Chapter 9The sight that greeted Ryan’s hazy awareness when he opened his eyes was chaotic at best. The explosion he’d heard was the incense burner shattering. Shards littered the tabletop and the floor around them. One had sliced Rachel’s jaw. She had her hand clamped over the cut, blood seeping through her tight fingers, as she hastily blew out the last of the candles. A shaken Johnny was tamping out the pieces of the incense that had gone flying. From the look of it, the tabletop would be dotted with scorch marks when they finished cleaning up.
On rubbery legs, Ryan lurched to the bathroom and wet a washcloth in the sink. His reflection wasn’t flattering. The bruise from the hose looked like it had bled beneath his skin, while his sweaty hair was plastered to his head, his eyes red-rimm
