Page 74 of When It Rains He Pours

Chapter Nineteen

Glory

“Ihave something youneed, can you meet me?”

Chuckling, Jacob huffed into the phone. “There's nothing you have that I need. I already have it all, or did you forget that?”

Dick.

Taking in a slow breath, I kept myself calm, not letting his asshole ways get to me. “Well, you own the lot now. I have insurance information to give you so you can send in a claim for the fire.”

I wasn't sure where the idea came from, but it hit me that night after I left the station. I had signed those papers before the fire, which in theory meant that I didn't own the building when it went up in flames.

“Insurance claim. . .” His voice trailed off as he processed what I said. “Why would I need to file a claim?”

“Because I didn't own it anymore when it caught fire, you did. So. . .” Letting my words trail off, I waited for him to see where I was going with this.

“So, I'm the one who can collect the insurance money.”

“Bingo. You know for someone who is supposed to be a real-estate genius, you're pretty damn stupid.”

“Screw you,” Jacob growled through the receiver. “Meet me at the lot at two o'clock, you can come say goodbye to it while you're there. How does that sound?”

Hanging up, I didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. I was ready to jump through the phone and strangle him right then and there. It took everything I had to not scream and yell at him, to not call him names and give him the pleasure of thinking he had won this war.

He won't win this. He just lost and he doesn't even know it.

Grabbing my tote, I jogged downstairs and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” my mother asked. She was standing in the hallway, wiping her hands on a towel.

“I just have a few errands to run.”

“Errands?” Cocking her head, she eyed me, trying to read between the lines.

Smiling, I gripped the strap of my bag and twisted my toe into the floor. “Yes, Mother, errands.” My tone was sarcastic and dry as I gave her a playful grin. “What am I fifteen again?” Giggling, I stepped to the door and opened it up.

Laughing, she cupped her hands on her hips and lowered her lids. “I know you're not a kid, Glory, but are you sure you're alright to be running around?”

“I'm fine, I'll be back a little later.”

Nodding, she gave me a thin smile. “Just don't push yourself, you're still recovering.”

Closing the door behind me, I walked the few blocks up to my gallery. My feet were moving, but I couldn't feel the ground beneath me. Every step felt like my feet were weighed down in cement blocks.

I knew what I was going to find when I got close enough to see the building, I knew that the nothing I thought I had was going to feel even worse the first time I saw it with my own eyes.

Nothing could prepare me for the devastation.

And I still pressed on. I was doing this for Liam, I was taking on his brother and forcing myself to see the pile of dust that was my world.

It was worth it, all of this was worth it to save the man who had saved me.

He didn't deserve to be behind bars, he didn't deserve to suffer for something his brother had done.

Was I afraid of Jacob?

No.

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