Soot wafted around my head and wisps of smoke reached out for my limbs. Spoons and crushed dishes laid in tatters at my feet as I walked along the charred foundation of the home. I craned my neck around and saw the vibrancy of the party; the dancing people and the D.J. with his head bobbing up and down. Waiters and waitresses walking around with drink and food trays and people piling themselves into rooms to indulge their one-night stands with people whose names they wouldn’t remember by morning.
Such happiness existed in this place.
Such life.
I looked up toward the sky, the roof no longer there. There was only a massive hole coated with black that radiated the destruction that had taken place on this property. I shook my head as I gazed up at the sky at the sun pouring through and attempting to fill this place with light again. With life again. With love again.
“Son of a bitch,” I murmured.
I made my way out back and walked through the scorched remains of the garden. The rose bushes, the hedges, and all of the beautiful, ancient flowers were gone. The balcony furniture and the foundation for the hot tub and the swimming pool were gone. Even the massive trees that lined the property that had grown there since before the Civil War had been licked with flames, tainted with the taste of destruction.
I already saw two of the trees dying, slowly crumbling over and turning brown, as if they were finally done fighting for their lives. It filled me with an unexplainable rage.
“Can’t stay away?”
Lucas’ voice ripped me from my trance and I whipped my head around.
“Saw you racing down the road. Figured you were headed here,” he said.
“What’d you do? Follow me?”
“I’ve come here every single day since it burned down. If anything, you’re following me.”
I shook my head and chuckled as he came to stand beside me. Out of all the brothers, I was the closest to Lucas. We were less than a year apart thanks to Dad’s ability to really drive it home with Mom when he wanted to. At least, that was the joke they always made.
“The more I walk through here, the more I know it was intentional,” Lucas said.
“Then the two of us should talk about the conversation I just had today with Colton
Braxton.”
“The real estate investor?”
“Yep.”
“You went and saw him.”
“Uh huh.”
“What did he have to say?”
I stuck my hand into my back pocket and pulled out the card.
“What’s this?” Lucas asked as I handed it to him.
“A name and what I feel is a personal number to a man we shouldn't contact,” I said.
“And why do you have this?”
My eyes panned over to my brother as he handed the card back to me.
“I have it because Colton seems to think he’s the link between a bunch of properties that have burned down in the state over the past few months.”
“What?” Lucas asked.
“Colton was speaking very cryptically again. I almost couldn't understand what the fuck he was telling me.”
“Which means he’s in over his head, too.”