by Elle James
Up In Flames
Hellfire Book #6
Elle James
Twisted Page Inc
Contents
UP IN FLAMES
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Coming soon
Total Meltdown
Soldier’s Duty
About the Author
Also by Elle James
UP IN FLAMES
HELLFIRE BOOK #6
New York Times & USA Today
Bestselling Author
* * *
ELLE JAMES
Copyright © 2019 by Elle James
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is dedicated to my darling muse, Sweetpea. She gave us thirteen years of unconditional love and entertainment. That eight-pound ball of fluffy white frosting loved to eat everything she could get her mouth on and sleep curled up on the sofa. She’d take many tries before finally launching herself onto the lofty heights of the couch, but once there, she could spend hours sleeping. She reminded me of a salmon throwing herself upstream. No grace, just determination. I’ll always remember her getting a running start to make it up the staircase and then sitting at the top, staring down at me. It was as if she was urging me to get on up there! I loved that little dog so much and will miss her forever. I hope she has all the treats she can eat, there, across the rainbow bridge. All my love to you, Sweetpea!
Escape with...
Elle James
aka Myla Jackson
Author’s Note
Enjoy these other books in the HELLFIRE Series
by Elle James
* * *
Hellfire Series
Hellfire, Texas (#1)
Justice Burning (#2)
Smoldering Desire (#3)
Hellfire in High Heels (#4)
Playing With Fire (#5)
Up in Flames (#6)
Total Meltdown (#7)
Visit ellejames.com for more titles and release dates
For hot cowboys, visit her alter ego Myla Jackson at mylajackson.com
and join Elle James and Myla Jackson's Newsletter at Newsletter
Chapter 1
“Get out.” For the tenth time Kate practiced the words. This time, with even more emphasis than the last nine. “Get out!”
She pulled up to a stoplight and mashed the brakes. Kate hoped the police would get there before she did. Although she didn’t like conflict, she’d gotten used to dealing with it on a daily basis in the Army. If it wasn’t the hazard of being shot at, it was the unrest in the ranks. Soldiers away from home could get cranky and depressed, taking their stress out on each other.
Fortunately, the Army part of her life was over. If Bacchus hadn’t developed a skittishness toward loud noises, they might have stayed in the service. However, due to his inability to handle the sound of gunfire and things that go bang, Bacchus had been retired. Kate, having met her enlistment obligation, had chosen to separate from the military and pursue adoption of the dog she’d trained, giving him a “forever home” with her.
“Get out!” she said again, getting used to the way the words rolled right off her tongue.
Bacchus whined and gave her a pathetic glance with his ears perked forward, as if he was trying, but couldn’t quite understand why she’d want him to get out of the vehicle without her.
She patted the head of the Belgian Malinois sitting in the seat beside her. “It’s okay,” she said. “You don’t have to get out. My ex does. You and I are going to be just fine,” she told the dog.
Thankfully, the landlord was letting her out of her lease early. She had a new job in a new town, and she was going to start her life over now that she was out of the Army. She hadn’t seen Randy in almost nine months, but even from a distance, he still had a way of twisting her words and making her feel like she was the one at fault when he’d been the one in the wrong all this time.
Her nine months of deployment to Afghanistan had left her feeling a little stronger and more confident in herself. This time when she asked him to leave—no, when she told him to leave—she wouldn’t take him back. In fact, she was driving a truck pulling a rented trailer with every intention of moving all her stuff and starting over in another place.
She shot a glance at the dog in the passenger seat. “What do you think, Bacchus?”
His tongue hanging out, Bacchus turned to look at her as he panted. He gave a soft woof.
“I agree one hundred percent.” She sighed. “It only took me nine months in the desert to figure it out.”
She’d been back stateside for two weeks. During that time, she’d stayed in a hotel while she’d completed all of her out-processing to leave the Army. And she’d also taken care of the adoption of her dog Bacchus. She hadn’t notified Randy that she’d returned from the desert, preferring to have everything in place when she did. She’d been offered a job in Hellfire, Texas. Her acceptance had been contingent on one thing and one thing only. She glanced again at Bacchus. “Just waiting for that call.”
As if on cue, her phone rang through the speaker system of her vehicle. She hit the talk button when she recognized the phone number as the one from the sheriff’s department in Hellfire. Her heart racing, she answered. “This is Kate.”
“Kate, this is Sheriff Olson from Hellfire. You got a minute?”
Kate nodded though she knew he couldn’t see her. “That’s all I have, about one minute. I’m on my way to move my things from my apartment.”
“It won’t take long,” the sheriff said. “I did some research. I think we can do what you asked.”
A flash of joy and a healthy dose of hope burned through Kate’s chest. “That’s good news. Then, Sheriff Olson, I accept.”
“Great,” Sheriff said. “When can I expect you to start?”
Kate chuckled. “How’s Monday morning sound to you?”
“This Monday?” The sheriff asked with surprise in his tone.
“If you can get me started that soon I’d appreciate it,” Kate said. “I just need to find a place to stay, and I’ll be ready.”
“I know someone who might have a garage apartment for rent—if you’re interested.”
“Oh, I’m interested,” Kate said.
“How do you know? I haven’t even told you anything about it.”
Kate’s lips thinned. “Does it have a roof?”
“Yes.”
“Does it have an indoor shower?”
“Yes,” the sheriff said. “In fact, it’s fully furnished.”
“Sold.” Kate didn’t care if it was painted purple with yellow polka dots. Anything would be better than what she was dealing with now. And anything was better than a tent in the desert or a Conex box converted into living quarters. Then she had a thought. “You say it’s fully furnished?”
“Yes,” the sheriff said. “The only drawback is the house next door burned down recently, and they’re still cleaning up the debris. And construction will surely follow, so I’m sure you can get a good deal on renting the property. It’ll be a great place just to start with, and then you can look for another as you get a feel for the town.”
“Then I’ll need somewhere to store a few of my things. I have a couple pieces of furnit
ure and a few household items.”
“We have a shed behind the sheriff’s department. You can put your stuff out there for now if you want.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“If that doesn’t work,” the sheriff continued, “the nearest storage units are in Hole in The Wall, a town twenty miles west of Hellfire.”
“Hole in The Wall?” Kate asked. “I’ve never heard of it.” But then, she hadn’t heard of Hellfire until she’d stumbled across the deputy sheriff advertisement.
The sheriff laughed. “You aren’t used to small towns, are you?”
Kate snorted. “Not unless you consider San Antonio a small town.”
“It can be pretty laid back here in Hellfire,” the sheriff said. “Some would call it boring.”
“I could use a little laid back and boring, right about now.” Especially after what she would have to deal with in the next few minutes. She turned onto the street where her apartment complex was located. Her back stiffened, and her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Well, if that’s all you need from me, I’ll see you on Monday morning.”
The moment of truth may have arrived, but the police had yet to show.
No matter. She’d get the party started without them. And if she had any problems, she’d just wait until they arrived and have them finish the job.
She pulled the truck towing the U-Haul trailer into the parking lot, made a wide turn and backed up toward the staircase that led to her second-floor apartment. It was early on a Friday afternoon. If Randy was holding a job, he might still be at work. That would give her time to load up as much of her crap as she could before he arrived home. If he wasn’t working and he was home, then the fun would start earlier.
Kate got out of her truck and climbed the stairs to the second-story apartment. She slipped the key into the keyhole and turned the knob. The door pushed open easily.
The smell hit her first. That horrible rotten food, trash-that-hadn’t-been-taken-out, and old-pizza-as-well-as-dirty-socks-and-clothing smell wafted into her nostrils and made her gag. The place in no way resembled the neatly cleaned apartment she’d left nine months ago. A pair of dirty jeans lay on the floor in the hallway with a belt still through the loops. A T-shirt lay slung across the top of the lampshade next to the couch. Old pizza boxes, dirty dishes, and sweaty drinking glasses sat making rings on her wooden coffee table.
Bacchus whined softly as he stood beside her.
The sounds of vehicles pulling up behind her made Kate turn. Two police vehicles pulled in and parked beside her U-Haul. Two officers emerged. She waved from the balcony and waited for them to join her at the door.
The first officer arrived. “Are you all right, ma’am?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Is he here?” the second officer asked, his hand on his firearm.
Kate shook her head. “I don’t know. This is as far as I’ve gotten. I was just opening the door and smelling the smell.”
The officer grimaced. “Do you want us to go in first?”
“No, thanks. I’ll go first.” Kate entered, her heart sinking with every step. Any of the furniture remaining in the apartment would probably have to be tossed. In the hallway was the old secretary desk her grandmother had willed to her when she’d passed. Even that would need more work because of the damage from having wet drinking glasses laid on the top. The desk was one piece of furniture she could not get rid of. It was part of her family. The only piece that she had left, and the only connection that remained to the family she no longer had.
The damage to the rest of her furniture was worse than she’d first thought. The arm of the couch drooped down as if it had been broken. The television had a crack from one edge to the opposite corner as though it had been dropped. Kate glanced toward the kitchen where piles of dishes lay in the sink with mold growing on them.
As far as she was concerned, every bit of the dishes and utensils could be thrown in the trash. Other than a few items of clothing and her grandmother’s desk, she really didn’t care about anything else in the apartment. It was a good thing she’d called ahead and arranged for a local charity to come and collect everything she didn’t want. They’d be there within two hours of her departure.
Pushing back her sleeves, she reached for the door to the bedroom and pushed it open.
Inside was just as much of a disaster as the rest of the apartment. It appeared as if the mattress box springs had given up the ghost and sagged in the middle, and there was a lump in the middle beneath the comforter.
Kate walked forward and pressed a hand to the lump.
A head popped up.
Kate let out a startled, “Eeep!”
A woman with bleached blond hair sat up, pulling a sheet over her naked breasts. “Who the hell are you?”
Anger bubbled up inside Kate. “I could ask the same.”
The woman sneered. “I asked first.”
Kate put her fists on her hips and stared at the woman in her bed. “Do you realize whose apartment you’re in?”
“It’s Randy’s apartment.” She glanced toward the bathroom door. “You better get out of here before I call the police.”
A policeman stepped up behind Kate. “Need assistance?”
He had directed the question toward Kate, but the blonde in the bed answered. “Yes, officer, this woman is trespassing.” She pointed at Kate. “Arrest her. Arrest her, now!”
The office shook his head. “Afraid not, ma’am. Miss Bradley’s name is on the lease.”
The blonde’s brows screwed up, and she narrowed her eyes, staring at Kate. “You must be mistaken. This is Randy’s apartment. He’s lived here for as long as I’ve known him.”
“And how long has that been?” Kate asked.
The woman pushed her hair back from her face with one hand. “At least eight or nine months.”
Kate snorted. It hadn’t taken Randy long to find someone else to warm his bed. And he hadn’t even had the decency to break it off with her before he had. Instead, he’d taken advantage of her by living in her apartment rent-free, when he’d promised to pay the rent while she’d been gone.
A voice sounded from the bathroom. “Hey, sweetheart, do you know where I left m—" The door swung open, and Randy stood there with a towel loosely slung around his hips and his hair wet. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. “Kate, honey, when did you get back?”
“Not soon enough, it appears.” Kate tilted her head toward the woman in the bed. “Get your girlfriend, and get out.” There, it hadn’t been nearly as hard as she’d thought. And the sense of satisfaction was worth the effort.
“Kate, it’s not what it looks like.” Randy grabbed a wadded-up T-shirt from the top of the dresser and pulled it over his head.
“And what does it look like?” Kate asked.
“Well, you know…” He shrugged, grimaced and held open his arms. “I missed you. Don’t I get a hug?”
The thought of touching the man who’d been sleeping with another woman while she, Kate, had been out defending their country, nearly made her want to puke. She shook her head. “Nope. Get your girlfriend and get out.”
“You can’t mean that,” Randy said.
Kate jerked her head toward the officers behind her. “I mean it. And I brought back up just to make sure it happens.”
Randy frowned. “You can’t kick me out. You sublet this apartment to me.”
Kate raised her eyebrows in challenge. “You have paperwork to prove it?”
“No, it was a verbal agreement.”
She lifted her chin. “Do you have any cancelled checks as proof that you paid rent?”
Randy’s eyes narrowed.
Kate laughed. “You don’t because you didn’t.” One side of Kate’s mouth pulled up in a smirk. “Right. Not one dime. After the first month’s rent was behind, the landlord contacted me. I have been paying the rent the entire time I was gone. Which makes this my apartment and makes you a squatter.”
Randy’s eyes widened as he spotted the policemen behind Kate. “Really? You brought the police?”
“I had to,” Kate said. “I wrote you several times asking you to move out.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, you didn’t.”
Kate’s jaw tightened. “I did, and you signed for the letters.” She pulled the stack of certified receipts from her back pocket and held them in front of him. “I have proof. So, I repeat: Get. Out.”
Randy’s gaze shot left then right. “You can’t do this to me. You need to give me some time.”
“I gave you nine months.” Kate jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Time’s up.”
Randy looked down at his legs below the towel wrapped around his waist. “You could at least give me time to get dressed.”
She didn’t care if he had to walk out naked. The man had to go. “I gave you nine months to get your life in order. That’s all I’m giving you.”
“I don’t remember you being such a bitch.” Randy glared at her. “We used to be good together.”
“In your mind,” Kate said. “You always managed to manipulate me and make me feel like it was my fault things weren’t working out.”
He grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor. “I can’t help it that you were wishy-washy.”
“Well, I’m not now.” She stepped back and angled her head toward the policemen. “This man is trespassing in my apartment.”
The officers nodded. “Sir, if you two would get dressed, we’ll escort you and your companion out.”
The bleached blonde scooted to the side of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her naked body. She glared at Randy. “You mean to tell me this isn’t your apartment?”
