“Well, they can look all they want, I don’t date.”
“Really, because those three could use a nice girlfriend like you, instead of the snotty, two-faced—”
“What?” she found herself asking.
Jerome looked toward the guys and then back at her. “Just an old man talking stupid. I hope everything is okay. If you need a friend, I’m here for you and I know that Burt is, too.”
“Thanks, Jerome.” She smiled. Then she brought the three beers over toward the men. As they said thank you, another set of people ordered more drinks, and she spent the next hour catching up on drink orders and declining offers of dates and trips around town.
* * * *
Burt was getting ready to close up the place for the night. It was four o’clock in the morning, and the last few stragglers were accompanied by Jerome to their awaiting cabs home.
Jerome walked back inside and locked the door.
“Well, another Friday night gone and went. I haven’t seen it this crowded in a while,” Jerome stated.
“That’s because of Smiley,” Burt replied as Michaela turned off the lights by the bar after washing everything down and preparing the bar for tomorrow.
“That’s not true. Stop trying to give me a big head,” she replied, coming out from behind the bar with her backpack.
“You have made quite the impression, young lassie. I seen all those men trying to give you their phone numbers. Doesn’t it get hard declining them all?” Burt teased.
“I’d like to see who the lucky one might be that she says yes to. That will surely cause a fight or two,” Jerome said and then sat down by the table.
Michaela took a seat. “Not going to happen. I don’t date. It’s not on my agenda right now.”
“And what is, may I ask?” Jerome asked.
“My house, fixing it up, trying to make it into a home.” She looked at Burt, he smiled.
“Which is why you need two friends like us to count on. So why not continue where you and I left off in the back room earlier. What’s going on and how can we help?” Burt asked. She looked at Jerome, who stared at her intently.
“Burt, it’s not that simple.”
“Sure it is. You tell us what’s going on and we help you to figure things out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.”
“Then why the secrecy, the police, the call in the back room, your resistance to talk about yourself, where you came from, your family?”
“I don’t have any family. It doesn’t matter where I came from because I’m here now. And I don’t like to talk about myself.”
“How do you do that?” Jerome asked.
“Do what?”
“Twist it back so we can’t ask you the same questions again? Burt thinks you’re in trouble. After twenty-five years on the force, I can tell that you’re hiding something, so what gives?”
She threw up her hands in frustration. “Listen, I think that you’re both really nice men. I like how you run this place, how you gave me a chance to work here, and how you’re so willing to help a stranger. But I don’t need any help. I don’t need anything. I’m just trying to fit in, survive, and stay out of trouble.”
“Then what’s the trouble following you?” Burt asked her.
She sighed. She stared at Burt and Jerome. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t talk about it.”
“If there’s going to be some trouble around here, we want to have your back and be prepared,” Jerome stated.
She stood up, placed her backpack onto her shoulder. “I promise not to bring any trouble here. I’ll be long gone before it even reaches this doorstep. Good night, guys. See you tomorrow.” She headed toward the back door.
“You taking your bike home?” Jerome asked.
“Yep, it’s the easiest form of transportation around here.”
“We can give you a ride,” Jerome told her.
“I’m fine. But thank you, again.”
“Text me when you get home, so that I know you got there safely,” Burt told her, and she chuckled.
“I will.”
After she left, Burt looked at Jerome. “I hope there isn’t someone trying to hurt her.”
“You think so?”
“It sounded like something like that on her phone call. She did say that she would leave town if she had to.”
“Leave town? What could be so bad that she would have to do that? Unless she’s running from the law?”
“No way. If she were, she never would have stepped into that sheriff’s department, nor would she react to Jake the way she does.”
“You saw that, too? All three of them like her.”
“What’s not to like? Mary and I raised our sons well. They know a good woman when they see one.”
Jerome raised his eyebrows at Burt.
“Oh hell, I know, but Lisa was bad news. I knew it and you knew it from the start. But my sons couldn’t see past her bullshit. I still don’t know how it all ended so badly, but whatever that woman did to them, it scarred them deeply.”
“I know. And they haven’t looked at another woman since.”
“Until now. Until Smiley.
“Now wouldn’t that be something else?” Burt smiled.
“It sure would be, but Michaela doesn’t seem interested.”
“Oh she is. She’s just scared, and it probably has something to do with what she’s keeping secret. Maybe my sons will get her to talk.”
“Are you going to tell them about your concerns?”
“No need to. Jake seems like he’s thinking similar thoughts. I’ll just let it be, and who knows, maybe in a few months, I’ll gain myself a daughter-in-law.”
“That’s a bit presumptuous of you.”
“Hey, you’ve known me most of my life. How often have I been wrong when it comes to women?”
“Never.”
“Thank you, sir. Now let’s get the heck out of here. We gotta do this all over again tomorrow.”
“Burt, it is tomorrow,” Jerome teased and Burt chuckled.
Chapter 4
Joyce was at her desk in the sheriff’s office going over some faxes that had come in. Joyce had already taken out the unimportant ones and handed over a stack of others. There were pictures of suspects wanted in various crimes around other states, and she would cross-check the information into the national computer system to see if the suspects had been caught, spotted anywhere, or could be in the vicinity of town. Treasure Town was nestled in between two major tourist areas on the shorelines. However, on both tips of the island were areas that only locals occupied.
Across a small bridge, always filled with traffic daily, with visitors coming and going between islands, there was a Marine Patrol base that secured and patrolled the area on water, maintained water safety, and also stood as a training facility for military personnel.
Joyce cross-checked the pictures and information she received through those databases as well. When she came up with one individual still wanted, she read the information. Seeing that the man was also wanted for questioning in a murder investigation by the FBI, she immediately brought it to the attention of the sheriff. Treasure Town was a safe place to live. Most people around here thought that had a lot to do with the sheriff and his deputies, as well as how on top of things they kept. Having so many military residents and a base nearby helped, too. No criminal murderer from New York was going to try and hide out here in Treasure Town. Not if Joyce had anything to do with it.
* * * *
Sheriff Jake McCurran sat at his desk and looked over the paperwork Joyce handed him earlier. He would be sure to get the picture of the guy out to his deputies.
As he finished going over some e-mails on his computer, his curiosity got the better of him as he searched the Internet for the video. He was pretty pissed off at whoever made a copy of the in-house surveillance footage. He gathered the deputies for a meeting and explained the ramifications to the department, never mind to Miss Smitt, who was after a
ll, a victim in the whole incident.
As he came across multiple copies of the video, he clicked on the one with the most hits. He blinked his eyes and read the number a second time. Was that a million, six hundred and forty-two hits?
He ran his hand along his chin and shook his head. The damn Internet was a dangerous tool. An entrepreneur’s gold mine and a predator’s playground.
He hit play and watched the video unfold. It was upsetting to see how the stupid rookie deputy undid Leonard’s handcuffs as Leonard pretended to speak nicely to the receptionist. It was obvious by Leonard’s body language that he was under the influence. Jake felt pissed off all over again, and as he watched the entire video, he felt sick to his stomach seeing Leonard touch Michaela. It was nauseating, and really, he couldn’t blame her for her reaction.
As he watched her manipulate the gun from Leonard’s hand, twist his wrist, grab the gun, force him to the ground, knee him in the spine, and then hold the gun to his head, he was shocked at how quickly it all went down. He stared at her thighs, her skirt lifted to practically her waist as she straddled Leonard and held the gun like a professional officer of the law.
The woman looked gorgeous and capable. But she also looked well trained. Why would a young woman, with no professional need that he knew of, need training like that? He rubbed his chin as he stared at the video, her handing him the gun, him looking like a moron for not taking care of the situation and her storming away. No wonder everyone asked him if he was pissed off. She looked like Wonder Woman, and he looked like a bozo with his head up his ass.
He chuckled to himself. He actually wasn’t pissed off. He was aroused. Holy fucking shit. No wonder the video took off as it had. Michaela looked sexy and capable. It was impressive. She was impressive.
As he thought about it, he realized that it also made him feel jealous. Other men were watching this video. Other men would go to The Station to see her, flirt with her. What if someone tried something? Then what?
His concern was overwhelming, and he glanced at the clock, saw it was nearly lunchtime.
He logged out of his computer and headed out of the office, telling Joyce that he had something to take care of and would be gone for lunch. He headed outside to the patrol truck knowing exactly what he needed to do. He needed to warn a certain little lady that trouble could come looking for her, and perhaps she needed a friend, after all.
* * * *
Michaela was trying to fix the stairs to the attic when she smelled the smoke. As she pulled the ladder down, half of it came off the hinges, making her scream and nearly fall. But the smoke was getting a bit heavier and she wasn’t certain where it was coming from. Assuming that perhaps it had something to do with a faulty wire again, she didn’t want to panic and call the fire department. As she climbed up, cutting her elbow on splitting wood in the frame of the attic, she saw the smoke coming from some kind of unit toward the front part of the house.
Of course it was an extremely hot day. She started coughing as the odd-smelling smoke filled her lungs. Noticing where the fire seemed to be coming from, she crawled closer just as some flames ignited. Michaela screamed and then grabbed for whatever she could reach to try and put out the fire. She was coughing heavily now, but determined to not freak out, even though she thought she heard sirens in the distance. Perhaps one of the neighbors saw the smoke and called.
Michaela swung the large, dirty quilted blanket against the square box, as she pulled up her tank top to cover her mouth and nose. She was trying to not inhale too much of the stuff when she heard the crackling and a pop.
The deep sound of a fire truck’s horn as well as sirens blaring penetrated through the walls of the home. She was relieved, but it seemed the fire that started was dissipating.
“Michaela?” She heard her name through the smoke and her coughing.
“Here!” she yelled out, crawling back toward the opening. She was coughing more and had to stop several times when she saw the firefighter appear by the square opening. She wondered how he or she got up there considering that the ladder was broken, but then she heard a bang and a gushing sound hit the window in the attic. She fell onto her side as water sprayed the window.
“I found someone,” the firefighter yelled. She held the tank top against her mouth and nose as the firefighter came all the way up. Then there was another one.
“Michaela, what the hell are you doing up here?” one yelled and then coughed.
She saw his face, his eyes, as she crawled closer. Her heart raced. It was Hal, and the second firefighter was Billy.
“I think it’s out,” she yelled from under her shirt.
“Get over here. Bear, I’m going to hand her down to you. Then I’ll check the situation.”
Hal reached for her, lifting her in the small tight space as if she were a toy doll. Then he mumbled something she didn’t understand as he lowered her to Bear’s waiting arms. The men had call signs she totally understood why. Bear was as big as one, as he wrapped his arms around her and carried her away down the hallway. It was all clear in the house, just slightly hazy.
“You can put me down. I can walk,” she said and then coughed.
“Are you crazy? You can die from smoke inhalation. You could have passed out up there,” he reprimanded but didn’t let her down. As they came outside, she saw the multiple fire trucks and realized in an instant how serious the fire was. A glance up as she continued coughing, and she saw the fire by the eves of the house, directly where the attic was and where wiring was sparking. As she followed the direction of the hanging wires, she saw it lead below to the front porch.
That was where she’d fixed the light that kept blinking last night. The front porch light wouldn’t stay lit, and finally she changed the wires and added a new bulb. Obviously the entire wiring from the front porch to the attic needed to be redone.
“Goddamn it,” she said and then coughed as Bear carried her to the fire truck. He set her down on the back and began checking her over. Placing a mask over her mouth and nose, he ordered her to take slow breaths. At first she coughed a few times and tried to remove the mask, but Bear kept one hand on her hip and upper thigh and one on the mask holding her, and it in place. She stared at his firm expression as she did what he told her to. His green eyes held hers and boy did he seem upset.
She absorbed the sight of him in front of her, the way it felt being carried from the attic and her home by him, and even how Hal had lowered her to Billy’s arms so gently. Here she was filled with lustful thoughts as multiple firefighters put out the fire and checked for the cause and the damage.
“Jesus, is she okay? What the hell happened?”
She heard the sheriff’s voice and immediately turned to look. There he was, fully dressed in uniform, and he looked concerned as well.
She took over holding the mask in place as Billy placed his hand on her shoulder and neck and gently massaged her skin. She felt the instant attraction to him. How manly he was, and how huge his hand felt against her skin. Her nipples hardened, her core tightened. She swallowed hard as she looked at him and he held her gaze. His expression was like no other she had ever seen. He looked powerful, sexy, and mostly hungry. That realization stirred something in her she didn’t recognize at all.
* * * *
Bear looked at his brother as he arrived. He was so worried about Michaela, too. The moment the call came into the station house, Jake had texted that the house was Michaela’s. Both Billy and Hal made sure to find her immediately. They were shocked to locate her in the attic directly where the fire was and trying to put it out with a blanket while inhaling all that dangerous smoke.
As the paramedics arrived, they took over caring for her. But he couldn’t resist caressing her shoulder and neck as she held the mask in place. She appeared so delicate and feminine. He was instantly protective, and even more surprising was how possessive he felt. He fixed the strap of her tank top, pulling it back into position gently so no one else could see down the cup of
her bra to her plump breast.
He eased his hand away and let the paramedic take care of her and check her vitals as he spoke with Jake.
“What the fuck happened?”
“Hal and I found her upstairs in the attic. That’s where the fire started. She’s lucky that it didn’t spread faster. She was up there inhaling smoke and trying to put it out herself, I think.”
Billy could tell that his brother was pissed off at the details. Jake walked over to Michaela as the paramedic handed her a bottle of water to drink.
“Are you out of your mind? If you see smoke, think there’s a fire, you get the hell out and you call 911. You don’t go up there and try to face it on your own. You could have passed out or even died from inhaling that smoke.”
“I was just trying to save the house,” she said, her voice all froggy and kind of sexy. She coughed and then took another slug of water.
“Your life is more important than the house, Michaela.”
She went to step down off the truck and she teetered. Bear wrapped an arm around her waist and hoisted her close against his turnout coat.
She stared up into his eyes, and he smiled at her. “You need to take it easy. The combination of inhaling the smoke and then taking in some oxygen to help clear your lungs can make you feel off-balance.”
“No kidding.” She held on to his forearms. Billy smiled and helped her to sit back down.
“I don’t want you to move from here. I’m going to see what the actual cause of the fire was and what Hal found out. You stay put. You hear me?” he reprimanded as he pointed at her. She nodded her head as she crossed her legs and leaned back. The full tank top she wore couldn’t conceal her voluptuous body or the deep cleavage. She was absolutely adorable, and he couldn’t wait to get to know her. Maybe this little incident would help to break the ice? He could only hope so. Bear walked away and Jake crossed his arms and stood closely in front of her.
Hearts on Fire 2: Michaela (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5