Marine Firefighter

by M K Dwyer

  The last of the ropes fell away and Will picked her up. Due to the accelerant, the fire had spread rapidly through the kitchen, blocking their escape out the back. They moved towards the front door, Nikki in Will’s arms and Adam with his gun drawn and his head on a swivel covering their six. They believed Brandy acted alone, but they couldn’t be too cautious.

  Nikki moaned as she started to regain consciousness.

  “Shhhh, baby. I’m here. I’m going to get you out of here and to a hospital. You’re going to be all right.”

  “Will.” Her voice was rough and barely there. “Are you a dream?”

  “No, baby. I’m real, and I’m going to get you some help.”

  “Brandy!” She perked up in his arms and opened her eyes, but her voice still sounded like she smoked a pack a day. “Where is she? She’s insane. She’s around here, somewhere. Don’t underestimate her.”

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’m sure War and Jesus took care of her. We just need to get you out of here.”

  She gasped. “She poured gas everywhere. We need to get out of here.”

  He smiled. He was for sure going to hell for laughing at her delirious ramblings.

  “I just said that, baby. We’re almost out.”

  She settled back down in his arms and appeared to lose consciousness again.

  They made it to the front door, and Will wanted to cry for the second time as police, fire and EMT’s ran up to meet them. He recognized the firefighters as guys from his ladder, and a couple slapped him on the back as they passed. It was their way of telling him that they had everything under control and they had his back. Just like he always had theirs.

  He laid Nikki on the stretcher and stepped back to allow the EMT’s room to work but stayed close, unable to move too far away from her. War and Jesus then came around the row of condos, each holding one of Brandy’s arms, and practically dragging her between them.

  Two police officers met them and took custody of the crazy woman. As they walked Brandy past Nikki’s stretcher, she sat up before the EMT’s could strap her down.

  “Hey, you crazy fucking bitch. I can’t fucking wait to testify against you. I’m going to make sure you rot in fucking jail for the rest of your miserable fucking life. You piece of fucking shit.”

  The EMT’s managed to get her to lay back down and Will just stared at his kickass girl in admiration and shock. He’d been in many intense situations over his years in the Marine Corps and served with some amazing people, but none had left him as proud as he was in Nikki. She not only endured, but she came out on the other side fighting and cursing.

  The EMT’s started walking towards the ambulance with Nikki on the stretcher, and Will automatically followed. He turned back though to face his friends.

  “We’ll make sure everything is good here and then meet you at the hospital.”

  “Thank you, Adam. I appreciate that, but that’s not what I was going to say. I haven’t forgotten that you knew who the crazy chick was. You have some explaining to do.”

  Adam nodded at him. “Absolutely. I’ll tell you all about it…” He paused and looked around at the first responders bustling around. “…somewhere else.”

  Will accepted that answer and turned to catch up with the EMT’s and their precious cargo.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Will

  He loved her. No doubt about it. When he first saw Nikki strapped to her own kitchen chair at the mercy of a crazy person, he wished he could trade places with her. It would have been easier for him to endure, and he knew he would never be the same.

  Three days later, she was still in the hospital, and he stayed diligently by her side. Bandaged like a mummy, he was often afraid to touch her because he was afraid he would hurt her by accident. The swelling in her face was subsiding, but the bruising still looked like she’d gone ten rounds with Oscar De La Hoya. She was two days past ready to go home, but with so many open wounds, her doctors were concerned about infection. They were tapering down the strength of her pain medicines, so every day she became a little more lucid.

  The guys had been there for him, making sure he ate and bathed when all he wanted to do was sit by Nikki’s side. He knew Joe was well cared for in their hands, so he could focus on getting his girl better.

  Joe was handling everything like a champ. As Will predicted, he missed his mom, but he also understood that she loved him and would see him when she was able. As selfish as Theresa was, Will knew she could never cut herself out of Joe’s life for good.

  They had their bedtime talks over the phone the last few nights. Joe asked about his teacher and worried how she was healing. Will never gave him all the details, but Joe knew someone hurt her and that was why Will wasn’t home and Nikki wasn’t at school.

  Will also told Joe, as best he could, what Nikki meant to him, and that she was going to be part of their lives. It didn’t feel like they were moving too fast to Will, but he realized it might feel that way to Joe. He worried that Joe would reject the thought of his dad and his teacher getting serious, but Joe loved the idea.

  Joe’s capacity for love and acceptance warmed Will’s heart, and this ability to adapt and overcome made Will think that he would become a good Marine one day. If that’s what he chose for himself.

  He heard a knock on the door and turned to see Adam peeking his head into the room.

  “Is this a good time?”

  “It’s always a good time for you, man. Especially since you have something to tell me.”

  Adam chuckled. “Right.”

  He took a seat next to Will. “So how is she doing?”

  “All right.” He wasn’t going to tell Adam about her bad moments or her nightmares. He trusted Adam, but he also respected Nikki’s privacy. “They’re trying to wean her off the good drugs, so she doesn’t get addicted. It’s made her a little more restless, but my girl is a fighter.”

  “That she is.”

  “You are talking about me as if I’m not even here again.”

  They stood up and Adam held Nikki’s hand while Will kissed her on the forehead. “I’m sorry baby. I thought you were sleeping. I was just telling Adam what a badass you are.”

  Nikki smiled as she looked up at Will. “Darn right.”

  “Oh. You’re back to PG language? I rather enjoyed hearing you curse.” Adam smirked at Nikki.

  They all laughed. It felt good to laugh.

  “Adam was just about to tell us how he knew who Brandy was.” Will turned expectant eyes on Adam.

  “Right. Will told me you talked to Brandy like you knew her. Had you met her before?” Will and Nikki were both confused by Adam’s familiarity with Brandy. She didn’t seem to know him, but he knew all about her.

  “Nope. I don’t know her, but I know of her.”

  Adam paused. Why was he being so vague? Get on with it!

  “I’m fairly good with a computer. You know I’m an accountant, but I’m also a bit of a Cyber Investigator on the side.”

  “‘Cyber Investigator?’ Is that just another way of saying you’re a hacker?” Will couldn’t believe his ears, but his feelings and suspicions about Adam were suddenly making sense.

  Adam paused again. “‘Hacker’ just has so many negative connotations. I refuse to hack banks or government institutions. I track people’s digital footprint, and I pick my clients carefully. To be honest, I deal with cheating spouses the most.

  “When you told me about the troubles Nikki was having with her ex, I took it upon myself to investigate him. His business is in the toilet. He’s leveraged to the hilt. If he doesn’t sell something soon, he’s going to go under. Brandy still works for him, or did, until she was arrested for going after you. And he pays both her, and himself, much more than he should. Her spending is outrageous. It’s no wonder why she was so desperate to hold on to him. He tanked his own business keeping her happy.”

  Will and Nikki stared at him in stunned silence for a minute before Nikki spoke up. “So that’s what
Jesus meant when he said you were good at finding things out. Wait. Looking at their financials doesn’t explain how you knew what she looked like.”

  Adam smirked at her. “I might have also seen copies of their driver’s licenses saved in their files as well as surveillance footage of Aiden’s office on their servers. He really should put better security measures on his system. I also managed to put a GPS tracker on his car after he showed up at Nikki’s school the last time. Too bad I had my eye on the wrong person.”

  “Hey. None of that. Nobody saw this coming. Not even me, and I have the most history with her. I knew she was a home wrecking hussy, but I would have never guessed she had the capacity to attempt to murder someone.” Nikki shuddered at her own words. “If you guys hadn’t come to check on me, I wouldn’t be here right now.” She started to tear up. Will sat on the bed next to her and held her.

  He didn’t know what to say to Adam. The man he called a friend, and whom he had shared a home with for months, was suddenly a completely different person.

  Adam switched gears away from Brandy while Nikki composed herself. “Oh, and Aiden won’t be bothering you anymore. If he does, let me know. I intercepted him on his way here a couple of days ago. He said he felt guilty and wanted to see you. Blah blah blah. I told him it was his fault you were in the hospital and almost died in the first place. And if he ever bothered you again, not only was I was going to beat him within an inch of his life, but I was also going to rent billboard space next to every one of his real estate ads showing everyone in Berkeley what a tiny dick he had. Seriously, girl. How did you put up with such a little prick?”

  Nikki went from whimpering in Will’s arms to laughing the first full belly laugh he’d heard from her since the incident.

  ∞∞∞

  Nikki

  She snuggled into Will’s arms as they sat on her hospital bed. It felt good to laugh, and it felt good when Will held her. He’d comforted her through her panic attacks and nightmares since her encounter with Brandy, the she-devil. But he always pulled away when she calmed down like he was afraid of hurting her. News flash! I’m not going to break if you hug me, but I might break if you don’t!

  True to form, when he noticed she was feeling better, he tried to get out of her bed, but she held on.

  “Nuh uh.”

  “What do you mean ‘nuh uh’?”

  “Nuh uh. You’re not running away from me Wilson Jesse Braun. I want to be held and you’re going to hold me until I’m ready to let go. I’m not going to break, but you keep treating me like I am.”

  “You got middle-named, dude.”

  “‘Dude’? Really? I guess you do sound like a hacker. How have I never noticed that before?” Will smirked at Adam. “Get out of here. My woman and I need to have a heart to heart.”

  “Your woman?” What’s next? Is he going to beat on his chest?

  “I’m out. Call me later.... dude.” Adam winked and left the room.

  Before Nikki could begin her rant, Will kissed her. It wasn’t forceful or toe-curling exactly, but it was soft and sweet. Another brand-new kiss from the man of a million kisses. Half of her wanted to melt into his arms a little more, and half of her wanted to scream that she could handle a real kiss.

  “Baby, I have wanted to do that for days, but I had to settle for holding your hand and kissing your forehead. Frenching a woman when she’s not fully cognizant is generally frowned upon, even when you love her.”

  Nikki’s frustration evaporated in an instant. He loves me? She smiled up at him and took his face in her hands. “I love you too.” He kissed her again. “I think it was love at first sight.” She thought for a second. “No.” His smile slipped some. “Lust at first sight. Love at first conversation.”

  He laughed at her declaration. “One thing is for sure, baby, we’ll never be bored. Not with your wit.”

  She laughed back, and he kissed her. Again. And again.

  The sound of somebody clearing their throat pulled them apart and back to reality. Injuries. Hospital. Right.

  “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better and more awake. On a scale of one to ten, how’s your pain this afternoon?” The nurse typed Nikki’s answers to that question and many more into the computer.

  When the nurse left, Nikki wanted to go back to making out with Will, but he had other plans.

  “Baby, we need to talk about some things.” That doesn’t sound good.

  Will chuckled. “It’s all good things. I promise.” He took her hand. “Your condo is going to be under construction for a while, so you need somewhere to go. I want you to come home with me.”

  “‘Home’ where Adam, War, Jesus and Joe also live?” Her eyebrows were so high they were touching her hairline.

  “Don’t look so shocked. We’ll make it work. Jesus and War are going to bunk together so Joe can have his own room. They were talking about doing that anyway before all this happened. And you’ll bunk with me.” He got close and nuzzled her ear sending goose bumps down her arms. “If that’s okay with you.”

  Was it okay with her? “Can I think about it?”

  “Absolutely. I would expect nothing less.”

  She smiled at him. “I’ve thought about it.”

  “Already?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And?”

  “I want to move in with you. I already wasted too much time when I was mad at you, and when I was in that kitchen, all I could think about was you and the moments I missed having with you. Joe is an amazing kid, and even though being a stepmom still terrifies me and we’re not even there anyway, I still want to give this a go. Eyes wide open, this time.”

  Will’s smile stretched from ear to ear before crashing his lips onto hers.

  She groaned into the kiss and he pulled back.

  “Was that a good groan or a bad groan?”

  “A good groan. You only give me good groans.”

  He smiled. “Hey, I’m supposed to be the corny one in this relationship.”

  “Nope. You don’t get to have all the fun.”

  The next day was Friday, and Jesus brought Joe to the hospital after school on his way to work at the tattoo parlor.

  It was Joe’s first time seeing Nikki since the incident, and he seemed wary to come too close to Nikki or even to come all the way into the room.

  “It’s all right, Joe. You can get closer. I promise I won’t break.” She shot a look to Will to reiterate the point that she wouldn’t break to him too.

  Will had the good sense to look repentant.

  Joe inched a little closer and pulled something from his backpack. “We all signed a card for you.” He inched a little closer still, so he could hand it to her, but backed right back up when she took the card.

  Tears came to her eyes as she read the little notes from her students. Most of them said “Get Well Soon” and “We Miss You” but some were unique and thoughtful and funny.

  “Thank you, Joe. Please tell everyone in class how much this means to me. And thank you for delivering it in person.”

  “You’re welcome, Ms. Sparks.”

  She smiled. They would have to work something out. Hearing “Ms. Sparks” at home would get old after a while. She wondered if Will told Joe yet that she would be living with them for a little while. Or maybe, a little longer than a little while, if Will was on the same page she was.

  “Baby, I’m going to take Joe home. Adam should be getting home soon to stay with him, and I’ll be back to spend the night with you. I get to spring you from this joint in the morning.” He winked at her.

  “I can’t wait.” She really couldn’t. It felt like the beginning of the rest of her life.

  Epilogue

  Will

  Two Months Later

  The residents of 737 Melrose Lane sat around the table much like they did most nights, drinking and talking. Will had cooked a scrumptious meal of steaks, baked potatoes and green beans as a parting gift to the guys.

  He, Nikki and Joe wo
uld be moving into their new place the next day. Will might have used the construction at Nikki’s condo to get her to move in with them in the first place, but he knew when he asked that it would be a permanent move. Their relationship accelerated rapidly from their declarations of love in the hospital to talking about their future, marriage, and more kids. He started looking for a new place for the three of them within the first week.

  Nikki decided at around the same time that even if she weren’t moving in with Will and Joe, that she had no desire to return to her condo. There were too many bad memories. The repairs on the damage that Brandy’s pyrotechnics inflicted were complete within three weeks, and she had competing offers on the condo after only a week on the market.

  Bonus. Their new house was down the street from the guys. Instead of 737, they would go home to 777 Melrose Lane every night. Will knew God was smiling down on him when he found the house. There was no other reason a house that size should have been in his price range. And though he wanted to buy it for Nikki, for their future, she insisted on putting her own money towards the house. She said most of it came from the sale of the house she owned back in Berkeley with Aiden, and she wanted to “do good” with it. It warmed his heart to see she was just as invested in their future as he was. He might not have popped the question yet, but they were both fully committed regardless. The house needed some work, but between him, the guys and a few other friends from the Marine Corps, the repairs were completed on their new place in just two weeks.

  Joe was just as excited about the move as they were. He would miss the guys, but they would only be down the street, and they assured him the door was always open for him. Theresa still hadn’t shown back up again, but Will was prepared to fight for custody of Joe if she did. He was doing so well, and Will just wanted him to be someplace where he could grow up well-adjusted and happy. Joe and Nikki were still learning about each other, and it took at least a week before he stopped calling her “Ms. Sparks” around the house, but they were adjusting well to each other.