Chasing Fire: (Fire and Fury Book One)

by Avery Kingston

  “Thanks. A girls gotta know, right?” Tori sucked in a breath.

  “That’s right, honey. I’ll bring you that double,” she said, then disappeared into the void.

  Scott’s phone vibrated across the nightstand. He glanced at the display.

  Keith

  Does this look like a dude that our Vicky would date?

  Attached to the message was a photo of a man. Keith was right. He was not the type of guy Tori would go for, but she no longer had the option of choosing companions based on their appearance. This dude was plain and lanky, un-athletic, and wearing a stuffy blazer.

  Scott

  Well, it’s not like she’d know.

  Keith

  CALL ME.

  He sighed, sat up in bed, flipped on the light, and called. Keith had no concept of the time zone difference between the two of them.

  “Dude, listen. Tori can fuck whomever she wants. I don’t own her.” Not yet, at least. “She never gets serious. You know her.”

  He reached over, slipped on his prosthetic, and wandered into the bathroom to take a piss.

  “Yeah, yeah. She’s the cat who catches the mouse and plays with it until it’s dead, then saunters off to find more prey.”

  Scott’s laughter bellowed off the hollow bathroom walls as a steady stream flowed into the toilet. Yeah, that pretty much described Tori to a tee.

  “How many has she been with since I left?” Scott asked curiously.

  “Why do you always try and pump me for info? You know, as much as I love you, I can’t spill Vic’s secrets.”

  Scott chuckled. “Then why are we even having this conversation?” He flushed the toilet.

  Keith breathed heavily. “I’m worried about her. She’s not been herself. This is some random man she met in the park named Connor Williams. Something about this guy is fishy. He just moved here from out of town, according to Vic. Apparently, he whisked her out of oncoming traffic when Vic thought she was being chased.”

  “Someone’s following her?” Scott growled.

  “Not exactly. I mean, I don’t know about the park, but…” Keith’s voice thinned.

  “Keith?”

  “I follow her every night until she gets on the metro,” Keith confessed. “To make sure she’s ok. She’d murder me if she knew. She heard me the other night, and I think I spooked her straight into this guy’s arms.”

  “Dude, I asked you to keep her safe, not scare her shitless.”

  “Now she’s drunk texting me that she’s going to take him back to her place.”

  “Her place?” Scott raised his brow. Tori never invited anyone back to her place. Only him. He knew that was one of her many weird sexual rules.

  “Ok, I’m on it.”

  Scott hung up the phone and settled into his laptop. Connor Williams was an urban planner in Indianapolis that was roughly in his early thirties. There was no indication he relocated to DC, however there was no indication he hadn’t, either. If Tori Googled him, she would have no reason to doubt his story.

  He eyed the architectural firm photograph that matched the one Keith sent. Not the type of guy who looked like he could boldly yank a lady out of the way of a moving vehicle, much less hold Tori’s attention for long. Keith was right, it didn’t add up.

  If Tori had the luxury of perusing Instagram, she would have seen Connor was currently single—unless you counted the relationship he had going on with his cat. Seriously, who takes so many photos of their cat? Further research revealed the real Connor Williams was currently residing in Westville, Indiana in a cozy three-bedroom home.

  So, either this guy had moved, and his records were not updated, or he was not Connor Williams.

  Tori dating a random man in the park was stupid and reckless, especially now that she was blind. She’d always been wild. It was what he loved and hated about her. It drove him mad.

  Years he’d waited patiently for the right time to come, for her to settle down. Now, once again, it seemed she was slipping through his grasp.

  Tori’s double arrived about the same time Connor did. “Wow, another, huh? Really bad day, I suppose. At this rate, I’m gonna have to carry you back to your apartment.” His voice drooped.

  “This is my last. Don’t judge.” He had a point, though. Her brain was starting to swirl, and she was sure that last sentence was slurred.

  “I’m not judging you at all.” His words were soft and kind, almost as if there was much more than he was saying.

  She liked Connor, and he seemed to like her. Tori’s mind swam. She thought of Scott, Chase, Connor, and all the other string of one-night stands. She thought of the baby she lost, her accident, and what she was doing with her life and the meaning of it all. Tori was so lonely and tired of games. Eventually, the drinks took over and drowned everything out.

  Connor paid the tab and walked tipsy Tori back to her apartment lobby.

  “Goodnight Tori.” He kissed her cheek.

  She frowned and pouted. “Don’t you want to come up?” That’s what they always want, after all. Better not disappoint.

  There was an awkward silence for a moment as he debated it. “I’m going to pass.”

  Tori was a sure thing. Nobody, not one, had ever turned her down. I thought we hit it off. What the hell?

  “As much as I’d love to, I can’t, on good conscience, come up tonight. You’ve had far too much to drink.” He took her hand, kissed her on the lips gently, and whispered into her ear. “I’m very sorry to do this to you. You’re a remarkable woman. Get some rest.”

  Tori’s cheeks grew hot, but she tried to keep her poise. “Well, you’re a gentleman, Connor. Thank you for a great evening.” She pulled her cane out of her purse, unfolded it, and headed to the elevator. After the doors creaked closed, she leaned against the wall, pulling her cane close to her chest, letting out an exasperated breath.

  Perfect ending to a perfect fucking day.

  Her purse started to vibrate. Scott calling… Scott calling… her VoiceOver repeated loudly. Oh, the irony. A dry chuckle escaped her lips. The room was starting to spin as she fumbled for her phone.

  “Your timing is impeccable, Scott,” she spewed out, her slurred words echoing loudly off the elevator walls.

  “Woah,” Scott’s voice inflected. “Someone’s been drinking.”

  The elevator doors opened. She moved forward with her phone in her left hand, cane in her right, swinging it back and forth, walking toward her apartment. She was sure she was a sight—drunk and blind wandering through the hall.

  “I may have knocked back a few.” She tried to not slur her words and keep a straight line. “It’s been a fucked-up day, and I needed it.”

  “Out with Keith?”

  “Nah, just out.”

  “Alone?”

  “Went out with a friend…” She let that drip from her mouth.

  She may have been drunk, but she had the sense enough to know he was feeling her out.

  “What friend?”

  Is he seriously asking me that? She fumbled at the lock on her door as she grew frustrated with him.

  “Tori? Are you there? Please tell me you didn’t pass out in the hallway.” Scott chuckled.

  “I was out on a date,” she spat quickly. “I’m allowed to do that, you know. Date.” She discarded her keys and cane by the door.

  He breathed heavily. “Yes, of course you are.”

  The truth juice flowing through her veins kept the words coming. “I met him in the park.” She caught him up on the story of being followed, embellishing a bit how he valiantly saved her from getting hit by a car. Yeah, she was playing dirty, trying to get Scott riled up.

  “Jesus Christ, Tori. Why didn’t you call me?” Scott growled.

  “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.” She crawled under her covers.

  “You need to get a service dog.”

  Tori snorted. “Scott, Seeing Eye dogs aren’t attack dogs.”

  He grunted. “I know that, but
they can still sense danger.”

  “I can’t. Not yet anyway.” She chewed on her nail. “It’s a long application process, plus a home study, and you have to have about a year of orienteering with a cane.”

  He huffed. “So, who’s this guy who saved your ass from getting hit by a car?” She smirked in satisfaction that her little scheme worked.

  “Do I detect a hint of jealousy from the man with the godlike hero complex?” The room spun around her, and her stomach began to churn with all the alcohol.

  He grunted over the line.

  “Why does it matter, Scott?”

  “Are you seriously asking me that? You just so happen to run into this dude when you’re followed in the park? How naive are you, Tori?”

  “What are you trying to say?” She got up and stumbled to her bathroom, hanging her head over the toilet, fighting the urge to vomit.

  Scott sighed. “Tori, I don’t think this guy is who he says he is.” He came clean. Tori was gonna be pissed as hell at him, but she had to know the truth.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Keith sent me his photo. I researched him.”

  “You what?”

  He had a sinking suspicion this all led back to Nathaniel Donaghue somehow, but he wasn’t going to bring that up until he was sure. No use digging at old wounds.

  “Is that what you do, just go poking into people’s past without their permission to find out whatever you want? I suppose that you’ve found out every last bit of dirt about me, and that, of course, explains why—”

  “Tori, I’ve never looked you up. I swear it. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that,” Scott said softly.

  Tori grunted through the line.

  Scott paused for a moment. He suspected Tori had some skeletons lurking in her closet, but how bad were they? “Speaking of trust… Why were you dating Nathaniel? It doesn’t seem like you at all to date a congressman, unless you had something to gain from it. Did you?”

  “I’m going to pretend you just didn’t ask me that,” she shot at him angrily.

  “Do I need to pretend you don’t keep all kinds of things secret from me?” Scott barked back. “God, Tori, I feel like you’re my best friend, and yet, how much do I not know about you? You never let me in. It’s just like you to date a married man like Donaghue so you can keep them at arm’s length. What really happened with your dad that makes you so scared of getting close to anyone?”

  She whimpered and he heard a sniffle. So much for not digging at old wounds, asshole.

  “What else haven’t you told me, Tori?” he demanded.

  There was silence on her end of the line, and he heard her hesitate.

  “Well? What else is there I don’t know about?”

  “Ok, you want to open up?” Tori shot back at him. “Alright. Let’s chat. Let’s have a nice long talk about Afghanistan and seeing your buddy blown to bits right next to you, the one you couldn’t save, the one that haunts you. What was his name? Jones, I believe. Yeah, that’s the name you yell out in the middle of the night.”

  Ouch. She knew right where to hit him to make him buckle to his knees. Low blow, Tori. Low blow.

  “Talk about secrets… You’re the one who has all the secrets. I sure as shit never know where you are.” Tori chuckled eerily. “I’ll handle this on my own, like always.”

  He fought to keep his composure—he struck first after all.

  “Nobody is after me, Scott. If someone wanted me, they could have me. I’m a pretty, blind girl living in the city. You may as well paint a target on my forehead,” she spat. “Connor,” Tori smoothly said his name, “was a perfect gentleman tonight. I even asked him to come up to my place, which, since I was drunk, he respectfully declined. Quite valiant, if you ask me. Like a knight in shining armor.” She sighed dreamily.

  Scott closed his eyes, biting his tongue to avoid saying anything worse, knowing full well that was a dig at how they started.

  I’m the knight in shining armor, not this fucker. She really was too blind to see how much he cared for her, how much he’d always cared for her.

  He gritted his teeth, swallowing every ounce of pride he had. “Tori, please be careful. I don’t want to lose you.”

  She emitted a low, eerie laugh. “You can’t lose something you don’t have, Scott.”

  Her words gutted him. “Sex, love, relationships… It’s all just a big game to you. Just. Like. Always. Nothing ever changes.”

  “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tori snapped.

  “Meaning, how much more do you need to lose due to your recklessness? What? Your vision wasn’t enough?” He immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

  She sucked in a breath on her end of the line. “Scott,” her voice waivered and cracked. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s time for me to say goodbye.”

  The line went dead.

  Scott missed the days where you could slam a receiver. He sat there for a long time, staring at the phone in his hands.

  She truly was her own worst enemy.

  He was angry, he was hurt, and he was frustrated with her, but he loved her.

  He was done playing it her way. It was time to rescue her from herself. She wants a knight in shining armor? Well, bratty princess, I’m coming to save you.

  “Yes, yes. Ok, I see.” The guard at the front desk of the museum hung up the phone. “I’m sorry, Miss Johnson isn’t in.”

  Scott had dropped his bags at home right after his flight and headed straight to the Hirishorn to try and track down Tori, who wasn’t answering any of his calls.

  Bullshit. She obviously was up there saying she didn’t want to see him. Who else would answer the phone in her office? After ten hours of air travel, he was in no mood to get into it with this guy. The man was just doing his job.

  Scott moved to the side and tried calling her again for possibly the millionth time—again straight to voicemail. He didn’t bother leaving a message, Tori never checked them. He tried Keith, who wasn’t answering, either. What the hell?

  The security guard turned to speak to the next guest, and out of the corner of Scott’s eye, he noticed a stray security badge just lying on the desk, begging him to reach out and grab it. It was like angels singing and heaven shone a light on him. Scott swiped the badge and left the museum.

  He walked a half mile to the florist not far away and picked out the most fragrant bouquet of roses he could find. Maybe she wouldn’t be pissed that he was about to barge into her office if he brought a peace offering.

  He waited and watched as the guards changed duty, then marched right back into the museum, straight past the new guard, and headed for the staff elevator.

  “Excuse me, sir?” The guard’s voice boomed as he sauntered past.

  “It’s all good. I work here.” Scott waved and went on.

  The guard scowled. He was not buying it. Probably because Scott was dressed in jeans, riding boots, a snug T-shirt that said Fuck Your Sensitivity and carrying the most obscenely large bouquet of roses he’d ever laid eyes on. There was not a thing about him that said he worked there. “Sir, you cannot go up there.” He stood from his chair.

  Maybe he should have rethought the eye-catching flowers.

  “I’m new.” Scott waved the badge, swiped the elevator access, and waited. He could hear the man calling for backup into his walkie-talkie.

  “Eh, hem…” a throat cleared behind him. “What in the fresh hell are you doing here? Have you lost your damn mind?” the voice hissed in a whisper.

  Scott grinned slyly. He’d know that high-pitched, shrill voice anywhere. “Hello, Keith.” Scott turned and flashed a lopsided grin.

  Keith stood there, with his hand on his hip, wearing a plaid shirt, bow tie, and a tailored, navy jacket. Every red hair on his head was styled to look unkempt, like always.

  The elevator opened as the guard was coming their direction.

  “He’s with me, Charles.” Keith nodded to the guard, grabbed S
cott’s arm, and drug him into the elevator.

  Keith’s blue eyes bore into Scott. “You just about stirred up a damn hornet’s nest, waltzing in here like you own the place. The jet lag has seriously impaired your judgement.”

  Scott grinned, leaned over, and gave Keith a big bear hug, lifting him off the ground with his free hand. Scott placed him down and messed up his perfectly kept hair. Keith grunted as if annoyed, but a smile tugged at Keith’s lips as he put his hair back in place.

  “Is this some game of yours? Is she bribing you with a kinky reward if you can break into her office?” Keith huffed.

  Scott let out a huge belly laugh. “Maybe…”

  Keith punched the button for the fourth floor, and the elevator moved upward. “Jesus, Scott. I don’t have time for your sexual heist. Some of us have work to do.”

  They rode in silence for a moment. “Why haven’t you returned my calls?” Scott asked as the elevator doors creaked open.

  “Did you see the lines out there?” Keith huffed as he walked briskly down the hall. “I’m working the Art in Exile public exhibition. I’ve been crazy busy all morning, haven’t even had a chance to look at my phone.”

  “You say that like I know what the fuck that means.” Scott snorted. They came from such opposite worlds.

  “Obviously, from what you’re wearing. Does that shirt come in the military douchebag starter kit?” Keith pointed to Scott’s shirt and let out a deep breath. “She’s an Iranian artist.”

  Scott chuckled. Yeah, that could turn some heads. Tori would be mortified.

  Keith rolled his eyes. “You still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”

  Scott let out a long breath. “We had a fight. I’m coming to make nice.”

  “You know Vic hates flowers, right? She finds them cliché. Threw the whole vase against the wall when her mom brought her some in the hospital.”

  That’s my fiery Tori.

  Scott grinned. “I’ll stay out of her line of aim.” They turned the corner and went into Tori’s office, which was empty.