.

Michael’s heart stopped.

CHAPTER 25

“This is bullshit.”Ethan paced on the grass while Michael ascended the stairs to his apartment. Heat spread through him like fire had from his house. His gut twisted and his hands clenched into fists as he brushed past Nate, climbed the porch steps, and flung the door to Riley’s house open.

The property next door was crawling with firefighters, they’d cut off the gas connection so the area was no longer a threat.

Nate came in behind him and closed the door. His hand curled around Ethan’s elbow. “We need to get a warrant. It’s tough without having any grounds other than your instinct and the fact that he’s her neighbor.”

Ethan twisted out of Nate’s hold. “It’s him, dude. I know it.”

“Look, I made the call—”

“And Riley could be fucking dead by the time you get the warrant. You know that as well as I do.”

The muscle in Nate’s jaw jumped. He let out a growl and paced the foyer. “Look, I’m bound by legalities—you know how that is. I won’t stop you from kicking his door in or beating the shit out of him, though.”

Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. Urgency made the muscles in his back twitch. “You wouldn’t have stopped me anyway.”

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