In the Fire (22 page)

As the silence stretched between us, Trevor’s patience began to wear thin. He had just leaned forward to gather the paperwork when my father finally looked up.

“These are hefty accusations you’re making about my company and one of my employees.”

“Accusations? The evidence is right there in your hands.”

When my father said nothing, Trevor placed his hands on the edge of my father’s desk and leaned in. “Let me be frank with you, Mr. Lassiter, since I’m not your son—who, for whatever reason I cannot fathom, hasn’t told you to fuck off yet—and I’m not an employee you can control. I may be a fag to you, but I’m a well-connected fag with enough brains to know the difference between good business practices and illegal ones. The way I see it, you have a choice before you. You can either do the right thing and own up to the crooked and highly illegal activities one of your employees has been conducting right under your nose. Or, you can stick your head in the sand, denying everything you’ve read, and deal with the authorities. For some reason, Jamie thought you deserved the chance to handle this internally, holding on to a shred of hope you had your head stuck so far up your ass that you had no idea what was going on in your own company. I, on the other hand, wanted to hand your bigoted, hateful ass over to the cops as soon as I collected everything in that envelope. And if you think the cops will turn a blind eye to destruction of property, arson and the endangerment of people’s lives, then you’re more of an idiot than I originally thought.”

If the situation hadn’t been so serious, I would have fist pumped and whooped right there in my dad’s office. Instead I watched my father as he attempted to stare down Trevor.

My father looked away first, his eyes going back to the documents in his hands. I chanced a peek over at Trevor and was rewarded with a slight quirk of his lips.

“Once again, these are some hefty accusations. In all the time Reed Jackson has worked here, not once has anyone brought anything of this nature to my attention. I’m inclined to believe this is a witch hunt orchestrated to deflect the attention off of your friend—” my father snarled the last word, “—for shoddy kitchen management.”

“Shoddy kitchen management?” Ethan’s expression was incredulous. “You could have killed three people. That’s murder, not kitchen management, you asshole.” He approached my father’s desk again and slammed his palms down against the wood in frustration. “For what? For more money? My sister is in the hospital because of you.”

The double doors of the office burst open as two huge men in suits approached and bodily dragged Ethan backward.

“Dad, call off your goons. He won’t touch you even though he more than deserves a fair shot.”

Ethan shook off their grips, rolled his shoulders and stood back, visibly angry. He wasn’t happy by any means but I didn’t want him ending up in jail for assault. With a wave of my father’s hand, the security guards stepped to the back of the room. Once they were gone, he paused and watched us with a self-righteous look on his face. My gut twisted as I stood there as my father denied all culpability for what had happened, not only to Sharpe’s on Fifth, but the other countless restaurants Trevor had investigated who had similar experiences when Lassiter Corp had set its eyes on them.

“When you contacted me after I returned from Paris—through your lawyer, of course—and told me how I needed to come to my senses and move back home to Seattle, I have to admit it hurt that you and Mom still couldn’t accept who I was. The conditions you placed on my return, the same ones you had your lawyer so eloquently present to me during my third year in school, conveyed how much more important your image was than the health and happiness of your own flesh and blood. But that pain pales in comparison to how disgusted I am with you today. If you won’t take the information in your hands seriously, maybe you’ll be more interested to hear we have an eye witness confession. He says Reed gave him jobs to carry out, ensuring the buildings your company found desirable failed inspections time and time again. Coupled with the statements from all other businesses we’ve spoken with, we have pretty damning evidence of how seriously your Acquisitions Department takes its job.”

“This conversation is done. No one got hurt in this so-called fire you’re saying one of my employees orchestrated, and you have nothing but hearsay about the flimsy connection between Reed and some anonymous employee at the City Health Department, and the confession of an unsavory individual. So, if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to focus on than your ambitious smoke-and-mirrors attempt at junior detective work.”

Trevor curled his hands into fists, but I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down, then turned to my so-called father. “Never mistake ambition for character, Dad. I did with you and look where it got me. Since you’re not going to take our junior detective work seriously, I think we’ll hand everything over to the SPD. I’m fairly certain they’ll be interested in what we’ve found. Even if the information did come from three fags.”

My father’s carefully crafted mask faltered, allowing me a small glimpse of his anger and disbelief. “You would do this to your own family and the company I created from the ground up?”

The barb should have hurt. Instead, all it did was make me sad at what my father had become. “You stopped being my family when you disowned me for being gay and for daring to have an opinion on what I wanted to do with my life.”

With a tilt of my head toward Trevor and Ethan, I motioned to the door. Before following them out, I took in the farce of a man in front of me. “Expect a call from the police. But just know I came here first because I wanted to give you the courtesy of investigating this on your own. In retrospect, I should have known doing the right thing isn’t in your vocabulary. Goodbye, Dad.”

I made it through the office and into the elevator until I broke down as all the pain, disappointment and disgust over what had just taken place overwhelmed me. Ethan guided me through the main lobby and out onto the street before pulling me into his arms, his strong hands rubbing circles on my back. He kept up a constant reassurance of, “It’s okay, I’ve got you,” as he held me tightly.

Trevor squeezed my shoulder when I pulled back from Ethan. “I’m sorry, J. I know you wanted a different response from your dad, but he’s made his bed and now he has to lie in it. And wow. Can I say for once I agree with Ethan on something? Your dad is a Grade A dick.”

My laugh in response sounded brittle, but it pulled me out of the whirlpool of emotions I’d been circling in since we entered Lassiter Corp’s building. When I finally looked Trevor in the eye, his smile was warm, holding only the promise of friendship and support. Nothing else.

Trevor nodded and pulled out his phone, calling up the number he had programmed into it on the way to Lassiter Corp.

“Yes, hello. My name is Trevor Pratt and I have some information regarding an arson attempt at a local business.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Ethan

Sickened with grief, Tyler, Claire and I stood outside Sharpe’s on Fifth as I stared up at the front of the building I’d called my home for the last eight years. After the hospital released Claire, I’d dreaded going back to the restaurant as everything Cal and I had both worked for was inside this building. Even though the damage could have been worse, I knew deep down in my gut the restaurant was finished.

Once we got past the yellow crime scene tape, I coughed when the acrid scent of smoke and flame retardant chemicals assaulted me. Tyler didn’t say a word, just moved toward the back of the restaurant, his entire body radiating what we all felt at seeing the damage up close like this. Anger and sadness churned inside me. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to ground myself and push back the nausea.

Claire squeezed my shoulder and tried to give me a smile. “It’ll be okay, E.”

It wasn’t okay. My sister, Tyler, Cal, the restaurant—all of it could have been taken from me all in one night. Lassiter was leaving soon and the world I’d carefully built from the ground up had crumbled.

After the fire and police departments had finally given us permission to grab what little personal belongings we’d left behind, Claire and I had gone back. Cal didn’t need more stress, so we were focused on getting out anything with personal value. Luckily he hadn’t needed surgery but his blood pressure was through the roof after the stress of the fire. Viv had told me the doctors had prescribed him rest and no stress. Knowing Cal, he’d be hard-pressed to follow that prescription.

With results of an arson investigation pending regarding the source of the fire, and Cal’s health, the restaurant was shut down indefinitely. The closure meant a lack of income, which in turn meant we weren’t going to be able to pay the staff much longer. The bills from before the fire, coupled with this latest setback, had me more afraid than ever Sharpe’s would never reopen. For now, though, we were all in the same boat. No work, no money, nothing. And not just us. Thirty employees and their families who depended on a steady paycheck were without income now, with no way of knowing if or when normal life would ever resume. Claire, Tyler, Cal could have all died. For what? A building.

“It’s more than just a building.” Claire’s quiet words startled me. I’d spoken aloud. “This place is your future. Your home. Your passion, E. This place is your life.”

I shook my head. “What good is a building without you in it? Or Cal? Or Tyler, Claire? What would be left? Tell me.”

She gave me a sad smile. “You, Ethan. You were the glue who held this whole thing together. Even without us in the kitchen with you, you would have made it work.”

“Yeah, well, if anyone should have been in here when the fire started, it should have been me.”

She snorted. “Yes, because you control fate, E. Fate or circumstance or whatever you want to call it. Sometimes shitty stuff happens. But it didn’t this time. Now we have to deal with the outcome. Luckily we’re all okay. Let’s focus on that, okay?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the low throbbing of a headache already forming.

“Jamie.” Claire’s surprised voice was muffled as Lassiter pulled her into a bear hug.

I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him since he still had a few more days in Seattle, but the fact he was here, when the restaurant I’d poured my heart and soul into was in shambles, hit me deep in my core. We’d never actually ironed out what we were to each other yet. The on edge feeling I always had when he was around sparked through my system, tempered by the simple pleasure of knowing he was here for us. For me. Just like he’d come to the hospital for me, no questions asked.

I was so surprised seeing him, I could barely get the question out. “What are you doing here?”

When he released her, his smile shifted my way. It was a real smile, the one where his eyes crinkled around the edges, and I felt a little of the weight I’d been carrying around since the fire fade away. He pulled me close, his unspoken words asking for permission. At the moment I didn’t have it in me to fight whatever feeling flooded my system as he brushed his lips over mine and pulled back. The lump of emotion that settled in my throat made it impossible to speak so I kept my mouth shut as Jamie released me but kept me close against his side.

“I figured I’d spend the rest of my trip with my two favorite Martins and help out however I can.”

Claire smiled as she reached out to squeeze his hand. “Thanks, Jamie.”

“Anytime, Claire.”

His attention shifted back to me, his expression almost pleading in its intensity. “Trevor’s using this time to explore Woodinville and Olympic National Park, and I’ve cancelled the rest of the scheduled publicity crap I was supposed to do. So, I’m here. For as long as you need me.”

I tried to push down the slight flutter of hope his words made me feel.
Fuck off
,
Trevor.
Jamie won this round.
Even though he’d done Jamie a solid and dug into the shitty and illegal goings-on at Lassiter Corp, we’d never be friends. Not as long as he wanted what was mine.

The possessive feeling pushed away the lingering unease that had plagued me since the fire.
Mine.
For as long as he’d have me, Jamie Lassiter was mine.

“Ethan?”

I pulled him close and wrapped my arms around him. His familiar scent filled my senses as I leaned in to brush my lips over his neck and whispered, “I’ll take as much time as you’ll give me. I am a selfish bastard, after all.” He was mine, dammit. And I wasn’t going to let Trevor, Lassiter Senior, or a fire take that away from me. I pulled back and knew he understood exactly how selfish I wanted to be when I saw a faint flush spread over his face.

I turned my face to hide my smile, then waved my hand toward the back of the kitchen. “We need to grab anything personal that didn’t get damaged in the fire. Cal had pictures of his family in his office, plus most of the employees probably had stuff in their lockers.” I looked down at the floor as my voice broke. “Even if the place doesn’t reopen, I’d at least like to do this for them.”

Jamie’s hand slid into mine. “Yes, Chef.” His cheeky grin sent heat flooding my system as I bit back a moan.

“Really?” I should have been embarrassed at the way my voice cracked on the single word, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. In that moment, I would have given my left nut for five minutes alone with him in the storeroom. Scratch that. Five minutes wasn’t nearly long enough for what I wanted to do with him.

Jamie’s lips quirked into a smirk. “Don’t get too attached to me calling you that. But since this is your place, you’re the boss. I’ll indulge you today.” He paused and looked around at the damage in front of us. “Where should we start first? I’m at your disposal, just tell me what you want me to do.”

As I looked around the dining room Cal had operated for so many years, the sense of loss pushed away anything but somber acceptance.

I shrugged, not knowing where to start and looked to Claire for help. Before I could answer Jamie, she leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “I’m glad he’s here.”

I nodded at Claire’s words as I glanced back over at him. “Me too.”

* * *

An hour later, my cell rang. “Hey, Bossman, Viv keeping you busy with holding down the recliner?”

Cal’s lack of amusement carried through the earpiece. “I’ve been threatened with banishment every time I think about moving, but I’m otherwise okay. How are Claire and Tyler doing?”

I walked into the dining room, closing the kitchen door behind me for privacy.

“Claire just has a nagging cough from the smoke and Tyler’s got a guilt trip from hell that he didn’t save the world in addition to saving my sister’s life. Other than that, they’re pretty good.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Ethan. Well, not the guilt part. Tyler is a hero. Listen, I’m trying to get a hold of everyone. I need to have a meeting with the full staff as soon as possible at Za Za’s.”

“Everything okay, Cal?”

He laughed, and the sound was so good to hear after everything that had happened. “Yeah, everything is good, Ethan. Don’t worry. But can you pass along the message to Claire and Tyler for me? Make sure your Jamie is there too. This involves his father’s company and the stuff his assistant turned up. See you in a half an hour.”

“Sure, Boss.”

As the call disconnected, anxiety battled with dread in the pit of my stomach. Even though Cal hadn’t passed along any bad news, a full staff meeting meant something was up. Something he hadn’t wanted to discuss with me before the meeting, which was unusual.

“Everything okay?” Jamie’s worried voice behind me shook me out of my reverie.

“Yeah, Cal wants to have a staff meeting in thirty minutes.” I looked at my watch. “We only got a few more lockers to clean out anyhow and I want to buy Tyler lunch just to say thanks. The kid eats like a horse.”

Jamie surveyed Tyler and nodded. “Teenagers can pack it away. He’s a good kid. I’ve tried to tell him he doesn’t have to call me Chef Lassiter anymore.”

“He’s a little starstruck.” I shrugged. “After all, you are James-Beard-award-winning, FoodTV-starring, cookbook-peddling James Lassiter,” I teased. “You give good cookbook, by the way.”

“I’m just me, Ethan.” He sounded serious, so I pulled him close for a brief kiss, resting my forehead against his as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

“I happen to like just you, Lassiter. All the fancy shit is hot, but yeah. I know what’s under the apron.” My smirk deepened as he stared at me with a healthy amount of lust tempered with affection. My wandering hands froze at the top of his ass, fingers hooked into the belt loops of his jeans when Claire spoke.

“Break it up, you two. I’m starving and you may have a mutiny on your hands if you don’t feed me soon.”

I flipped her off after I pulled back.

“Love you too, Clairebear. Cal wants to have lunch and a staff meeting with everyone at Za Za’s. Can you survive until then, Short Stack?”

She punched my arm and I winced. “As long as I don’t have to buy lunch, Big Brother.”

“Yeah, I know you’re okay when you regain your Hulk punch.”

“And, I know you’re okay when you’re trying to weasel your way into Jamie’s pants.”

“Weasels? You wound me, Claire. Even I’m not that kinky.” I snapped, then yelped when she punched me again as we headed for the door.

* * *

Two hours later, I stood next to Cal at the front of the dining room at Za Za’s as we waited for the full staff assembled before us to quiet down. As my glance moved around the room, I felt warmth settle in my chest as Jamie caught my eye and smiled.

Cal cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him. His mocha skin was paler than normal, the freckles sprinkled over his cheeks more pronounced along with the dark circles under his eyes. Worry for the man who wasn’t just my boss but the man who’d served as my surrogate father for the last eight years brought back the tension headache I’d tried to subdue earlier.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here at the last minute. It’s much appreciated.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve owned Sharpe’s for over thirty years and this is the first time we’ve had to close for an extended time. I know by now you’ve heard the rumors. I called this meeting to clear them up. Just let me say the decisions I’ve made were not made lightly and I had to balance my health with the well-being of all of you. The restaurant is a business but the people who work here as a family are what make it important.”

I shifted my weight and leaned against the wall next to Cal, crossing my arms over my chest.

“There’s a large corporation expressing interest in buying this restaurant. I’ve told them I was not interested and have reiterated time and time again I wasn’t looking to sell to a large company. It’s unclear what really went on, and, I don’t really want to speculate. But after consulting with several lawyers, Lassiter Corporation has agreed to settle and has offered to pay a large lump sum. The one caveat is I cannot sue Lassiter Corporation. Ultimately, what I’m telling you today is the end of it all, apart from the police’s own investigation.”

Anger surged through my system at his words. “That’s total bullshit, Cal.”

Shouts and protests among the crowd grew until Cal waved his arms and barked, “Settle down, everyone. I’m not finished. You too, Ethan.”

I forced out a deep breath.

Cal smiled as he met my eyes. “I signed an agreement saying I wouldn’t press legal action against them. But I may have made a few phone calls to some friends who might be looking into it. Proof may have anonymously been delivered to Seattle PD, as well.”

I cracked a smile. “You cagey bastard.”

“There’s a reason I sit in the big chair, Ethan.” He leaned closer to me and lowered his voice so that I was the only one who heard his next words. “One of the stipulations I asked for in the agreement is Reed Jackson’s position be terminated. I’ve heard several charges are pending on his links to illegal activity and business practices. All of which Lassiter Corporation’s heads are denying. From the sound of it, Douglas Lassiter is throwing anyone and everyone under the bus to save his own ass and his company’s image.”

“Of course. It’d be bad publicity for them if word got out.”

His expression grew serious. “Now, what I’m about to say might be upsetting. But you have to understand I need to do what’s best for my health and my family, Ethan.”

He cleared his throat again and when he spoke, his voice cracked with emotion. “It’s with great sadness I’m announcing my retirement. I’m not reopening Sharpe’s on Fifth in the near future, and its current incarnation may never reopen again. There is no way for me to sell the restaurant at this time with pending investigations and legal matters still unsettled and I can’t sell it to you like I’d originally planned.”

“Cal...” I whispered as I felt my stomach plummet and the last remaining hope at buying Sharpe’s die.

“Ethan, trust me in this, okay? I’ve never steered you wrong and I refuse to let you buy my lemon of a burnt-out restaurant.”