Up In Flames (Flirting with Fire Book 2)

by Jennifer Blackwood

  Just then, Ross and Betts strolled over.

  “This is Detective Ross and Investigator Betts.” He motioned to the two. The woman squeezed his hand harder.

  “I don’t know what happened. One minute I was prepping the bar for tonight, and the next, something hit me hard on the head. And when I woke up, I was here.” She motioned to the ambulance.

  “We’re going to get her to the hospital. If you want to question her, do it there,” Lacey said.

  Betts nodded. “We’ll meet you down there. We’re glad you’re safe.”

  Sandy gave a weak smile. “Me too.”

  Reece saw Jake and Hollywood putting away the gear in the truck. “Take care, Sandy.” He gave her hand one last squeeze and watched as Lacey and another EMT finished preparations and closed the ambulance door.

  He finished helping Hollywood and Jake with their engine, and then they all loaded up while the Station 10 crew took down their street barricades.

  After heading back to the station and showering off, Reece returned to his blues and made his way to the chief’s office. He couldn’t stop thinking about the woman and how the hell she’d recover from something like this. Although Amber had never tried to have him murdered, he definitely knew what it was like to have his trust annihilated. He wondered if that was what all relationships ended in. Cinders and ashes. One thing he did know—he loved his job. And was glad he was the one to save the woman today. He’d tuck this in the back of his mind, because now that he was back at the station, it was time to see what the chief had wanted earlier.

  Chief Richards was in his swivel chair, hands over his paunch. Since he hadn’t been out in the field for a while, he’d let his training fall by the wayside. Reece vowed he’d never become this. He’d rather give up firefighting altogether.

  The chief didn’t even look up from his paperwork as Reece knocked. “Wondering when you’d show up.”

  “Got called out before I could make it to your office.” He took a seat in front of the chief. He’d been here just weeks ago when the chief had threatened his job. Now what?

  “Any updates on your Four for Four winner?”

  “I’ve completed a few chores. Still waiting on the last.” With any luck, Sloane would end this madness so he wouldn’t have to sweat the status of his job.

  The chief tapped his pen on the table, regarding Reece. “I haven’t heard from Sloane, which probably means you aren’t screwing up too bad.”

  Reece rubbed at a tight muscle in his shoulder. “I’ll take that as a glowing review.”

  “Don’t be a smart-ass, Jenkins. That’s your problem. You don’t respect authority.” The vein in the chief’s forehead began to throb.

  “I respect you plenty.” What was up his ass? Reece followed protocol to a T. He made sure his men were taken care of, that they made it home to their families at the end of the day.

  “What about this report that you wrote last week?” He chucked it across the table. Several of the sentences were highlighted, a few red pen marks circling things that Reece couldn’t see from where he sat.

  “Your paperwork sucks. Your grammar needs improvement, and for Christ’s sake, learn the proper use of a semicolon.”

  Reece gritted his teeth. Arguing with the man would prove to be a fruitless effort. There was no reasoning with the devil. Especially when the devil had complete control over his paycheck. “Will do.”

  “I would hate to see you have to move shifts because of these inadequacies.”

  And there it was. The chief holding his greatest fear over his head. “Won’t be a problem.” He’d make sure of it.

  He’d buy a grammar book and read through it like it was the Bible if that was what it took to keep the chief happy.

  “Good.” And with that, he went back to his paperwork. When Reece hadn’t moved from his chair, the chief glanced back up at him. “You can go now.” His voice was clipped.

  Reece pushed up from the seat and strode out of the office.

  The rest of his shift crawled by. And by the time C shift was preparing for their day, Reece was ready for another round on the treadmill to try to forget.

  Just as he was getting into his Jeep, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

  Sloane: Manage to get through a shift without any injuries today?

  He smiled. Because even though the chief had put a damper on his mood, one text from Sloane could turn it all around.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sloane, Erin, and Madison sat at the breakfast bar at Jake’s house. Well, technically it was Erin’s house too, now, but Sloane hadn’t really wrapped her head around that. From across the room, Sloane spotted pictures on the mantel of Jake, Bailey, and Erin. Pictures of the three of them at Bailey’s science fairs, robotics competitions. They made a beautiful family.

  Sloane pulled out her phone and triple-checked with Aaron that they were still on for tonight. It felt weird going on a date with him after she’d just hung out with Reece the other night at her apartment. There was nothing to feel weird about, though, right? They weren’t even friends. More like a weird bond over Supernatural and pizza.

  Aaron had messaged her earlier today to confirm they were still on. She stared at the message waiting for the other shoe to drop. But two hours before the date and . . . nada. Just as she clicked out of her messenger app, a text came rolling in.

  Reece: Peaches made her way onto the couch.

  Sloane: Run out of Blake Shelton pictures? Or is she finally immune?

  Reece: She chewed through one of them. Now Blake is missing an ear. Also, she says that Sam is obviously the better Winchester brother.

  Sloane held back a cackle.

  Sloane: You just like him because he is broody just like you.

  Reece: I’m not broody. And it’s Peaches who thinks so, not me.

  Sloane: Whatever you say. Glad you’re liking the show.

  “What’s got you smiling?” Erin asked.

  “Just plotting world domination,” she said, putting her phone down on the table and opening up the cozy mystery she’d been reading earlier.

  “Are you texting my brother again?” Erin didn’t buy her answer.

  “Oh, are you and Reece an item now?” Madison asked, digging into one of the packages of peanut butter crackers on the counter. A piece broke off and dropped into her curls. Erin leaned across the table, picked it out of her hair, and chucked it into the sink.

  “We aren’t a thing. But we’re slowly building a truce.” She didn’t tell them about their kiss the other week. Or the way his finger felt inside of her. How it made her toes curl and it took every ounce of strength to pull away from him. If she’d kissed him any longer, she would have ended up in bed with him . . . and that would have been a mistake of epic proportions.

  “Well, it’s about time.” Erin landed a speculative look on Sloane. “And I think it’s good because I think you like him.”

  “Do not.” She bristled. Reece was not datable material in the least bit. All he did was owe her some favors. That was it. And if he happened to be an excellent kisser? Well, that was a nice perk, but it did not mean she wanted to date the guy. “Plus, I have a date tonight.”

  Madison looked up from her computer where she was editing photos from a shoot earlier in the day. Erin stopped grading a paper and dropped it on the granite counter.

  “When were you going to drop this little truth bomb on us?” Erin asked.

  Sloane put her bookmark back in the book, realizing she probably wasn’t going to get any more reading done now. “When I figured out it was real and not another false alarm.”

  “With Reece?” Madison asked.

  “What? Why would you say that?”

  “Because you haven’t been grumbling about him the past couple of days. I thought maybe you two were . . .” Erin drummed her fingers on the countertop, seeming to search for the right words.

  “Erin wants to say you’re going to Bone Town with her brother,” Madison said.

&
nbsp; “Bone Town? Madison, you can do better than that.”

  Madison shrugged. “Hey, it’s totally a thing.”

  Sloane rolled her eyes but smiled. “No, it’s with Aaron. I showed you guys his pic last week.”

  “You mean Khaki Guy?” Erin asked, writing something in her planner.

  Madison and Erin had taken to nicknaming the dudes Sloane showed them. Last week there was Crazy Eyes, Bigfoot’s Second Cousin, and Guy Who Is Definitely Married. The last one was another nail in the coffin for her faith in men. If they were going to cheat on their wives, at least take a profile picture without the wedding ring.

  “Yes. I figure, why not? And, bonus points, he hasn’t been shady yet or stood me up.”

  Aaron, whom her friends had deemed “Khaki Guy” after they looked through his pictures and found that he was wearing this style pants in every single shot, seemed like a safe choice. Someone who wouldn’t make her heart feel like it might take flight and blast through her chest cavity. Someone who’d give her tiny butterflies.

  “That is a low bar to set, my friend,” Madison said.

  Sloane frowned and closed down her text with Reece. Maybe it was, but it weeded out 92 percent of the dudes on the dating apps. Which was pretty sad when Sloane thought about it.

  “I’m sending over his details. I have his phone number and Facebook profile.”

  “Did you get his Social too?” Erin mused.

  “If I could find it, I totally would.” She wondered if guys on the site did this too or if she was just taking it to the extreme.

  “Man, do you remember in college when we used to go out with guys and we didn’t even know their last names?” Madison said.

  She thought back to how she had met Brian in class. He’d asked her to go to his frat party for Heaven and Hell, a Halloween-themed bash they threw every year. Back then, she hadn’t been particularly into organized parties. She’d liked to watch reruns of her favorite shows with Madison in their dorm and get drunk off Carlo Rossi. Even almost ten years later, she still preferred to stay home rather than go out. Too bad first dates couldn’t just be that.

  “This isn’t college. It’s online dating, and who knows if there are Ted Bundys out there.”

  “At least we’ll know who to call once we find your body in a freezer,” Erin said.

  She rolled her eyes. “Thank you for that.”

  “It’s going to be just fine. Seriously. Not every guy is going to be an asshole like Brian. You just need to get back on the horse and give dating a shot,” said Madison.

  “I know. That’s why I agreed to drinks and appetizers with him at some fancy French restaurant. And I was really craving Mexican tonight.” She frowned and toyed with the cover flap of her book. “You don’t think I should bring a roofie test strip, do you?”

  “Dear Lord.” Erin put her head in her hands. “It’s going to be fine. Trust me. And if you don’t check in by ten, we’ll go into sleuth mode.”

  “Thanks.”

  “And promise us you’re not going to wear that on the date,” Madison added.

  She glanced down at her outfit. Jeans and a T-shirt. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing truly hideous that could be used for blackmail pics later down the road. “What’s wrong with this?”

  “I could fit my fist through the holes in your jeans. He’s taking you out to a French place. Dress up.”

  She sighed and wished that she were more excited for this date. “Fine. I’ll wear something fancier.”

  Thirty minutes later, she was back in the confines of her apartment, staring at the contents of her closet. Did a dress say too much? She just wanted a drink. Even if her friends wanted her to get back in the proverbial man saddle, she didn’t know if she was ready to have someone back between her sheets. Besides, the other night when Reece’s hand had been between her thighs, that was the only time in the past year she’d felt ready to crank it up to eleven. She swallowed hard. Drinks and appetizers only tonight.

  She decided on a pair of dark jeans—no holes—and a dressy tank top. Cute, but definitely not sending the get-some-tonight signal.

  She checked her phone and saw she had twenty minutes till she needed to be there. Before she went out the door, her mind wandered to what Reece was doing. She quickly pushed that thought away and closed the door.

  “What do you think, Peaches?” Reece was sitting on the couch with the dog. He’d finally caved and let her up, and now she had made herself at home, taking up an entire sofa cushion. The dog was in high fashion today with a Seahawks jersey. Much more respectable. And if anyone asked, the outfit came with the clothes he’d been handed at the shelter. No need to tell anyone how much he’d spent on Barbie-size clothes.

  Peaches stretched even farther across the seat cushion until her paws hit Reece’s leg. He didn’t even know how that was possible, but he was sequestered at the far end of his side of the couch. He had a bowl of cereal in his hands, while the mutt had a little Greenie beside her. Because the vet said that dental hygiene was of the utmost importance. And still no word from the shelter. Then again, he hadn’t bothered to call for a status update either. Not that he’d admit this to Sloane, but he was getting used to having a dog in the house. It was . . . nice. “Football or basketball?”

  Peaches let out a bark.

  “Football it is.” He rubbed her head. “You have pretty good taste for a foo-foo dog.”

  He had to admit it was nice to have someone to come home to. Someone excited to see him after a shift. He made sure that either Erin or his mom came to take her on a walk when he was on his shift. Maybe he’d find a doggy day care so she could socialize with other dogs.

  A knock came from the front door, and he got up. Peaches didn’t bark, didn’t even move from her spot.

  He eyed her and shook his head. “We need to work on your guard-dog ferocity, girl.”

  He opened the door to find his sister dressed in her teacher clothes. Pencil skirt, a red blouse, and her blonde hair pulled into a messy bun that was drooping.

  “Wasn’t expecting to see you. What’s up?” he asked Erin.

  “Is that the warm welcome you give all your guests?” She brushed past him and moved straight for the couch, using baby talk on Peaches. “How’s my princess?”

  Peaches wagged her tail. Over the past week, she’d appeared to be losing the urge to expel her bowels when people came to the door. He hoped this trend would stick.

  “Everything okay? Jake okay?” Erin wasn’t usually one to stop by unannounced. She usually called ahead.

  “Yeah.” Peaches rolled over, giving Erin an open invitation to rub her belly. His sister obliged. “I’ve actually been sent over here on behalf of Mom.”

  He hadn’t been to the house in more than a week. He’d missed Friday-night dinner because he’d filled in for another firefighter on C shift.

  “Does she need me to look at the garbage disposal again? I told her that she needed to get a plumber out there.” Reece was good with his hands, but even he could admit that some things required a professional.

  “No.” She let out a sigh. “It’s about Andie. Have you talked to her lately?”

  He didn’t like lying to his sister, but Andie wanted to keep the college stuff under wraps. It wasn’t his place to tell her. “No. Why?”

  “She just seems more secretive than normal. Mom—and I—are worried about her.”

  He would have loved to lessen the burden of carrying this secret, to share with Erin how proud he was that Andie was finally doing something about her future, but he was a man of his word. “I think it’s just normal stuff. She’s almost twenty. It’s probably just a phase. You remember how you were back then.”

  “I try to forget that sometimes,” Erin said absentmindedly. She turned to him and studied him. She had her scheming face on. “What are you doing tonight?”

  “Just kicking it with Peaches.”

  She mashed her lips together. “You know, Sloane is going out on a date tonight.
”

  Yeah. He knew. He’d thought about it more often than he would ever admit. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I just had a feeling that maybe this was information you wanted to know.”

  He scratched the dog’s ears while Erin continued to rub her belly. Peaches had it better than any human he knew. “We’re just friends. Not even that, Erin.”

  Erin put her hands up. “I’m just saying. I think it’d be cute if you asked her out. Before it’s too late. Not that I think you have much competition with Khaki Guy.”

  “Khaki Guy?”

  She laughed. “Yeah, that’s the only thing he wears.”

  He wondered if it was the same guy from the profile Sloane had shown him a few days ago. “Sounds like a serial killer,” he muttered.

  “That’s what I said.”

  “They’re meeting at Château Dumont if you, you know, happen to be taking Peaches for a walk later.”

  “You’re reaching.”

  Plus, he didn’t know why his sister was trying to play matchmaker. Erin, of all people, should know just how horrible he and Sloane would be together. They’d fight all the time.

  And then he could think of a million different ways to make up. He’d thought about them many times with his hand wrapped around his cock.

  She shrugged. “Just sayin’. I’m going back home. And, Reece, you should really add a little bit of color in here. It’s pretty drab.” She got up from the couch and made her way to the door. “Anyway, gotta go relay the nonnews to Mom.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about Andie. And, Erin?”

  His sister turned around before she reached for the door handle. “Yeah.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up about Sloane.”

  She smiled and left.

  He bent down and petted Peaches. “Sorry, girl. I’m going solo tonight.” And then he grabbed his jacket and headed to his truck.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sloane gripped the steering wheel as she sat in the parking lot of Château Dumont, the warmth of the car fading as the clock ticked closer to seven.