Falling Awake

twelve months ago, she told herself. Her weight-training instructor would be proud.
    Without warning Ellis appeared out of nowhere. “I’ve got him.” He took hold of the injured man. “I called the cops. They’re on the way.” Sirens finally sounded in the distance.
    She sucked in fresh air. “I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life.”
    “Looks like you had things under control.” He lowered the attendant to a sitting position. “Like I told Lawson. Nerves of steel.”
    She started to ask him why he had said that to Lawson but broke off when she saw the limp form of the man who had tried to lock her and the attendant inside the burning unit.
    “That’s him,” she said hoarsely. “The guy who tried to fry us. How did you know?”
    “He was running out when I came running in. Didn’t think it looked good. I asked him about you. He didn’t even stop.” Ellis shrugged. “So I decked him. Figured I could always apologize later.”
    “Don’t worry,” she said tightly. “You won’t have to do that.”
    The sirens were closer now. But she knew they would not make it in time to save her very beautiful, very expensive, very uninsured furniture from the flames.

26
    e llis lounged on one of the kitchen counter chairs and watched the scene taking place in the living room. Leila, Farrell and Tamsyn formed a tight group around Isabel, who sat on the sofa with Sphinx huddled in her lap.
    “I’m all right,” Isabel assured them for the hundredth time. “Really. Not even singed. And so is that poor attendant. The real Tom.”
    Isabel’s sister, brother-in-law and friend had burst through the front door only minutes after they received word of the events out at Roxanna Beach Self Storage. They had made it clear that they were there to provide comfort and support to Isabel and that Ellis was not part of the intimate circle. He had been neatly edged out of the picture within seconds of their arrival.
    None of them knew and probably wouldn’t have cared thathis insides were colder than the far side of the moon and his mind was filled with screaming, waking nightmares of what had almost happened out at the storage facility.
    He watched Isabel as she compulsively stroked Sphinx and explained what had happened. He was accustomed to being excluded. Hell, he had engineered his entire life so he could keep a safe distance from just this kind of situation, one saturated with emotion and intimacy. Better to stand just outside the zone. Better to maintain his status as an outsider.
    But even as he told himself that this was the way he wanted it, he knew he was lying. It was too late to pretend that he could drive off into the sunset when this was all over.
    “Thank God the attendant was not a huge man,” Leila said, shuddering at the thought. “You might not have been able to haul him out of the unit.”
    Tamsyn shook her head. “I’ve heard it’s absolutely amazing what you can do when the adrenaline kicks in.”
    Farrell looked grim. “Nevertheless, there are limits. That guy can thank his lucky stars that Isabel is in good shape.”
    It occurred to Ellis that none of the three had berated Isabel for taking the risk of going back into the burning locker to rescue the attendant. He studied their faces one by one and realized why. Each of them understood what Isabel had done because under similar circumstances, they would have attempted to do the same thing.
    These were good people, he thought. They might not hold a high opinion of him, but he gave all of them a thumbs-up.

    Tamsyn’s attractive face tightened into an anxious frown. “What about the bastard who started the fire and tried to lock you and the attendant inside?”
    “Thanks to Ellis, he’s in jail,” Isabel said. “The detective in charge of the investigation said he hasn’t talked yet, but they’re sure that he will eventually.”
    Farrell gave Ellis a considering look. Then he quietly detached himself from the group and walked to the counter.
    “I want to have a word with you outside,” he said in a low voice.
    Ellis nodded and got to his feet. He had a hunch he knew what was coming.
    They went out onto the front porch and stood at the railing for a while. Ellis put on his sunglasses.
    “I want to know what the hell is going on here,” Farrell said evenly. “My wife had a background check run on you this morning. Everything she found indicates that you’re a legitimate businessman. But I’m not buying