Read Playing with Fire (Book 1 of the FIRE Trilogy) Page 30
What was it about her these days that she was always haunted by a sense of foreboding? For the third time within a few days, it was overshadowing whatever she thought and did.
Felicia had woken up today with determination, last night’s trials and tribulations clear on her mind, but a stimulant rather than an obstacle. Once again, the time was ripe to make changes, and what better motivation was there than knowing that if she went through with her plan, a happy—or at least happier—life was awaiting her and Joshua?
The sense of foreboding grew while she wandered around the house, picking out items to pile on the bed to pack them into her hefty, old suitcase and her new sport’s bag. She wasn’t one to make lists or go about things methodically, which meant frequent trips across various rooms, sudden light-bulb moments and bouts of thinking ahead.
She and Joshua had spent the rest of the night talking quietly but with feverish intensity, heads close together but never touching each other. They would move away from Fairview, quietly go MIA and use his not-so-legal connections from his private investigator career to forge papers to leave the country. They’d start anew, learn and grow together, and love each other.
Inside her, the dragon was eager to travel and savor new experiences. However, she couldn’t shake off the dark veil obscuring her future. It had been clinging to her since this morning, or maybe since last night.
She was staring at a notepad and pen in her hand, making up her mind what to include in her message to Cindy, when the doorbell rang and startled her into dropping both.
The sound was shrill and sharp and alarming. With a frown, she walked to the door, feeling sure that whatever had been lurking was now launching its attack.
In front of the door stood three policemen, uniforms immaculate, faces serious. She remembered the tall, stout man at the front with the bushy eyebrows and the clear, intelligent eyes. Lieutenant Harold had been in charge of her interrogation after she had saved the girl from the burning house. Looking at him brought unpleasant memories back, some of them connected to last night. As if Joshua had poured liquid ice into her veins, she went cold. For a moment, it was impossible to breathe. She forced herself to take a step back, breathe and remain as calm as she could, although inside she knew her game was over.
“Officers.”
She nodded slightly and hoped an acknowledgement like this—and keeping her mouth shut, as well as her temperament reined in—would help to avoid more trouble.
“Miss Felicia Wolverton?”
Why did he ask when he already knew? Struggling with her inner heat, she resorted to another nod, folding her arms protectively across her chest and praying she wouldn’t lose it then and there, and make a fiery mess of life.
“So we meet again.”
It wasn’t a question, and she didn’t answer. Her mind flitted back to several hours ago when Joshua had warned her about the police having connected the dots and being in pursuit. But hadn’t the same Joshua assured her that he hadn’t fed them true information for a long time?
It sunk in with sudden heaviness.
She had been betrayed.
Joshua had betrayed her.
There was no way out.
The detective in charge cleared his throat, stared hard at her and dipped his chin in a minimal movement for the officer to his right to step forward.
“Miss Wolverton, I have come to arrest you on suspicion of at least four cases of arson. Follow me to the station, please.”
God, how would she ever get out of this?
Felicia stood rigid as a statue, her face an unreadable mask, copying what she had observed so often from the one man who was her life and might now be her end too.
It hardly registered that her arms were pulled back and her wrists handcuffed, and that the Lieutenant’s voice droned on about her right to remain silent because anything she said could and would be used against her in a court of law. She heard him mention the right to a lawyer and almost laughed out loud. What good would a lawyer do a freak like her, who was probably as guilty as could be? She’d keep her mouth sealed shut and held on to her secret inner strength.
There was only one thought on her mind when they escorted her to the car. One all-important question.