Blazing Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “She’s not here,” Frankie yelled above the din of noise from the frightened people surrounding them.

  Unease settled on Thayne. Maybe she got caught up at work with emergency cases or something, but it seemed far too late for that.

  “Get the vent team to search her windows. I’ll ask around.” He walked to the nearest group of people. “Do you know Laura Lyon?”

  A man holding a crying toddler nodded. “Sure, number eight. Nice girl. Keeps to herself though.”

  He didn’t need a rundown of her social habits, but Thayne took a deep breath instead of snapping at the man. “Have you seen her today?”

  The man’s eyes narrowed in thought. “You know, I ran into her at the mailboxes an hour or so ago, but I never saw her out here.” His eyes widened. “You don’t think...?”

  Damn it. Without waiting for anything further, Thayne rushed back to Frankie, who was questioning people on the other side of the truck. “Did anyone see her?”

  Frankie shook his head. “Not out here. Maybe she didn’t come home yet. The vent crew is busy checking the burning apartments.”

  Of course they were. Saving people caught in the blaze had to be their focus, but Laura was still in there. “A guy saw her a while ago,” Thayne told Frankie. “She’s here and still inside.”

  As one, they rushed to Captain Smith. He was overseeing the efforts to extinguish the fire. He barked orders to get a roof man to drill ventilation holes before spraying the water. Luckily, the volunteer firefighters were showing up and taking action. Thayne wasn’t needed out here.

  “Captain,” Thayne interrupted. “Laura was seen in the building a while ago, but never made it outside. I’m requesting permission to go after her.”

  “Denied,” Captain Smith replied. “I’ll send someone else. You jump on with Sterling and Carlos. Let’s get this fire out.”

  “No. I know her apartment’s layout. The others don’t. I can get in and out faster.” Maybe not technically true since he’d only been inside twice, but he had to go after her. He’d use any argument he could think of.

  Smith glared at him, not impressed with Thayne’s insubordination.

  “Sir,” he added belatedly. “I’m the best man for the job, sir.”

  Behind them, windows shattered in an apartment near the middle of the building, causing them all to jump as the flames leapt from it.

  “The damn thing’s spreading fast,” Captain Smith said. “Get your asses in there and look for her. Five minutes and then I want you out. We’ve accounted for the other residents, so don’t take any risks. In and out. The flames are heading for the entryway so you won’t be able to get out there. I’ll have a vent crew search for another exit and bust out her windows.”

  With a nod, Thayne flashed a thumbs up, turning to race beside Frankie to the engine. Quickly, they shrugged on their breathing apparatuses, gloves, and helmets.

  Thayne might have initially worried about Frankie as a partner, but they were already in sync. As one, they turned to the building, rushing past the two volunteers who would serve as their backup in case things went wrong.

  Whitish-brown smoke filled the interior of the hallway and sweat beaded beneath Thayne’s fire hood. It was hot near the doorway and getting hotter as flames approached. Things could turn bad at any second.

  He took the lead, knowing where he was headed. In a partial crouch to see in the pocket of clear air along the ground, they hurried through the smoky hallway to Laura’s apartment door. Taking off his glove, Thayne tested for heat around the door, relieved that it felt colder than the air in the hallway. Her apartment wasn’t on fire yet. She had to be okay.

  Down at the other end of the hall, more windows cracked and fell to the ground as the fire crews worked on ventilating the building and dousing the flames in water. Smoke sucked away from him and Frankie for a few moments.

  “This is the part that always makes my ass pucker,” Frankie yelled. “I hate opening doors.”

  With a nod, Thayne tapped the button of the radio on his shoulder. “Do you guys have a visual on the apartment?” he asked their backup team.

  “We’re at the living room window on the side of the building,” came through the scratchy speaker. “No fire inside, but no person we can see either. It’s smoky. We’re ready to break a window. Just tell us when.”

  It was lucky Laura’s apartment was on the end of the building so they could easily get to windows for every room. Even though there wasn’t any fire on this side of the building yet, it was awfully hot and they didn’t want any chance of a fire flash. If that happened, they’d die.

  He jiggled the doorknob, finding Laura’s door locked.

  “Count to three,” he instructed the men outside. “We’ll break into the front door on your count.”

  He and Frankie pressed themselves against the back wall of the small hallway, ready to ram open the door. The nerves Thayne always felt going into a new room, not knowing if fire was about to consume everything, never got any better. He turned to look in the direction of the fire, noting the flames seemed closer. It didn’t look like the firefighting efforts were going too great on the other side of the building.

  “One... two... three.”

  As the sound of shattering glass sounded through the speaker, Thayne and Frankie hit the door with their shoulders, popping it open.

  Thayne froze, breathing heavy for a few seconds, waiting.

  “Looks pretty clear,” Frankie commented. “We’re the ones letting more smoke in the space.”

  Thayne nodded and swung the door shut behind them. It no longer fit well after being busted open, and smoke continued to leak inside. It was still easy to see, which was a good sign. If Laura were in here, she wouldn’t be in too much danger yet from smoke inhalation.

  “Laura! Where are you?” he yelled.

  “I’m back here,” came her muffled-sounding reply from the bedroom, followed by coughing.

  Thayne and Frankie made their way toward her voice.

  “Stay close and let’s hurry. We don’t have much time,” Thayne instructed. Since someone had primed the other fires with accelerant, they burned faster than normal. Judging from the other blazes, it wouldn’t be long before Laura’s apartment caught fire.

  They walked into her bedroom, finding her lying on her stomach, partially under the bed.

  Thayne’s heart dropped, fear making him irrational. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

  He stooped next to her, worry consuming him. They hadn’t brought any equipment to stabilize her before transferring her outside. He’d have to hope they had time for the vent crew to grab it.

  “I’m fine,” she said, to his relief. “Snips is under the bed and the fire alarm is frightening her. I can’t get her out.”

  “Snips? You mean Kitty. You’re in here for a cat?” Thayne shook his head and stood up. It would be a bad idea to tell the woman he wanted to win over that she was an idiot. But Laura really did love animals. She wouldn’t leave voluntarily without the cat.

  Without asking, Thayne grabbed her at the armpits, dragging her clear of the bed before picking her up and hefting her onto his shoulder.

  Not unexpectedly she struggled, her hands pounding at his back. “What do you think you’re doing? I have to get Snips.”

  Thayne strengthened his grip. “The fire is nearly here, Laura. We have to get out.”

  She might hate him forever for this, but her life was worth more to him than the kitten. A firefighter had to make tough calls sometimes.

  Laura continued struggling, but then stopped as a coughing fit overtook her.

  The smoke in the apartment had thickened as it came in through the broken door, and the heat was nearly unbearable. If he felt it even through his protective gear, Laura had to be sweltering. It was time to leave.

  “We’ll go out through the living room window,” he told Frankie. “It’s bigger than this one here.”

  “Okay. Just let me grab the cat.”

&nb
sp; “No!” Thayne had lost a partner trying to save children. He wasn’t going to risk one trying for a damn kitten. “Let’s go now.”

  Frankie ignored him, yanking as hard as he could against the oak frame of Laura’s bed. It shifted marginally, making a loud creaking noise, and the kitten shot from beneath it, streaking toward the door.

  Jumping for it, Frankie made a wild grab and snagged her tail. He pulled the hissing ball of anger to his chest. “Okay, now let’s get out of here.”

  Thayne grabbed a throw blanket off the end of Laura’s bed, passing it up to her. “Cover your mouth and try not to panic. I’ll get you out of here.”

  They took off down the hall. Smoke permeated the living room, making it hard to see through the gloom. Remembering the layout and knowing the biggest window was on the wall next to the television, Thayne led the way. He tried to tune out the choking and gagging sounds Laura made. The important thing was to get her out of here quickly.

  When they found the windows, the relief team was waiting. Thayne allowed Laura back on her own feet for a few seconds, only to push her through the broken window to the waiting men. As she dropped to the ground, they caught her and pulled her clear of the opening.

  Suddenly, a loud whooshing noise filled the room, and the heat intensified. Thayne looked over his shoulder to see flames rush into the door from the hallway.

  “You next,” he said to Frankie. “Hurry.”

  Frankie ducked into the window frame awkwardly, still clutching the howling kitten. Thayne had no idea the kid cared about animals, but Frankie seemed determined not to let it loose. He bunched his legs and then jumped, falling to the grass below and rolling.

  Thayne took one last glance back, noting the carpet had caught on fire, rapidly spreading from the doorway. It wouldn’t be long before Laura’s entire place went up.

  As soon as Frankie cleared out of his way, Thayne leapt to safety.

  Unfortunately, the building was a lost cause.

  ***

  I put Thayne in danger. What the hell was I thinking? I love Snips, but Thayne had to come in after me. He could have been hurt.

  Laura coughed and gagged, trying to clear her lungs. The fireman holding onto her said something as he set her down, but Laura’s anxiety was too high to concentrate on his words.

  Her biggest fear for the past few months was that Thayne would die in a fire. Now, she put him in the position to go into one.

  Seconds later, Thayne was by her side. He swept her into his strong arms without comment, and the four firemen raced to the front of the apartment building. Laura looked over his shoulder, watching as flames licked at the window frame.

  Everything she had was going up in the fire, and there was nothing she could do. They rounded the corner to the front of the building, finding organized chaos. Her neighbors milled the street in varying stages of grief and shock as they watched their world burn. Firefighters crowded the yard, hoses trained on the flames, though it didn’t seem to help.

  Thayne marched for the fire engine and set her on the steps, pulling off his helmet to glare at her.

  She blanched at the look on his face, trying to lean away from him. He was not happy. So much for romantic gestures of secret sauce and chicken. He knew as well as she did that she’d been stupid and put people in danger unnecessarily.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I couldn’t leave Snips.”

  Thayne’s jaw tightened further. “You could have died.”

  He jerked her to her feet, and Laura had a moment to be frightened before he surrounded her in a tight bear hug. The coarse fabric of his gloved hand brushed against her chin as he titled her head up and his lips crashed into hers, needy and demanding. Thayne pressed her against the truck, pursuing with his body.

  Laura’s heart pounded with excitement rather than fear. She’d wanted this so badly, for so long. She couldn’t resist him. She wrapped her arms around his bulky suit as best she could, kissing him back with as much passion and neediness as he displayed.

  He finally broke off, pressing his forehead against hers. “Promise me you’ll never scare me like that again. I can’t handle it, Laura. I need you to be safe.”

  Even though she felt ashamed for putting him in danger, Laura realized she couldn’t deny her feelings any longer. She needed Thayne, needed to be with him. Nodding, she kissed him again softly. “I promise.”

  “Sorry to break this up.” Laura glanced over Thayne’s shoulder to see his partner standing with a cat carrier in his hand. “A neighbor down the street donated this for you, and the kitten seems okay. The medics need to check you out, Laura.” He turned to Thayne. “And Captain’s asking for us.”

  Thayne nodded, turning back to Laura. He caressed her cheek again and kissed her mouth tenderly. “I thought my world would end when I realized you were inside. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Laura watched him walk away as she accepted the cat carrier from Frankie.

  What did I do to deserve his affection? I can’t deny this. I can’t deny him. But how am I going to handle it?

  An EMT in a white and blue uniform walked up next to Frankie. “We’ll take good care of her.”

  Frankie nodded and turned to follow Thayne.

  “Ma’am, come with me. Let’s take your vital signs and make sure you aren’t injured.”

  Numbly, Laura followed him to the waiting ambulance. Her life was over as she knew it. All her possessions and her home were ashes. But maybe it was a good thing. Maybe it was time for her and Snips to start a new chapter.

  Maybe it’s time to try for happiness.

  Chapter Twelve

  Thayne stood next to Captain Smith, looking at the destroyed building. It was completely uninhabitable, but at least they had kept the fire from spreading to any of the nearby apartment complexes. Even Laura’s apartment all the way on the end had burnt to ash over the last few hours.

  It was hard to block the cries and fear-filled conversations from the building’s former tenants now that the firehoses were off and the men downed water provided by the Red Cross volunteers. At least the Red Cross could help the tenants find a place to stay and get them some clean clothing. Thayne prayed they had invested in renter’s insurance.

  He peered through the crowd, noting that Laura still sat on the end of the ambulance, an oxygen mask on her face. The EMTs had assured him she would be fine, though she had inhaled a bit of smoke and was shaken up. They treated her on site, with no reason to visit the hospital.

  Captain Smith cleared his throat. “I’m meeting with the other two Captains, the chief, and the fire marshal tomorrow morning. They’re talking foul play, and that seems more and more likely after today.”

  “I’m afraid it is,” Thayne admitted. It was almost like talking to Captain Smith about it made the possibility more real. “Sterling thinks that maybe we’re the actual target of these fires. They’re trying to break us down for some reason. The buildings targeted seem to have nothing in common.”

  “Or maybe,” Smith said, “it’s against the mayor. He’ll have to get off his lazy ass, fire some of those overpaid stuffed shirts he just hired, and get our brothers back to work. Hell, at this point he needs to hire everyone who was laid off plus extras until they catch the arsonist.”

  “You’re sure it’s arson, then, not just bad luck?” Not that Thayne thought any different, but he wondered if there had been some proof.

  Captain shook his head. “I’ll know for sure after the meeting tomorrow. The fire marshal must have an idea by now what’s going on.”

  Thayne snagged a water bottle from a passing volunteer and cracked it open, downing half of it in one gulp. “I’m going to take Laura to my house and get her settled in, buy her some clothes and such. I’m praying you don’t call me in again, and I will see you Tuesday, but can you call me after the meeting if there’s anything pertinent?”

  He nodded. “I’ll send a text to our crew if there is anything more than supposition going on. Take
care of Laura. I’m not bringing our guys in again on your time off, so enjoy it and rest.”

  That was good news. Thayne turned to make his way to Laura, walking past Frankie and thumping his shoulder. “Good work tonight, partner,” he told the kid. “You’re probably Laura’s hero now and I bet she’s pissed at me.”

  Frankie grinned and joined him on the way to the ambulance. “I wouldn’t have taken a risk for the cat. If it had busted free and ran, I didn’t plan to chase the damn thing. But it was important to Laura, and she’s important to you. I’m glad it worked out.”

  It was good to hear Frankie wouldn’t have taken chances. Thayne had been torn between thanking him or lecturing him, but it looked like the kid knew what he was doing.

  “Captain says we can leave, and he’s not accepting any calls for us the rest of our days off,” Thayne said. “I have dinner plans tomorrow, but what are you doing tonight?”

  He didn’t want to share any of his ‘Laura time,’ but Frankie had proven himself to be the kind of partner who could also be a friend. He’d even reversed his snarky attitude about Laura and was supportive. Thayne wanted to make sure Frankie knew he appreciated the kid’s efforts.

  Frankie shook his head. “I’m busy tonight. Bambi called earlier today and asked me out.” He winked. “Good thing she works late, because I need time to clean up before getting her from work.”

  “Bambi, huh?” Thayne raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I thought you blew that with the threesome request.”

  Frankie chuckled. “I promised her this would be a classy midnight picnic with no sex involved.”

  “In that case, you’d better ask her real name, kid.”

  They had made it to Laura. She was pale and withdrawn, but didn’t seem to be in the midst of a panic attack. Thayne wondered if the medic had given her something.

  He sat beside her, kissing her cheek next to the oxygen mask. “You okay?”

  She pulled the mask off and turned to look at him, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. “I’m better now that you’re here.” She threw her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his. “I’m sorry I put you in danger. Thanks for saving me.”