Hot as Sin: A Novel

by Bella Andre

  “April Kelley.”

  “Will you take it?” the operator asked.

  Peter said he would and then April heard him say to someone, “Go get Dianna. Her sister’s on the phone.”

  “My sister’s there?” April asked, amazed that Dianna had not only found the commune, but had managed to get up there in one piece. Then again, why was she surprised? Dianna always succeeded, even when she attempted the impossible.

  “She came looking for you last night,” he replied, and then she heard him tell someone, “Yes, I’m talking with her right now.”

  “Oh my God, April,” Dianna said, coming on the line. “Are you okay?”

  Dianna’s concern brought tears to her eyes. She felt like a little kid all over again, desperate for her big sister to come find her and take her away from her horrible life.

  “I think so. I was abducted by some guy in the hospital parking lot and I managed to escape to a state park. The signs say Tigiwon on them.” Sniffling, she admitted, “I was so scared. But I knew you’d try to find me.”

  “Thank God you’re okay. I’m coming to get you.”

  Dianna sounded incredibly shaken up and April could hardly believe this was her ever-poised sister on the other end of the line.

  “Go to the ranger station and wait for me. And April?”

  April wiped away her own tears and cleared her throat. “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  Her tears started anew. “I love you, too.”

  She hung up the phone and was heading back out into the parking lot when she was struck with the bad feeling of being watched. But when she stopped and looked all around her, she didn’t see or hear anything more suspicious than a group of children riding their bikes while their parents lounged on folding chairs and drank beer.

  It looked like nothing more than a perfect summer afternoon, but as she quickly followed the arrow to the ranger’s office, the hair on the back of her neck wouldn’t stop standing straight up.

  Stop freaking out, she told herself. You did it. You escaped. You’re safe.

  Dianna was coming, and this time, April was perfectly happy to let her sister take care of everything. At fourteen, she’d fought her sister with all her might, partly, she now realized, because fighting was all she knew. But right this second, she longed for comfort. For safety. For a warm bed and a glass of warm milk.

  For so long, she’d raged against Dianna for treating her like a baby. Funny how a little coddling no longer seemed like such a bad thing.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “SHE’S SAFE,” Dianna told Sam and Peter as she hung up the phone.

  She couldn’t remember ever feeling happier as Sam pulled her into his arms. It felt so good to hug him. Not in a state of fear, but, finally, with joy.

  “I’m so glad she’s okay,” he said softly in her ear before releasing her.

  She slid one hand down to lace her fingers through his, suddenly feeling like new beginnings might be possible for everyone.

  “How far is the campground?”

  Peter pulled a map out of a nearby bookshelf, opened it up. “It’s somewhat complicated by the downed trees all over the area.”

  Dianna felt her chest tighten at the thought of not being able to get to April right away.

  Sam leaned over the map. “I’m sure we’ll have no problem following your directions.” He didn’t look at her, but she knew he was saying the calming words for her benefit.

  Peter highlighted the various trails with a pen. “As the crow flies, it’s approximately ten miles. The first chunk of miles will be the hardest.” And then he smiled. “I do have some good news for you, though. I keep a dirt bike stashed on the last few miles of trail. After you hike to it, the bike should cut hours off your time.”

  She couldn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around Peter this time, and even though he was stiff and uncomfortable, she didn’t care. She was so happy that April was okay she saw no reason to contain her joy. Yes, she knew they’d still need to have April sit down with the police and describe the creep who’d grabbed her, but right now that felt like a small detail.

  Hiking quickly across the Farm to their tent and gear, after Sam filled his pack with water, food, and first-aid supplies, they set off toward the campgrounds. Although April sounded fine on the phone, Dianna knew it was best to be prepared for the worst. Still, just thinking of having to use the first-aid kit really freaked her out.

  “I would have packed the first-aid kit anyway,” Sam told her, reading her mind like he had so many times before.

  “I know,” she said. “This situation with April could have been so much worse.”

  Sam reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Just like you’ve said, she’s a tough kid. I’m not surprised she got herself to safety.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll bet you would have done the same thing in her situation. You two actually do sound quite a bit alike.”

  She bit her lip. Was he right? Were she and April really that similar? Dianna would have never used the word “tough” to describe herself, but maybe that was because she’d spent so long making sure everything looked perfect on the outside and rarely let anyone look at what she was hiding on the inside.

  Sam’s hand was warm and dry in hers and it felt strangely right to walk through the Farm and onto the trail beside him. Almost as if they were a couple.

  “So—”

  He paused and she wondered what he was having such a hard time saying.

  “What’s your schedule like? Do you get much time off?”

  She hid her grin. It was so cute, watching him fish around for information without trying to look like he was fishing.

  Trying to act like his question was no big deal—when the truth was that it was a huge deal that he clearly wanted to spend more time with her outside of their quest for April—she shrugged. “Working on TV is pretty similar to working fires. We’re really, really busy for a few months, and then we get nice long breaks.” She couldn’t resist adding, “Plus, if there’s a town I want to spend some time in, I can usually convince my producer to set a week’s worth of shows there.”

  She left her obvious follow-up intent of, “Like, say, Lake Tahoe,”unspoken.

  “Good to know,” he said, before surprising her with, “By the way, your river rafting and hiking skills have far exceeded my expectations.”

  Dianna had to laugh at herself. She was glowing all over, unable to stop smiling at his praise. One would have thought she’d never heard a compliment before.

  “Thank you, Sam, that means a lot to me. Although I suppose it helps that your expectations were pretty darn low to start with.”

  Instead of laughing with her, Sam shot her a very serious, almost chastened, glance. “Back in the hospital, in the motel room, I behaved like an ass. I made a lot of assumptions about you, your job, what you were capable of. I was wrong.”

  She shook her head. “No, you’ve been incredible, helping me like this. Especially after everything that went wrong before.”

  She was searching for the right words to try to solidify some future plans for the two of them when Sam suddenly let go of her hand and ducked into a small crevasse in the rocks.

  “Good news, the dirt bike is right where Peter said it would be.”

  The hike over tree trunks and wide boulders had gone much more quickly than she expected. Entirely because of the company.

  Sam pulled one of the helmets out of his pack, but instead of handing it to her, he plopped it on her head.

  “Cute. Very cute.”

  She hadn’t given much thought to her appearance since April’s call, but now that everything was almost normal, it was nice to know she wasn’t going to scare little children. And that Sam still seemed to think she looked okay.

  “Climb on behind me,” he said as he wheeled the miniature motorcycle out from its hiding place. Through the shield on the helmet she could see he was smiling as he said, “And hold on tight.”

  Oh y
es, it would be her pleasure to wrap her arms around his waist and chest and tuck her hips against his muscular butt.

  Sam revved the engine and then they were flying down the dirt trail. Her long hair was whipping out of the bottom of her helmet, dust from the trail soon covering her legs and boots.

  She’d never felt so wonderfully alive!

  Between the speed and Sam’s closeness, she found herself laughing out loud. And best of all, she was getting to share this moment with Sam.

  The beauty of the trees and mountains and blue sky above were so colorful, so lovely. She hadn’t been able to appreciate any of it until now, and she prayed that once she and April were back in San Francisco, she’d get to share another incredible moment like this with Sam.

  Being with him had always been her biggest thrill. A total rush.

  It still was.

  Sam heard her laugh and smiled. He never considered that he might find himself on a dirt bike with Dianna, speeding down a narrow trail in the Rockies. And yet, these had been the most exhilarating couple of days in recent memory. No wildfire could compare to Dianna. Not even the heat.

  Seeing her look so happy this morning after April’s call, it was impossible not to want to see her look that way again. The night before, he’d grappled with the question of giving things another shot. This morning, he couldn’t remember his reasons why not.

  She was beautiful. Smart. Loyal. And, despite everything he’d tried to convince himself she’d done during the past decade, incredibly loving.

  He’d be a fool to let her slip out of his life again.

  The bike was fast, and because Dianna didn’t seem to mind the speed, he kicked it up another notch. Within the next quarter hour they were pulling into the campground’s front gates. Heading for the ranger’s headquarters, he put the brakes on and Dianna was off the bike and running up the stairs before he turned the engine off.

  Seconds later, she came back down, her face pinched and tight. “She’s not there.”

  Oh shit. April’d had plenty of time to get to the ranger’s station. She should have been there.

  And then, he heard Dianna gasp, her hand going over her mouth as all the color left her face, her finger pointing toward the sky.

  A quarter mile to the left, in the direction of the river, a plume of fresh, black smoke was rising into the blue sky.

  A building must have just been set on fire.

  “Get on,” he yelled, and once her arms were back around him, he sped down the paved one-way road that wound through the campsites, wanting to get as close as he could to the fire as quickly as possible before he went in on foot. A group of vacationing families stood huddled together in the parking lot watching the flames.

  Again, Dianna jumped off and raced toward the cabin before the bike’s tires had completely stopped spinning.

  Leaping off the leather seat, the dirt bike dropping onto the dirt, Sam ran after her. She was fast, but he was faster. He grabbed her arms, not letting her take another step toward certain danger. She struggled hard, trying to pull away, and he had no choice but to imprison her against him, her back pressed hard against his front.

  “What if April’s inside? I have to save her!”

  It was a big leap, but he understood why she’d gone there. April’s safety was all she could think about right now.

  But if he couldn’t get her to listen to reason, there’d be more than one casualty today.

  “We don’t know if she’s inside. And it’s not safe for you to go anywhere near that building,” he said firmly in her ear to make sure she got it.

  “But what if she is? I can’t let her burn to death!”

  There was no reason in her voice, only desperation. He understood, but it didn’t mean he was willing to risk losing her.

  The tall dry grass in front of the building was already engulfed in flames. Before he could even get near the cabin, he’d need to put out the grass fire. Still, he wouldn’t let her go until she’d regained control.

  “The only way I can get to the building is to light a backfire.”

  “No,” she gasped. “Not more fire.”

  “When the two fires make contact, they’ll burn each other out. It’s the only way.”

  Finally, she seemed to understand, giving him an anguished “Okay.”

  He was still afraid that she’d make a run for it when he released his hold on her and pulled several flares out of his pocket. A couple spilled to the ground and Dianna picked them up. Looking at the trees, he studied the direction of the wind to make sure the flames weren’t going to blow straight toward them, or toward the crowd of people who should have known better and evacuated the site already.

  But he didn’t have time to warn them of the dangers of loitering so close to a live fire. If Dianna’s sister was inside, he had to save her.

  If it wasn’t already too late.

  He’d been in the very same position with his brother Connor, had watched him suffer agonizing burns. Even though he’d done all he could to save him, he’d always wished he could have done more.

  Would Dianna ever be able to forgive herself if April perished in the fire? And would she forgive him for not saving her?

  He reached for her hand and she dug her nails into his knuckles as the fire ravaged the ground in between them and the cabin. And then, less than a minute later, a path cleared in the field into a mass of sizzling embers.

  “I’m going to try and get in the cabin now, but I don’t want you to follow me. It’s not safe.”

  Sam could see that Dianna wanted to fight him on it, but he had to make sure she understood.

  “I can’t help whoever is in the cabin if I have to help you too.”

  “Just hurry,” she said, quickly giving in. “Please.”

  Without his turnouts, the heat emanating from the ground was intense, but he’d been in far hotter forests. He ran toward the small building, all of his focus on finding a way to get inside, considering that the entire front half was already on fire.

  Quickly jogging around the perimeter, he found no doors, no windows to enter from. He’d have to go in the front by diverting the fire from the door.

  Grabbing a large branch off the ground, he climbed a nearby tree behind the building and launched himself onto the steaming roof. Moving quickly, he ripped off old roofing tiles, exposing the thin wood planks that covered the beams.

  He worked fast with the stick, ramming it into the wood, busting a hole in the ceiling. Any second now, flames would find the new source of oxygen and shoot out the hole. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be caught in them, but if he didn’t make the hole big enough there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to divert the flames from the rest of the structure.

  A split second before fire rushed out of the hole he’d made in the roof, Sam jumped out of the way, launching himself the eight feet to the ground.

  Like clockwork, the flames moved away from the door. Moving around the front, he kicked it in. The smoke was black and thick, but he’d spent ten years maneuvering through these kinds of conditions, and his eye was trained to look for limbs, to listen for coughing and look for bodies.

  But the building was empty. Completely empty.

  Sam heard the familiar crackle of a building about to implode and in the nick of time he got out of the building and ran like hell. The walls started falling in on themselves before he reached Dianna.

  “Where is she?” Dianna screamed at him.

  “She wasn’t in there.”

  She fell to her knees, her face in her hands.

  Sam had never felt so helpless in all his life as he squatted down to gather her in his arms.

  The man watched Dianna Kelley from the parking lot, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move.

  Her sister was already in the trunk of his car. When he got back to his compound, he’d punish the girl for the way she was thrashing around, for the noises she dared to make. Fortunately, with all of the commotion from the fire—children and women y
elling and crying, sirens finally making their way into the campground from an oncoming Colorado Department of Forestry fire engine and police cars—no one could hear his prisoner struggle.

  He’d been furious when Mickey woke him up out of his dark dreams with the news that April had escaped. But it had been fairly easy to guess where she’d end up. Tigiwon was as close as they got to civilization around here and straight down the hill from his lab.

  After speeding down the single-lane road to the campground, he’d spotted her on a pay phone, probably giving Dianna instructions on where to find her. Moving silently, he’d followed the girl after she hung up the phone, keeping out of her range of sight until she made the mistake of believing she’d really gotten away.

  As she took the narrow trail that led between the parking lot and the ranger’s station, after first making sure they were alone, he’d jumped her, slamming his fist into her jaw once, then twice, until she crumpled to the ground.

  Setting the cabin on fire had been pure genius. It was the perfect distraction so that he could not only take April to his car unnoticed, but given that he knew Dianna was on her way to collect her sister, it was the ideal opportunity to finally take his true prize captive as well.

  If only that goddamned guy would leave her side for thirty seconds, maybe he could get close enough.

  Moving away from his car, he headed toward the throng of people surrounding the fire engine. At the first available opportunity, he’d be ready to spring.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  TWO HOURS later, after the cop cars and fire engines drove away, after the crowd of bystanders had grown bored and dispersed back to their campfires and card games, after she and Sam had circled the campground twice looking for clues and found absolutely nothing, Dianna was on the verge of giving up hope.

  She’d never been able to forget the pain of being eleven years old and watching the state official drive away with April. Losing her own baby had been brutal and, of course, the breakup with Sam had been horrible. But sitting against a tree, her knees under her chin as she wrapped herself into a tight ball on the forest’s dirt floor, knowing her sister was at the mercy of some anonymous creep … well, that was almost unbearable.