Hearts on Fire 8: Saving C.C. (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  He rubbed his hands together and smiled wide. This was going to work. He just needed to make sure the fire didn’t get out of hand and that no one saw any smoke, or they would call the fire department and someone else would rescue her. No, he had to do it at night, when most people were sleeping and when he could be sure to grab C.C.

  He stood up and looked in the mirror. He’d been working out hard. Lifting weights, taking steroids to be big and muscular. It was obvious those were the types of men she fell for. He’d gotten serious as he thought about the men she had been hanging out with. He knew she stayed there overnight. He didn’t want to think about what she was doing with four men. No. None of it mattered. It meant nothing. She was going to be his, and none of them would matter. She was his prize, his trophy for getting rid of those dicks that passed him up and wouldn’t give him a position as a firefighter. He’d showed them. He could set blazes and put them out. He could destroy anyone who stood in his way. This was the final step to securing his future.

  He looked at the knife and the rope. She might not come willingly at first. He had to be prepared for that. Tonight was the night. Tonight C.C. would be his completely.

  * * * *

  C.C. was tired. It was late, and she was getting ready to leave for the night. She went to get her bag and the phone to call Kyle and Frank. They were going to pick her up tonight. It was so loud inside The Station that she walked outside in the back parking lot where her bike was. It had been sitting there for a week now because the guys drove her to and from work. She should probably sell the thing or make one of them buy a bike and join her riding them. She smiled at the thought. She couldn’t imagine big, bad Frank riding a bike through town with her.

  She called Frank, and he picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, gorgeous.”

  “Hi. I’ll be done shortly if you guys want to head over here. Otherwise, I have my bike.”

  “No. Stay put. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “Okay.”

  She smiled wide and then took a deep breath of fresh air. Her phone rang, and she answered it without looking at the caller I.D.

  “Yes?”

  “C.C., thank goodness,” Chris said. “Listen to me carefully. We found the files that Detective Plank had secured in a safe at his house. He made copies of everything, including the most recent ones. We have an ID on the suspect who killed Banks and Lionel. C.C., we believe he killed Parker, too.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, there was this guy named Sherman Spencer. He has psychological problems. He wanted to be a firefighter and failed the psychological and another part of the written exam. Anyway, it’s believed that he wanted into your brother and Lionel’s engine company. We don’t know why that one, but we’ll figure that out as soon as we get to his house. You were right all along. Someone killed Parker, C.C. He didn’t commit suicide. He was murdered.”

  “Oh my God. Who is this guy? Why did he do it?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll call you in a little bit. We just pulled up to his place, so when I have answers, I’ll call you.”

  “Okay, Chris, thank you.”

  She covered her mouth with her hand and felt like crying. Someone had killed Parker. The same person had killed Lionel and her brother, Banks.

  “Hello, C.C. Do you remember me?”

  She heard the voice and turned around, shocked that she wasn’t alone.

  She saw the evil in the man’s eyes, the brown hair, the bulging muscles, and when he smiled, he looked as though he was eating up her body with his eyes. She was immediately creeped out as she shook her head and then started backing up toward the door.

  He pulled out the blade.

  “Don’t run. It’s time to go. Don’t make me hurt you.”

  She didn’t know what to do, and she turned to run and felt the strike to her head.

  Her phone fell to the ground as she fell, too. He lifted her up and carried her over his shoulder, her head pounding, her eyes getting glazed over with dizziness.

  “No, help me please.”

  She heard a door open, and then she landed with a thump onto something hard that felt like metal. It was cold against her back. He grabbed her wrists and brought them up above her head. She tried fighting him, and he shook her hard, pressing his knee and shin into her solar plexus to keep her from wiggling free.

  “Don’t, you’ll only make me hurt you more.” He locked her wrists in place and then closed the door. She tried screaming, but it hurt. Then the vehicle moved along. She was so scared, and with each passing moment, she lost focus and couldn’t even begin to think what was going on and who this guy was. Then Chris’s phone call came to mind, and she gasped.

  Was this the killer, and why was he after her?

  * * * *

  “I’m telling you, Frank, maybe she went out back for some fresh air or she took her bike,” Burt said to him and Kyle.

  “She wouldn’t do that. I told her to stay put and that we would be here in ten minutes. That was seven minutes ago.”

  Frank and Kyle followed Burt to the back door. They opened it up, and immediately Frank saw her bike, but Kyle saw something else.

  “Her phone. That’s her phone.”

  “What the fuck is going on? I don’t like this. Something is wrong.” He saw the missed calls.

  “Look, Frank, like seven calls came in from this number and a text,” Kyle said to him when suddenly the phone rang.

  “Hello?” Kyle answered. “No, who the fuck is this? This is my girlfriend’s phone,” he yelled at the guy on the other end. “What? No, we just got to her job. She was supposed to wait for us. Wait, I’m putting you on speaker.”

  He hit the button.

  “Go ahead, Detective,” Kyle said.

  “Did she tell you I called earlier?”

  “No, she just called to say come and get her, that she was done with work. We got here and found her phone, so tell us what the fuck is going on.”

  “Does there look like a struggle, like someone took her?” Chris asked.

  “What? What do you mean?” Frank asked.

  “Look,” Burt said and bent down.

  “Is that blood?” Kyle asked.

  “Damn it, do they have surveillance video for out there?”

  “Yes, I do,” Burt said.

  “Check it. If it’s this guy, C.C. is in big trouble. The man is obsessed with her. We just got into his apartment in the city, and everything, all the evidence connecting him to the fires, is here.”

  “What are you talking about? You mean the fires that killed her brother and brother-in-law?” Frank asked.

  “And her boyfriend, Parker. The killer wants C.C. I don’t know why except it looks like she’s his prize after all the killings. I need to call your local sheriff and the state police. I’ll get a plane out there pronto. Get that video going and send it to me. I’ll have a team there asap. Stay put.” The detective disconnected the call.

  Kyle looked at Frank and Burt. “Holy shit, this can’t be happening. This guys is going to kill C.C.”

  “Call Jake and the others. Get them over here fast. Burt, you need to get that video. Let’s move,” Kyle said.

  “I’ll call Mercury and Jenks. We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Frank raised his voice and began to pace.

  “We’re not. We’re going to get our woman back. Let’s move.”

  * * * *

  He carried her up the three flights of stairs to the upstairs bedroom. He laid her down and secured the ropes to her wrists and tied them to the posts on the bed.

  She was still unconscious. That was perfect. It gave him plenty of time to get changed, do some curls with the weights, and pump his arms so he looked good and sexy for her. Then he could start the fire. He stared at her. She was gorgeous with her long, dirty blonde hair and large breasts. Her body was so fucking perfect he couldn’t wait to be inside of her. He walked closer and fixed her top. He couldn’t resist touching her. His cock hardened
in his jeans, and he licked his lips. He sniffed her hair and let his lips brush against hers. She smelled so good, so sweet and precious. She was an angel, his angel, and they would be together forever.

  He eased back as she moaned softly. He shouldn’t have hit her so hard, but he didn’t want her to scream. If she didn’t obey him or tried to resist, then she would get beaten. That was also why he worked out and trained so hard. Besides being able to carry fire hose and rescue people, carrying them from burning buildings, he also needed to keep his woman in place. If she acted up, he’d backhand her.

  He ran his hand along her thigh. He spread her open and caressed along her tanned skin.

  He glanced at his watch. He had to do this soon. But he needed to wait in order to not get caught. That thought had him staring at her body. He inhaled again, her scent all-consuming as he licked along her breast over the material. Then he did it again, touching her skin and making his way to her mouth. He kissed her lips, and they were soft and wet. He climbed on top of her, just to get a feel for her. He would wait. He needed her to see him as her hero. He cupped her breasts, and his eyes widened. He hadn’t realized just how well-endowed she was.

  She started to moan, and he quickly got up. This plan had to work. He was so thorough in his ideas and the outcome. Time to wait. He got down off the bed and headed out of the room. He would know when to start the fire. Everything was in place.

  * * * *

  “It’s been two hours. Where the fuck could he have taken her?” Mercury asked, in uniform, from his place surrounded by Jake, his brothers, and some local detectives. Detective Chris Factor should be arriving any minute. He gave Jake the low-down on this guy, Sherman Spencer. He’d sent along pictures, and the other detectives were filled in as well.

  “Listen,” Jake said, “if any suspicious calls come in, we’ll treat them as if it’s this guy. The good thing is that we have a make of the vehicle, a clear number on the license plate, and an ID. We have everyone we can looking for that vehicle and that guy. Let’s sit tight and hope he makes a move.”.

  “This is insane. Absolutely insane. We’re just supposed to sit here with our thumbs up our asses and wait for a fire call or something like a dead body of a woman being reported?” Kyle asked, snapping at Jake, giving him a dirty look, and sounding so angry and annoyed.

  Just then the radio went off on Mercury’s radio.

  “We have reports of smoke coming from an upstairs house in district two. Residence reported abandoned. Engine Company 20 has been dispatched to location.”

  Jake immediately got on the horn.

  “Dispatch, this is Sheriff McCurran. I want no sirens or lights when getting to that location. I have police dispatched as a precaution for a situation and investigation in progress.”

  The call and situation were broadcasted over the radio to engine 20.

  “Let’s go. It’s better than sitting here and doing nothing,” Mercury said.

  “Yeah, that’s my engine company anyway, and I was on duty tonight,” Jenks said, and they all headed toward the truck. Then Jake got the call from a patrol car.

  “Sheriff, I got a positive ID on the vehicle we’re looking for. It’s located in the detached garage of the smoking house engine 20 is on route to.”

  “Excellent job, Deputy. Hold position and stay low. This is a very volatile situation. It’s believed our perpetrator has a woman inside that he is holding hostage. Do not let firefighters enter the premises. We’ll be there in two minutes.”

  * * * *

  C.C. awoke to the smell of smoke in a dark room. She knew immediately that she wasn’t home and remembered the man who hit her behind the Station. She cried out for help as she tugged on the restraints. He’d tied her to a bed. Oh my God, who is this man? What does he want with me? Is he the killer? What the hell?

  She pulled and tugged, feeling the rope rip her skin, but she was panicked. The smoke was so thick, and she started coughing and having trouble breathing.

  She heard a door burst open and the sound of a fire extinguisher being used as the smoke dissipated. She was being rescued. Thank God.

  Suddenly there was a light, and then she could barely make out a firefighter in a mask and turnout coat. She coughed. “Help me. I’m tied to the bed.”

  “Are you okay, miss?”

  “Yes, thank you for saving me. Please help untie me.”

  She felt so relieved, but then the firefighter straddled her hips. She knew something was wrong immediately, and then he took off the mask and the helmet.

  She gasped and shook her head. “No. Get away from me. No.” She screamed, and his smile turned to a frown.

  He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

  “Say thank you and that you want me. Say it.”

  “No.” She screamed, and he struck her. She tried kicking her legs, but he was big, really big with muscles, and the damn turnout coat made him even heavier on top of her. She could hardly breathe as it was from taking in too much smoke.

  He undid his jacket, and she saw all the muscles.

  “I did this for you, for us. I am your hero, your own firefighter, not that dick pussy Parker.”

  She felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she shook her head side to side. The smell of smoke still remained, and she could see more smoke coming from the doorway.

  “A fire. There’s still a fire,” she cried out at him.

  He stared at her body as he held her hips then ran his hands up under her shirt. She wiggled and screamed. “Get away from me. Get off of me!”

  The sound of a switchblade clicking open had her freezing in place.

  “There’s no use in fighting it. You’re my prize, C.C. Don’t you remember me from the apartment fire? You took care of me and helped me.”

  She swallowed hard, feeling the burning in her throat. This wasn’t good. She was going to die here.

  He lifted the shirt and used the knife to slice open the material.

  “You remember me now, don’t you?” he asked as she stared at him. Then it hit her. He’d been a resident of the apartment complex, displaced because of the fire. He tore off her shirt the rest of the way and then placed the blade on her belly. He rubbed his hands together. “Your skin is so soft and sexy, just like you.”

  “Why are you doing this? I don’t understand.”

  “Because I was supposed be in that engine company with your brother and Lionel. But that dick Parker was picked and got my position. They said I wasn’t sane, that I had issues, and they failed me.”

  “You’re a monster!” C.C. yelled at him. She clenched her teeth and squinted her eyes, wishing her arms were free so she could tear him apart.

  “I did what I had to do. They stood in the way.” He replied and licked his lower lip as he stared at her breasts and pressed the blade against her skin, pinching it.

  “How is that my brother’s fault, Lionel’s, or even Parker’s? It was your own fault. You killed them for no reason at all.”

  He smacked her hard across the mouth, but it just angered her more.

  “You think you know everything, but you don’t. They deserved to die. They thought they were better than me. Said I couldn’t even determine how a fire starts. I showed them. I showed that detective, too, by blowing up his SUV with him in it. He thought he was so smart figuring out who I was. He was nothing. I finished him like a piece of cake.”

  As he carried on, she felt the tears leak from her eyes. “You are sick. You need help.”

  “No. I need you. You’re mine now. Tonight is our honeymoon.” He slid his hands along her breasts and cupped them. He leaned forward and licked between her breasts, and she shook and cried and tried to wiggle away but couldn’t. She heard the blade click open again as he kissed her lips.

  “Let’s do this, C.C. I’ve waited forever.”

  She felt her bra strap give way the moment he touched the blade to the strap. She gasped and then cried out as he cut the second one. She was trying to kick her legs and lifted
her torso when he grabbed onto her arms above her head and covered her mouth and kissed her.

  She heard muffled sounds and then the creaking of the floor.

  He lifted up and then turned to see smoke filtering into the room. She saw sparks of flames and began screaming for help. He undid her jean shorts and smiled like some sick psycho. He would rather rape her than live. He didn’t care that there was a fire moving into the room. He cared only about making her his woman.

  “Help!” she screamed aloud, and he cut open the shorts she had on.

  “Get away from me. I don’t want this. I hate you. I hate you!” she screamed.

  He jumped up and shook her hard then put his forearm against her throat. She was gagging for breath as he straddled her once again. Then she saw something in her peripheral vision and gasped just as a firefighter in full gear, mask and all, came running through the doorway, right through the flames and into the room. He pulled the man off of her and struggled with him to the floor. The sound of fire extinguishers putting out the flames could be heard by the doorway, and then more firefighters entered.

  She looked to the right and saw the guy in handcuffs and the firefighter on top of him. She was coughing and crying.

  “You’re okay, C.C. We’ve got you,” the firefighter said after pulling off his mask.

  She saw that it was Rusty McQuinn, and then she recognized the others, Brandon Polaski and Vetter O’Harra. She was crying as they called into the radio that all was clear and she was okay. She looked for Jenks, realizing this was his fire company, but her head was throbbing, and as she moved her eyes, the nausea increased. Then she looked down to where the first large firefighter had entered and grabbed the killer.

  The firefighter removed his mask as police and the firemen held the guy down on the ground.