Burned

by Stone, Piper

  At this point, all I could do was go back to the cabin and wait.

  Why was the same eerie aura dancing around me, biting at my mind? Breathless, I took off, jogging back toward the cabin.

  Fifteen minutes later and I was almost frantic, pacing the living room floor and rubbing my hands together, unable to get warm.

  When the door burst open, I heard the howling wind first, the stomping of feet second.

  “Buck!” The massive dog raced toward me, obviously no worse for wear. When Hawk stormed inside, closing the door, the rifle still in his hand, I could see a look of panic in his eyes, his mouth pinched and his lips blue.

  “What in God’s name were you doing?” he demanded, almost slamming the rifle next to the door before taking long strides toward me. “You could have gotten yourself killed!”

  “We were playing in the snow and I didn’t realize how far we’d gone.”

  He grabbed both arms, shaking me, his eyes wild with fear. “That was stupid. Stupid!”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  Hawk remained livid, the color returning to his face as rage took over, his fingers digging into my arms. “I could have lost you.”

  As he crumpled me against his chest, I’d never felt so safe in my life. Both our hearts raced, the hard thudding matching the echoes in my eardrums. He placed his hand on the back of my head, intertwining his fingers in my hair as he took several deep breaths.

  “What were they? Wolves?”

  “Yeah, wolves. Never been this close. No idea why.” His voice was still rattled. He fisted my hair, dragging my head until he was able to look into my eyes. “Don’t ever do that again.”

  The way he held me captured my very soul, his eyes searching mine, his breathing ragged. He crushed my mouth, yanking me into an arch as he pulled me even tighter against his body.

  The warmth of him, the feel of his hard cock pressing against my belly was stilling. When he thrust his tongue past my lips, drinking in my essence, so obviously dying of thirst, I clung to him. He was more brutal than ever, growling into the kiss as our tongues entwined, rolling back and forth.

  I was lifted off my feet, this massive and dominating man devouring my mouth, ravaging my very soul. The hard crest of his body was comforting, allowing me to fall apart in my own way, the terror breaching the surface. How many times was this man going to have to save me from a vicious animal or worse? There were no words to say that could thank him enough, no number of ways to show him.

  At that moment, I simply felt as if I belonged.

  When he finally let me down, he cupped both sides of my face, breaking the kiss but remaining close. “You have to stay close to the cabin. Whatever has spooked the wolves, they’ll be back. I only wounded two of them. They’ll be out for blood.”

  “Okay.”

  He grabbed me around the neck, taking deep breaths.

  The booming sound on the door spooked us both.

  “A visitor now? Here?” I whispered.

  He shook his head, waving me off to the side. Buck barked several times, moving closer to the door. While there was no fear in his voice, I could tell he had no intentions of allowing anyone through that door.

  His hand on the rifle, Hawk opened the door then let out a deep exhale. “Cole. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “You wouldn’t answer your phone, buddy.” Cole stepped inside, glancing over Hawk’s shoulder, his eyes opening wide when he saw me. “Sorry to interrupt. We got a fire on the Bitterroot. Looks to be a bad one.”

  “A fire? In this storm?” Hawk asked.

  “There was an explosion. Some reports this has nothing to do with Mother Nature, but it’s threatening several of the ranches. I came to claim you.” Cole darted another look in my direction, his eyes sweeping up and down.

  Hissing, Hawk nodded. “Give me a minute. I’ll come with you.”

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Cole grinned.

  “Not a chance. I’ll be there in a minute.” Lifting his eyebrow, Hawk pushed him out the door, waiting for a few seconds then turning to me. “I’ll going to load up this rifle. I have another one in the truck. If you go outside with Buck, make certain you have it with you. I’ll also leave the pistol just in case. You should have enough firepower until I return.”

  “Okay.” I stared down at the rifle, taking several deep breaths. “When are you coming back?”

  “When the fire is out. Could be a few hours or a few days. Stay here. Buck will take care of you.” He gave me a single look before moving toward a cabinet, pulling out a box of shells then loading up the rifle. “You do know how to shoot. Don’t you?”

  “Just aim and press the trigger.”

  Hawk returned, handing me the weapon. “Give it a quick pull and remember there is a kickback. Take careful aim.”

  “Okay.”

  He powered into the bedroom, returning with a duffle bag. As he stood over me, his expression softened. “I’m leaving the truck here. The keys are in my box on the dresser. I will admit I hope you’re here when I return.”

  “I will be.” I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, uncertain of what to say or expect. I certainly couldn’t tell him about the rope. Not now.

  “I’ll be back, sunshine.” He grabbed my hair, twisting as he pulled me closer. “And Kelly? I do love you.”

  A wave of nausea hit me the moment he walked out the door, the hard slam reverberating into my heart.

  I knew that I’d never see him again.

  Chapter Ten

  Hawk

  Smoke.

  As soon as we were a mile away from the cabin, I could see black smoke rising across the horizon, mixing with the light snow. As the charred embers fell, coating every surface, my mood continued to slide straight into hell. I glared out the windshield, still shaking from the experience with the wolves.

  “Ya wanna tell me who the hottie is?” Cole asked, sliding a grin in my direction.

  “A girl who needed my help.”

  “Uh-huh. It’s me you’re talking to. I could tell that look in your eyes.”

  Huffing, I remained antsy, every nerve frazzled. There had to be a significant reason the wolves had ventured close to the cabin. They were solitary creatures, except when hungry or seeking revenge. The two I’d wounded were considered scouts, but they’d had a distinct purpose.

  Hunting.

  I knew damn good and well that Cole wasn’t going to let this go. Not without some truth to my explanation. “She’s someone I care about.”

  “Yep. That’s obvious. I didn’t see another vehicle. Is she from Missoula?” Cole rumbled his rugged truck over a series of rocks, heading directly into the blackened line of smoke. The team was gathering at the lower ridge, hoping to avert the line of flames from reaching the ranches down below.

  Craning my neck, I was able to see the first hint of the raging fire off in the distance. What in the hell kind of explosion had created enough combustion to light up the entire ridge?

  “She’s from back East. Moved to Hamilton. She’s just staying a few days.” My answer was succinct, even clipped.

  “O-kay.” Cole twisted his grip on the steering wheel, his other hand tapping on the dashboard. “Heard there’s a woman out there somewhere who escaped from jail. Know anything about that?”

  So the word had gotten out. Fucking fantastic.

  “Not the same girl.”

  “Good to hear.” Cole shook his head, gunning the engine as we moved closer. By the time we reached the slight summit, several emergency vehicles had already arrived.

  I jumped out of the truck before he managed to shove the gear into park, staring up at the wall of flames. I grabbed my bag, yanking out my pair of gloves as I noticed the captain racing toward us. After snagging the ax and one of the chainsaws housed in the bed of Cole’s truck, I scanned the horizon.

  “You’re the last two here. We need to keep a firm line, creating a burnout if possible.” Captain Biddle’s face
was already covered in soot, his breathing heavy.

  “What the hell kind of explosion caused this?” Cole asked as he reached for his own go bag.

  “All I can tell you is that the origin of the fire is suspicious. One of the firefighters radioed in a few minutes ago. Started in one of the warehouses used to house chemicals. Rolled up the hill in a matter of seconds. Even with the wet weather recently, the timber’s still dry.” The captain glanced up at the sky. “The damn wind isn’t doing us any good either. The smoke-jumping team is headed here with a jump ship. They’re going to drop some mud across the ridge to try and garner some control. Worried about the shift in the storm though. Winds are pushing in from the north. Could be bad for the ranches. We lose those, the fire will head straight toward Missoula.”

  I knew exactly what this could mean. If the fire retardant from the planes didn’t stop the advancement, a true firestorm could occur, the blowup catastrophic. “Where are the others?” I asked as we all began to walk in the direction of the fire.

  “The majority about a mile ahead. Grinder and Quinn just moved toward the west side. Head in their direction. Go ahead and develop some scratch lines, maybe create a few spot fires. We need to push this thing hard,” Captain Biddle pointed toward one of the densest areas of the forest. “We have team two coming in. You’ll have additional help within thirty minutes.”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n,” Cole said, already ready to roll.

  Captain Ron Biddle had been with the team long before I’d been accepted, his respect well earned given his aptitude for delving into the various cases. He was a staunch believer in the truth, no matter how difficult the situation. After the shit I’d been through, he was the only reason I’d accepted the position in the first place.

  We moved quickly into the forest, locating Grinder and Quinn within minutes. We were far enough removed from the actual flames, but the smoke was already acrid, the wind pushing the bulk in our direction, making visibility almost impossible.

  “About time you showed up!” Grinder yelled.

  “You know how Hawk likes to make a grand entrance,” Quinn chortled. He lifted his ax, slicing through scrubby debris, powering through the thick limbs with ease.

  “Very funny, assholes,” I muttered, immediately falling into line, working alongside Grinder on the ditch line he was already working on.

  Cole pulled the cord on the chainsaw, cutting down smaller trees in an effort to draw a line between the existing fire and the needed fuel from the rich forest. Even as the snow continued to fall, the ash was catching up in quantity, larger red-hot embers hitting the ground, steam rising the second after impact with the snow.

  Just working the terrain given the weather conditions was bad enough, the fog of smoke making the entire situation treacherous.

  Crack!

  The harsh sound of snapping timber was far too close for comfort, the booming noise from the tree hitting the ground ominous.

  The fire was definitely getting closer.

  We worked side by side, cutting brush and harvesting debris, hour after hour passing by. Several teams of wildland firefighters and smokejumpers had been called in, traditional firefighters working from down below. While we were making headway, the devastation had already taken a significant toll leaving charred earth and broken trees in its wake.

  The storm finally stopped but as predicted, the wind had shifted, possibly driving the flames directly toward the ranches. We kicked up our pace, barely taking any breaks. There was no time, no ability to back down.

  Another hour passed, maybe more.

  Exhausted, I hunkered down, grabbing one of the bottles of water, guzzling almost half. I scanned the perimeter, calculating that we’d been able to control almost forty percent of the fire from our end.

  “Careful coming onto the ridge,” the captain said through the radios. “Hottest portion of the fire heading your way.”

  Grinder gave me an odd look before jerking off his helmet and wiping his brow. “We need to circle around to the other side, heading east.”

  “That wasn’t the plan,” Cole reminded him.

  “Yeah? Well, the original plan isn’t working so good. We’re doing this my way.” Grinder was in charge when we were out in the field, his instincts and methods usually spot on.

  Tonight? I had my doubts. The wind was going to shift again. Everything in my gut was telling me so. If that occurred, we could be sitting ducks, cut off given the ridge line and the sheer drop-offs. “I don’t think we should do that.” My comment was met by a snort from Grinder, an interesting glare from Quinn.

  “We’re gonna give it a try.” Grinder grabbed his own bottle of water, gulping the entire contents before grabbing the chainsaw and taking long strides through the snow moving east.

  “That asshole is going to get us all killed,” Cole said under his breath.

  “Yeah, well, he’s in charge.” I hoisted myself to a standing position, stretching before taking a few steps.

  “Come on, crew. Let’s get this baby finished. There’s a cold six-pack with my name on it waiting at home.” Quinn whistled, as he usually did, as he fell into line behind me.

  Grinder was a good thirty feet ahead, powering through several of the smaller trees, less cautious than I was used to seeing in the man. We started to roll, even though a nagging pulled at my mind. I stopped every few seconds, observing every angle of the forest. My gut was still working overtime, my heart racing from the heavy kick of adrenaline.

  There was something wrong.

  “Captain. Where is the line of fire?” I heard the crackling on the radio and tried it again. “Captain. Are you there?”

  “Hold on, Chambers,” the captain barked. “Twenty... and...”

  “Say that again.” Damn crack-ass radio was a solid ten years old and in need of replacement. When the hissing turned into clicking, I spun around, storming back toward the others. A flash of movement caught my eye, a whooshing sound loud enough I could hear it over the roar of the chainsaw. The trees had erupted into a crown fire, the tops of every single tree glowing as the fire spread, within seconds consuming significant acreage. “What the hell?” I’d never seen anything like it in all the fires I’d worked. Conditions were perfect for what some in the business called a fire devil, the whirlwind of fire capable of wreaking havoc.

  Within seconds, the area of tall trees the team was standing under would be consumed.

  “Get out!” I raced in their direction, huffing as I jumped over the mounds of snow. “Get the fuck out of there!”

  Cole heard me first, snapping his head toward the sky, but his reactions were slow.

  “Get out of there. Get the fuck out!” I continued calling, screeching at the top of my lungs until Quinn heard me. I reached Cole, dragging him backwards with a hard yank, not stopping as I moved toward Quinn and Grinder.

  Another series of cracking sounds were followed by a stream of sparks and embers rolling ever so softly toward the ground. I had about five seconds to react. Taking a flying leap, I tackled Grinder, the force pitching us onto the ground. The solid thudding boom no doubt could be heard for miles.

  “Jesus!” Cole called, his tone riddled with anxiety.

  After taking several deep breaths I exhaled, rolling over on my back.

  “You guys okay?” Quinn exclaimed. He bent over, coughing up bile.

  “Yeah, I’ll live,” Grinder answered, the sound muffled. He shifted, trying to move into a sitting position.

  I glared up at the trees, hissing in retaliation. I noticed Cole standing in front of me, a smirk on his face. The dim lighting made it difficult to see anything except for the flames continuing to lick at the trees. “What are you looking at?”

  “A hero. Plain and simple.” Reaching down, Cole snagged my hand, yanking me into a standing position. He patted my back, turning with me to stare up at the remaining fire.

  Thank fucking God, the wind had already shifted in the other direction. The only hope was for it to
remain licking away from the city.

  “How the hell did you know?” Grinder asked as he struggled to stand.

  I wiped the soot off my pants, taking a deep breath. The light was being crowded out by the enormous trees, their enflamed canopies enshrouding the entire area. I heard the rumbling engine of the plane above, barely able to see yet another drop of fire retardant. From what I could tell, the fire was at least almost under control. “I just knew.”

  “The man has instincts sent straight from God,” Cole muttered.

  “You there, Hawk?”

  Hearing the captain’s voice, I lumbered further away from the fallen trees, every muscle in my body aching.

  “I’m here, Cap’n. We’re all okay. What’s up?” The crackling sound was gone, replaced with a hum as the captain hesitated in answering.

  “Good to hear. Afraid I have some bad news.”

  As the captain began to speak, I shifted my gaze only seconds before falling down on my knees. My entire world had just been destroyed.

  * * *

  “Don’t tell me what to do!” I snapped, scrambling for the handle of the truck door. Oh, God. No. My cabin was in flames, almost totally destroyed, walls caving in. I could feel the heat even through the closed windows. My hand remained wrapped around the ax, my heart racing. I knew exactly the kind of danger I was facing, but I had no other choice. I would save them.

  My initial hope that they’d escaped the fire was crushed when I saw my truck parked in exactly the same spot.

  Either they’d run, finding solace in the woods or they were trapped.

  A chill swept down my back, skittering into my legs, a quiet resolve following. Growling, I jumped out.

  “You need to wait, Hawk. Christ!” Cole grabbed for my arm, even as he attempted to slam the gear into park. “Let the firefighters do their work.”

  “Just let go of me.” There was no stopping either my need to get to the burning house or the adrenaline flowing through my veins. Seeing that blue-hued flames licking up from the open cavern where the roof had once been, I was thrown into a state of shock, only acting on the rush shooting throughout my system. I bolted out of the cab, stumbling not once but twice in my effort to get to the cabin.