Page 35 of Into the Fire
LEVI:I swear, I owe you a year’s worth of favors. Thank you for being there for her. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Give her a hug from me.
Emery smiled softly at the screen, warmth spreading through her chest as she set the phone aside. She looked down at the little girl curled under the covers and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
“I’ve got you, bug,” she whispered.
June was sleeping, her forehead slightly warm but her breathing even. Amovie played low in the background, something animated and familiar.
Emery moved softly through the house, tidying up, rinsing dishes with one ear tuned to June if she should wake. She was just reaching for a folded dish towel on the counter when she spotted it—a plain envelope sitting on the front porch right at the top of the steps. She let herself out on the covered porch, looking around, wondering how that got there because it had her name on it, but no address, no postage, and she hadn’t noticed it coming back from the doctor's office. Maybe the postmaster just knew where to find her? It was a small town after all. Maybe the gossip mill was doing its job. Maybe it had been there, and she was so focused on getting June inside that she had missed it. Her name was scrawled across the front in thick ink.
Her stomach dipped as she walked back into the kitchen.
She didn’t recognize the handwriting right away, but the moment she slid a finger beneath the flap and unfolded the papers inside, her breath caught.
Denny.
She hadn’t thought about him in weeks. She’d left that job behind like a burning building, walked away with her integrity intact—even if it had cost her everything else. Clients. Colleagues. A reputation she’d worked damn hard to build.
But the letter in her hands was like a sucker punch.
"Funny how so many clients jumped ship the moment you did, Emery. Almost like it was planned. Almost like you took them with you. You and I both know what that looks like. And it won’t take much to make the rest of the industry believe you played dirty to make your way to those accounts. You were always good at playing innocent—pretty face, soft voice, all the men wrapped around your finger. But that won’t hold up under scrutiny. Especially when I still have access to old emails and security footage. Hell, I bet half of those men could be persuaded to share a version of what happened. A version that aligns with the story I’ll tell.I suggest you find a way to make this right. Fast. Don’t test me. You know that I mean what I say.”
No signature, just his initials.
Her stomach dropped. That familiar feeling of dread curled in her chest, just like it used to every time he’d call her into his office and slam the door shut.
Was he insinuating he would pay the accounts to lie?
She refolded the letter, the paper shaking slightly between her fingers.
It wasn’t true. Not any of it. She’d worked her ass off for those clients. Late nights, business trips, endless calls. And yes, some had left her when she left, but not because of anything shady. Because she was good at what she did. Because she cared. And when she left, so did anyone willing to work to keep those accounts happy the way that she did.
But Denny didn’t care about facts. He caredabout power. He always had.
Emery blinked hard, standing at the sink, gripping the edge of the counter as her mind spiraled.
She could feel old fear clawing its way back in. That feeling of being cornered. Doubted. Emery took a slow breath, grounding herself in the moment.
This wasn’t the office. This wasn’t the life she’d left behind.
This was Levi’s kitchen. June’s home. Her second chance.
She stared down at the envelope on the counter, her jaw tightening.
No way in hell was she letting Denny rip this from her, too.
That’s when her phone buzzed.
LEVI:Hour out.
She stared at the message for a long moment without replying.
He seemed short. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe he was driving. Maybe she was extra sensitive after that letter and was just reading too much into hissimple text.
But her heart was pounding. For the first time in days, she felt like the floor underneath her wasn’t so steady anymore.
???
When Emery caught the low rumble of Levi’s truck pulling up and saw the dust trail following it, instant relief washed over her. She hadn’t even realized how tightly she’d been carrying herself until she felt the feeling of safety that came with knowing he was home now. June was resting, the dinner was nearly done, and the weight of the day had settled into her shoulders like wet sand.
