Hot Coffee (The Hollens) novel Chapter 54

Ethan's POV

"Don't bullshit me, cop. I have a mechanic who services my vehicles every month. I didn't have any leak. If I did, I would've smelled gasoline before leaving home with the car!"

I was in a fit of rage because this stupid cop kept telling me that the explosion was an accident caused by a leak in my gas tank. I knew damn well that I didn't have a leak. I couldn't have a leak when that car was newly bought just two weeks ago. I loved my cars as if they were my children and I gave them the best servicing in the world from top to bottom, exterior to interior.

"Mr. Hollen, calm down; we're looking into it for further investigation."

"Where's my fiancee?"

"She's just outside this door having a glass of water."

"She's pregnant and I don't want her being upset anymore. Can we leave now?"

"Yes. We'll call you when further information soon."

"Uh huh."

I stood up and went to find my woman. I had already called Luis to pick us up.

"Baby, are you alright?" I asked, rubbing her back and wiping away a single tear from her eye.

"I want to go home," she answered, softly.

"Luis is on the way. He should be here any minute now."

"I can't believe that the car exploded. What if you hadn't pulled me out in time? What if I was trapped with my seat belt and I was burned alive with the babies? What if—"

"Emma, baby, stop this. I am not going to let anything happen to you and the babies. I'm here for you now and I'm not going anywhere. Everything will be alright."

"Everything is not going to be alright! Your mother is dead, Sharon is missing, and someone is out to get us. I don't believe the explosion was an accident. You recently bought that car!"

"Shh. I know that."

"I don't feel safe in my own bed. I had a terrible nightmare last night; someone shot me in the head, Ethan! I couldn't see the person's face but a gun was raised to my head and I was shot!" she cried.

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"We have to find Sharon. We can't wait until she shows her face to us. I believe she's back and she's out for a kill," I said to Detective Sam when he came over to my house.

"Is Sharon capable of doing such?"

"Anyone is capable of doing anything. I underestimated the woman. She took my revolver and my mother was shot with one. She is still missing but I believe she's right under our noses, Sam. Emma is pregnant again; I don't want anything to happen to her and my children. I need you to find her."

"We've never stopped trying to, but she's untraceable."

"Well, what about fake identities? She is wanted in both countries. She must have changed her appearance and identity."

"You're right about that. But even if she did, she's made it even harder for us because we won't know where to begin. There're billion of names out there, she could have any one."

I heaved a frustrated sigh and sat down on the couch with a beer. 

"Don't worry, we'll find her."

"Please do. I'm not comfortable in my own house."

"Well, how about going away for a while?"

"No. I'm not taking that chance if she's not captured. I'd rather keep Emma here where there're security and alarm systems and cameras."

"Okay then. I should head back to the station. I'll call you once I find out anything." 

He left.

He'd come over to tell me that the gas pipe beneath my car had been tampered with and there was a timed lighter on the ground, right underneath it. The leakage ran to the lighter and, when the timer went off and the lighter sparked, the car caught fire immediately. It was heaven's work that Emma caught the smell just in time or the four of us would of been toast.

I kept thinking about the nightmare she had last night. She was shot to the head by an unseen face. I paced the room back and forth. She knew Sharon and she knew what Sharon looked like, so why she couldn't see her face?

My mind recalled what Luis said to me when we were in Italy: "There could be an inside enemy."

Someone who's working close with Sharon, telling her our every move and intel. But who would do something like that? My employees were loyal.

I went to the study and turned on my office computer and logged into my security cameras for clues. There was footage of Halley in the kitchen, the chef making dinner, Emma by the pool, security on the grounds, Hannah mopping the floors, Emma reading a book in the living room, Halley dusting the wall pictures, Anton talking to the other guards, the chef making pancakes, Hannah talking on the phone, Halley talking on the phone, Emma on the phone.

No one looked suspicious. Everyone looked like they were just going about their routines and responsibilities, minding their own business.

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Sharon's POV