Arson & Ache: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 8)

by Kelli Callahan

  “He’s a fighter.” Kincaid squeezed me tight.

  I know, but that doesn’t make me feel any better right now.

  Donovan

  I dealt with emotions and pain while I was under the surgeon’s knife. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything. I was supposed to be out cold. Maybe it was just my subconscious mixing with horrible nightmares and bringing everything to the surface. Either way, I tried to process the events that had transpired. They played in my head like a loop as harsh realities slapped me in the face again and again. My sister was Fireball. I had come to terms with that, even if I still struggled to believe it. She had gotten twisted in her own insanity and the madness consumed her. There was no other explanation. Nothing else made sense. She descended into a dark place after she left Livingston Capital. I thought the doctors had cured her, or at least given her a way to cope with it. I was wrong. Part of the guilt was on my shoulders. After she moved back home, we drifted apart. I regretted that because I couldn’t help wondering if I could have done something had I been there for her.

  I’m sorry Janine. I’m sorry you had to go through this alone. I’m sorry I wasn’t the brother you needed in your darkest hour.

  The knife went into my flesh. It carved its way towards the bullet embedded in my stomach. I wasn’t seeing that through my own eyes. It felt like I was floating above the table watching the surgeon operate. I wasn’t ready to let go of the life I had, and I prayed that the scalpel didn’t waver from its destination. Life was precious. I had wasted mine chasing my own desires, never searching for what truly mattered—love. Love was the one thing missing from my life. I needed to wake up, so I could tell Marissa how I felt.

  I didn’t care if we hadn’t spent enough time together to fully figure out our relationship. I didn’t want to be with anyone else. I just wanted her. She was the reason I was in the hospital fighting for my life. I didn’t even know how she made it to that warehouse, and I really didn’t care. What mattered was that she acted when nobody else could. She would always be a hero in my eyes. Her actions saved us. She was willing to risk everything, and I was ready to do the same.

  I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel when I get up off this table.

  I felt myself floating further away from my body, but I wasn’t going towards the sky—I guess it was good thing I wasn’t going towards the floor either. I saw the emergency room, and I recognized it. I had spent a lot of time in that room while I waited on news about my father. He was recovering well, and in much better shape than I was in the moment. I could see Marissa and Kincaid. I was truly descending into my own dream-like illusions. There was no way I was actually there, but it felt like I was. I saw her sitting next to Kincaid, with stains on her face that had been left behind by her tears. Kincaid looked like he had shed a few tears too. His eyes were red-rimmed and full of so much fear. I wished I could tell them it was okay—that I was right there. I moved back towards the operating room. That was where I belonged. I wouldn’t be able to see them through my own eyes until I woke up.

  And I’m going to wake up. This isn’t how my story ends.

  The next day

  “He’s awake.” I heard a man’s voice and my eyelids fluttered as I opened them.

  I barely got my eyes open before a light was blinding me. A nurse checked my vitals, while a doctor asked me questions. I must have answered them all correctly, because he said I was ready to be moved to a regular room. I tried to sit up, but it hurt, and the nurse threatened to sedate me if I tried again. I was tired of being unconscious and dealing with the world with nothing but my thoughts to keep me tangled up in a fog, so I immediately complied with her request. I was moved to a regular room, and the nurse checked me over one more time before setting up a drip that would give me pain medication if I needed it. I was definitely in pain, but I didn’t want to be groggy, so I tried to deal with it on my own. I was in the room by myself for about an hour before the door opened and Abby walked in.

  “Hey.” I forced a smile when she approached my bed.

  “How are you feeling? Or should I even ask?” She pulled a chair over and sat down next to me.

  “I’m okay.” I shrugged, but even that hurt. “How’s Dad doing?”

  “He’s—doing better.” She hesitated as she spoke, and I saw her face twist into a grimace. “I had to tell him about Janine this morning. I didn’t want him to see it on the news.”

  “I’m sure they are making a spectacle of it.” I exhaled sharply and shook my head. “I need you to get her a lawyer.”

  “I’ve already taken care of that.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “He had her moved to a psychiatric hospital as soon as the doctor cleared her.”

  “Good.” I nodded slowly, feeling each motion I made. “She needs help…”

  “Yes.” Abby sighed and squeezed my hand again. “Your Dad is taking it hard.”

  “Yeah.” I stared up at the ceiling.

  So am I.

  Abby stayed with me for a little while and got me caught up on everything I missed with my Dad. He really was doing a lot better and he was in a room of his own on another floor. He would probably be released before I was. He was promising to follow the doctor’s orders, and I hoped he was serious about it for once in his life. Janine had a long road ahead of her, but I would do my best to be there, even if she was the one who shot me. I couldn’t erase what she did, and there would be repercussions, but I hoped she would find a way to escape the madness. It was unlikely that she would ever be free again. It was a tough price to pay, especially since I fully believed she lost herself in the madness that consumed her. When Janine left, I hoped that I would get another visitor—and the door opened a few minutes later to reveal the face I wanted to see most of all.

  “You finally decided to open your eyes, huh?” Marissa smiled as she walked up to my bed.

  “How else was I going to see your beautiful face again.” I forced a smile and reached out to take her hand.

  “Once you get out of here, I’m going to give you a piece of my mind for going after Fireball on your own.” I heard a low growl from behind Marissa and looked past her to see Kincaid.

  “Yeah, not my brightest moment.” I coughed and put my hand on my wound. “But save the berating for later.”

  “I get it man.” Kincaid pulled a chair nearby and put his hand on my shoulder. “I would have done the same thing if it was my sister.”

  Kincaid and I talked for a little bit, mostly about the case and all of the clues we missed. Neither one of us could have ever predicted that Fireball would be my sister. Kincaid told me that the mayor had another press conference, but it was Chief Vance at his side instead of Detective Lewis. Chief Vance mentioned us by name and talked about how hard we worked to catch Fireball. Kincaid should have been happy to be acknowledged, but there was no happiness in his eyes as he sat there beside me. Fireball’s identity sucked all the potential for celebration out of the capture. Kincaid promised that he would be there every step of the way while my sister was prosecuted, and he would be the first to testify that her mental state was questionable. I hoped that would be enough to get her a room in the psych ward instead of life in prison. Once the conversation about Fireball died out, I turned towards Marissa.

  “I promise this isn’t just the pain meds still left in my system talking, but this whole situation has made me realize something.” I squeezed Marissa’s hand. “We haven’t had much conversation about the future, but just know this—I want you to be a part of my future, no matter what.”

  “We can talk about that later.” She nodded, but a slight smile formed on the edge of her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Yeah, cause we’re not going to let you.” Kincaid chuckled and nodded. “The three of us against the world—that’s all I need.”

  Those simple words—they meant everything in that moment. I truly believed that we could find a way to make it work. Kincaid had overcome his concerns about sharing Marissa and he was c
ommitted. I was no longer afraid of that kind of commitment. It was all I wanted. I hadn’t just fallen for Marissa, I loved her. There would be challenges, but we had survived hell and lived to see the other side. Heaven was what we deserved, and I was going to fight to make sure every day was our version of paradise. There was light at the end of the tunnel, even if I would have some touchy days ahead of me as I recovered. I would be stronger with them by my side, and our relationship was going to be one that didn’t falter, no matter what we faced.

  “Okay, you need to get some rest.” Kincaid leaned back and reached for the button that controlled the drip. “We’ll be here when you wake up.”

  “And every day after that.” Marissa nodded and squeezed my hand.

  I’m looking forward to that.

  Epilogue

  Marissa

  Six months later

  Fireball’s trial was brief. The District Attorney allowed her to plead guilty by reason of insanity, and the judge accepted his recommendation for treatment instead of prison. There was a chance Donovan’s sister might one day be a free woman again, but it would be a long time before that was even up for consideration. It was the best possible outcome considering what she did. The city of New York moved on once the initial media circus was over. It felt like a memory that I had to sometimes remind myself was actually real. I think a part of my brain just wanted to block it out and forget the horrifying night that almost cost me everything. It certainly changed my perspective. There was no denying that. I valued the things I had—and most of that was centered on Donovan and Kincaid.

  Ms. Stone changed a lot after her experience with Fireball. She stopped being the tyrant at the top of Livingston Capital and spent more time with her employees—without yelling at them. The publicity from her kidnapping and what she went through drew a lot of attention to Livingston Capital. Some of it was negative, once the news broke that Fireball used to work for Ms. Stone, but within a few months, we had more accounts than ever. I guess people felt like they could trust someone who went through what she did. Ms. Stone still ran the company with the same intensity as always, but she motivated instead of berated. It was a welcome change, and most days everyone went to work with a smile on their face. Ms. Stone even took a vacation a couple of months after the ordeal, and Hannah told me that she thought Ms. Stone was actually dating someone. Perhaps the experience changed more than her perspective on business—there were things that were certainly more important than the bottom line.

  “You have a lot of stuff for someone who lives alone.” Kincaid looked around my apartment and grinned.

  “Luckily I have two big strong firefighters to help me move.” I walked over to him and put my hand on his waist. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s worth it once we’re moved into our new place.”

  “I know you will.” Donovan walked up and put his hand on my back. “Why else do you think we want you to live with us?”

  “I thought you just wanted to save me from the walk of shame I was doing every morning.” I looked over my shoulder at him.

  “Those days are definitely over.” Kincaid pressed his lips to my neck. “And we’re going to christen every room in our new house before this weekend is over.”

  “Twice.” Kincaid exhaled sharply and kissed the other side of my neck.

  I didn’t even hesitate to say yes when Kincaid and Donovan suggested that we move in together. I knew that I wanted to be with the two of them for the rest of my life, and they were both committed to our future. I broke the news of my relationship to my family when I visited at Christmas, and my parents were a little concerned at first, but they wanted the best for me. I expected my father to lose his mind when he found out his daughter was dating two men, but he told me that it didn’t matter if I was happy. I couldn’t think of anything that would make me happier than living with the two of them—until we got to our new place and they proposed. I wasn’t just going to be their live-in girlfriend, I was going to be their wife. I accepted their proposal faster than I accepted their invitation to live together. I didn’t need a ring to know how much I loved them, but it was a symbol of their commitment to what we had.

  “Now that you’re going to be our wife.” Kincaid slid his hand underneath my shirt. “I think we should start talking about what we’re going to do with all those extra rooms.”

  “Well one of them is going to be a home office.” I gasped when he squeezed my breast.

  “So that means we can have two kids before we have to move.” Donovan walked up and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. “Four if we make them double up.”

  “Four?” My eyes opened wide. “I still have a job—you can’t turn me into a baby factory.”

  “We’ll see how it goes.” Kincaid nodded and started pulling off my shirt.

  Their lips were so intoxicating that it was hard to focus on anything else. We made our way to the bedroom and slowly undressed each other, savoring the anticipation as much as the touch. The rest of the unpacking was going to have to wait because our appetites craved something else before we could focus on that. Kincaid’s lips were seared to mine as soon as we crashed into the bed and Donovan pushed my legs apart as he started kissing his way up my thighs. I wasn’t going to argue if he wanted to give me a little bit of oral pleasure before things truly got hot and heavy. His tongue moved along my labia and then started to dance on my clit. It felt amazing. Every time we ended up in bed together, I seemed to get more turned on that the last time I got an opportunity to enjoy the two of them.

  “Are you ready for this to be your forever?” Kincaid let his lips drift down to my neck.

  “Yes.” I nodded quickly and looked at my engagement ring. “I definitely am.”

  “Good.” Donovan lifted up and grinned. “I think it’s time we see if we can break our record for making you come—what are we at again?”

  “I don’t even remember.” I gasped when his tongue returned to my clit.

  “You probably won’t remember how many times you come tonight either.” Kincaid chuckled and licked my earlobe. “We’re going to enjoy making you come every chance we get for the rest of our lives.”

  The first orgasm came pretty quick courtesy of Donovan’s miraculous tongue. Then he was inside me. His cock felt so good, especially when Kincaid moved his finger down to my clit and started to massage it while Donovan fucked me. Donovan thrust himself inside of me until I was about to erupt with a second orgasm, and then he shifted his weight. He rolled onto his stomach and I climbed on top. I knew exactly why I was in that position. I was going to have both of them inside me at the same time. Kincaid used his tongue to get me ready, and then I felt him begin to push into my ass. It still hurt a little bit, but it didn’t take him long to have me stretched around his girth, so they could both fuck me. Having them both inside me was enough to make me start coming again, but that was just a taste of what I would get before the end of the night. They lined up their thrusts and worked in unison, both of them plunging deep at the same time while I tried to move my hips along with them.

  “You belong to us.” Kincaid leaned forward and growled into my ear. “Forever.”

  “Yes!” I nodded quickly and felt another orgasm starting to build.

  I stared into Donovan’s eyes as the spasms took over. I felt his cock start to throb and I knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Even that wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy his lust. His hunger was ravenous and mine was definitely not going to be satisfied until they had both erupted in bliss multiple times. It was our moment—our lives. We fought through the times that could have destroyed us and came out the other side with a new appreciation for what we had. Our souls were connected just like our bodies, and our love was stronger than anything else in the world. Donovan’s cock pulsated and a second later, he started to fill me with cum. I moaned and felt his pulsations forcing another orgasm. Kincaid was right there with him, driving his cock deep into my ass as he exploded inside me.

&n
bsp; “Now for round two.” Donovan chuckled and grinned.

  “Round two? You’ve got a long way to go before you catch up with me.” I threw my head back and moaned as they started to thrust again.

  This night hasn’t even gotten started.

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  Small Town Seven: Sneak Peek

  Samantha

  My lips formed the words to the song on the radio, belting out a terrible rendition of the only song I knew by John Mellencamp. All I had been able to pick up since I got close to Granite Falls was one station playing classic rock—at least I knew the words to Jack & Diane—most of them anyway. I stumbled over the parts I didn’t know and tossed in some random lyrics that sounded sort of right.

  Yeah, yeah—that word.

  I didn’t know much about Granite Falls. I had been there once when I was a kid, but I was too young to really remember the visit. It was my father’s home town but he was in no condition to deal with my grandmother’s estate after she passed. I agreed to go in his stead, pick my grandmother’s ashes, and tend to whatever remained of his childhood home. I wasn’t expecting much. My father had described the place as little more than a dirt farm with a shack sitting in the middle of it. There was nobody to contest the will since my father was her only son and everything was left to him. I hoped I could sign some paperwork, transfer the deed, and be on my way. If my father wanted to sell the place or do something with it, he could do so after he recovered from his latest health scare.