All In: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by J. L. Drake

  Once we were far enough away from Jason, I stopped Carter from leaving.

  “Carter, I was really having a lot of fun. I’d love to stay a little longer if we could?” I didn’t want to be the reason we left early on Christmas Eve, especially from his parents’ party.

  He glanced over my head at the party and then back at me. “Actually, I was going to suggest we leave anyway. The party is winding down, and it’s a long way back.”

  “That’s too bad. Maybe we could come back again soon? I really enjoyed your Aunt Emily, by the way.”

  “Great. Mom said Aunt Emily liked you, too, so I warn you at some point you may need to brush up on your card playing. She is a regular visor-wearing card Nazi. Don’t be fooled by her charm, and never eat while you are playing.”

  His lips twitched into a smile, but I knew he was still on high alert regarding Jason.

  “She’s quite something, isn’t she? We’ll be back, I promise, but we should get going.”

  “Okay,” I whispered as he walked us to his parents to say goodbye, and a few others caught us on our way out. He helped me with my coat, then we said a quick goodbye to his friends in the kitchen.

  The ordered car was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, and we both hurried inside, happy to enjoy the heated seats.

  Once the door shut, he stared at me with such concern I wanted to blurt the entire truth to him immediately, but the driver interrupted, asking for the address.

  “Are you hurt? What the hell was that about?” He took my arm and looked it over.

  “Hurt? No.” I whipped my hair from my face. “Completely taken back by Sarah’s boyfriend being at your parents’ holiday party? Hell, yeah, to say the least.”

  “So, you do know him?”

  The lights from the cars going by in the opposite direction highlighted the worry lines around his eyes. I hated that I was about to share something from my past that had apparently collided with his.

  “I’ve known Jason for years.” He shifted on the leather seat to face me. “Remember I told you about how I caught Myles in a threesome the night I went home for my things?”

  “Yes.”

  “He was with a woman and another guy?”

  “Yeah.”

  I just stared at him and waited for the horror to hit him like a sledgehammer.

  “Jason was the other guy?”

  “Yes, and he wasn’t very happy to see me there tonight. He told me that if I told Sarah, he would make up something to make me seem like a liar. He’ll probably tell Myles we’re dating.”

  “Is that so?” He paused a beat. “Why did he have his hands on you?”

  “He was insinuating that if I spoke up, I would be hurt again.”

  “Huh.” His face was stone, and I suddenly wished I hadn’t gone tonight.

  “But, um,” I played with the snap on my purse, wanting to get all the truth out tonight, “I think I might be on Myles’s radar as it is anyway.”

  “Why?”

  “When we were together, and he would screw up, he’d always send me yellow roses with baby’s breath. No note, just the flowers. Like it was supposed to be enough to make up for the mind games and bruises. Anyway,” I waved off the old mental scars, “yesterday, a bouquet of yellow roses and baby’s breath arrived at my office, and another appeared at the rec center, same flowers, no note.”

  “And you walked home last night?”

  “First, we don’t know if it’s him for sure, and second, I took an Uber, and I made sure Otis knew not to let anyone up.”

  “Holy shit.” He put his head in his hands, and I felt so terrible.

  “I’m sorry, Carter.”

  “No,” he reached over and pulled me to his side, “I’m sorry this is happening.”

  “Me too,” I finally said after some time passed. “I’m really sorry for Sarah, too. She looked so happy.”

  “I know.” He kissed my head and fingered my hair as if it helped him think.

  Chapter Twenty

  Carter

  Christmas morning came and went. We ate more food than humanly possible, we exchanged gifts, and to my delight, Arizona loved her charm bracelet that I had made up for her. It held little items to remind her of all the wonderful things about us so far. I couldn’t help but chuckle when she spotted the small, overturned Christmas tree charm and glared at me. It wasn’t my fault the first time we met, her sexy ass was stuck up in the air among some Christmas tree branches, and I fell in love with her sarcastic little mouth.

  Arizona had gotten me two box-seat tickets to the Rangers. She told me they weren’t for her, they were for Cook and me. I loved that she understood how important guys’ nights were just as I understood that girls’ nights were.

  Even Jasper got a Christmas sweater. I enjoyed the show as he hissed at her while she wrangled him into it. She muttered something about how payback was a bitch, but all that gift did was make me want to sleep with one eye open.

  “Okay, I think I’m good to go.” She came into the room, stringing an earring through her ear.

  “Wow.” My hand flew to my chest as my heart skipped a beat. “You look,” I took her hand and twirled her around to admire her full beauty in her white V-neck dress, “gorgeous.”

  “Why, thank you.” She beamed as she grabbed her purse off the counter and motioned to me that she was ready.

  The drive to the house was short, but long enough for me to enjoy some more alone time with Ari. I couldn’t get enough of her, and she seemed to feel the same way. She snuggled in closer and leaned up for some kisses. I could kiss this woman for the rest of my life.

  When we arrived, I helped her walk up the stone steps, dodging the patches of black ice.

  “Here we go.” She opened the decorated door, and we were greeted with smiles and the smell of something delicious. It didn’t take long to relax and feel at home.

  “So, Carter…” Arizona’s mother, Ena, smiled as her eyes danced.

  “Oh, no.” Jessi giggled behind her wine glass. “I know that tone.”

  “Oh, pfff.” Ena waved her off off like Jessi was one of her own and it wonderful to see them comfortable enough to tease me.

  “Run, Carter.” She giggled again and playfully ducked when Ena swatted her.

  “How has someone as successful as you not found a lady to marry yet?”

  “Ha!” I laughed at how she didn’t beat around the bush. “It’s not that easy in my line of work.”

  “Fireman’s curse,” Nix chimed in with a nod. “Grady has mentioned that before.”

  “That’s when you save someone,” Damien took over to explain to his parents, “and a woman goes all gaga over you. Then they fall in love with you until the smoke clears, so to speak, and the thrill is gone, and they see he’s just an ordinary man.” He put his hand to his forehead dramatically.

  “Nice analogy.” Nix fist bumped his brother, and Arizona laughed beside me.

  “Well, yeah, that’s pretty right on,” I admitted and laughed along with them. “But to be serious, I’ve dated from time to time, but I work really long hours and love what I do. The firehouse is my second home, and the men are my family. I would do anything for them. Some of the women I’ve dated couldn’t handle that bond. When you’re about to enter a three-hundred-and-fifty-degree box consumed by fire, you need that level of trust that they’ve got your back. I’ve never found anyone that understood that.” I glanced down at the gorgeous woman at my side who made me so happy it nearly hurt. “Well, until now.” The smile that burst across her face made it clear she felt the same way, then she cleared her throat and looked around self-consciously as she remembered we weren’t alone.

  “Dear God, you ask a simple question, and you get a scene from a romance novel.” Jessi swooned from across the table.

  “He’s got my vote.”
Damien pretended to dab his eyes, and once again the table was in full swing with fun, chatter, and amazing homecooked food.

  After dinner, once the kitchen was clean and everyone had settled in the living room to chat, I stepped outside on the deck to answer a work text. I felt someone come up behind me.

  “Do you mind if we speak for a moment?” Arizona’s father handed me a cup of coffee and zipped his coat against the freezing wind that whipped around us.

  “Of course, thanks.” I sipped the warm brew, thankful I had grabbed my own coat before I came out.

  “It’s been nearly a decade since I’ve seen my daughter smile like she did tonight. You make her happy.”

  “I care very deeply about her, sir.”

  “I know you do,” he smiled over at me, but I could see the stress lines deepen around his eyes, “and that scares me a little. Arizona comes with a whole ton of baggage, son, and much of it is still unresolved. I’m afraid it will become too much for you, and—”

  “Arizona is a different breed,” I interrupted to make a point. “People like her are hard to find. I fight fires and stare death in the face every day. Myles does a lot of things, but scaring me off isn’t one of them. He had his shot with her, and now she’s mine.”

  “Good.” He smiled widely as he took a drink. “That’s a damn good answer, Carter.”

  “I love her.”

  “I know.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a fatherly pat. “I know.”

  “Carter?” Arizona appeared in the doorway and shivered from the cold gust. “Sorry, but we should get going.”

  Once in the car, I turned the heat up and pointed it in her direction.

  “Thanks.” She burrowed down in her jacket. “So, are you going to tell me what you and my dad were talking about?”

  “Guy stuff,” I teased, knowing she wouldn’t let it go.

  “And?”

  “And I soothed a fear that he had, and we’re all good now.”

  She looked out the window as she mulled over my answer. “They really like you.”

  “Good, because I really like them, too.” I took her hand and give it a kiss. “You’re stuck with me now, baby.” I laughed.

  She turned to me with hungry eyes, and the trip home couldn’t go by quick enough.

  Later that night, I wrapped my exhausted body around hers and sighed with a happy smile.

  “They loved you today.” She broke the silence in mid-thought. I gently rubbed her shoulder to let her know I heard her. “They never liked Myles, let alone loved him.” She paused. “Funny how the signs were all there, but I just didn’t see them.”

  “Hindsight is always easy.” I kissed her jaw and pulled her closer. “It’s what you do after you see it that really counts.”

  “That’s true,” she whispered as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with me chasing after her.

  I slipped on my watch and checked it for the third time, not wanting to be late. I patted my back pocket to make sure I had my wallet and checked my front for my keys. I was finally good to go.

  “Are you sure this is okay?” I pulled on my coat and wrapped my gray scarf around my neck, knowing the wind was wicked outside.

  “I have a bottle of wine, my favorite Christmas movie, and a grumpy cat. What more could a girl ask for?” She chuckled before she grabbed my coat and kissed me. “Call me later?”

  “For sure.”

  “Don’t forget about these.” She handed me a container full of chocolate treats for the guys at the station. This was the first year I didn’t work the full holiday season, but that was mainly because I hadn’t had anyone to share it with.

  “You know, by doing this, you will forever be expected to bake for them.”

  “It feels good to be needed.” She shrugged, and I fell for her even harder.

  “Then you must feel needed all the time.” I kissed her again and somehow ripped myself away and left.

  I jogged to the station and tried to get my head on straight. More than anything, I was trying to figure out how on Earth I was going to share the information about Jason with Sarah. I couldn’t help but wonder how big of a blowback that would have on Arizona.

  I pushed it to the back of my head when I arrived and spotted Ivan by the truck. Here we go.

  Ivan sat waiting for me in the engine bay of the firehouse. He needed to know what was going on in case this was Myles starting to unravel. “Okay, I can say that the detective found a lead that connects Young, Inc. to both the restaurant and the first fire at the club.”

  “Two murders could certainly amp up the game.”

  “Exactly, and the boss is breathing down our necks on this, too. The second waitress who worked with Walker’s mother, her husband is starting to kick up a lot of dust in the media. I don’t blame him, but we really need to get ahead of this.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  “Can you come with me back to the restaurant and see if you spot anything abnormal?”

  “Sure, just give me two minutes.”

  I hurried inside and dropped the treats off for the guys, and they were already digging into them before the box even warmed a spot on the counter. Arizona would be happy about that.

  “Let’s go.” We headed to his cruiser and made our way downtown.

  We parked by the yellow tape, and I noticed Ivan glance around the parking lot.

  “What?”

  “Just more cigarette butts.”

  “This seems to be a popular spot.” I eyed the broken seal on the door. “Any chance we’d have company?”

  “At this point, I would bank on it.” He drew his gun and moved ahead of me.

  Once the coast was clear, we used our flashlights to move about, and I followed the charred wall into the coat room. The scars from the flames told their story, and it was fairly evident that something electrical started the fire. Chester had been found nearby. I carefully moved debris as I sifted through the remains of the room.

  “Anything?”

  I kicked a piece of charred ceiling away from a chunk of metal. I was able to wipe the ash from the side of the unit and ran my fingers over the grooves of the numbers. “Can you write down this serial number?”

  “Yeah, go ahead.”

  I prattled off the twelve-digit number and stood back up.

  “Why start a fire from inside the roof near a heating unit? Why not just toss some gasoline on the wall and light a match? It seems very specific, like he’s trying to tell us something.”

  “That’s my thought, too. Seems like a lot of effort if it wasn’t for a reason.” Ivan flipped through his notes. “It’s just like how the two nightclub fires started, in the roof next to a heating unit.”

  “Copycat?”

  “I don’t think so. Something in my gut says it’s too specific.” He rubbed his forehead. “How long would it have taken for the flames to reach him? If you guys didn’t get here when you did?”

  I stepped outside the room and did the best calculations I could. “Maybe five minutes to reach this wall here,” I pointed, “and maybe another ten before the flames were able to reach his body. So, just over fifteen, give or take a little. Thank God these buildings were designed to contain a fire long enough for us to get in here.”

  “And it took Firehouse Fifty-Seven five minutes to get here, and Fifty-Eight maybe six minutes.”

  “Yeah, I’d say that’s fair.”

  “So, why there? Why not here?” He pointed to the ceiling right outside the room where Chester was found.

  “Maybe that was what he was trying to tell us. If the last two fires started around the heating units, maybe he’s trying to point a finger at that?” I tried to play detective.

  “I’m going to give this serial number to the lead detective and see what we can figure out. I think we may
have found a good direction.”

  “Anything else I can do?”

  “Just see what else Arizona can remember. Maybe she can shed a bit of light on this.”

  “That, I can do.”

  Back at the station, Ivan promised he would contact me if he thought of anything else.

  “Thanks, Ivan.” I shook his hand. “Merry Christmas.

  “Same to you.”

  I hurried down the street and pulled out my phone.

  Carter: Hey, babe, I have one more stop to make.

  Arizona: No problem. I just finished my movie. Going to have a bath.

  Carter: Wish I was there. I’ll be home in roughly an hour. Keep the water warm.

  Arizona: I promise to do my best.

  Winding through some window shoppers, I headed north down Sixth Ave. My stomach twisted with anxiety. The very last thing I wanted to do was share this news.

  “Here, let me.” I pulled open the coffee shop door for a woman and her son who both had their hands full of pastries and hot coffee.

  “Thank you.” She huffed her hair out of her way and nudged her son to start walking. I nodded for an older man to pass through then headed inside where I spotted my sister in the corner with a coffee.

  “Merry Christmas.” She hugged me and motioned for me to sit. “I’m assuming by the fact that it’s only the day after Christmas, this is either bad news or you popped the question to your girl.” She wiggled her eyebrows, but the fun in her face fell when I didn’t bite. “Oh, boy.”

  I cleared my throat, and her eyes shut for a moment.

  “Carter, just say it.”

  “How well do you know Jason?”

  “Huh?” She shot me a look back. Clearly, she had no idea it would be about her boyfriend. “My boyfriend Jason?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve known him for six months. He’s practically living with me, so I’d say pretty well.”

  I rubbed my mouth and let out a frustrated sigh. I loved my sister, and the fact that I needed to protect her from this asshole played heavily on me. I knew I had to tread lightly. Not to mention it was only the day after Christmas.