Page 28 of Always Mine (The Barrington Billionaires 1)
Ian flexed his shoulders and rose to his feet. “Oh, I will. Wait, isn’t it the other team’s turn?”
Asher said, “Doesn’t matter; we’ll probably get the point anyway.”
Andrew threw a pillow at Asher, who caught it and threw it back.
Sophie told them all to stop, but she was smiling when she said it. Dale looked over at Emily and nodded in approval. Emily turned to look up at Asher and saw a similar expression in his eyes. Emily spontaneously gave Asher a quick kiss then hugged him. She couldn’t remember ever feeling happier.
Her phone rang, and she almost ignored it, but she saw it was from the caretaker of her museum so she said, “Excuse me. It’s Mr. Riggins. I’m sure this will be quick.” She stood, walked to the doorway of the living room, and answered the phone.
Asher was on his feet and at her side the moment he heard her gasp.
“Oh, my God. No. No.” She looked around the room frantically and her voice rose. “No.”
She slumped against the wall and would have sunk to the floor if Asher hadn’t caught her.
Asher took the phone from her. “What happened?”
Mr. Riggins said, “The fire department is already here, but they’re not sure how much of the building will be left. It was already engulfed in flames when I went to check on it. I did everything I could.”
“What are you talking about? What’s burning?”
“The Harris Museum. The whole thing is ablaze. I checked in on it as I always do, but it was already too late.”
“How did it happen?”
“No one knows yet. The firemen say they have to get it under control before they can determine the source for sure. They keep asking me what I know, but I don’t know anything. It’s like I said, as soon as I saw the fire I called them.”
Asher hung up the phone and tossed it on the table beside him, turning his attention to the woman he was partially supporting. He turned back to his family and said, “It’s Emily’s museum. It’s on fire.”
Everyone was instantly on their feet and gathered around her, asking both Emily and Asher the same questions neither of them had answers to. Asher turned his attention to the woman in his arms who was shaking from the shock.
She went to pull away from him. “I have to go.”
“I’ll go with you,” Asher said instantly.
Emily looked up at him and an expression of horror entered her eyes. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you? Swear to me you didn’t.”
Asher’s head snapped back in surprise. “I didn’t do this.”
Pale and shaking, Emily looked past him to his family. “I want to believe you. You have all been so good to me, but is this why? Was all of this some sick plan to get my land? You lure me away, have me relocate my pieces, then burn it so I have nothing to fight you over?”
“You can’t believe that.” Sophie reached out to Emily, but Emily backed away from her.
“I don’t know what to believe,” Emily said as tears poured down her cheeks. She pushed away from Asher. “Don’t touch me. I need to think.”
Grant stepped forward. “Emily, no one here would ever hurt you.”
Emily swayed on her feet and waved a finger at Grant. “Why did you encourage me to take out more insurance? Did you know this would happen?”
Dale put his arm around Sophie. “She’s in shock. She doesn’t mean what she’s saying.”
Kenzi looked from Emily’s distraught face to Asher’s and asked, “Did you do this, Asher? Could one of your people have done it?”
Sophie covered her mouth as she gasped. “Asher, tell me there is no chance you could be involved. Even you wouldn’t go this far to get what you want, would you?”
Asher opened his mouth to deny it, but he remembered what Ryan had said about Hearne. “I told my team we were pulling out of New Hampshire.”
Andrew shook his head. “Did you tell them it was because you fell in love with Emily? I bet you didn’t.”
Asher met his father’s eyes. “I didn’t tell them anything. I don’t explain myself to anyone. But I told them to look for another location.”
Ian interceded. “Let’s not assume anything until we have the facts.”
As he walked away, Lance said, “The facts look pretty damning.”
Emily turned back to Asher. “Would anyone who works for you do this?”
If Asher had been a liar, he would have lied then. “If they did, it wasn’t on my orders. I don’t condone arson.”
Emily sank to her knees and started to sob. Asher tried to help her up, but she pushed him away. His family looked on helplessly, a mixture of sympathy for her and anger at him.
Sophie walked up to Asher, tears in her eyes, and laid a hand on one side of his face. “If you did this, Asher, you went too far. You. Went. Too. Far.”
Dale led her out of the room.
Kenzi and his brothers continued to hover around Asher and Emily, as if ready to intervene if Emily needed it. It wasn’t Asher’s proudest moment. He went down on his knees beside Emily and gave her a tissue Kenzi had pushed into his hand. “Emily, I’ll get a plane readied. We can be there in a couple hours.”
Emily took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. She blew her nose in the tissue and reached for her phone. “I can’t think. I need to get out of here.” She dialed a number then said, “Celeste, I’m hiring a car to take me back to Welchton. My museum is burning down.” She was quiet for a moment then said, “You don’t have to. I know you have work. Okay, if you’re sure.” She hung up and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’ll send for my things later. I just need to grab my purse and call for a car.”
Asher stood in front of her. “I’m going with you.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re not.”
Kenzi stepped closer. “I can go with you, Emily.”
Emily shook her head and tears spilled down her cheeks again. “This may be a horrible thing to say, but if any of you had anything to do with this, I could never forgive you. I could never even look at you again.”
Emily rushed out of the room and up the stairs to get her purse, leaving Asher to face his siblings. “As far as I know, I didn’t do this.”
Kenzi made a sound of disgust. “As far as you know? How can you not know?”
Andrew came to stand beside Kenzi. “I see it even in the Marines. When you instill the idea that winning at any cost is the goal, then there will always be those who will do anything not to fail.”
Ian took his place beside Asher. “What are you going to do?”
Asher watched Emily rush down the stairs and out the front door of his parents’ home. He could have, but he didn’t chase her. “I’m going to find out who is responsible.”
Ian asked, “What happens if you are?”
Asher shook his head. For the first time in his life he really had no idea what he would do. There was a good chance the blame lay at his door. He was angrier with himself than with anyone who stood in judgment of him.
Fuck.
