by Joanna Blake
Heartfire
Joanna Blake
I put out fires for a living. I'm damn good at it too. I'm known for my bravery, courage and daredevil stunts. Oh yeah, and the way I use my hose.
Firemen are celebrities in this town. My father, my brothers, and all my cousins have all put their lives on the line for the people of Brooklyn, N.Y. I've been in calendars and on TV. I have my pick of any woman I want. Anytime, anywhere. All I have to do is snap my fingers.
But Kennedy Stewart is the one that got away.
A good girl from a strict family, we had a hotter than hell fling. I was auctioned off for charity and her friends won me for her as a joke. A shy virgin should have been easy pickings for me. But I was the one who got swept off his feet.
We had a few weeks of bliss, even if we had to sneak around. I even said the 'L' word. The next thing I know, she's visiting relatives and doesn't answer my calls. I swore off women- especially her. But she took a little surprise with her.
My baby.
Now she's back and the little bundle of joy bears a startling resemblance to yours truly. I can't be fooled and I can't be denied. I want what's mine.
Copyright © 2016 Joanna Blake
All rights reserved.
For my Grandfather, who died a Fireman
Chapters
All chapters are broken into two parts- one for each of the main characters. Links below will go directly to Drew's part of each chapter, followed by Kennedy's.
Heartfire
Prologue - Mischance
Chapter One - Distance
Chapter Two - Repentance
Chapter Three - Admittance
Chapter Four - Avoidance
Chapter Five - Ignorance
Chapter Six - Grievance
Chapter Seven - Riddance
Chapter Eight - Advance
Chapter Nine - Defiance
Chapter Ten - Alliance
Chapter Eleven - Guidance
Chapter Twelve - Instance
Chapter Thirteen - Violence
Chapter Fourteen - Performance
Chapter Fifteen - Disturbance
Chapter Sixteen - Tolernace
Chapter Seventeen - Arrogance
Chapter Eighteen - Exuberance
Chapter Nineteen - Reassurance
Chapter Twenty - Malevolence
Chapter Twenty-One - Penance
Chapter Twenty-Two - Acceptance
Chapter Twenty-Three - Temperance
Chapter Twenty-Four - Reluctance
Chapter Twenty-Five - Conformance
Chapter Twenty-Six - Permanence
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Radiance
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Romance
Epilogue - Six Months Later - Remembrance
Bound To Me
Note about the Delancey Brothers Books
Chapter One - Mistaken
Chapter Two - Seduction
Chapter Three - Explosion
Chapter Four - Premonition
Chapter Five - Infatuation
Chapter Six - Distortion
Chapter Seven - Flirtation
Chapter Eight - Rebellion
Chapter Nine - Submission
Chapter Ten - Distraction
Chapter Eleven - Abduction
Chapter Twelve - Retribution
Two Weeks Later
Player
Chapter One - Comedown
Chapter Two - Grown
Chapter Three - Downtown
Chapter Four - Turndown
Chapter Five - Unknown
Chapter Six - Knockdown
Chapter Seven -Shutdown
Chapter Eight - Disown
Chapter Nine - Misthrown
Chapter Ten - Letdown
Chapter Eleven - Breakdown
Chapter Twelve - Thrown
Chapter Thirteen - Meltdown
Chapter Fourteen - Countdown
Chapter Fifteen - Cooldown
Chapter Sixteen - Shakedown
Chapter Seventeen - Misknown
Chapter Eighteen - Teardown
Chapter Nineteen - Showdown
Chapter Twenty - Windblown
Chapter Twenty One - Lockdown
Chapter Twenty Two -Own
Chapter Twenty Three - Crackdown
Chapter Twenty Four - Touchdown
Six Months Later
Note From Author
Cockpit Excerpt
Grind Excerpt
Bro' Excerpt
A Bad Boy For Summer Excerpt
TOC Instructions
Please use the TOC (located in the upper left hand of your screen) to navigate this book. If you're zoomed out, please tap the center of the screen to ensure you are out of page flip mode.
Prologue
Drew
I stared at the ceiling, the light from a passing car lighting up the cracked paint. The same old ceiling I'd been staring at since I was a kid.
It hadn't seemed so pathetic. Not until this morning. Not until I found out she was gone.
Her brother Mark had told me. The eldest of the Stewart brothers. Told me she was gone. Told me he was gonna beat my ass for touching his precious, angelic sister.
Then he spat in my face.
He'd tried to take a swing but Lowe had stepped between us, catching his fist. I'd been at the firehouse. A stupid place to start a fight, even for a cop. So he'd left and I'd gone straight to her house.
Then her cousin's house a few blocks away.
I'd called. Texted. And waited. Nothing.
Mark might be a Grade A cocksucker, but he wasn't lying. Kennedy was gone. The girl I planned on marrying. The girl I would have started over with, finally moving out of this place. The family house that was severely lacking in family.
My family anyway. My brother David was recently married. Janine too. Only Paul and I were left, and he had a girlfriend who he stayed with. I was the hold out. The last of the Callaway's. I hadn't cared about settling down. Not until her.
I shut my eyes and whispered her name.
I could still smell her.
I rolled over and closed my hand over the space where she'd been just a day before. I could still see her, her cheek cradled in her arm as she smiled at me shyly.
I'd find out what those Neanderthal brothers of hers had done to make her leave. I'd get her back.
I had to.
Chapter One
Drew - Seven Months Later
I squinted in the hazy light of the tenement apartment. We'd swept most of the building. But there was a kid unaccounted for, so we were rechecking every square inch.
Of course, the kid could be outside skipping fucking rope but we never took chances when a life was on the line.
The FDNY did not gamble with people's lives. Especially not kids.
And since I was one of the few guys who didn't have a wife and kids, I was usually the last one out. Yeah. I was known for being a little bit reckless.
So here we were, the last few guys huffing smoke as we did search and rescue. Half the team was soaking the place to squelch the out of control fire. It didn't look good though. As far as I was concerned, the building was well past the tipping point.
It was gonna go. How soon was the only variable up for debate. Not until we were clear I hoped.
As shitty as my life was, I did not want to die today.
Or at least, I didn't want anyone else to.
Almost every fire could be put out if you got there early enough. Anything that wasn't chemical or in a dry-as-fuck old dump like this. I shook my head. Faulty wiring and a lack of maintenance had done this.
It was always the rent controlled places.
&
nbsp; And I always had to wonder if the landlord had something to do with it.
They were few and far between these days, with the whole neighborhood gone yuppie. Brooklyn was the new Manhattan. It was a goldmine for the people who owned property. Even all the way out here on the other side of Prospect Park.
Every inch of buildable space was shiny new condos. Artisanal coffee houses and organic, grass fed, whatever the fuck was in season type of cafes had sprung up over night. Houses and smaller buildings were torn down to make towers. And if the landlord couldn't get the tenants out, sometimes they lit a match.
It was the bane of our existence. Brooklyn had changed a lot since I joined up, but this sort of arson had gotten worse. Less fires set by drowsy junkies who dropped the pipe, more fires set by scumbag property developers.
It made me sick.
I cleared another bedroom and was about to leave when I heard it.
A tiny meow. A squeak really. At first I thought it was a mouse.
Meeeeeep.
Scratchy and cute as hell. No, that was no mouse. That was a baby kitty.
It was coming from under the bed. I frowned. I was not gonna leave anyone behind, not even a kitten. But I had already checked under the bed.
I got on my knees and saw him. The little boy was behind the headboard, tucked behind a curtain he'd wrapped himself in. He was barely visible, even without all the smoke. I'd almost missed him. The kitty he was squeezing tightly was the only reason I found him.
I knew how the kid felt. Fuck, I loved kittens too. I'd even given one to my niece last Christmas.
My sister was still kind of pissed at me about that.
"Got him! Get out!"
I shouted into my radio and reached for the kid. He scooted further away into the corner. I tried to smile reassuringly even though I was in panic mode. I had to get him out of here.
Now.
"It's okay. You can come out. I'm gonna get you out of here."
The kid gripped the tiny ball of fur harder and it let out a yelp. I stood up and scooted the bed away from the wall, shouting at the kid to hold still the whole time.
I reached down and grabbed him. I slipped my oxygen mask over his face and tried to tug the kitten away. He wouldn't let go.
"It's okay kid. Give me the cat."
His huge eyes stared up at me. He was already covered in soot. He did not want to let go of the cat. Fine. But I needed him to hold onto me on the way down. I bounded up the stairs to the roof. Once we were up there I finally got a deep breath.
That first breath always tasted so damn sweet.
"Look, I'm putting him right into my jacket."
He watched as I tucked the kitten into an interior chest pocket in my gear. Then I zipped it up tight so just the tiny head was peeking out. The soft fur tickled my neck.
I would have hammed it up for the kid if we weren't in such a rush. The roof could go at any minute. The guys should be clear by now.
I ran to the edge and grabbed the ladder. Then we were off the roof, being lowered to the ground. I handed the kid off before pulling out the little fur ball. He stared up at me wide eyed as I gave him back his pet.
That's when it hit me. A wall of female flesh. Blond hair flew everywhere as the woman practically tackled me with gratitude.
"My baby! You saved my baby! Thank youuuuu!"
The kid's mother had her arms wrapped tight around me. She was crying too hard to speak but I was pretty sure she was still thanking me. I smiled and patted her shoulder and nodded to the Chief.
"Everyone out?"
He nodded at my question.
"Yeah Drew, they are out. Everyone but you was out ten minutes ago. You're fuckin' nuts. I told you not to be the last one out every damn time."
I shrugged.
"I didn't do it on purpose. I found the kid didn't I?"
"Yeah. You found the kid. I just want someone else to do it once in a while."
"What can I say?"
I tried to make light of it with a grin. He just shook his head. He ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up straight in the air. I knew he was just worried.
"I'm warning you. You have to dial it down. Don't make me fill out paperwork."
I nodded, and went back to getting hugged. I knew what he meant. He meant the paperwork you filled out when someone bought it.
I asked the lady if there were any other kittens and she shook her head. I was almost disappointed. I would have gone back in. I refused to leave anyone behind.
I stared into space, letting her hold onto me for a couple minutes. She hugged me and then the kid, over and over again. It was practically part of the job.
I'd found a lot of people needed time to hug it out.
And that was when it went well.
When things went badly, well, forget it.
I'd held people for a hell of a lot longer.
"Alright guys, I'm calling it."
The woman finally let go. She stared at me before running back to her kid and latched onto him again. I waved at the little boy and he held up the kitten. I grinned.
Lowe slapped my back. My best friend in the world, we'd gone through training at the same time. We were even from the same little corner of Brooklyn. We covered the home turf, along with everything from Prospect Park to the bay. The firehouse was a couple of blocks from where my family had lived for four generations. Lowe's too.
Windsor Terrace.
"Come on Muffin, let's go get a cold one."
Kennedy
I thanked the conductor as he helped me lift the stroller over the gap. I exhaled, staring around the platform. I felt my throat constrict when I saw who was there. Or rather, who wasn't.
Nobody had come to meet me.
I'd told Danny I was coming home. I assumed he had told my other brothers and my extended family that I was coming back.
But even now, they hadn't forgiven me enough to speak to me.
I shouldn't have been surprised but it still hurt. I'd broken faith with them by having a child out of wedlock. No one from my religious family had reached out to me during the pregnancy. Not my aunts and uncles or most of my cousins. Not my own brothers.
Just like no one had come to welcome me home.
Except Jamie.
My cousin smiled at me, waving as she ran down the platform towards me. Everyone turned to stare. It was hard to miss her.
Flaming hot pink hair, streaked with bright white- extensions probably. Ripped, skin-tight jeans, a gold satin bomber jacket and- I squinted at her footwear as she barreled towards me- yes, those were high-heeled platform sneakers she was wearing.
Jamie was... different. My family was middle-class but still ultra conservative. Religious. But not her. She was my mom's little sister's only kid. And that was the liberal side of the family.
Anyone was liberal in comparison to the Stewarts. But Aunt Selene and her daughter were extra liberal. Like, practically socialist, free love and no judgement liberal.
"I fucking missed you SO HARD!"
I gasped for air as she squeezed me tightly. Finally, she let go. She looked me over, clucking her tongue like an old lady. I noticed she'd pierced it.
Most old ladies didn't have barbels through their lips either.
"Ugh. Still revoltingly perfect looking, you little hooker."
I smiled weakly,
"Hi Jamie. Thanks for coming to pick me up."
"Oh, shut up. Let me meet the little one."
"You mean the little sin?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Fuck them, the blowhards. If they want to get technical, tell them the Virgin Mary herself had another man's baby! I'd love to see how that would have gone over with the holier than thou Stewart clan!"
I covered my mouth with my hands, trying to stifle my laugh. Jamie said the craziest things. Sacrilegious things.
But, if you really thought about it... she was right.
She swung my duffle over her arm and took my messenger b
ag off my shoulder too. The girl was a ball of energy. Unlike me, who was dreading this home coming.
As much as I was craving it.
"Let's go get a falafel on Atlantic. I'm starvin' Marvin."
I nodded happily and pushed Kyle's stroller after her. I was nervous about being back home. More nervous than I let on. But at least I knew I wasn't alone. My cousin had my back no matter what. She also had a spare room in her run down brownstone apartment.
If my family was ashamed of me, so be it. I knew having a child out of wedlock didn't fit into their idea of what a 'nice girl' did. But it happened and they were just going to have to learn to deal with it.
In the meantime though, I was shacking up with Jamie.
Chapter Two
Drew
"Incoming!"
I looked up just in time to see the mug come sliding down the bar towards me. I nodded my thanks to the bartender, who also happened to be my brother Dave's wife, Laney. She smirked at me and jerked her head towards a blond girl sitting at the end of the bar.
I sighed.
Another groupie.
I shook my head and the girl pouted. It's not that she wasn't attractive. Objectively, she was not at all bad. It was just the promise I'd made to myself.
Seven months ago I'd sworn off women.
Because of her.
Kennedy Stewart was the girl next door. Or a few blocks over anyway. I'd always seen her around, all the way back to high school, even though she was a few years behind me. She was a pretty little thing back then. Quiet. Shy. Honor student. Valedictorian.
Way too good for me.
She didn't run with my crowd and I didn't run with hers. Actually, I don't think she ran with any crowd at all. Never mind that her family kept her on a tight leash. She had three brothers and each was meaner than the next.