Into the Flames

by Multi-Author

  And just like that, the stupidity of what he’d done and how he’d handled things stabbed him in the gut. He still thought her job was dangerous, but he hadn’t had to be such a prick about it. And maybe he could have been more open about where they would live. Maybe, maybe, maybe. He and his ego had really fucked up. He’d hoped all during the flight here he could find a way to open that door again.

  He’d followed her career as best he could, using all his resources. There had been a few stories about the San Antonio Fire Department he’d found online as he searched hungrily for information about her—Cyber stalking much, Noah? He had studied them intently. Her hair was a more honeyed blonde, but the sexy streaks were still there. It hung in gentle waves to her shoulders, floating softly as she turned her head to answer someone. Her body was just as lush and tempting as he recalled, at least what he could see of it.

  Damn! Just the sight of her and his cock began banging on his fly to get out and attack.

  He was gathering himself to approach her, giving himself a pep talk, and trying to figure out an appropriately low key greeting when she turned her head. He knew the instant she spotted him. She froze, her hand holding her drink midway to her lips. Her mouth fell open, and she just stared at him.

  Okay, get to it, schmuck.

  He wiggled his way through the jam of people until he was directly beside her. She was still staring at him, and he nearly fell into the golden brown of her eyes. Still the same color as the best bourbon, he thought incidentally.

  “Hey, Randi.” He hated having to shout to make himself heard.

  “Hello, Noah.” She might have been speaking to a stranger for as much emotion as she put into the words.

  Well, what did he expect?

  “You look really great.” That was certainly a lame-ass comment. “Terrific, in fact.” Nope, not getting any better.

  She looked him up and down and said, “You’re looking pretty good yourself.”

  He was trying to figure out what to say next when a loud cheer rose up from the center of the room where Jeff was standing. Noah glanced that way and saw a bunch of people raising their drinks to him in a toast.

  “Listen.” He might regret giving in to this impulse, but he had to do it. “Is there half a chance we can sneak out of here for a few minutes? There’s a coffee shop right across the street.”

  She stared at him, something swirling in her eyes. “Really? Coffee?

  He managed a smile. “Sure. We can catch up on everything.”

  “Catch up,” she repeated.

  He had the sinking feeling he was in for a big fat no.

  “Hey, Randi, you okay?” The tall man standing right next to her gave Noah a penetrating look.

  “I’m fine,” she shouted back. Then she looked at Noah again.

  He held his breath. He could almost hear the thoughts rattling around in her head. Then, when he was about to walk away and write it off as a bad move on his part, she gave him one brief nod. “Okay. But one cup.”

  Thank you, god. Thank you, thank you.

  He took her drink from her hand and set it, along with his untouched one, on a nearby table already jammed with glasses and bottles. Then, cupping her elbow, he guided her through the crowd. People hollered things to them as he forged a path to the door. He just nodded, unable to hear what they were saying and hoping it wasn’t something that would piss him off. He didn’t stop until they were outside and across the street. He was shocked that she went along without arguing then realized she figured she’d tell him off one last time.

  Too bad. The moment he laid eyes on her, he’d realized what was between them was far from over. He just didn’t know how to get past the big stone wall still between them.

  Neither of them said a word until they were seated in the nearly empty coffee shop and had given their orders to a waitress. He couldn’t seem to get enough of looking at her. His fingers itched to run through her rich sun-streaked hair that he remembered as being softer than silk. To touch his mouth to her lips that beckoned to him. To stroke her petal-soft skin. To see her naked, lying in his arms, while he—

  Damn! He’d better stop that line of thinking. His dick was giving him fits again at the erotic video playing in his mind. He studied her across the table, trying to decide the best way to start this conversation. The silence between them became so heavy he could almost feel it. Finally, he cleared his throat.

  “So. How are you? You’re looking good.”

  “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” The smile she gave him looked definitely manufactured. “So, did you just come into town for Jeff’s birthday? I know the two of you used to be good friends.”

  Used to be? Used to be?

  Okay, was she sending him some kind of message, because the greeting he got from Jeff had been way warmer than the one from her. Or was she just hinting that when he left San Antonio, he’d turned his back on everyone here? He wanted to think that wasn’t true, but had he really kept in touch with his friends?

  “Actually,” he said slowly, “I’m chasing a story, and there might be a part of it here.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Here? In San Antonio? I haven’t gotten wind of anything that would merit national coverage, and I’m pretty plugged into things.”

  “The kernel of it is pretty much under the radar right now. I’m hoping to penetrate that and get some real information. But enough about me.” He smiled. “I want to talk about you.”

  At that moment, the waitress delivered their coffee, and Randi waved off the creamer and sweetener. He could see she still took it the same way she used to describe it…black as hell and strong as sin. He swallowed a tiny smile at the little familiar habit.

  She took a slow sip before answering.

  “I didn’t agree to have coffee with you to make small talk, Noah. Say what you have to say, and we can go back to the party. This door will finally be closed for good.”

  He studied her face, trying to read what was going on in her head. “Okay, if you want to jump right into it. I wanted to talk to you because I didn’t like the way we left things the last time we were together.”

  “Left things?” The look she gave him could have fried eggs. “Are you kidding me?”

  Okay. If he wondered whether she was still pissed at him after all this time, he had his answer. Well, what did he expect? That she’d welcome him with open arms after the way their last night together ended?

  He reached across the table for her free hand, but she snatched it back as if he’d hit her with a blowtorch. “Listen, Randi.” He had to get this right. “I know how badly things ended between us, and I wanted the chance to make things right with you. I was happy I was coming here because I figured we could talk and finally settle things between us.”

  Randi’s fingers tightened on her cup. “Settle things? Let’s get real, Noah. You basically trashed my choice of career, told me it was a men-only world, and walked out when I wouldn’t bow to your wishes and change my life around to please you. Not to mention refusing to uproot myself and follow you to New York. I’m not sure what you think there is to settle.”

  Now it was his turn to take a hit of coffee. He wished he had that beer he’d left back at Jimbo’s.

  “I…made a big mistake,” he finally admitted. “I handled everything all wrong.”

  She snorted. “Ya think?”

  He set down his coffee cup. He had to make this right somehow. Make her give him a chance to rekindle what they’d had because he suddenly realized that was exactly what he wanted. It was what had been missing from his life these past years. She was what had been missing.

  “Okay, look. All I can say is I was stupid, selfish, and blind.”

  She nodded. “Yes, you were. All that.” She looked down into her coffee cup. “You hurt me, Noah. A lot. I thought we had something pretty special going, but you trashed it in a big way.”

  That was no lie. There had been three people in the room
that night—Randi, himself, and his ego.

  “You have no idea how sorry I am for what happened. I wanted to talk to you because I’d like to find a way to make things right between us.”

  She shook her head, still not looking at him. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

  “But you agreed to have coffee with me,” he pointed out.

  “So we could put this thing to bed, finally and forever.”

  Every word was like a blow to his heart. Not what he had hoped for but certainly what he had feared.

  “I’m kind of hoping that instead you’ll give us another chance.”

  Randi raised her eyes to stare at him. “You have absolutely got to be kidding. Another chance? Not in this lifetime.” The look in her eyes was equal parts of anger and pain. “You trashed our relationship, trashed my career, and now you want another chance? You must really be crazy.”

  “Not crazy.” He swallowed. “Desperate. Please, Randi. I took one look at you tonight and saw—”

  “A chance to get laid while you’re here?” she snapped.

  Was that what she thought? He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He obviously had been an even bigger ass than he remembered.

  “You know you’re a lot more to me than that,” he told her in a soft voice. “You’ve always been a lot more.”

  “But not enough to encourage me in what I wanted to do,” she reminded him.

  He rubbed his hand over his face, frustrated. This was not going well at all.

  “I was an ass. I get it. And I really wish I could go back and have a do over.” Yes, please.

  But Randi shook her head. “No do overs, Noah. It’s done. Finished. Jeff had mentioned you’d be here for a couple of weeks, and he wanted to give me a heads up. He said he didn’t want me blindsided when you showed up at his party. I told him I’m good.”

  He studied her carefully. “And are you? Good, I mean?”

  Her lips twisted in a tight smile. “I am. I love my job. I loved being a firefighter. And being an arson investigator is incredible. And look.” She waved a hand over herself. “Still in one piece.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t help how I feel…felt,” he corrected himself. “It’s still a dangerous job. I’m just glad you haven’t been injured.” He leaned forward across the table. “I still care a lot about you.”

  “Well, those days are gone. I’m doing great, thank you very much.” She sipped at her coffee again. “So, I understand you’re here for a couple of weeks, right?”

  He nodded. “Working on that story.”

  And maybe during those two weeks he could find a way to change how she felt about him because one thing was damn sure now. He wanted—no, needed—her in his life, however he had to do it.

  “Well, good luck with it.” She glanced at her watch. “We’d better get back to Jimbo’s. If we’re gone too long, people will talk.”

  “Come on,” he laughed. “That crowd is so big they probably don’t even miss us.”

  “Even so.” She gave him a long, hard look. “I hate that it didn’t work out between us, but there’s no going back. I hope you remember that because we’re bound to run into each other while you’re here.”

  “I hear what you’re saying,” he told her. That didn’t mean he was giving up, though.

  “Tell me about the story that brought you here?” she asked. “It’s got to be something big for you to make a special trip. Besides, those are the only kind you do now, right?”

  He grinned. “Been following me, Randi?”

  “If you follow the news, it’s kind of hard to miss your byline. You’ve been very successful.” She cocked her head. “But that’s what you wanted, right?”

  “Doesn’t everyone want to be successful?”

  “At whatever they choose to do, yes.” She paused. “And it’s their choice, right?”

  Okay, he wasn’t going there. Not right now. “I’ve been very lucky,” was all he said.

  “So, what’s on your plate now?”

  “Some big shot making his money on the wrong side of the law. And people are getting hurt,” he added. “I’d love to tell you more, but—”

  “But you’d have to kill me, right?” She actually smiled at him. “No problem. I’ll wait for the story to break.” She gave him one long, last look and slid out of the booth. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” No.

  He dropped a couple of bills on the table and stood up. He didn’t want to leave, but it was obvious this conversation was over, at least for now. As they walked back to Jimbo’s, his mind went in a dozen different directions. This assignment was definitely going to take up a lot of his time. No matter. He was still going to make time to work on Project Randi. And, this time, he’d do his best not to fuck it all up.

  Chapter Three

  Randi leaned back in her desk chair and rubbed her eyes. She’d been studying articles on her computer screen for the better part of two hours, and her eyes were burning as if she’d washed them in accelerant. These apartment complex fires were driving her nuts. The one three weeks ago had been the fourth in two months. Randi was suspicious of everything. She didn’t know if some property owner was on a tear to collect insurance money or if they had a new firebug who was too impatient to space out his arson.

  The first one had occurred at Cedar Hills Apartments, a medium-to-low rent complex of six buildings that catered mostly to single parents and people working entry-level jobs. One entire building had been destroyed, combusting so rapidly it was unsalvageable before the firefighters even got there. The tenants had received a relocation stipend and moved on to find other places to live. The building was still roped off with Danger: Do Not Enter signs placed every few feet. The stench of fire still hung like a miasma over the entire area. Randi heard that tenants from the other buildings in the complex were also looking for a new place to live.

  Then, two weeks later, another building burned, one of four at another small complex, La Giaconda Arms. It, too, burned completely. Sparks had showered on an adjacent building, and that had also partially burned. This time, people in the second building were injured plus a lot of people were displaced. Randi had begun her investigation after the first fire, a routine examination that she did for all fires, suspicious or not, just to be safe about them. But two so similar and so close together made her nose itch. By the time they were faced with the fourth one, her nose was itching as well as the back of her neck, both signs something was definitely not kosher.

  “Still looking for answers?”

  She looked up to see Captain MacNeill standing there. Randi had the utmost respect for the man. He’d been with the fire department for twenty-five years, earning his command through sweat, hard work, and a lot of smarts. There wasn’t a man in the department who didn’t respect him. Randi was particularly grateful to him because he’d given her a chance when some others might not. There were too many like Noah who felt women did not belong on a firefighting team.

  Noah. Her stomach hurt every time she thought of him. Seeing him had been both wonderful and painful. She thought she’d convinced herself she was no longer in love with him, but one look told her how wrong she was. He was just as ruggedly handsome as he’d been the last time she saw him, after that disastrous final evening. And she wanted him just as much as ever. Too bad she didn’t think she could ever forgive him for the way he’d handled everything. He’d hurt her badly, and even now, she hadn’t been able to completely bury the pain.

  Forget him, she told herself. You have work to do here.

  MacNeill hitched his hip onto a corner of her desk. “Still puzzling over those fires?”

  She nodded. “I want to go back over each of the sites again. Take more specimens and do some more testing.”

  “You thinking there’s a tricky accelerant involved?” he asked.

  “I’d say that’s at the top of my list.” She stretched. “There’s just so many of them to analyze for. I’m
looking for similar burn patterns, too. And I want something that explodes at a lower temperature but still takes enough time so our firebug, if there is one, has time to get to safety.”

  “Oh, you can be sure there is one,” MacNeill said. “Four apartment fires in two months? That’s not just poor maintenance.”

  “The problem is it could really appear that way. Every one of those places had combustible materials in dangerous locations.” Randi shrugged. “Besides, these were all older buildings, probably short on maintenance and susceptible to fire. You know people are always complaining that apartment fires in this city are a weekly event. Old buildings. Lousy maintenance. All the usual.”

  “Any determination yet on the ignitable liquid residue?”

  ILR—ignitable liquid residue—was the trace left at every fire if an accelerant had been used. The arson investigator took carefully collected samples to the lab where they were analyzed for identification.

  Randi sighed. “Yes. Unfortunately there seems to be more than a single accelerant. Different ones at different sites. If this is indeed one person—which I’m getting the weird feeling it might be—it’s someone who knows what the hell they are doing and working hard to throw us off the scent.” She gave a tired grin. “So to speak.”

  MacNeill nodded. “You’ve got good instincts, Randi. That’s one of the reasons I pushed so hard to make sure this happened for you.” He gave her a faint grin. “Don’t tell any of the male investigators, but you already run circles around them.”

  His words gave her a warm feeling. “Thank you for that. I do my best.”

  “Which is excellent, by the way. So, what’s your next step?”

  “I want to go back and revisit each scene, take more photos, gather additional samples.” She pointed at the screen on her computer, where she had pulled up pictures of the various fire sites. “I told the lab to look for even the most miniscule trace of an additional accelerant, something that would reach a flashpoint quickly and destroy an entire building that quickly. This is a very sophisticated arsonist.”