Sunset Flames_Baytown Boys

by Maryann Jordan

  “Maddie?”

  She whipped her head around, seeing Zac walking around the corner of the house, his face full of concern.

  Zac stared at the two women so alike in appearance that he instantly knew the older woman was Maddie’s mother. His body tensed at the thought that Maddie would change her mind and decide to move back to North Carolina. His gaze, as well as his body, moved to her, assessing her mood. Reaching her, he relaxed slightly as her gentle smile met him.

  “Zac, this is my mother, Gwen Bernstein. Mom, this is Zac Hamilton.”

  Taking Gwen’s hand in his, he greeted her politely. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Bernstein.”

  “Likewise,” she said, smiling up at him, before turning to Madelyn. “I was just going, dear. Thank you for allowing me to explain, and for understanding. I hope you will bring Zac to visit soon. Saul would love to meet him.”

  Zac stood back, allowing her to offer her mother a deep hung. Pulling her back to him as they watched Gwen leave through the house, he looked down. “Babe, I got worried when you didn’t come home.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was still here. She showed up just as the realtor left.”

  He kissed the top of her head, his fears easing. “How are you?”

  “I’m okay. She caught me by surprise with her visit, but we talked. She was honest and I have a better understanding of my parents. Both their relationship with each other and with me. I was angry with my dad for so long, I don’t want to make the same mistake with my mom. It’s all good. I understand and I love them both. Man, it feels so good to say that! Such a weight has been lifted.”

  “And you’re staying?” he asked tentatively.

  Smiling widely up at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. “There’s no place on earth I’d rather be than in Baytown with you.”

  31

  Light came through the window, but before she could blink her eyes open, Madelyn felt Zac’s arms tighten around her, pulling her back against his chest. Grinning, she felt his erection pressing into her ass and wiggled slightly, causing a groan to slip from his lips.

  Sliding his hand up to her breast, he kneaded the pliant flesh, tweaking her nipple. She shifted her leg as he reached around, sliding his finger into her channel, his thumb pressing on her clit. Desire pooled in her core and she began pressing harder against his erection. She reached back, her hand encircling his shaft.

  He swiftly lifted her leg and guided his cock into her channel from behind, sliding deep into her warmth. It did not take long for them both to come, the explosion of his seed into her sex at the same time as her core tightened around him.

  The groan ripped from deep within his chest tangled with the cry of his name on her lips. He lay, still deep inside of her, as their bodies cooled in the early morning. Lifting his hand to her cheek, he turned her gently as he leaned over to meet her lips. Kissing her, he muttered, “Good morning, babe.”

  Giggling, she shifted in the bed, hating to lose his cock, but wanting to see his face. Cupping his stubbled jaw, she whispered, “Good morning to you.”

  “Best way to wake up,” he added. “Nowhere I’d rather be than in your arms.”

  The evening in the pub was calm and Madelyn enjoyed her fish and chips while sitting at the bar. Aiden’s antics and Brogan’s continual scowling at his brother had her laughing during her meal.

  Katelyn plopped down on the seat next to her, saying, “Glad you’re here. I know Zac gets nervous when you’re not with someone.”

  Rolling her eyes, she said, “I didn’t let him know where I was the other day and he got so nervous. I hate this, but don’t know when it’ll end.”

  “Probably not until they catch the asshole setting the fires.”

  “Did the FBI interview you?” Brogan asked.

  Nodding, she stuffed another french fry into her mouth. “Oh yeah. The FBI and the State Police. They kept asking the same questions over and over again about the night of the fire in the shed, but I just don’t remember anything other than what I told them.”

  “Why do they keep asking?” Aiden wondered aloud.

  Katelyn replied, “People can suppress the tiniest of details that come back later. I guess they’re hoping there’s a distinguishing tidbit that Madelyn might remember.”

  “Well, unfortunately, I haven’t remembered anything new.”

  Her phone vibrated and she picked it up. “Zac says he’s still at the station.” Looking up, she explained, “They were having another emergency meeting. I think the area law enforcement and Fire Chiefs were meeting tonight.” Finished with her meal, she said, “I think I’ll walk up the street and meet him there.”

  “Not alone,” Brogan said. “Hang on a minute and I’ll go with you. I can pick up Ginny at the same time.”

  Smiling, she accepted his offer, knowing Zac would rest easier if she were escorted. Sending a text back, she let him know she was coming to him and Brogan would walk with her.

  The sun had just dipped below the horizon and the town’s street lamps glowed against the darkening sky. As they reached the block where the fire station was located, she was amazed at the number of vehicles. “Wow, how many people are here?”

  “I guess between Baytown, Easton, Cherrytown, North Heron, and who knows who else is here, there might be about thirty or so people at the meeting. It doesn’t include the volunteers, but the police, sheriff, deputies, as well as fire and rescue are all here for it.”

  As they approached the building, Brogan said, “We can go in here and wait.”

  Nodding, her eyes moved to a white, panel van, idling down the block. Walking through the open bay door, she watched as Brogan moved to talk to a few of the volunteers that were milling about near the fire trucks.

  Standing to the side, she smiled at a few of the people she knew. Tad walked over, greeting her.

  “Hey, Madelyn. How are you doing?”

  She smiled and replied, “I’m fine.”

  “I heard you were interviewed by the big dogs.”

  Chuckling, she said, “I guess you could say that. The FBI and State Police wanted to grill me about the shed fire.”

  “You remember anything specific?” he asked, his eyes boring into hers.

  “Not anything more than I’d already told them. Two figures…but I don’t know if they were male or female.” Shrugging, she said, “I’ll be so glad when it’s all over. I’m terrified they will strike a building that someone else is in again.”

  Nodding, he grunted before lifting his hand in a wave and moved back to the others. Her phone vibrated and she moved to the door to answer the call. A short conversation with her mother ensued and she disconnected, glad to have salvaged the relationship. Standing in the doorway, her eyes drifted to the van still idling. The left, red taillight flickered continually. Staring at the back of the vehicle, a tickling of a memory edged into her mind as she watched the fluttering light.

  Pushing off the wall, she moved toward the van, curious as to who was inside. The door opened and she recognized Nola from the picnic. “Oh, hello,” she said. “I was just looking at your van.”

  “Why?” the young woman asked, her face hard.

  “It seemed…uh…” her words floated off as the flickering light held her attention, a memory of the flickering taillight solidifying in her mind. The lights on the vehicle as it left her property. What she assumed was braking was instead just like the faulty bulb she was staring at.

  Turning to hurry back to the station, she felt an intense pain in the back of her head before blackness descended.

  32

  Sarah raced into the fire station, skidding to a stop in front of Tad, Brogan, and the others, screaming, “Madelyn! They got Madelyn.”

  The gathering looked at her, their faces slack with confusion. Tad grabbed his girlfriend by the shoulders, holding her in place. “What? Who’s got Madelyn?”

  “Nola. I saw Nola. She hit Madelyn and put her in the back of t
heir van!”

  Brogan rushed outside, just in time to see the white van disappearing down the street. “Fuck! My truck is at the pub!”

  Tad yelled for Zac, who came out of the meeting room, the other emergency response members piling out with him. Tad’s gaze landed on Roger and his eyes narrowed.

  “Sarah saw Nola hit Madelyn and take off with her.”

  Roger started to move, but Grant and Ginny immediately moved to either side of him, with Burt right behind.

  Zac, fear clawing at his throat as the news hit him, ran to his truck. Brogan grabbed the keys from his hand and climbed into the passenger side. Mitch, Colt, and the other law enforcement personnel raced outside, their sirens blaring as they fell in line behind Zac’s truck.

  Madelyn blinked her eyes open as she rolled to the side on a hard surface. Her memory returning, she leaned her head back to see that she was in the back of the van, Nola at the wheel. She was not restrained, but hesitated to sit up, afraid to let Nola see her awake. Something rolled into her leg and she looked down, observing empty bottles. Two red plastic cans for gasoline were sitting nearby, with a pile of rags to the side. The accelerants the arsonists used. Nola? Roger?

  Hearing sirens in the background, she knew the police must be close. Suddenly Nola took a turn too fast and Madelyn rolled to the side again, slamming against the metal door. Her head ached, her heart pounded, and she prayed Zac and the others would get to her before Nola got away.

  The radio in Zac’s truck blared with the warning Mitch was spouting. “Brogan, move to the side. Let us pass. State Police and North Heron Sheriff are in pursuit.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Zac ordered, his hands gripping the dashboard.

  “Fuck, man, you know I gotta.” Brogan slowed the truck down slightly, moving toward the right shoulder so that the law enforcement vehicles could pass before he moved back. “Call your people,” he ordered.

  Zac knew if Nola wrecked, the fire trucks and ambulances would be needed, but before he could react, the dispatcher let him know they were on their way. Thank God, Tad must have taken over.

  Dark had descended fully now and his eyes were trained on the line of red taillights and flashing emergency lights from the vehicles in front of them. Praying it was not too late, he held on tighter as Brogan turned sharply to the right onto a smaller road, following the caravan of police.

  Sitting up, Madelyn caught Nola’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Pull over, Nola. You can’t escape.”

  “I didn’t want to do this. I never wanted to do any of this.”

  Hoping to make some kind of connection with the wild-eyed woman, she said, “Roger. It was all him, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes!” Nola bit out. “I told him it was a mistake. But he said it was the only way.”

  Bouncing off the side of the van again as Nola took another curve, she said, “Let’s slow down and you can tell them. You can tell them it was him. His idea. His doing.”

  “I’ll be just as guilty.” Nola wiped her face, her eyes once more landing on Madelyn’s in the back. Twisting her head around, she ordered, “Sit down. Stop moving.”

  Looking out the windshield, she saw a dead end ahead, a large tree directly in front of them. “Look out!” she screamed as Nola swung her head toward the front, stomping on the brakes.

  The van went into a skid, careening wildly from side to side as the back fishtailed. With nothing to grab on to, Madelyn threw her hands over her head the instant before the van slammed its side into the tree. Hurling against the metal door again, she screamed out in pain as her arm took the brunt of the fall and her head bounced on the floor. The vehicle rocked to a stop at a precarious angle, listing to the side. The canisters had landed on top of Madelyn, gasoline spilling out.

  “Shit!” she cursed, kicking the cans away from her body. Twisting, she got to her knees and looked at the driver’s seat. Nola was slumped over, her body held in place by the seatbelt, the deflated airbag in her lap.

  Crawling toward her, her right arm almost useless, she managed to peer out of the passenger window, seeing the ground close, and knew it would be impossible to escape that way. Standing on the console, she tried to open the driver’s door, but did not have the strength to push it upward. Glancing down, she observed blood drops on the unconscious Nola, then realized they came from her. Wiping her cheek, her fingers were coated in red.

  The sirens were now close and the flashing red and blue lights from the various emergency vehicles were all around the outside of the van.

  “Maddie! Maddie!” she heard Zac yell.

  Banging on the back of the van drew her attention and she watched as Zac’s face peered through the window.

  “Maddie. Can you get to the door? Can you unlock it?”

  She skidded across the metal floor toward the door, but was unable to see how to unlock it. “I can’t see anything,” she yelled. Looking down at her soaked pants, she yelled, “There’s gasoline in here…and rags! It’s spilled all over me. Nola’s unconscious in the driver’s seat.”

  “Fuck!” came the expletive. “Are you hurt?”

  “My arm might be broken.”

  Zac, his heart in his throat, turned as the other rescue members encircled the van. He looked at Greg, Adam, and Terry, followed closely by the many volunteers. “She’s in the back. Gasoline from canisters has leaked. We can’t use the jaws to get her out without the possibility of sparking a fire. Go through the driver’s door. Nola’s unconscious. Maddie’s injured.”

  The others quickly stepped in as he turned back to the door. Tad led the firefighters as he made his way to extract Nola through her door.

  Knowing he needed to let them work the accident, he placed his hands on the window as he willed his heartbeat to slow. “Get some light here,” he called out to the others.

  Bright spotlights were immediately focused on the van, allowing him to peer in. Madelyn’s pale face stared back at him, her eyes wide with fright, blood running down her chin. “Babe, I’ve got you. They’re going to open her door and pull her out. Does this light allow you to see the locking mechanism?”

  With the interior now illuminated, Madelyn blinked while swiping her hair from her face. She heard the driver’s door opening and the van rocked slightly as someone was working on Nola.

  “Babe. Maddie,” Zac called. “I need you to focus, sweetheart. Look at this door.”

  She turned back and, with more light inside now, spied a metal handle on the side. Reaching out with her left hand, she flipped it with some difficulty. She had barely lifted her hand off the lever before the door was jerked open.

  Zac’s arms reached in and gathered her, lifting her in his arms.

  Protesting, she cried, “No, no, I’ve got gasoline all over me.”

  “Doesn’t matter, baby,” he said softly, hustling her away from the van. The gathering parted for him to move, some of the volunteers following closely. Mitch, Grant, Brogan, and Ginny hustled along with him to the back of one of the ambulances. “Give us some privacy,” he barked and his friends quickly formed a blockade as they held up blankets. Ginny stepped in with Zac, assisting in pulling Madelyn’s clothes off. They were careful of her arm, which Zac splinted as soon as it was free from her gasoline sprinkled shirt.

  Ginny slid Madelyn’s pants down her legs, which were soaked at the bottom, and then looked up at Zac. “Her panties are fine.”

  Nodding, he said, “Thanks. Let’s get her wrapped.” Lifting her gently, he placed her on the stretcher as Ginny covered her with a blanket.

  “Officer MacFarlane, I’ll take it from here,” Ann called from the ambulance door. Ginny smiled at the efficient woman and hopped down, allowing the EMT to assist Zac.

  The vision of the van slamming into the tree, almost turning over on its side, filled his mind. Trying to force himself to work on autopilot, Ann elbowed him in the side.

  “Zac,” she said softly, “let me do the work and you just focus on being the boyfriend.”


  Nodding numbly, he leaned over, cupping Madelyn’s cheek. Kissing her hair, he said, “I’m here, baby. I love you, I’m here.”

  “Stay with me,” she whispered, her eyes dark in her pale face.

  “Always,” he said, his lips still pressed against her head.

  33

  Zac stood at the two-way mirror watching as Roger, with his public defender present, was interrogated by Colt. The State Police were also with Colt, but Mitch was standing with Zac in the observation room.

  “We were something, weren’t we?” Roger asked, a smile playing about his lips.

  “Something?” Colt prodded.

  “Yeah. They had a name for us. For me. The Ghost Arsonist. And we did it. We got this place on the map. Got the FBI looking into us, the State Police. Hell, no one could figure out who we were. I saw the excitement on the faces of the ones I worked with. They’d come driving up to the fire and I could see the glow in their eyes.”

  “Did you set all of the fires?”

  Shifting in his seat, Roger shook his head. “She needed an outlet. Nola gets bored easily and I wanted to make sure she stayed with me.” His hands shook as he lifted one to rub over his short hair. “She liked fire…always did. Been around her when we were kids and knew she liked to play with fire. As she grew up and held my interest, I knew I needed to keep her. Do something big to keep a woman like that.”

  “A woman like that?”

  “You know. Beautiful. Hell, I ain’t nothin’ to look at, but when she agreed to go out with me, I knew right then that there was nothin’ I wouldn’t do to keep her.”