Bad Boy's Lust (Firemen in Love Book 1)

by Amy Starling

  I really did. When she told me, she looked so upset. Conflicted. And she wasn't that kind of woman. She would never try to trap me with a kid.

  “So... She gonna keep it?”

  “Yeah, that's what she says.”

  “But you don't want kids.”

  Didn't I? I had no idea what I really wanted these days. Elle put a leash on me, so to speak. Kept me from running around doing stupid shit and messing up my life.

  Used to think I'd hate being treated that way – but I liked it. I didn't feel as if she was controlling me. I felt like she cared.

  Earlier, when she forced me to watch those brats, she put that baby in my arms. She had this funny look on her face. Now, I knew why.

  “She said I could forget the wedding if I wanted.”

  Carter clucked his tongue. “You can't leave her high and dry. She's carrying the baby you helped make.”

  “Doesn't mean he has to marry the girl. He can still pay child support and visit the kid now and again. No reason to get tied down even further.”

  “If you ask me, he needs to do the right thing – and that's giving the child a mommy and daddy both.”

  “Aw, you're such a sap. Guys, I told you he's got no balls anymore.”

  Brett pulled a joint out of his pocket and lit up. When he offered one to me, I politely declined. Max got a kick out of that.

  “Here we go. I told you this was gonna happen.”

  “Shut up. She doesn't like the idea of me doing drugs. I told her I wouldn't smoke anymore.”

  “What she don't know won't hurt her.”

  Max took a drag off his own joint and blew smoke in my face. Great. If I came home smelling like pot, Elle would let me have it.

  “Bet if she finds that grow setup you got in the closet, she'll be done with you.”

  “Actually, she already knows. I told her about the guys it's helped. Said I could keep it for now.”

  Carter chuckled. “You got yourself a gem of a woman, then. If Alicia caught me growing weed in the house, she'd castrate me.”

  I pulled him aside. He was the only sensible one here, and his advice was always golden.

  “Man, I never expected this to happen. I'm kind of freaking out.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I never thought I wanted children. I mean, there was a vague thought about it in the very back of my mind, I guess. But since I never planned to settle down, the idea of having kids was just ridiculous to me.”

  He shrugged. “You had to give up that existence eventually. You couldn't keep sleeping with a different girl every night for the rest of your life.”

  “Yeah? Speak for yourself.”

  “I mean, that's not really fulfilling. Is it? Be honest. Sex with Elle is nothing like with those other chicks.”

  “Of course not. They never meant anything to me. She does.”

  “And you care so much about her, you're planning to marry her.”

  “Well...” I winced. “It wasn't that way at first.”

  I told him our convoluted plan to get hitched to save the property. He listened patiently, sipping his Diet Coke and not saying a word until I was done.

  “So you were doing this as a business thing, but then you fell in love with her in the end. Sounds like a plot from one of my wife's romance novels.”

  I had to laugh. “I suppose it does sound nuts.”

  “Now, she said you could call it off if you wanted. But then she'll lose the property, and so will you.”

  I nodded.

  “If you do marry, you're afraid you'll be tied down. And in a way, you will be – but when you're with the woman you love more than anybody else, being tied down isn't such a bad thing.”

  “I was prepared to give up my bachelor ways for good, and that's hard enough for a guy like me. But now we're adding a baby to the mix? I don't do babies.”

  “Sure, they're dirty and loud. They take up all your time and sap your energy. You never really know what they're crying about.” He smiled. “But that's your child. A little person you made with her. That changes everything. Makes it all worth it.”

  “It sounds like hell.”

  “The worst of it only lasts the first year or so. And when that time comes, I bet you'll be so in love with that kid, you'll be begging Elle to give you a second.”

  Max came and dragged Carter away to settle a debate between him and Brett. I just sat there, thinking hard.

  I imagined a tiny baby growing inside Elle's belly right now. A baby that I put there on the first try with her. I'd never forget looking into her eyes as I let go in her. It was special then – I just didn't realize quite how much.

  Was the kid a boy or a girl? Was it healthy? That's all I cared about. If it was growing big and strong, I'd be satisfied.

  And Elle, what about her? She'd been a mess these past several weeks. How had I not put two and two together? Always puking at random odors and craving stuff she never liked before. Even so, the possibility never came to me.

  Raising a child would be hard work. A whole lot of commitment. Before, the only thing I committed to was getting wasted and laid as much as a guy could.

  But that wasn't me anymore. I wanted to go home to Elle after work, not to the club. What the hell was I doing sitting here, then? I should have been back there, comforting her right now. I was such an idiot.

  “Hey, ladies!” Max snapped his fingers and whistled at them like you might call a dog. “Get your sweet asses over here and give us some loving.”

  He waved around a wad of cash, and two of the girls were on his lap in seconds. I could barely look at the display without feeling sick anymore.

  A couple of the girls came to me, too. At least I hadn't slept with these ones, but they still knew me. I had a serious reputation around here.

  “Mr. Sexy Fireman is back,” cooed the blonde. She put her hands on my shoulders. I flinched, but she didn't get the hint.

  The brunette purred in my ear. “We'll give you some loving, too, sugar – but we're not as cheap as those amateurs. We're worth it.”

  I pulled away from them. “No thanks.”

  The ladies uttered cries of disappointment. Max laughed and threw back shot number seven.

  “C'mon, man. These are premium dancers. Best that money can buy here. I thought you'd love 'em, seeing as how they have very developed frontal assets.”

  They giggled and danced in front of me. I didn't react.

  “Don't be a loser. Elle's at home. She'll never know, and besides, might as well sow your wild oats while you can.”

  “I'm done.” I reached for my jacket. “And if you can't support that, then piss off.”

  Carter grabbed me on the way out. “You did good. I remember a time when you'd be all over those women. Probably taking at least one of 'em home with you, too.”

  “Please don't remind me. That's a time of my life I would rather forget.”

  “So you've made your decision, then.”

  “I have. Doesn't mean I'm not scared shitless, though.”

  He gave me a quick hug. “You got any questions about the kid in the middle of the night, you're always welcome to call me.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  The emergency ringer on my phone went off. After hours, I usually let those calls go to voice mail, so I ignored it.

  Except seconds later, there was another call. And then another.

  “What the hell?” I pressed the phone to my ear and headed outside to hear better.

  “Uh, there's a smoky smell coming from someplace,” said the first caller's message. “I dunno where, but I bet it's the woman in 202. She burns everything she cooks. Can you go tell her to stop?”

  Message two. “I'm in 111. Out in the hallway, it looks like there's smoke in the air. Something is definitely burning around here.”

  It could have been anything. Someone burning dinner, like they suggested. Or something far worse.

  The queasy feeling in my stomach said the latter.

>   I hopped in my truck and sped off toward Shady Acres while dialing the station. Oliver picked up.

  “Jayce, man. Heard you went out with the boys tonight. Lucky jerk.”

  “I need you to send a truck to Shady Acres right now. I think there's a fire.”

  “You think?”

  “Just do it!”

  I drove thirty miles over the speed limit. Ran red lights and stop signs. If a cop came up behind me and tried to pull me over, I would run from him too.

  Elle was in there. I'd left her there – alone, with my baby inside her – and for all I knew, she was trapped in a burning building.

  I wasn't there for her. I didn't stay and comfort her when she needed it most.

  If anything happened to her, it would be my fault.

  In the distance, a fire truck's siren wailed. A second joined its call, then a third.

  Oh, no.

  I reached the top of the hill. A cloud of gray smoke billowed in the valley below.

  “Hold on, Elle. I'm coming –”

  Another car came from out of nowhere. Glass shattered and steel crumpled as it collided with the side of my truck. I cursed, spun out, and came to a stop.

  “God damn it!”

  I wasn't hurt, just shook up – and too worried for Elle to give a shit about my truck.

  The driver of the offending vehicle stumbled out of his Lexus. He smelled of booze; obviously drunk. His forehead was bleeding but if he could walk, he was okay.

  I was suddenly very glad I'd turned down that drink tonight.

  “Oh, man. Christ, I'm so sorry.” His words slurred. Yep, smashed. “I – I didn't see you coming. Had no idea there was a light there.”

  The firetruck sirens were getting closer. I was only a couple miles away from Shady Acres. But by the time I got there, it might be too late.

  The drunk clung to my shirt and started to cry. “Mister, please don't call the cops. I'll go to jail. My wife will leave me. She said if I did this one more time...”

  His car was a wreck – front windshield smashed out, fender bent, hood caved in. He wouldn't be going anywhere in that.

  “You could have killed someone, but whatever. I got more important things to worry about. Get in the back.”

  “Huh?”

  “Your car's totaled. I'll give you a ride to where I'm going. Fire department's there. They can help you out.”

  He muttered his thanks over and over as he shambled into the bed of my truck. Soon as he was in, I floored it.

  Hang in there, Elle. I'm coming for you.

  Chapter 23 - Jayce

  Firetrucks surrounded Shady Acres. I pulled in next to one and slammed on the brakes. My worst fear had come true.

  Flames leaped from the first-floor windows while men worked hard to put them out. One of my friends from the station, Billy, was escorting people out the side door. The main entrance was impassable, full of fire so hot it shattered glass.

  I left the passed-out drunk in my truck and ran over to him.

  “C'mon, folks. Keep moving and remain calm. You're gonna be all right.”

  Tenants flooded out of the building, crying and screaming for help. One woman cradled a poodle to her chest. A guy held the hands of two terrified children.

  I grabbed Billy's arm. He looked relieved to see me.

  “Man, what's going on here? What happened?”

  “No idea yet. Looks like the fire started in the basement or on the first floor, obviously. We just got here minutes before you did.”

  I looked over the handful of evacuees huddling together in the nearby park. Elle didn't appear to be among them.

  “My girlfriend's in there.” I lunged for the door. “I have to go get her.”

  “Whoa, Jayce. Leave it to us. We got a couple guys in there getting everyone out safe. The rest of us will have the blaze contained in no time. It's pretty much sticking to the first floor, and we've already got a good handle on it.”

  An explosion thundered inside the building, so loud it made my ears hurt and so strong it shook the sidewalk beneath my feet. Fire spilled from the second-floor windows, and then the third.

  “It's spreading,” Billy shouted. “Get those hoses on it, men.”

  “We gotta get these people out before it gets worse. Where are Shane and Adam?”

  “They're still inside!”

  I had to act fast. It wouldn't be long before the fire reached the upper floors. And what about all the other tenants trapped in there?

  A woman came to the window of her third-floor room. She waved and screamed for help. Shit! How many people were stuck up there?

  Some managed to get out via the fire escape, but only from certain floors. That meant the other floors might be blocked.

  “I'm going in there, Billy.” I grabbed an ax and a portable fire extinguisher from the truck. “You got the first floor covered?”

  “And the second, but higher than that's a problem.” He grabbed my shoulder. “Be careful, man.”

  I offered him a grim smile. Now wasn't the time to be careful. I didn't care what I had to do to save Elle.

  I rushed in through the side entrance and jogged up the stairs past a small group of terrified tenants. When I reached floor two, the fire was less, but the halls were full of smoke.

  A woman's howling caught my attention. It came from 220 – Angie's apartment. She was still in there!

  Angie was a horrible excuse for a human being, but I wasn't just gonna let her die in there. I kicked the door down and found her blubbering on her bed.

  “Oh, sweet Jesus, help me!”

  “Angie, it's me.” I offered her my hand. “C'mon. You got a clear path to the exit.”

  She started bawling. “I'm so scared! Oh... My baby, Elle! You must save her.”

  “I'm on my way up there now. Get to the stairs and hurry.”

  She stumbled around the room gathering her belongings in her chubby arms. “But I have to get the family photos, and the jewelry... Oh Lord, my wedding gown!”

  “There's no time for that. If you don't move it, you might get trapped up here.”

  She sobbed and ran for it. Back in the hallway, I found Adam. He was busy helping some people out of the apartment next door.

  “There you are. Good to see you're okay.”

  He coughed and winced. “Yeah, but not for long. The smoke's getting worse. I don't know what exploded just a minute ago, but I'm worried it's gonna happen again.”

  “Then we need to move, double time. I gotta get to the fifth floor. Elle is up there.”

  He frowned. “We had some evacuees come from the fifth floor on their own. I don't think the flames have got that far up yet. Shane's working the third floor; says it's worse up there than down here, somehow.”

  “Just keep getting these people out of here. I'm heading up.”

  I returned to the stairwell and went up one more. There was Shane, leading some people out the fire escape. Flames erupted from one of the units. From the look of things, that had been the source of our explosion.

  Up to floor four, then five. No fire here yet, although a lot of the smoke had risen, making it hard to breathe. I imagined poor Elle trapped, scared and alone, and it gave me strength to keep moving.

  Mrs. Jackson opened her door and peered out at me. “What the devil is all this noise? What's that god-awful smell?”

  “The building's on fire. Get out now. Use the stairs, not the elevator.”

  She shrieked and hurried to collect her cat before bolting for the stairs. I sprinted for Elle's place. Knocked on the door. No answer.

  “Elle, you in there? Open up, please, I'm begging you.”

  Still nothing. We had keys to every unit here, but they were down in the office – which was currently engulfed in a fireball. Looked like I had no choice but to knock the door down.

  I felt for the doorknob first to check for excessive heat, which would mean fire on the other side. Nope, still cool. I turned it. Locked.

  “I'm c
oming in!”

  I swung the ax. One hefty blow, and the sharp blade cleaved the knob right off the door. It swung open easily, and I hurried in.

  Her apartment was full of smoke, and my eyes burned as I struggled to locate her. Not in the living room, that was for sure. Where, then?

  “Elle? Answer me, damn it!”

  A weak cough was the only reply. Panicked, I bolted for her bedroom and flipped on the light. She lay face down on the bed, not moving.

  “Shit. Elle!”

  I grabbed her and shook her limp body. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.

  “Jayce? What... Is that smoke in here?”

  “Are you okay?” I looked her up and down. “Did you get hurt?”

  “I couldn't sleep, so I took a pill to knock me out.” She nuzzled against my chest. “What's going on?”

  “The whole place is on fire, and if we don't hurry up, we'll get stuck in it.”

  “On fire?”

  “Don't ask, just move!”

  She was only wearing a t-shirt and underwear, but there was no time for a change of clothes. I grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall. Down the stairs we went, to the fourth floor, then the third.

  That's where things got really bad.

  This was an old building, with steps made of wood. Guess what happened to wood in a fire?

  The moment I put my foot down on the next step, it disintegrated. Boards turned to splinters beneath my boot, and if not for Elle holding onto me, I would have fallen through and landed a couple floors below in the inferno. In a few more seconds, the rest of the landing collapsed with it.

  “Oh God.” She trembled. “Oh, no. Are we trapped? What about the elevator?”

  “You're not supposed to use it in a fire – and besides, it's busted.”

  We went back to the fourth floor, as it was our only choice. When we got up there, I found a family standing in the hall. It was the one from 430, with the kids we'd watched mere hours ago.

  The children were crying, and their mother tried to soothe them while cradling baby Rose in her arms.

  “Calm down, kids. Dad's gathering some of our important things, then we're leaving. You're going to be okay.”

  I tugged Elle along with me and jogged up to them.

  “Hey, you guys gotta get out of here now. The stairs just collapsed and –”