HERO (The Complete Series)

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Yes, but park that tidbit for a minute. What did you just say about Bash having a girlfriend?”

  “He does. He just phoned me accidentally. I was butt-dialed. By the pretty redhead’s butt. God, I can’t believe this, Eva. I heard him with his new girlfriend.”

  Eva gasped dramatically, but all that drama was justifiable in this particular case. “You heard them together? Like heard them talking or heard them doing the nasty?”

  Alexandra lifted her head to look at Eva, and rolled her eyes. “No, not like that. I mean I heard them talking, but she said something about spending the night with him. I wasn’t listening all that carefully once I figured out it wasn’t an intentional call.”

  That was a lie. She was all ears. Her ears had ears. She had heard every word the redhead told him and tried every way she could to dismiss it as an innocent discussion between friends, but those little statements about staying the night and how much fun it had been on prior occasions were what destroyed her.

  “But how?” Eva asked, distraught.

  “What do I know? All I can say is my track record is pretty darned intact.”

  “You can’t say that, Lex. You kissed your ex and it was shared on national television. You were practically humping Wikes’ leg!”

  “Wow. Nice way to put it, Eva. Anyway, Bash has someone new in his life.”

  “You still didn’t tell me about how you managed to let Wilkes in your place. And that kiss! I swear it would win out anything I’ve ever seen on the silver screen, honey. So how did you two end up going out? No matter what you say, don’t even expect me to believe that nothing happened.”

  “Eva!”

  “Nothing happened?”

  “Well, let’s just say he had one foot on second base when I stopped him.”

  “Oh my God, Lexxi, you slut!” Eva said, giggling. Alexandra looked at her, arms folded. Eva subdued the laughter a little. “I’m just kidding, honey. I’m glad you stopped him when you did, but I can’t believe you let him in the door, to be honest.”

  Alexandra raised her hand to stop Eva, and when her best friend finally settled down, she told her everything, including the part about Bash not coming to Los Angeles anymore.

  “See, I told you Wilkes was a low down dirty scoundrel…I’m so relieved you gave him the boot from your label. That was a horrible idea, keeping him on board, and you’ve got to see some of this as your responsibility.”

  Alexandra sighed miserably. “Go ahead. Tell me I brought this on myself.”

  “Well, I wish you would have made the decision with a clearer head, but I don’t really know what you’re so upset about with Bash. It’s starting to sound like you two are cut from the same cloth.”

  “I’m going to ignore that.”

  “Whatever.”

  Alexandra was quiet for a moment, and then thought of something. “Wait. Hold one, Eva. What if I jumped to conclusions about Bash and this other chick? What if—”

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake, Lexxi! Do you need me to call up your private jet and fly your ass out to Tucson so you can get this all straightened out? You and Bash were just hitting it off, and you’re not doing yourself any favors by letting this distance get in the way, especially with all the noise with Wilkes, and the redhead, and now the media hounding Bash. Get a bag packed and get going.”

  “I have meetings tomorrow. My schedule is packed.”

  “That’s why you hired Rick. Now stop making excuses.” Eva checked the time. “You know, if you call your people now, you might just be able to squeeze in a flight tonight. If you can’t, I’m personally ready to drive with you overnight. We can be there before he wakes up. Now that would be a statement, Lex. Let’s go claim your man!”

  “Don’t you see? It’s too late. I already screwed up. It’s on the talk shows, straight out of Wilkes’ mouth that we’re back together. So, what do I do now?” She gnawed on her nail again, no closer to an answer but close to drawing blood.

  Eva lightly slapped Alexandra’s hand from her mouth. “Stop that insufferable habit. I’m going upstairs to pack you a bag, you’re going to phone your charter flight people, and we’re leaving. That’s final.”

  Alexandra couldn’t argue with that. “Okay.”

  * * *

  ALEXANDRA and Eva had been driving on the I-10 east for the past seven hours. The charter company could only fly them out the next morning, and Eva insisted they were better off driving instead of waiting. She was probably right, as Alexandra was close to losing her nerve already. Now that they were somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson with the sun peeking over the horizon, she had no idea what she would tell Bash.

  Hearing Bash’s girlfriend in the background, and listening to her talk about staying the night with him sent a pang of regret through Alexandra every time she thought about it. The prospect of him moving on so easily was disheartening, but he had every right to, after what she did with Wilkes.

  “I don’t know what the hell to think, Eva!” she blurted out as the car drove by Picacho Peak. She turned to glance at Eva, and realized she was drifting off to sleep. “Oh, sorry. I thought you were still awake.”

  Alexandra glanced over again and saw the expression on her best friend’s face go from half-lidded with mouth open to one of utter confusion.

  “I am now,” Eva said slowly, still in a haze. “Stop trying to think,” “How do you feel? Don’t give me that bullshit I don’t know response. You know. This is me. Just spill it.” She reached over to the cup holder for a sip of the tepid coffee they had bought when they stopped in Phoenix for gas.

  Alexandra kept looking at the road, thinking she could be perched on a high-backed barstool in her kitchen right now, munching cookies and sipping chai latte instead of getting the third degree from Eva. She would be comfortable and rested, but miserable. This was one of the reasons she loved Eva—she was all about taking action. Eva could also make taking a trip like this feel a heck of a lot better than wasting an afternoon in a hair salon, just to strut down a red carpet for some movie premiere or music awards ceremony in an uncomfortable dress while cameras flashed all around.

  Eva tapped on her shoulder. A quick look over and Alexandra realized she was glaring at her. She didn’t know what to say to Eva. She pursed her lips, still thinking.

  Before thinking too hard, Alexandra muttered, “Confused. I don’t know what the hell to feel. I told Bash I loved him, and then I let Wilkes kiss me and almost ended up in bed with him. Then Bash finds out and gets a woman at his place the next day? The whole thing sounds like high school. Maybe none of us are ready to have an adult relationship.” With a heavy sigh, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and gripped the steering wheel.

  “Haven’t you ever heard high school never ends?”

  “Nope. Never heard that. What are you trying to tell me, Eva?”

  “What I mean is you made a mistake. Then he made a mistake. It doesn’t mean you’re destined to repeat it, and neither is he. The two of you are going to have to figure this out, you know. I mean, you’ve already taken action, and a major one at that, by cutting ties to Wilkes. That’s a big deal, don’t you think?”

  “Well. It was easy. I was fighting mad.”

  “As you should be. That step tells me you’re willing to do what it takes to remove the interference. Maybe Bash is just as willing. You said yourself that you told the sexy firefighter you loved him. You’ve never so much as hinted at that with Wilkes. That says a lot.” Eva stopped for a moment, looking around before she started grinning mischievously. “Look at us, now. We’re in the middle of nowhere, riding off into the sunrise, and you’re about to go cowgirl crazy and brand his ass with your cattle branding iron, so to speak. He’ll be all yours, and may God help any woman who so much as dares to look at your property.”

  The two of them snickered raucously, until tears of uncontrollable laughter welled up in Alexandra’s eyes. “Sounds great when you put it that way,” she answered when her snorting was back u
nder control. “He’s my firefighter. Mine! Right?”

  “That’s it,” Eva said, pressing the button to lower the windows. “Say it louder! With more gusto. Let the world know, starting with this isolated desert we’re in!”

  “Sebastian Sullivan is all mine!” Alexandra shouted at the top of her lungs. “That pretty, redheaded, butt-dialing skank had better watch out for me! I’ll tamp her out of our lives with my Chuck Taylor’s!”

  “Damn straight, darling!” Eva giggled. “Give her a Chuck Norris roundhouse in those boots! I want to see you scrap! And don’t go playing fair now. Shank that bitch if you have to. Then, after you bust up her ass you can walk over and tell Bash he’s going to make you happy for the rest of his firefighting life, so help you God!”

  Something about what Eva said made Alexandra sober up. She stopped laughing and took a deep breath. “You really think it can work out between us? I mean long-term?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  Eva laid a supportive hand on her upper arm. “Of course it can. It’s up to the two of you.”

  “I hate bringing this up, Eva, but I felt that way about you and Jared. I was so sure you’d be together forever. I was really rooting for you two, you know?”

  Eva swallowed thickly, looking away. “Me too…but just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean you and Bash can’t. You’re two different people, and you have something that’s unique to just the two of you. No one else’s success or failure can dictate what will happen between you.” Eva reached over and ran a hand through Alexandra’s hair. “Now I’m the one rooting for you and Bash, lovely, and I know—”

  The sound of Eva’s phone stopped her mid-sentence. She swiped at it a couple of times and her eyes narrowed as she read. “Okay this is nothing. What was I saying? I’m sure it was good stuff.”

  “You were wishing me well.”

  “Good. Hun, with all this coffee I need to use the ladies room. Can we stop at that gas station up ahead there on the left?”

  “Sure,” Alexandra answered. She flicked on her left turn signal and pressed on the brakes to slow down. “And thanks hun. I couldn’t do this without—”

  The deafening sound of metal hitting metal filled Alexandra’s ears, followed by the sharp jolt that pitched their car forward, then the sensation of losing her breath when the front airbags deployed, and the excruciating pain in her neck as her head lurched forward and felt like it ricocheted into the steering wheel’s airbag. Hazy when the car finally coasted to a stop on the dirt shoulder of the highway, Alexandra looked over to Eva. “Eva. Are you all right?”

  “Ouch. Yes…I think so. What happened?”

  “Someone rear ended the car.” Alexandra looked in the rear view mirror. The hood of the other car was halfway on top of her trunk. “This is bad. Eva, can you call 9-1-1?”

  “Yes.” Eva’s phone was still in her hand, which shook as she nervously swiped the screen to get to the keypad.

  Alexandra raised one hand to the side of her head. Her head drooped to the driver side window, and she pictured Bash just as everything went fuzzy and faded to nothing.

  Chapter 22

  SEBASTIAN needed a stiff drink. For some reason, the house felt more haunted tonight than usual. Alexandra wasn’t here and wouldn’t be again. He was sure of it, and telling her he wasn’t going to see her in Los Angeles seemed like the final nail in the coffin. He stopped at the liquor cabinet in the kitchen. This seemed as good a place as any to kiss it all goodbye. He poured a double shot of whiskey and tossed it back.

  He knew what she thought. He didn’t know why it mattered anymore. She clearly had Wilkes. So why did it bother him so much that Alexandra believed he and Kennedy were already in a relationship? Why the hell didn’t he say more when he had the chance to set her straight?

  I’m an idiot, that’s why.

  She said she could explain this fiasco with Wilkes, but Bash didn’t see the point. He couldn’t. He rubbed the ball of his hand against his tired eyes. “This is not how I planned to spend my summer.” Or, autumn, or the rest of his year. Too much time had already been wasted with Alexandra Storme so heavy on the brain that the weight felt like it has its own gravitational pull. He sat at the kitchen counter with the bottle of whiskey and poured another liberal dose in his glass. With each round, he discarded another idea for how to deal with this situation. His increasingly inebriated mind struggled for a solution.

  He decided that forgetting about her was best. Clearly that didn’t work. He failed miserably by moving on too quickly, and to Kennedy, of all people, who right now he should have been thanking. Fate and Kennedy’s ass intervened, because he was not going to phone Alexandra back at all. After a while, Bash gave up analyzing, but keep right on drinking until the alcohol lulled him into a buzzed, dreamless sleep right there at the countertop, and left him wondering exactly how many times one woman could get to him this way.

  Yes, drinking myself into a stupor is what my life has come to.

  * * *

  A pounding headache woke him up the next morning. Bash discovered sometime in the night he had at least made his way from the kitchen to the living room. The acrid taste of bad decisions filled his mouth and glared in his eyes, which he was sure would be bloodshot by now. Taking his time, he went up to the second floor bathroom for a shower. He leaned over the sink and brushed his teeth as he waited for the water to heat up. It was safe to say that after sleeping haphazardly on a barstool, then cramped up on the unopened sofa, he was not in the best mood.

  He stripped off yesterday’s clothes and stepped beneath the spray with a disgruntled sigh. “What do you want to do today, Bash?” he said aloud. “I don’t know. What is there to do four days before I go back to work? Nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.”

  He scrubbed and bemoaned the boredom when just days ago he was pretty okay with it. Back when Alexandra was still a definite in his life. He should at least have been ecstatic that he still had a job with the fire department. “Shake it off, Bash,” he told himself. “It’s not all gone to shit.”

  By the time he got out of the shower and dragged himself to his bedroom one floor up, he was in a slightly better mood. He found some clothes and headed back downstairs to find his phone, searching for the number the chief told him to call. He would busy himself with getting ready for work next week. That would have to be enough for now. Today was the perfect day to call central and schedule the classes needed to get prepped for his new role.

  “Yes sir, Mr. Sullivan. We can get you set up,” said the serious but helpful woman on the other end when he finally made the call. Fortunately, one of the training courses would start in a week. The call was over in less than three minutes. Bash hung up the phone and got to thinking about how to fill the rest of his day. Done with physical therapy and doctor’s visits, done worrying over going back to Tucson Fire Department, the only thing left was to head to the gym this afternoon, search the mall afterward for a couple of dress shirts and business slacks for the new job, and try to ignore these crazy thoughts about Alexandra running around in his head.

  First he would eat. He would get breakfast at a diner for a change. Sebastian grabbed a jacket and his wallet and keys, headed out to his Jeep and turned over the engine. His rumbling stomach set him straight, and he had barely made it a few blocks when he spotted the closest diner in the area. He hadn’t been there in a while. He and his firefighter buddies would come here after every serious overnight fire emergency response.

  Good. Some routine will help.

  He headed inside, and the jingle of the bell over the door brought back old memories. He settled on a round red barstool at the shiny counter.

  “Good morning,” a gray-haired waitress greeted him on her approach from the far end of the place. “The menu’s up on the wall. Can I get you some coffee to start off?”

  “Sounds good,” he answered, and looked up at the chalk-drawn, handwritten menu for the day. He looked over to his right at two older men chatting
quietly. To his left was a gentleman hidden by a newspaper. Turning to face forward again, he pulled out his phone.

  “Crazy what they print these days,” the man with the newspaper exclaimed to no one in particular.

  When he closed the paper, a surprised half-smile spread across Bash’s face. “Well, good morning, Maxwell.”

  His face lit up. “Ah, Sullivan boy! I mean, Sebastian. Funny running into you here. How are you? I was just talking about you to Alexandra last night.”

  “You were?” Bash lifted an eyebrow.

  “How’s that knee of yours?” Maxwell asked, changing the subject.

  “Much better, thanks.”

  “Good. I’ve noticed you getting around without your crutches these days. Not snooping, mind you.” He shook his head and laughed. “I just don’t have a damned thing to do, now that I’ve been forced into retirement by a workaholic daughter and the lovely woman who used to be my ally.”

  The waitress set a mug of black coffee in front of Bash, with a tiny pitcher of creamer. He thanked her, but was distracted, still wondering what Maxwell and Alexandra were discussing about him last night. Was it before or after all hell broke loose at his house?

  The waitress, Beth according to her nametag, asked him, “Did you decide on what you’re having?”

  “Try the omelets. They’re unrivaled,” Maxwell Storme suggested.

  Bash nodded. “I guess I’ll be having the omelet then, with red peppers, green onion and cheese.”

  “Not a problem.” Beth turned, and tacked his order on the raised rotating order rack within the cook’s line of sight before leaving to check on the other customers.

  Bash sipped his coffee and turned to Maxwell Storme for what would likely be an interesting conversation.

  “So when are you heading back to work?” Maxwell asked.

  “Next week. I won’t be going back to firefighting, but I’ll still be with the same fire department.”