Chapter 45

Trevor bracedhimself for whatever Guy would say or do next.

Everyone stared at them as Guy’s words seemed to hang in the room.

I know the two of you are up to something, and I’m here to figure out what.

Trevor stepped closer to him. One look at the man’s glazed eyes, and hearing his slurred words and sloppy motions, Trevor knew he had been drinking.

“I think you need to sober up,” Trevor said.

“Don’t tell me to sober up.” Guy’s head wobbled almost as if he might pass out.

Frank appeared beside them also. “Guy, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to be here. I’m going to call for a ride home for you.”

Guy pulled his keys from his pockets. “I don’t want to leave. When I do want to leave, I can drive myself.”

Trevor snatched the keys from him. “You’re not getting on the road again in your current state.”

Guy’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not the boss of me. You can’t tell me what to do.”

Guy tried to grab the keys back, but Trevor placed them in his pocket.

That only made Guy more upset. “I followed you today. Did you know that?”

Trevor’s breath caught. “Are you stalking Sadie?”

Trevor needed to turn this back around on Guy and deflect this conversation.

“Something’s not adding up!” Guy said as he swayed. “I’m going to figure out what if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Why were your shoes muddy on the day of the fire?” Trevor asked. “Are you the one who set it?”

“What? Why would I do that?” Guy’s lips parted in surprise.

“You tell me.”

“I was doing some investigating. Hunting around for answers. But not setting fires!” His eyes narrowed. “Maybe you set the fire!”

Frank took Guy’s arm, ready to lead him away from the crowd where he was making a scene.

Everyone in the room watched the interaction. How could they not?

“You don’t need to be here acting like this, Guy,” Frank said. “Let’s get you somewhere you can sober up.”

“I haven’t even been drinking!”

“I think we all know that’s not true,” Frank said.

“I haven’t!” Spittle flew from Guy’s mouth as he said the words.

The next instant, his eyes glazed. His body wavered.

Trevor braced himself, realizing that something wasn’t right.

Then Guy fell to the floor, his body completely still.

* * *

Sadie watched in horror as Guy hit the floor and was out cold.

“Somebody call 911!” Frank yelled.

Several people grabbed their phones. Sadie also grabbed hers and texted Kai, letting him know what was going on. They’d need to know when the ambulance arrived.

Kai promised to let Richard know also. They’d been listening, but it had been hard to make out everything that was happening, he’d said.

Had Guy really passed out because he was drunk? Or was there more to it?

Sadie didn’t smell any alcohol on his breath.

What had Guy meant? Had he really not been drinking? What else would cause him to act like this?

Trevor knelt on one side of him and Frank on the other. They checked his pulse, his breathing.

Then another thought hit her.

What if he’d been poisoned? Or drugged?

Because if Guy had been following them today, then he might have seen something he wasn’t supposed to see.

If Frederick’s men were watching everything, then they might want to silence Guy also.

If that was the case, she supposed they could rule Guy out as a suspect.

But this wasn’t what she wanted.

Not even close.

She stood to the side, knowing it was a bad idea for too many people to surround him right now. Instead, she lifted up a prayer.

Trevor glanced over and met Sadie’s gaze. Even though they didn’t say a word, a conversation took place between them.

He knew something was up also.

Then his gaze wandered above her.

He whispered something to Frank and then rose.

He approached Sadie.

“I saw someone upstairs,” he whispered. “I’m going to go check it out.”

A chill washed over her before she muttered, “Be careful.”

“I will. You be careful too. I don’t want anything happening to you.”

Sadie could hear the sincerity in his voice. It was then she realized that even with the history between them—the good and the bad—she truly did care about him.

She could easily believe his boss had put him up to most of this.

Did that mean the two of them could have a chance together? She couldn’t say that. There was so much she couldn’t even remember.

But her feelings for the man were clear. They were there, and they were strong. Real.

She watched as he disappeared. Everyone still faced Guy, but now they were murmuring among themselves.

Juan Blevins edged closer. “I always thought he was a little unhinged. It wasn’t my idea to hire him.”

“Unhinged?”

Juan nodded. “I saw the way he looked at you, and I knew he was going to be trouble. But without ample reason to fire him . . . we were kind of stuck.”

“Has he always acted so brazen?” Sadie asked.

“He likes to live large. I knew his cockiness would get the best of him. I just didn’t know he was drinking so heavily. That he’d take things this far. He is always trying to master the art of closing the deal—in business and relationships.”

“Excuse me a moment.” Sadie’s head pounded, and she needed to be by herself if she was going to make sense of everything. She was trying to think clearly right now and failing. “Where is the bathroom?”

He pointed to a hallway in the distance.

She thanked him and then headed that way, anxious for a moment by herself.

She reached the bathroom door and twisted the knob.

It was unlocked.

But before she stepped inside, a footstep sounded behind her.