PLAY WITH FIRE

CHAPTER 6

HOLDEN KINCAIDE

PRESENT DAY

The second the door opened and I turned to look over my shoulder we both froze, our eyes locking. Not even a second into this and I already know working with Scarlett, alone, is going to be a fucking task. She looked away, her jaw setting hard as she closed the door behind her. I hated knowing being around me was gonna cause that kind of reaction, and not just once, but every time she'd have to see me. 

I can do this alone. I tried to do it alone. She's the one that had to prove that she can handle being in my company, hence why she said yes, hence why she's here, hence why my heart is racing a thousand miles an hour in my chest. 

"Morning" I greeted, clearing my throat, glancing over her figure once before turning my attention back to the papers down in front of me. 

"So it is" She replied sarcastically, her voice moving around behind me. My lips quirked up at the response, pressing my chin to my chest as I flipped page through page. 

"There was supposed to be more help but-"

"You scared them all off" She cut me off. I glanced over my shoulder, eyebrows raised in question at how she knew that. A tiny smirk played on her lips, my eyes instantly drawn to them as she shrugged and responded,  "Ran into Schmidty". 

"Ahh, and how'd that go?" I asked turning back to the papers in front of me. I needed to stop staring at her the way I did when we were teenagers. She huffed, probably shrugging her shoulders. A sound of a chair scraping against the ground echoed around the room, Scarlett taking a seat on it with a 'hmm'. 

"When'd he get rid of the nose piercing?" She asked her own question, that clearly stuck on her mind since their encounter. I chuckled, picturing the thing in my mind as I stacked the papers back on each other, lifting them and tapping them until they were all in line. 

"The day after his interview at the bureau, so two almost three years ago I think" I answered, standing up and bringing the papers with me to the filing cabinet across the other side of the room. I felt Scarlett's eyes tracking my eyes move but refused to look at her, my heart racing in my chest enough as is. Looking at her would only make it burst through my chest. 

"It had run it's course" Scarlett stated, a laugh passing by my lips as I opened the cabinet, sorting through the files, trying to find room for the papers in my hands. 

"You can say that again. We all begged him not to get it. Nolan was the one that convin-" I stopped, letting my words drag out to an end, my face void of the smile that had been there moments before. Glancing at Scarlett her face was blank as she stared at me, eyebrows drawn together, not in anger, but upset? Pain? I'd brought Nolan up in front of her. I turned back to the cabinet, clearing my throat, the both of us falling back into silence. 

For a split second I'd unknowingly let myself forget about the past 5 years. For a couple moments taking with her felt like what it did back when we were teens. I wanted that ease back but had a feeling I'd never get it. 

"Is there anything you want to look into first? Witness Statements? Fire Testing Reports?" I asked, waiting for Scarlett to ask the one question that would make my blood run cold. 

"No security footage?" My blood ran cold, my eyes blankly staring at the drawer as I slammed it closed, a little harder than necessary. After realizing I'd been too quiet for too long I cleared my throat, blinking myself back to reality. 

"No. No security footage" I turned, walking back over to where I'd set myself up at, taking a seat in the chair I'd left pushed out. I kept my eyes focused on the table as I pulled out a note pad and pen.