Jaci Burton - Hope Flames

He let the dogs out, put Annie in her crate for the night, then changed clothes, and headed for the clinic.

He’d talk Emma into going to Tulsa and eating at Denny’s. A late breakfast sounded great to him about now, and if she’d worked late, he knew she’d be hungry, too.

EMMA STARED AT Vaughn for what seemed like hours. He looked . . . older. But still vital. Still as powerful as he always had. Tall and lean, but with sharp dark eyes and salt-and-pepper hair, with a goatee.

She’d once found him so handsome. Now? Now he just represented misery. Fear. Mistakes. Horror.

He took a step forward. She took a step back. He halted.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said, hearing the crack in her voice. He’d use that against her.

He held up his hands. “I just want to talk.”

“We have nothing to say to each other. And you need to leave.” Her heart hammered in her chest, that old fear resurfacing. She’d fought so hard to get past it—to get past him—and now it all came rushing back.

Why was he here?

“I just wanted to apologize for . . . for everything.”

His words were empty, devoid of any real emotion. How could she have ever believed anything he said to her? Had she really been that naïve? The man had no heart, no real feelings for anything or anyone other than what made him happy, what suited his purposes.

She kept moving backward, needing the safety of the reception counter, a barrier between the two of them. “Vaughn. You need to leave. Now.”

“Not until you listen to what I have to say.”

There was something in his eyes, something she’d never noticed before. A disconnect, as if he wasn’t really even speaking to her, or even seeing her.

“I thought you had moved out of Oklahoma.”

He looked past her and let out a short laugh. “Yeah, after I lost my job, I did for a while.” Then he lifted his gaze to hers. “Did you know that you cost me my job, Emma?”

He would blame her for that. For what he’d done. He’d always blamed her. And for so long, she’d accepted the blame. Not anymore. She straightened, refusing to cower in front of him.

Never again.

“You didn’t lose your job at the university because of me, Vaughn. You have to take responsibility for what you did.”

He moved suddenly and the reception desk was blocked. She backed toward her office, where her purse was. Where her gun was. She needed to get to her gun. Vaughn wasn’t being reasonable. Had he ever been reasonable? Had she ever been able to stop him when he was determined to have—to take—whatever he wanted?

She wasn’t the person she was back then. She wasn’t under his thumb, under his control, any longer. And she’d never be again.

She took a deep breath, centering herself to find the calm balance she needed to confront him. “Let’s go sit down, have something cold to drink. Then you can tell me whatever it is you want to tell me.”

He tilted his head to the side and studied her, and once again she was struck by that faraway look in his eyes.

“Okay.”

She waited while he caught up to her, and it took everything in her not to run from him. Just being this close to him made her nauseous as the past rushed back to her. She forced it away, staying in the here and now.

“So you work here?”

“Yes.”

“It’s what you always wanted to do.”

“Yes, it is.” She had to fight to keep her voice under control, not to tremble because he was so close to her.

She opened the door to her office. He walked in and looked around. Picked up a few files, then walked to the window before turning around to face her, his hands clasped behind his back. It reminded her so much of him standing at the front of the classroom. He’d been so commanding back when she was a lovestruck freshman. She’d hung on his every word, and he’d hooked her like a starving fish.

“So . . . you have an office. You’ve really come up in the world, Emma. You’re a success.”

“I’m just starting out.”

“Still, you’re on your own. Do you think you can make it without someone to take care of you?” He came around the desk and this time, she refused to cower or step back. “You always needed someone to look after you. You liked it when I did.”

No, she hadn’t, but she had no idea of his current state of mind, so she kept her opinions to herself.

She tilted her head back, met his gaze. “How about we have something to drink?”

“I don’t suppose you have wine in that mini fridge of yours,” he said, taking a seat.

She managed a smile. “No. Soda or water.”

“Maybe we can go back to your place. I stopped there first looking for you, but you weren’t home, so I came here.”

He knew where she lived. She wondered how long he’d been stalking her. “So . . . soda or water?”

“You’re not inviting me back to your home. Is your boyfriend there?”

She shifted past him and reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water, unscrewed the top and held on to the bottle to keep her hands from shaking. Now she was next to her desk, inches away from the drawer that held her purse. And her gun. “That’s none of your business. Just like my life is none of your business anymore.”

“You’re brave now, Emma. Braver than you used to be. You used to let me control everything.”

She took a seat at her desk, using her knee to nudge the drawer. “That was a long time ago.” She took a sip of water.

“Not so long ago. What changed between us?”

“I think you know what happened.”

“Yes. You betrayed me.”

“I didn’t betray you, Vaughn. I ended our relationship. Now I’d like you to leave.” She nudged the drawer open farther.

He laughed, his tone growing more menacing. She didn’t want to have to take out the gun, but so help her she would if he made one move out of that chair.

“That didn’t work out too well for you before, little girl. You trying to tell me what to do. What makes you think it’ll work out so well for you now?”

“Because I’m here to back her up. Now get the hell up out of that chair before I kick your ass.”

Emma’s gaze shot to the doorway.

Luke.

LUKE DIDN’T KNOW what the hell was going on, or who this guy was making threats against Emma, but based on the bits of conversation he’d picked up as he walked down the hall, he’d already figured out two things. One, Emma knew the guy, and two, she didn’t like him and wanted him out of her clinic. That was enough information for him to know he had to get this guy out of there in a hurry.

Seemingly unconcerned about Luke’s arrival, the guy stood. He was tall and lean, with a graying goatee. Looked like an academic type to Luke, and he had a sneaking suspicion it might be Vaughn, which sent his radar up to high. He laid his hand on the butt of his gun.

“You must be the boyfriend. I’m Vaughn Castille.” Vaughn extended a hand that Luke ignored.

“I’m pretty sure Emma asked you to leave.”

Vaughn resumed his seat with a smirk. “Emma doesn’t always know what she wants.”

“I know exactly what I want, just like I knew exactly what I wanted six years ago when I took out a restraining order against you to get you out of my life.”

Luke pulled out his gun and pointed it at Vaughn.

Seemingly unconcerned by the gun pointed at him, Vaughn laughed. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Ignoring him, Luke held the gun on Vaughn, pulled out his phone, and punched a button. “This is McCormack. I’m off duty, and I need a black-and-white at the Hope Small Animal Hospital on the highway. Violation of a restraining order . . . Yeah, I’ve got it under control until you send someone here.”

He hung up and kept the gun trained on Vaughn, who wouldn’t look at him, his gaze fixed on Emma, who in turn couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away from Vaughn.

“Emma,” Luke said. “Come over here with me.”

She didn’t respond.

“Emma,” he said again. She finally dragged her gaze to his. “Come over here.”

She nodded, grabbed her purse out of the drawer, and went over to Luke.

“See how she obeys you? You haven’t changed much at all in that respect, have you, Emma?”

That seemed to pull her out of whatever trance she’d been in. She narrowed her gaze and made a move toward him. “Screw you, Vaughn.”

Luke grasped her arm and shoved her behind him. “Emma. Stay there.”

He heard the sirens, and Blake Howard came in.

“This your guy?” Blake asked.

“Yeah. Dr. Emma Burnett has a restraining order against him. Vaughn Castille.”

Blake jerked Vaughn toward him, flipped him around and cuffed him, then did a pat down to check for weapons. Once he was secured, Blake looked over at Luke. “I’ll take care of him.”

Luke nodded. “Thanks.”

“I’ll see you again, Emma,” Vaughn said.

Luke leaned toward him. “No, asshole, you won’t.”

Vaughn smirked. “I’ll definitely see you again.”

Emma turned away as Blake took Vaughn outside.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Emma nodded, and Luke went outside to talk to Blake. “Make sure that bastard stays locked up.”

“No problem. If he’s violated a restraining order, he won’t get out tonight. Or hopefully anytime soon.”

After Blake drove away, Luke went back inside. Emma was still leaning against the hallway wall, clutching her purse against her chest.

“Emma.”

Her gaze shot to his. “Thanks. I’m fine.”

“I know you are. Let’s go home.”

He followed her home, staying on her bumper the entire time. She drove slowly, really slowly, and he knew she was in shock. He should have left her truck and put her in his cruiser, but it wasn’t a long drive to the house, so he figured she could handle it. Plus, doing something routine would make her focus.