Carter's Flame

by Tiffany Patterson

  “I was technically on a break,” I weakly defended.

  “And then you spent the entire night at Townsend Manor?” She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

  I lowered my head. Damn. He found out about that, too.

  “I don’t have to tell you how unprofessional this looks. Not only for you, but for Save The Date Event Planners as well. When we take on a job, our clients expect the utmost in professionalism. That is why a high-profile client like Townsend Industries comes to us in the first place.”

  “Nancy, I know, and I am so sor–”

  She held up her hand and my stomach dropped. I was not about to lose it here in this office, but it felt dangerously close to the edge. I was about to lose my job, a job that I loved over a stupid mistake. Couple that with the fact that I’d probably be blackballed in the event planning industry because that’s how powerful types like the Townsends worked, and I’d never work in this capacity again.

  Nancy shook her head. “I am disappointed in your behavior, Michelle.”

  “I know,” I murmured.

  “Mr. Townsend was all but adamant that I let you go.”

  I grabbed my stomach. “I understand,” I stated, getting ready to stand and walk out while I still had some dignity intact.

  “Luckily, I was able to convince him that you were one of my best employees.”

  My head lifted.

  “I am not letting you go. You have proven your loyalty to this company over the four years you’ve worked here. I will, however, have to demand that you take the rest of the week off, without pay.”

  I wanted to protest, tell her that wasn’t fair, but after being scared that I was losing my job, a short suspension without pay sounded better. I knew it wasn’t easy for Nancy to go against Aaron Townsend’s initial request. To say the man was intimidating would be an understatement.

  “I understand. Thank you, Nancy.”

  She nodded her head, giving me a disappointed look. “Take this time to think about where you stand, Michelle. You have been a model employee up until this point and I’d hate to see this incident leave a mark on your career.”

  I caught her subtle warning. Don’t let it happen again.

  “I will,” I assured her, standing. She nodded and I high-tailed it out of her office before she changed her mind. I made a beeline for my much smaller office, grabbing my purse and my work laptop to keep in touch with my assistant over the week. I would be off but I could still be helpful. In the meantime, I let the anger I felt bubbling up inside of me propel me out the main office with my head held high. Once I made it to my car in the building’s garage, I made a decision. I wasn’t the only one who was going to get reamed out over what happened Friday night.

  ~ Chapter Five ~

  Carter

  “Good job out there today, Carter.” Sean extended his hand to give me five and I smacked my palm to his, pulling one another in for a half hug to say job well done. We’d just come back from a grueling four alarm fire at an abandoned building. It was a spot that alot of drug addicts used to get high on all sorts of shit, especially heroine. Sometime during the night a fire started, and with all the combustible paraphernalia inside, the place went up quickly. At last count, we had pulled out three bodies, but we hadn’t lost any firefighters so I still considered it somewhat of a win. Anytime we all made it back to the station alive, it was a good day.

  “I need a fucking shower.” It was only a little after ten in the morning, but we’d been working all night, and I still had another eight hours of my shift.

  “I hear you. You smell like shit.”

  “And smoke!” Don, called out after Sean.

  I tossed both of them the middle finger and grabbed my belongings to head to the shower. I scrubbed myself clean, and inevitably, the memory of Friday night with Michelle came back to mind, as it always did during my quieter moments. It’d been two days since I’d let her walk away from me. Not because that was it but because I knew she needed to get back to her son. She’d also said something that caught my attention and I made sure to store it away for future questioning. Andy was already on the case for me, to find her physical address.

  I dried off, put on a clean uniform, and placed my belongings back into my locker. I was just tucking in my Williamsport Fire Department T-shirt into my navy blue slacks when Corey burst through the door.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “Apparently, you’re what’s up.”

  I gave him a quizzical look.

  “Michelle’s here to see you and she looks pissed. What’d you do to her?” he called behind me because I was already shoving him out of the way and moving to the door to get to her.

  “You’re getting as bad as Donnie with your women problems,” I heard him say behind me, but I didn’t have time to address his bullshit just then. There was a more important person who obviously needed to see me, as well.

  I came down the metal steps into the squad’s lounge area to see a pissed off looking Michelle, standing in front of the door, arms folded. She didn’t see me at first, giving me time to survey her. She looked good, in a pair of black slacks that were just loose enough to be considered professional, with a light green peplum top that cinched in her waist, flaring at the hips to show off her shapely figure without being lewd. Her hair was in a high bun and my fingers twitched wanting to mess it up and run themselves through her hair.

  “Michelle.”

  She turned sharp, slanted eyes in my direction. A wiser man wouldn’t get too close, but I’d lost all good sense wherever she was concerned.

  “Don’t touch me!” she hissed at me when I reached for her hand.

  Instead of backing up, I advanced on her even more. “What’s wrong?” I asked, calmly.

  Her lips parted, but instead of answering she looked over my shoulder. I turned to see what caught her attention and found Corey, Sean, and Don were milling around the kitchen door, eavesdropping, pretending they weren’t. Assholes.

  “Fuck them,” I stated turning back to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong?” Her eyes ballooned. “I’m not putting on a show for another group of people. Can we discuss this outside?” She didn’t wait for my response.

  I followed her out the door, making sure to close it tightly behind me so the morons I worked with couldn’t overhear.

  “Talk to me.” I pulled her hand to me once we were in the parking lot. “What’s wrong?”

  She quickly snatched it away. “You! You’re what’s wrong. My life was going well enough and now because of you, I almost lost my job.”

  I blinked.

  “Oh, you didn’t know? Your brother came to my office early this morning to demand that my boss fire me because of what he saw Friday night. And he knew that I spent the entire night on your parents’ property. Do you know how embarrassing that is? My boss looked at me with such disappointment. My one saving grace is that she refused to fire me, instead giving me a week suspension without pay.”

  The more she spoke the hotter my anger grew. I am going to wrap my bare hands around his neck and squeeze until there is no more life in his body. That’s how incensed I became at hearing Michelle recount what my brother had done.

  “... I’m leaving!” were the last words I heard her speak when she presented me with her back, but I couldn’t let her go.

  “I said don’t touch me!” she shouted.

  “I can’t help it,” I stated, refusing to let go of her arm. “Please, just calm down and listen.” I waited for her to stop struggling in my arms. “I had no idea Aaron was going to do that. None. If I had, he would’ve never got the chance.”

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Just leave me alone.”

  “Not happening,” I declared. “You should know me better than that by now. There is no letting you go. Not for me. I will handle Aaron.”

  She looked at me with skeptical eyes.

  “You have the rest of the day off?”

  Sh
e nodded.

  “Stay here.”

  “What?”

  “At the fire station. Don’t go anywhere until I get back.” I was already pulling her back to the entrance of the firehouse.

  “Sean!” I called.

  Sean’s dark head popped out from the kitchen.

  “Michelle’s going to remain here with you guys until I get back. I have to run an errand. Family matter,” I answered the confused look he gave me. “Just make sure she doesn’t leave.” I pointed at him. “And keep her away from Don!” I added, turning eyes on a stunned Michelle before turning and slamming the door behind me.

  Each passing second saw me growing more and more pissed. I mounted my bike, not even worrying about my helmet. My only motive was to get to my brother, and even the knowledge that I wanted to put my fist through his face didn’t stop or scare me. Townsend Industries was completely on the other side of the city. On a good day, it should take at least thirty minutes to get there from the station in all the Williamsport traffic. I made it there in under twenty minutes. I parked in the underground parking garage that was strictly reserved for the family, and made a beeline for the elevator, punching in the code that would allow it to go directly to the thirtieth floor. I hadn’t been to my family’s business in so long I wasn’t sure whether or not the code had been changed, but when the elevator began moving without any problem, I realized that wasn’t the case.

  The elevator doors parted and I stepped off into a glass partition that separated the lobby of the top floor from the areas where the five administrative staff members on this floor worked. I looked around while pushing through the office doors. The normal sounds of business rattled the air, people talking, the keys of keyboards clicking, the flat screen televisions that hung in the opposing two corners of the office were on a low volume to a twenty-four hour business news channel. I took all of this in, in just under two seconds, and I breezed past the male assistant who smiled and attempted to greet me.

  “Hello, can I help–”

  That was a much as he got out before I barged through the closed door that read “Aaron Townsend, CEO.”

  “What the fuck is your problem?” I demanded, turning cold eyes on my brother, who was evidently in a meeting.

  Three heads turned, stunned at my intrusion, but I wasn’t fazed. Coincidentally, neither was Aaron, he coolly turned in my direction from the foot of his long conference table. The fucking schmuck had a damn conference table in his own office. Whenever possible, make your competitors come to you ― one of the mottos our father taught us growing up in running a business. Aaron obviously took it all to heart.

  “You’ll have to excuse my brother, gentlemen,” he stated, giving me a flat look.

  “They don’t have to excuse shit. You need to explain what the hell you think you were doing this morning,” I demanded.

  Aaron stood, buttoning his suit jacket, and I moved closer, fists clenched.

  “Get out,” he ordered with a wave of his head. But he wasn’t talking to me, he was looking at the three men he’d been meeting with. I wasn’t sure if they were employees or outside partners. I also didn’t give a shit either. Townsend Industries wasn’t my business, but Michelle Clarke was. Even if she hadn’t come to realize it yet. And Aaron had fucked with what was mine.

  “I assume that woman came running to you.” The boredom in his tone made me see red.

  “Look,” I growled, grabbing him by the lapel of his suit jacket, “you shameless, scarred son of a bitch.” I smiled sinfully, narrowing my eyes when his own eyes sparked angrily at my comment. I’d hit him in the gut with my scarred reference. “I don’t give a fuck what your job title is. I don’t give a shit that Father put you in charge of this entire company. I do give a shit that you think it wields you some ability to affect the people I care about.”

  “The people you care about?” he huffed, pushing at my chest.

  I freed him, only to put some distance between us. I was ready to take his head off.

  “We’re your goddamn family!” He wasn’t yelling, but was damned close to it. “Have you no shame? Sleeping with a woman who was our damn event planner at Mother and Father’s house no less?”

  “It’s none of your goddamned business!” I yelled.

  “That’s what you want to believe, isn’t it? That whatever you do is nobody’s business, but your own.”

  I peered at Aaron’s darkened gaze, his chest rising and falling with his harsh breaths.

  “If you have something to say, get it off your chest,” I growled.

  “You may think your life is your own but it’s not! Who was the one here comforting Mother and Father when you were off at fucking war?”

  “So this is about you? As usual, it’s all about poor Aaron.”

  “Spare me your pity, big brother.”

  “Don’t worry; My pity is the last thing you’ll be getting. What you will be doing, however, is calling … no, stopping by Michelle’s company and telling her employer how wrong you were about her. How you should’ve never brought up the subject at all, and what a wonderful employee she was.”

  He let out a humorless laugh. “In what dream world are you living in?”

  “The one in which I kick your ass all over this office if you don’t, and then call a board meeting and use my twenty-five percent ownership in this company to put up a vote on whether to vote you out as CEO.” This wasn’t an idle threat. Aaron knew it by the keen look he gave me. I never mentioned my twenty-five percent equity in Townsend Industries. Didn’t need to. But as a Townsend I was born into this legacy, and at that moment I would use my birthright to fuck over my brother in any way I could, if he wasn’t prepared to make right what he’d fucked up.

  “You son of a bitch,” he growled, looking like he was ready to charge me.

  “Takes one to know one.” I gave him another smile that conveyed the joy I was now taking in seeing his discomfort. I knew chances were slim that the board would actually oust Aaron as CEO, but if I brought it up, it was something that had to be addressed and would cost Aaron an immense amount of stress. Truth was, Aaron was good as hell at his job. As if he was born to run this company. The same way I’d been born to put out fires and save lives. But as with anything, he had enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to attack if they smelled blood in the water.

  “You’re serious about this woman?” His voice was low as he questioned me.

  “When’s the last time I’ve been to Townsend Industries?”

  He lowered his head as if pondering my question. Behind him, I saw the backdrop of the Williamsport skyline through the huge floor to ceiling windows of the corner office, which provided substantial natural light.

  He finally nodded. “I thought you would’ve forgotten about those fucking shares by now,” he commented.

  “You wished I would’ve. I’d have nothing to hang over you. Aside from my ability to kick your ass.”

  His eyebrow spiked. “I kicked your ass sophomore year.”

  “Doesn’t count. I had the fucking flu.”

  “You were healed.”

  “I hadn’t eaten in four days and you snuck up on me,” I retorted.

  Aaron rolled his eyes and turned his back to face out the window.

  “The only time you come up to Townsend Industries in three years is over a woman.”

  “Her name is Michelle.”

  He turned back to me, eyeing me as if inspecting me for my seriousness on the matter. That began to piss me off again. I didn’t explain myself to people. The only reason I was doing it here was because we were family.

  “You care about her?”

  I tilted my head. “You ask that like it’s a fucking impossibility.”

  “I’ve only seen you serious about two things in the last ten years. The Army and firefighting.”

  “Well, add number three to the list. Michelle Clarke.”

  “I’ll give her boss a call.” He waved his hand as if dismissing me, but that wasn’t good eno
ugh.

  “No,” I stepped into his face, “go see her. Make her understand how wrong you were, little brother.”

  “I’m a busy man, I don’t have time to–”

  “But you made time this morning. Do it again.”

  Aaron’s jaw tightened and he looked like he was really weighing whether he could take me down.

  “I wouldn’t make that bet if I were you,” I warned.

  “I’m a betting man,” he retorted.

  “In this business. But not in my line of business. You don’t want to test me on this, Aaron.”

  “So I see.” He nodded and turned his back again.

  I didn’t bother with him any further. Aaron was an asshole for the most part, but he understood when to not push me. If my visit to Townsend Industries alone didn’t get his attention, my threat about bringing him to the board would. I didn’t make idle threats and he knew it.

  I pivoted on my heels and backtracked out of his office, slamming the door shut. The three men who’d been in the office when I first charged in were sitting in the waiting chairs off to the right, patiently waiting to be summoned back in. Seconds later, I heard a door open and Aaron’s voice barking out orders. I grinned to myself when I heard him tell his assistant to order a car to take him downtown this afternoon, as I pushed through the glass doors. I punched the button for the elevator and turned back to see the three men filing back into Aaron’s office. He gave me one final stern look and I tossed him a wink.

  ~ Chapter Six ~

  Carter

  “Where the fuck did she go?” I growled, staring between Don, Eric, and Sean. The three bozos looked at me dumbfounded. Sean had one job. One. Fucking. Job.

  “We came back from our call and she was gone,” Sean spoke up, shrugging.

  “I told you not to let her leave.” I gave him a hard stare, sliding my hands in my pockets because they were getting that itchy feeling that overcomes me right before I put my fist through something.

  “Don’t worry, Carter,” Don spoke, slapping his hand to rest on my shoulder. “She’s not the first woman Sean’s run off with his ugly ass mug. There’ll be other fish in the sea.”