Chapter Text
Three hours later Owen Strand was on the receiving end of death glares from not only his own son, but also Andrea Reyes and Michelle Blake.
And if there were two women who had ever scared him to death, it was those two.
“What in the actual fuck did you do?” Michelle hissed out, moving to stand in front of him and cutting him off from actually entering the hospital.
He could see TK shaking his head behind her, Andrea reaching out to pull him into a tight hug as tears rolled down his face.
“I didn’t do anything Michelle.” He whispered, watching as she furrowed her brow before reaching out and grabbing his shirt collar, dragging him further away from the hospital entrance.
“I will kill you.” He had never seen her this mad, this enraged, and it not only scared him, but it broke his heart. “Talk. Now.”
“I didn’t do it Michelle. I’m not the arsonist.” He was so tired of this bullshit and after having just spent three hours explaining everything to more people than he could ever remember, he was tired of talking about it. “I… it was all just a ploy.”
“A ploy? A ploy?!” She was waving her hands wildly as she shouted at him, earning them a curious look from a young couple who looked like they were ready to run. “My best-friend is in surgery because he broke his leg in two places trying to escape a fucking fire. A fire, that was set by an arsonist. An arsonist, who was supposed to be behind bars?!”
“Gabriel’s team had a plan.” He felt like he was going to collapse and he figured this was probably the best place to do it if it was going to happen. “They had me take the fall publicly so that we could lure the real arsonist out. And it worked.”
“At the expense of your son and my best friend?!” The anger in her words was warranted, but it still made him take a step back. “Why in God’s name would either one of you think that this was a good idea?!”
“Because we thought that Billy was the arsonist.” The lightbulb clicked for Michelle somewhere between the other man’s name and word arsonist and Owen watched as all the fight left her body. “Billy would never intentionally hurt anyone. Not physically anyway.”
Michelle rolled her eyes at him and he sighed.
“Gabriel told me that you two had a rather… unfortunate relationship.” He knew from the start that things between them had been rocky, but she had never shared details and he had never asked.
“He was an asshole and he ruined my life.” He hated bringing this up, he hated having to dredge up those memories. “But you’re right… he never physically hurt me.”
“So when the two girls died in the fire the other day, Gabriel got really suspicious.” He had to make her understand, he had to make her see. “Conveniently, I was in an interrogation room at the same time, so he knew it wasn’t me.”
“But no one else knew that?” She was starting to get it, hopefully. “You tricked us, you tricked everyone.”
“Gabriel thought it would work, and it did.” He sighed as he rubbed at his face. “But unfortunately for us, Billy wasn’t working alone.”
“He had a partner?” He nodded his head as he watched the gears in Michelle’s head turn.
“While I was locked up, the arsonist struck again, starting the fire at Carlos and TK’s apartment.” It broke his heart to say those words because he knew now that they were only targeted out of revenge at him and Gabriel. “When Gabriel and I arrived at the fire, Billy was outside. He was the one who called 911.”
“Why would he call 911 for a fire that he had just set?” Owen had wondered the same damn thing at first. “I mean, I know he’s a narcissist, but your son was inside. The son of a Texas Ranger was in there. He’s not that stupid, nor does he like the limelight that much.”
“Billy didn’t set that fire Michelle.” It almost felt like a weight was lifted off his chest when he said that and he didn’t know why. “Detective Raymond did.”
“The arson investigator?” Michelle’s face mirrored his when Billy had laid it all out for them earlier, her jaw nearly hitting the floor just like his had.
“He was the brains of the operation, Billy was his errand boy.” She shook her head as she started to pace, her hands going to her hips as she furrowed her brow and took a deep breath. “Billy set the first few fires, the innocent ones. And he set the fire at the garden center because Detective Raymond told him it was a good target. He listened. But he didn’t know that those two girls were inside.”
“Raymond did?” She snapped her head up and eyed him softly, sighing when he nodded his head.
“He did. And he lied to Billy about the fact that no one would get hurt.” His brain was starting to hurt from having to remember all these details. “Raymond had an alibi, he was with me in an interrogation room, but Billy didn’t. After word got out that those two girls had died Billy went to Raymond and threatened to go to the Rangers.”
“But he didn’t?” The confusion on her face made it all too obvious that he was going to have to go there.
“They had me in custody, which Billy didn’t take too kindly too, because, well, I wasn’t the arsonist.” He sighed as he shook his head. “He and Raymond got into a fight and I guess the good detective said some stuff that Billy didn’t like, so he stormed out and went to call the cops.”
“Did he? Did they go after Raymond?” He shook his head back and forth and she huffed.
“He tried, but they didn’t believe him. They had the guy remember? Me.” And everyone seemed to believe it was him once he started taking the fall for it, even cops who should’ve known better. “So they blew Billy off. When Raymond got word that he was trying to get him in trouble, he told him he would pay. And then he hung up.”
“So why set fire to Carlos’ condo? What did he gain from that?” She whispered her question and he could see her heart breaking.
“He told Billy to meet him at an address, that he was going to turn himself in, but first, he wanted to show him something.” He had thought that Billy was a little bit of an idiot for believing the man, but he probably owed the guy something for more than likely saving his son’s, and Carlos’, life. “When Billy got there the condo was already on fire. He called 911 to report it and the man on the other end mentioned that it was Officer Carlos Reyes’ place.”
“Billy knew.” He reached out for her elbow and pulled her close, watching as she shook her head. “He knew from the instant that he got that address where he was going Owen, Carlos has lived there for years, we’ve been there before. He’s playing you.”
“Maybe he is Michelle, maybe he knew that it was Carlos’ place. Maybe he could have stopped the fire from happening if he had been earlier and been prepared. I don’t know.” And he didn’t know, because for once in his life he didn’t have any fucking answers. “But he still called 911 and he ran inside with me and helped get them out. He couldn’t have fled the scene, he could have pushed me into the burning flames, but he didn’t.”
“He needs to be punished for what he did Owen!” He was well aware of that, especially now. “He doesn't get a free pass just because he saved your son’s life. He was involved. This is just as much his fault as it is Detective Raymond’s.”
“I know that Michelle.” He felt her body relax a little when he agreed with her. “And he will. He’s under arrest now, selling his soul to the devil for a deal that allows him to live out his time with medical care. He gave up Raymond, he gave up all their evidence. Their texts, their emails, everything. The Rangers have all of it right now and they're combing through it.”
“And Detective Raymond?” She looked up at him with soft, sorrowful eyes and all he could do was nod.
“Sitting in the cell next to him.” He knew that Gabriel had taken entirely too much pleasure in throwing that smug bastard behind those bars earlier. “Gabriel arrested him and brought him just before he came here.”
“And it’s over? No more madness? No more nonsense?” He shook his head back and forth slowly.
“It’s over. That’s it.” He was shocked that it all seemed to end a thousand times easier than it had began, but alas, here they were. “Now it’s just a matter of whether they go to trial. But my name has been cleared and everything is as kosher as it can be.”
“What about Carlos and TK, Owen? Nothing about what happened to them is kosher.” He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
He knew that this was going to take a lot to recover from, both for him and the boys, as well as everyone around them, but they had to start somewhere.
“You and Gabriel are the reason this happened to them.” He knew that and boy did it hurt. “Raymond may have set the fire, Billy may have bought him the items he needed to do it, but he never would have gone after them if you two hadn’t cooked up this stupid idea.”
“I know Michelle.” He whispered, his whole body finally feeling the weight of it all as he leaned forward, the woman’s hands on his shoulders the only thing keeping him up. “Trust me, we know.”
“You had just gotten him to forgive you.” She whispered, her hands steady and firm against his biceps as she moved them down in order to hold him in place.
Her eyes were dark and tear filled when they locked with his and he nodded.
“I know.” He couldn’t believe his dumb luck. “This is my fault Michelle. I… I don’t know what else to say.”
She didn’t respond with words, instead, her hands let him go but only long enough to wrap her arms around his waist tightly, hugging him to her as she buried her face against his shoulder.
Owen wanted to say something, anything, because he knew that he should, but he was also afraid that anything and everything he said at this point would be wrong, so he bit his lip and wrapped his arms around her as well, holding her close as he took a few deep breaths.
He knew what guilt felt like.
He knew what it was like to have it linger over your head.
But this time, he was pretty sure that guilt was just going to consume him whole.