Burning Up: Firefighter Contemporary Romance Series Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

“I’m staying at the Ritz Carlton,” he said, pressing a card into my hand. “This is my room number. Bring Oliver to me by tomorrow night, or I promise you Chelsea, I will come and get him myself, and you really don’t want me to do that.”

  Rick grabbed ahold of my shoulders, yanking me backward and dropping me on my ass. I crumpled to the floor like a rag doll, my head spinning and my vision blurring as he left the restroom.

  Then everything went black.

  Ooo000ooo

  “Chelsea, you in there? Break’s over, sweetheart,” Mike’s voice pulled me out of the darkness.

  He was banging on the bathroom door. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out, and it took me a second to remember where I was. Grabbing ahold of the sink, I lifted myself off the floor, even with my head spinning. The floor was covered in blood and so was I.

  I held myself up on the sink and looked in the mirror. My nose was busted, and dried blood caked the front of my face.

  “God dammit, Chelsea,” Mike yelled from outside. “I know you’re in there. I’m coming in if you don’t answer.”

  “I’ll be right out,” I stammered.

  Turning on the water, I splashed water on my face. Reaching for a paper towel, I did my best to wipe most of it off, flinching as I touched my broken nose.

  “We need you up front, NOW,” Mike ordered.

  There was no way I could go back to work. Not like this. Even if I could clean myself up, my head was still spinning, both from my injuries and what had just happened.

  Rick had found me.

  Losing my job was no longer a concern for me. I’d be quitting anyway. I needed to get as far away from there as possible, and I needed to do it fast. Taking a deep breath, I pushed all my fears aside and walked out of the bathroom. There was a back entrance/exit that few people knew about. It was safer than going out the front.

  I headed toward the back when someone grabbed my arm. My instinct, at this point, was to fight, so I swung around with my fist.

  “Let go of me!” I screamed.

  Mike grabbed my hand before it came into contact with his face. He scowled at me, but when he caught sight of my face, his eyes softened a bit.

  “What the hell happened to you?” he asked.

  “None of your business,” I said, pulling my hand free. “I need to go.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “We’re short-staffed and--”

  I didn’t even listen to the rest of his speech, I was hobbling toward the exit. There was only one goal in mind. I’d take the tips I’d made from that night and get the first bus out of there for Oliver and myself. This job could suck it for all I cared, it was no longer safe for me to work there.

  It was no longer safe for Ollie and I to live in New York City.

  “Chelsea, you can’t just walk out. If you walk out that door, you’re fired.”

  The son of a bitch didn’t even care that I was beaten to hell. Signs on the door said, “Emergency Exit Only - Alarm Will Sound.”

  I didn’t care. I pushed on the door, turning the knob. It was heavy, but it opened, just as alarms sounded around us. The ringing hurt my ears, causing my head to throb and nausea to overcome me. Bending over, I threw up in the alley.

  Getting out of there, was all I could think about.

  I hurried down the dark alley, my entire body shaking as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. Normally, I took the bus or the train, but tonight, I couldn’t even read the schedule without feeling sick to my stomach. Pulling out my phone, I called the only person I knew who could come get me at this time of night.

  “Finn,” I choked on the words when he answered the phone, “I need help.”

  Ooo000ooo

  “Jesus, Chelsea. We need to get you to a hospital,” Finn said as I slipped into the front seat of the car. “What happened?”

  Ollie’s voice piped up from the back. “You okay, mommy?”

  “I’m okay, baby,” I said, resting my head on the back of the seat. It was such a relief to be safe in the car with Finn, and to know my baby was safe. But the relief didn’t last for long. My head began swimming, and bile rose up in my throat. I managed to swallow it down, reminding myself that I didn’t want to scare my son. I closed my eyes and counted to ten.

  “Chels?”

  “Yes?” I mumbled.

  “I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

  “No,” I snapped, cutting him off. “I’ll be fine. I just need to get out of here.”

  “Tell me what happened?” he asked.

  I opened my eyes, turning my gaze over to him in the driver’s seat. He held onto the steering wheel with both hands, the muscles in his arms tight. He looked over at me, his brow furrowed.

  “I have to leave New York, Finn,” I said. “He found me.”

  “Who found--” he stopped talking as the realization hit him. Slamming his hands against the steering wheel, he cursed under his breath, calling Rick a number of names I hoped Ollie wouldn’t pick up on. “Fine. First stop the ER, then the police statio.”

  “No,” I shouted. The word sliced through my head, causing me to cry out in pain.

  “Mommy?” Ollie said again.

  “Mommy is okay, baby. I just fell at work. Remember when you fell at the park last month?” I was trying so hard to divert his attention.

  “Uh huh.”

  “It’s like that. I’m a little sore now, but I’ll be just fine tomorrow.”

  And tomorrow, we will be in another state, far away from here, I told myself. I glanced back into the back seat, hoping the darkness shielded my damaged face from sight. My little boy stared back at me sleepily, holding onto the dinosaur stuffed animal he’d gotten earlier. My poor little man had been through so much, and it was all because of me. My poor choices in life. It killed me that he had to suffer like this.

  When I turned back around, I asked Finn. “Where are you going?”

  “The hospital,” he said.

  “No. There’s no time,” I said. I tried to keep my voice low so my son wouldn’t hear me. “We have to leave tonight.”

  “Your nose needs to be set Chelsea. And where would you even go, huh?” Finn asked me.

  “I--I don’t know. We’d figure something out.”

  “Do you have any money?”

  “I have my tips from tonight. It was pretty busy, so I probably have around three hundred dollars.”

  Finn scoffed, shaking his head. “No way am I letting you leave town looking like that, with only three hundred dollars in your pocket. We’re going to the hospital, Chelsea.”

  “I can’t stay here, Finn.”

  “And what happens to Ollie if you have a serious brain injury, Chelsea?” he said, turning his serious look at me. “You’ll be on a bus, in the middle of nowhere, with a little boy who depends on you. What happens to him if something happens to you?”

  I wanted to argue with him, to tell him to mind his own business. But he was right, and I knew it. Tears welled up in my eyes.

  “I don’t have any other choice, Finn,” I said.

  “Yes, you do,” he said. “You will stay with me.”

  “He’ll find us,” I whispered, wiping the tears from my eyes. “He knows I’m here, in New York. It’s only a matter of time before he finds out where we’re staying.”

  “So? Let him find us,” Finn said, “He’s not taking your son from you, Chels. I promise you that. I’ll protect you with my life.”

  “Finn, you have no idea who we’re dealing with here.”

  He pulled into a hospital parking lot and parked near the door. I tried arguing with him, but he got Ollie out of the car himself, and the two of them were standing outside, waiting for me. Finn had his hand outstretched.

  “Mommy, please,” Ollie said, his lower lip trembling.

  Seeing my son scared pained me more than anything Rick had done to me. Finn was determined to make me go inside.

  “I’m an EMT too, Chels, I can recognize the signs of a head injury when
I see them,” he said. “You’re in no shape to take care of Ollie alone.”

  He was right. Dammit, I knew he was right.

  “But we have to leave tonight,” I muttered.

  “You’re not going anywhere, Chelsea,” Finn said, taking my hand in his. “I’m not afraid of some coward who hits women.”

  He pulled me up out of the car, and I fell into his arms. My son was in his other arm, and I nestled my face into Finn’s chest, against Ollie.

  “I’ll protect you,” Finn said softly. “I’ll protect both of you.”

  Ooo000ooo

  I awoke with a start. Staring up at the ceiling, I tried to recall where I was and how I got there. It wasn’t the hospital, I knew that much. I moved to sit up, only to hear Finn’s voice, “Careful, there,” he said.

  He had a right to warn me. My head spun and I feared I might get sick. I laid back down, the room spinning around me. Slowly, the world stopped moving, but I didn’t dare sit back up.

  “Where am I?” I asked, my voice cracking.

  “You’re at my place,” he said. “The spare room, remember?”

  It began to click into place, slowly. I remembered going to the hospital, but much of my memory was foggy. I hardly remembered leaving.

  “Where is Ollie?”

  “He’s asleep on the couch,” he said softly. “He fell asleep watching cartoons.”

  Feeling a little more centered, I decide to try and sit up again. I needed to go to the bathroom, and my mouth was so dry. Grabbing ahold of Finn’s arm, I said, “I’m going to try and sit up. Will you help me?”

  Finn stood up and helped me to sit up straight. My head, surprisingly, cooperated.

  “They let me come home?” I asked.

  “As long as I could keep an eye on you, yes,” he said.

  “How long have you been sitting here staring at me me?” I asked.

  He looked at the time. “About three hours.”

  “Jesus, Finn,” I said, moving to get out of the bed. “I’m sorry for ruining your night.”

  “Where are you going?” he asked me, grabbing my arm to steady me.

  “I’m thirsty,” I said.

  “Here, let me get you some water.”

  “I also have to go to the bathroom, so unless you have a bucket you’d like to bring me, I need to get up,” I said.

  His hazel eyes were so full of concern, and I could see him trying to find a way for me to stay in bed.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, reaching for his hand to help me, just in case I wasn’t as steady as I thought. “The hospital wouldn’t have let me leave if I was that bad, right?”

  “I suppose not,” he muttered.

  As I began to wake up, I remembered more about the night before. It was still a blur, but the hospital part was pretty standard. Finn had tried to get me to file a police report, and I refused. Bringing the law into it would just get ugly.

  Rick knew people, and he’d get away with it. He always did. Men like him just had a way of sailing through the system, having everything go their way. He’d turn it around on me somehow, I had no doubt. He’d done it before. The last thing I needed was to be blamed for my own attack and to have him fight me for custody and win.

  Finn helped me to the bathroom, but I was feeling a lot better. We got to the bathroom door, and I turned to him with a smile. “Alright. I can do the rest on my own.”

  “You sure?” he asked me. “I’ve seen it all before, Chels, it’s no big deal--”

  I put my hand up to stop him. “It is to me, Finn. Let me have some privacy, please.”

  He nodded but didn’t go very far. He stayed outside the bathroom, not too far just in case I needed him. As I shut myself in the room, I caught sight of my face. My nose was bruised up, but apparently not broken. I’d gotten lucky there. Both eyes were also black and swollen. My bottom lip had a cut on it, deep enough that it might just scar. There were butterfly stitches holding it together for now.

  I looked pretty bad and felt even worse. Finn had been right about not leaving town last night. Most of the night was blurry, which meant I wasn’t in my right mind. What would have happened to Ollie had Finn not been there to care for him?

  But now that I was feeling better, maybe I could still run. I wasn’t 100%, but I was in my right mind at least. Oliver and I could get pretty far away before Rick realized we weren’t stopping by his hotel room.

  I finished my business in the bathroom, only to find Finn was not standing outside it as I suspected. I heard voices in the living room and followed them. Finn was on the floor, beside Ollie on the couch, talking to him in soft, hushed tones. Neither one saw me in the hallway, and I wanted to keep it that way. I was a scary sight to behold and didn’t want Oliver to see me like this. He’d seen enough the night before, but the bruising was worse now. I couldn’t avoid him forever, but I could let him get some rest.

  “Is mommy okay?” Ollie asked.

  “Yeah, she’s just fine, buddy,” Finn said. “She’s getting some rest, but she’s a strong lady. She’ll be back to normal in no time.”

  Ollie’s sleepy voice muttered something I couldn’t make out, but I heard Finn loud and clear.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll protect her, Oliver. I’ll protect both of you. Always.”

  My heart swelled inside my chest at hearing those words. I wanted nothing more than to run over to him, to wrap my arms around him and tell him I was never going to leave his side again.

  But that wasn’t something I could promise. Not now. Not ever, as long as Rick was still around. This time, he only meant to scare me into submission, but I knew the next time I wouldn’t get away so easily. There couldn’t be a next time. He couldn’t find me. Or else, I wouldn’t survive the next meeting with him, and Ollie would be raised by that monster.

  I turned to leave, but the sudden movement brought on another dizzy spell. I steadied myself against the wall, my hand knocking a picture frame. It fell from the wall, crashing to the floor and shattering into a million pieces.

  “What the--Chels--” Finn said, suddenly behind me. “Are you okay?”

  I didn’t answer, however. I didn’t want Ollie to see me like that. Not bruised and broken, and definitely not crying. I hurried down the hallway, down to our room and shut myself inside. I rested against the door until the dizziness subsided.

  Finn knocked on the door. “Chelsea, you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, wiping my eyes. “I’m sorry about the picture, but I’d really like to be alone for a bit.”

  “I dunno if that’s a good idea.”

  “I’ll be right here, Finn. I’ll call you if I need anything,” I said.

  “I’ll be back to check on you soon,” he said.

  “Okay,” I stammered. “Whatever you need to do. I just need some privacy.”

  Truthfully, I didn’t want Finn seeing me like that either. He had known me as a strong, defiant woman, and I wanted him to continue thinking of me like that. Not some broken, helpless mess of a woman. Clenching my eyes shut, I held back the tears until I heard his footsteps at the end of the hallway. He was talking to Ollie again, comforting him like I should have been doing. I was Oliver’s mom, and yet, I felt like my very presence might scare him even more.

  I’d never felt more useless in my life. The mess had been all my fault, I was sure of it. I was the reason Oliver’s life was a shithole, and deep down, I hated myself for it.

  Finn

  “Is mommy okay?”

  I was left standing in the hallway, staring at the closed door and confused more than ever before. I knew she wanted to protect her son, to prevent him from seeing her like that, but to completely shut me out as well, especially after scaring us both with her stumbling in the hallway? I wasn’t sure what to do.

  “Oh yeah, buddy,” I said, rubbing my chin and trying to think of something that would make the little boy feel better. “She’s just tired and needs some rest.”

  Oliver was no longer asleep on
the couch. He was staring at me with wide eyes, sitting upright and not looking the least bit tired. It was way too fucking early for me to be awake, but I had no other choice. The little guy needed me.

  “I want my mommy,” Ollie said, his lower lip trembling.

  “It’s okay, Ollie. You have me. Want to play some video games?” I grabbed a controller and handed it to him. He dropped it as soon as it was in his hands, and that’s when the real tears started to fall.

  I wasn't very good with crying. Not when Chelsea did it, and not when her son did it either. I had no idea how to comfort a crying child. His crying turned to sobbing.

  “I want my mommy,” he said again. “Please, Finn?”

  My heart broke for him. There was so much pain and fear in his eyes. He was too young to be this worried about his mother, he shouldn’t have to go through that. The thought of his asshole father doing that to them made my blood boil.

  “Alright, alright. I’ll be right back. Don’t move a muscle, you hear me?”

  Ollie nodded his head, his lip still trembling but his cheeks a bit drier. He wiped at his eyes and sniffled. I had to do something before the water works turned back on.

  I headed back down the hallway, toward my spare room. Chelsea had asked for some privacy, and she’d had a few minutes to compose herself. Hopefully it was enough.

  I knocked lightly. “Chels? Ollie is asking for you,” I said.

  She didn’t answer me. Right away, I feared the worst. There’s no way she wouldn’t answer me if her child was in need. The door didn’t have a lock, so I turned the door knob and entered the room.

  Chelsea was in bed, laying still as death, and completely naked. The blanket covered her more intimate parts except for part of her breasts. She looked beautiful lying there like an angel with her dark hair and pale skin. But was she breathing? I couldn’t tell. My pulse quickened, and before I knew it, I kicked into EMT mode.

  “Chelsea!” I called out, rushing to her side and dropping down beside her.

  Placing my hands on her chest, I felt her take in a deep breath. Relief washed over me.