Carter's Flame

by Tiffany Patterson

  I turned to Carter, placing an arm around his shoulder. “You need to go to the hospital.”

  “I know.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Come with me.”

  He wasn’t begging but the look in his eyes told me he needed someone by his side to endure this. Seeing one of his best friends and teammates in that condition couldn’t have been easy. Even for a man who’d clearly seen a lot.

  I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’ll go wherever you want me to.”

  His hand was at the back of my head in no time, pulling me to him and kissing the good sense out of me. I took it all, let him explore every part of my mouth and whatever else he wanted.

  “You have no idea what you just promised,” he stated, after he broke free of the kiss.

  I licked my lower lip while staring him in those eyes that held such fire behind them.

  “I know exactly what I promised. I’m all yours.”

  I giggled and lowered my head to his neck when I felt the bulge in his pants grow just from my words. I willingly let him push me onto my back on the couch, just as I lifted my hips, allowing him to tug at the waistband of the sweatpants I wore. When he parted my legs and moved over me, I gratefully received him when he entered me with one hard thrust of his hips. We moved together, stoking flames that neither one of us could put out. Even as we came together, the fire of our love and of our lovemaking burned brightly.

  ~ Chapter Twenty-Three ~

  Carter

  “I need to talk to you,” Don whispered low in my ear.

  I looked over my right shoulder at him with furrowed brows, wondering what he needed to speak with me about. I could tell by the bleak expression on his face this wasn’t a laughing matter. Hell, no one would’ve thought anything was worth laughing about given where we were. After I’d stopped by Michelle’s to assure her that the problems with her ex were solved, I had every intention of getting back to the hospital as soon as possible. I hadn’t planned on asking her to come with me, but once she mentioned it, I knew I needed her with me, by my side. Once we arrived, just about all of our squad that wasn’t on duty was there. Captain Waverly was at the station with Sean and a few other guys, but Don, Eric, and a few other members of our squad were all in the waiting room. Some were providing comfort for Corey’s mother. Eric’s wife, Angela, had donated food from her bar for the squad and Corey’s family.

  “I need to go speak with Don,” I told Michelle. I planted a kiss on her forehead and then followed Eric as we exited the waiting room behind Don. There were about five of us from Rescue Four, standing in a huddle in the hallway.

  “He still refusing visitors?” Don questioned, gesturing to the closed hospital door behind him. Corey had refused to see anyone except his mother and sister since he woke up from surgery. And even they were given minimal time to visit. He wasn’t handling any of this well.

  “Yeah. His mother told him we were here and he told her to tell us to take our asses home,” Eric answered.

  “Not happening,” I interjected.

  “Damn straight,” another member of our group stated.

  “He knows. Just needs time to let it all sink in,” Don said in a very uncharacteristically mature way. “I needed to speak to you all about what happened to Corey. The fire.”

  I stood up straighter, folding my arms in front of me. I knew this wasn’t going to be something I wanted to hear. I’d had a feeling since we first encountered that fucking fire that something was off about it. I hadn’t had time to speak to anyone else about it given everything that’d happened with Corey and then my needing to handle Michelle’s ex.

  “It was set on purpose.”

  My eyes narrowed. I’d already surmised that but I knew there had to be more.

  “This conversation doesn’t go any further than Rescue Four, but one of the detectives with the brass thinks it was deliberately set to target Rescue Four.”

  “The fuck?” I growled at the same time Eric cursed out loud.

  Don sighed heavily, shoulders shrinking. “I went in the day after the fire, took my own pictures. Look,” he stated as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He scrolled to the phone’s image gallery and brought up the pictures he’d taken. “This is the beam that we had to pull off Corey.” He gestured to me, then ran his finger along the edge of the top of the beam. “The break looked unnatural. Didn’t look like it was caused by fire. No charred edges. See?”

  I nodded, my eyes squinting. I saw it, too. A beam falling from a fire would’ve had burnt edges. I was too busy to look while we were in there, trying to free Corey, but I saw it now. “Someone fucking cut it,” I growled.

  “Exactly,” Don answered. “Cut it with a hatchet or saw, just enough so that any pressure applied to it would snap the damn thing. When Corey opened that door, it was just the pressure it needed. We’re fucking lucky the entire roof didn’t cave in.”

  “Someone targeting Rescue Four? That’s what the fuck you’re telling us right now?” Eric growled, sounding just as pissed as Don and I.

  Don’s gaze jumped between all of us and he nodded. “I think this is connected with the other house fires, too. The ones that targeted the mothers with their children. I don’t know how. It’s just a hunch for now, but I feel it in my gut.”

  Don might be a son of a bitch at times, but if he said his instincts were telling him something, I trusted that. He wouldn’t fuck around with something like this.

  “You take this to the captain yet?” I asked.

  “Not yet. Brass doesn’t think there’s anything to it. Says Corey just got unlucky.”

  “My ass!” I growled.

  “Yeah, fucking tell me about it.”

  I pushed a hand through my hair. This shit was heavy. If someone was targeting our squad, then we needed to get to the bottom of it and quickly. Just then, another, even more ominous, thought came to mind.

  “If whoever’s behind this is targeting Rescue Four, could they be after our families as well?”

  Don’s gaze pinned me. He looked as if he’d never even thought of that question. But I had. I’d seen it before in war. One man doesn’t want to speak or tell what his squad is up to, the quickest way to get to him is through his family. Whoever was doing this, obviously had no problem taking any of us out. What’s to stop them from going after our family? Nothing.

  “I’m getting Michelle out of here,” I began, not waiting for anyone’s answer. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eric reaching for his cell phone in his pocket. No doubt calling his wife.

  “Hey, we gotta go,” I told Michelle, low in her ear.

  She gave me a concerned look but took my hand and followed me as we exited the waiting room.

  “Diego’s with your mom, right?” I knew the answer. It was a silly question but I needed to confirm.

  “Yes, why?”

  “We need to go get him.”

  “What? Why? It’s after ten o’clock at night. Where’re we going?” She shot off her questions rapid fire as I lead us onto the opened elevator.

  “Home. We’re going home.”

  It was the one place I knew I could keep them safe.

  ****

  Michelle

  “You want to tell me what this is all about now?” I questioned as I slid next to Carter while he prepared his banana French toast. I watched as his lips turned downward. I knew whatever was going on he didn’t want to share but he owed me some type of explanation. “Is it Gabriel? Is he causing problems?” I asked worriedly.

  Carter turned to me and cupped my face before pressing his lips to my forehead. “I told you he was no longer an issue and I meant it.”

  I blinked, nodding my head. “Okay, so what’s this all about? Why did you rush us out of the hospital last night and insist we pick up Diego from my mother’s when it was well past his bedtime?”

  I could see the inner debate going on in his head. Whatever this was he didn’t want to tell me. Didn’t want me worrying about it and that scared
me even more. If it wasn’t Gabriel then what was it?

  “The fire,” he paused to turn the burner off and remove the pan from the stove, “the one where Corey got injured. We think it was set intentionally by someone who wanted to hurt Rescue Four.”

  My eyes doubled in size and my heartbeat quickened. A lump formed in my throat, nearly making it impossible for me to speak. Somehow I managed to get out, “Someone’s after you?”

  Carter’s jaw tightened. “Possibly.”

  “Possibly?” I knew he was bullshitting. Trying to downplay the seriousness of what was going on.

  “We don’t know anything for sure. Don’s investigating it and we’re all just taking some precautions.”

  “Precautions? Like, bringing me and Diego to your home where you have state of the art security systems? You think this person might be after us, too?”

  A look of pure rage crossed over Carter’s face. It was so intense that it stole my breath. The same extreme look that he had in his eyes when I told him about Gabriel was back.

  “Nothing is going to happen to either one of you. I promise you that. We don’t think whoever is doing this is targeting Rescue Four’s families, but I’m not taking that chance with mine.”

  My eyelids fluttered despite the gravity of the situation. Hearing him refer to us … me and Diego as his family was the soothing balm my anxiety needed. I barely had time to register it all when I felt his strong arms encase me and the tickle of his beard brush against my cheek.

  “You’re both safe. Nothing will happen to either of you. I won’t allow it. I just need you here with me to make sure. To hold onto you every night. So I can tuck my little guy in his bed and read him a bedtime story before he falls asleep. I need you with me.” He pulled back, staring me in the eyes.

  He hadn’t asked the question directly but I knew that’s exactly what he was doing.

  “You want us to move in with you. You want this to be permanent, us here with you.”

  “I’ve only been saying it since the first time I brought you here.”

  I laughed. He had.

  I sighed. “You sure this is what you want? Taking on a ready-made family? Diego and I are a pack–” My little speech was cut off by his kiss. I moaned into his mouth and felt moisture pool into the lace panties I wore.

  He pulled back, bringing his forehead to mine. “Decorator will be over at two o’clock.”

  He grinned when my mouth popped open. “Easy, sugar. I might have to put something in that mouth of yours, you keep holding it open like that. And I still have to feed the kid his breakfast.” He winked at me and moved away.

  “What if I’d had said no?”

  “You wouldn’t have,” he stated with all the confidence in the damn world.

  “I could’ve.” I swatted at him with a dish towel I grabbed from the sink.

  “I’m very convincing when it comes to you, sugar.”

  “So I’ve noticed,” I grumbled.

  “Morning, Mama! Morning, Mr. Carter!” Diego’s voice startled me.

  Carter turned, swooping Diego up in his arms.

  “Banana French toast! Yess!” Diego yelled.

  “Yup. Nice pajamas you got on there,” Carter laughed, admiring my son’s favorite firefighter pajamas. He used to love his football pajamas but much like his career choice for when he grew up, firefighting had taken its place. I looked at the two men in my life as they laughed at some inside joke between the two of them and my heart felt full. Somehow my son was getting the father he deserved and I was getting the love I deserved. How could I say no to any of that?

  “Tell the decorator I’ll be ready at two,” I stated.

  Carter looked from Diego to me. Brightness shone in his eyes as he took in that I’d just verbally agreed to move in with him.

  “Come on, little buddy. We’ve gotta finish breakfast and get you dressed so we can be out of your mama’s hair when the decorator comes.”

  “What’s a decorator?” Diego asked, giving Carter an innocent look.

  “Someone who’s going to fix up your new room.”

  Diego’s eyes ballooned, causing me to burst out laughing as I followed them to the table.

  “I get a new room?” He looked between Carter and I once he was seated in his chair at the table.

  I nodded.

  “That’s right,” Carter agreed, stooping down to his side. “Your mama’s going to make our house a home while us men go out and do men stuff!” Carter grunted and began tickling Diego, causing him to fall out in a fit of giggles.

  I could get used to this, I thought, as I watched and my heart expanded.

  ~ Chapter Twenty-Four ~

  Three months later …

  Carter

  “Who’s up next?” Captain Waverly yelled as he stood in front of the water dunking tank. Due to all that’d happened with Corey, the annual Williamsport Fire Department picnic had to be pushed back a few weeks, since Rescue Four was hosting it. Thankfully, the fall weather had held out just long enough to give us unseasonably warm weather through most of September. I was grateful for it, because it gave Michelle time to work on planning the event with her company.

  “Don looks pissed,” Michelle laughed, as she stood by my side.

  “He’s about to get even more pissed.” I chuckled and rotated the nerf ball I had in my hands a few more times.

  “Let’s go, Townsend, show us what you’re made of,” the captain taunted.

  “We all know your aim’s shit!” Don yelled from inside the tank, goading me to hit the mark.

  “Ohhh! He said a bad word!” Diego yelled and pointed from my opposite side.

  “See, Donnie, just for cursing in front of the kid, you gotta go!” And with that, I aimed and fired the ball right for the target. The tank made a ding sound just before Don hit the water, splashing it everywhere. A few drops even managed to hit me as I laughed my ass off.

  “Yay!” Diego cheered, clapping. I bent down to pick him up.

  “You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep picking him up! I told you that,” Michelle insisted. She often scolded me for picking Diego up, saying he was too big, but I got a kick out of it and so did he, if the way he threw his arms around my neck, squeezing tightly was any indication.

  “You ready to do this?” I whispered in his ear.

  He pulled back, his brown eyes gleaming with excitement as he nodded.

  “Okay.” I sat him down on the ground and reached into my back pocket.

  “Mama, come here. Mr. Carter needs to ask you something,” Diego prodded, pulling his mother by the arm closer to us.

  I grinned at the way her eyebrows dipped in confusion. I couldn’t see her eyes through the square-rimmed sunglasses she wore but I had memorized every look of hers. I knew the special way her eyes wrinkled at the corners when she was questioning what was happening without using words.

  “Come here, sugar.” I took her hand from Diego’s. “The little guy and I both want to ask you something,” I stated, looking down at Diego to make sure he was included in this special moment. I raised my other hand to show her the documents I held in them. “These are forms signed by one Gabriel Garcia relinquishing any and all parental rights over Diego Garcia.”

  Michelle’s mouth dropped open. I hadn’t told her about Gabriel signing these forms until now. She’d asked how I got him to leave her alone but I refused to give her all the details.

  “He actually signed them?” she questioned.

  “I can be very convincing. See, I was thinking we could change Diego’s last name.” I had to release her hand to switch the top document and reveal the second set of forms I had already begun filling out.

  “Are those …”

  “Adoption papers?”

  I nodded. “I think Diego Townsend sounds a hell of a lot better than Diego Garcia, don’t you? Oh, and of course, his mama’s name needs to match. So, I was thinking, Michelle Townsend sounds better than Clarke.” I paused to pass the forms to Diego
, while I pulled the ring box out of my back pocket and got down on one knee.

  Michelle let out a small gasp.

  “Michelle Clarke, will you do me the ho–”

  “Yes!” she blurted out, falling to her knees to wrap her arms around my neck.

  I pulled back to cup her face and press a kiss to her lips. It wasn’t the full on kiss I wanted to give her, but we needed more privacy than we had at the moment for that type of kiss.

  “Sugar, you didn’t let me finish. Diego and I had a whole speech written out. Didn’t we?” I turned to Diego.

  “Yeah, Mama!”

  Michelle cupped Diego’s cheek. “You were in on this, too?”

  “Yes! Mr. Carter asked my permission to marry you and be my forever daddy.”

  Michelle cupped Diego’s chin with her hand. “And how do you feel about that?”

  Diego’s eyes grew big and he turned to look at me, smiling so wide the gap from yet another fallen tooth was apparent. “I love him like he’s my daddy already.” He moved from Michelle and wrapped his tiny arms around my waist.

  I will not cry … I will not cry … I will not … I’d hear about it for months if I broke down in front of my squad, but dammit if Diego wasn’t making it hard. I ruffled his curly hair, clearing my throat.

  Thankfully, Michelle did the crying for me. She turned to me with watery eyes and said, “Thank you.”

  I pulled her in again. “Thank you for filling my life up with what I never knew was missing.” I managed to get the ring out of the box and slip the twisted halo diamond ring, set in platinum, around her finger.

  “This is too much!” She gasped as she finally took in the ring.

  “Not enough as far as I’m concerned.”

  “’Bout time someone made an honest man out of you, Townsend!”

  I heard Don’s voice not too far off and I glanced up to see him dabbing at his wet hair with a towel strewn around his shoulders. I stood and helped Michelle to stand, so we could accept the congratulations from my squad members. Eric clapped me on the back while Angela pulled Michelle into a warm hug. Next was Sean, followed by the captain, and a soaking wet Don who kept his distance from Michelle with just a handshake to avoid soaking her, but did his best to drench me.