Quiver & Burn: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 5)

by Kelli Callahan

  “You know.” I looked over at Jett. “That’s the first time she’s brought up our love life that I didn’t feel a stab in my gut when I thought about Hannah.”

  “Same here.” Jett nodded aimlessly. “Brylee might be the one that lets us put those memories to rest once and for all.”

  “I think she’s done a very nice job of doing that already.” I smiled and shifted in my seat to focus on the road. “We might need to invite her over tonight.”

  “I doubt she’ll have any objections, especially if we let her try some of Mom’s roast.” Jett tapped the container in his lap.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Brylee

  Earlier that day

  I was sore from head to toe when I did the walk of shame back to my apartment. It was only shameful in context because I didn’t have an ounce of regret over what we did. I took a shower that lasted longer than normal because the water felt good on my aching muscles. I definitely wasn’t looking forward to feeling that ache every time I moved around at the office. It would be worth it though because there were a lot of happy memories to go along with the muscular discomfort. Memories that I wasn’t going to forget for the rest of my life. Once I was dressed, I headed to the office and every step gave me a reminder of what they did—a reminder that made those memories flash in my head. I had to force myself to stop thinking about it or letting my mind wander, because my pussy was starting to tingle, and I didn’t want to spend the whole day with wet panties between my thighs.

  I’m going to need more of that as soon as I get off work—they’ve turned me into a sex junkie.

  “Good morning.” Paul lifted his hand with a slight wave, but the look on his face suggested something was wrong.

  “Hey.” I tilted my head to the side. “You look concerned. Did someone else get fired?”

  “No, nothing like that.” He exhaled sharply and shook his head. “I’m just worried about something I found in one of my accounts.”

  Oh no, not this again—please tell me this isn’t going to be similar to what Dana showed me.

  “Have you talked to the boss about it?” I lifted my eyebrows inquisitively.

  “Not yet. This sort of thing usually goes straight to Mr. Dunkirk, but I don’t want to get in trouble, especially if I’m the one who made the mistake.” He stared at the floor and sighed. “I don’t think I did anything wrong, but after what happened to Dana…”

  I shouldn’t ask to see it, but I have to know if he’s found something. That would mean Dana was right, and possibly got fired for finding it.

  “Why don’t you show me?” I tilted my head in the opposite direction. “We could look at it together.”

  “Do you promise that you won’t tell anyone?” His fingers rubbed together nervously.

  “Of course.” I nodded quickly.

  Paul took me to his desk and pulled up the account he was working on. It was another one of the big accounts at Dunkirk Accounting that belonged to some sort of shipping company operating out of Savannah. I didn’t know all of our big accounts yet but judging by the amount of money the shipping company was making, it looked like it was nearly as big as the Russo account. My heart dropped into my stomach when Paul started highlighting cells and showed me a line of formulas that had been inserted to manipulate the output. It wasn’t similar to the Russo account—it was identical. The account had belonged to Paul for years, so there was no way it was changed like that without some sort of manipulation by an outside source.

  “Yeah, that looks strange.” I nodded after I studied the formula for a moment. “I’m surprised you haven’t noticed this before.”

  “I normally don’t look at stuff this hard. I just key the figures and trust the spreadsheet to give me the outputs. I’ve been carefully examining everything after what happened with Dana because I didn’t want to make a mistake.” He leaned back in his chair and groaned. “Why did this have to happen with one of my accounts? I’m fucked.”

  “You didn’t do it though.” I blinked in surprise. “There are formulas in stuff you entered last month. That means someone has tampered with your spreadsheet.”

  “Is it going to matter? The only people who have access to my accounts except me are members of management. If I bring this up to someone, I’m basically accusing my boss—or his boss, of tax fraud.” Paul shook his head in disbelief. “I’m definitely fucked.”

  I understood Paul’s concern. His situation was different than Dana’s because her account was new. She believed that the person who made the mistake—or made the adjustment intentionally, was someone who had the account before her. Paul didn’t have that luxury. That was his account. If he didn’t change it, then it meant someone in management did. There was no doubt in my mind that something unethical was going on at Dunkirk Accounting. I just didn’t know how high up the ladder it went. I did my best to reassure Paul and told him that he had to talk with someone about what he found. I just wasn’t sure the person he needed to speak with was in the building. He needed to call the SEC, even if it was just an anonymous tip.

  I definitely have to find a new job.

  The sick feeling that had been present in my stomach after Dana showed me the issue with the Russo account returned. I couldn’t shake it. I was afraid for Paul and afraid of what would happen once he reported what he found. The company was about to be in serious jeopardy. They might have blamed the error with the Russo account on Dana, but they couldn’t blame Paul when another account showed the same issues. That also meant there could be more to her termination than what people knew. I checked my Facebook multiple times throughout the day, just hoping a message would miraculously appear. I knew that wasn’t likely going to happen, especially since she hadn’t responded to anything I sent before, but I still maintained a shred of hope—it was all I had left at that point.

  I was almost glad that Rand and Jett didn’t answer the door when I got off work. I wanted to see them, but I didn’t feel like I was going to be very good company. I went to my apartment and sat down on the couch with my laptop and a glass of wine. I definitely needed a drink. I wanted to put my resume out there and line up some interviews, but I was scared to do it after what happened with my boss before. I needed to hang onto my job until I found a new one, and if I started applying to other firms, there was a good chance one of them would call Mr. Smith. It was a double edged sword and both sides could easily cut me. Regardless of what waited for me on the other side, I wouldn’t be able to sit on the information Paul shared with me. If he didn’t tell someone, my ethical obligation would compel me to take action.

  I had my doubts after Dana got fired, but now I know there is something going on at Dunkirk Accounting that I can’t ignore.

  I drowned my sorrows in two glasses of wine while I looked around for available jobs at other firms. The wine was making me feel a little relaxed, and my eyelids started to get heavy, but a knock at my door caused me to perk up. I quickly walked over and looked through the peephole to see Jett and Rand. I didn’t expect them to stop by, especially when they didn’t answer the door, and I wasn’t very presentable. I ran over to the mirror and checked my hair, which was an absolute mess. They knocked again, and I scurried back towards the door. I didn’t have time to put myself back together, so my only choice was to let them in and hope they didn’t run screaming when they saw me in my natural habitat. It was one thing to be a little disheveled after a night of passion, but quite different to answer the door that way.

  “Hi.” I opened the door and smiled. “I wasn’t expecting anyone—please excuse the mess.”

  And my hair—and this ugly bathrobe.

  “Sorry to stop by so late, but we just got home.” Jett was the first to enter. “We brought you some dinner if you haven’t eaten anything yet.”

  “No.” I shook my head back and forth. “I skipped dinner and went straight for the wine.”

  “Bad day at work?” Rand raised his eyebrows and pulled me into his arms for a hug.

&n
bsp; “Yeah, something like that.” I nodded and sank into his embrace.

  “The same issue you told us about before?” Jett tilted his head and hugged me once Rand took a step back.

  “It’s similar.” I sighed and motioned for them to follow me to the living room. “Make yourselves at home. Do you want something to drink?”

  “Sure.” Rand nodded and looked at my glass of wine. “Just some water for me.”

  “I’ll get it. I need to heat this up for you anyway.” Jett pulled the top off the container he was holding and headed towards the kitchen.

  I didn’t feel like I was going to be able to eat anything, but once I smelled the roast, my stomach started rumbling. Jett brought me a plate and I practically devoured it without bothering to breathe between bites. It was absolutely delicious—so much so that I decided to have a second plate. Their mom was an amazing cook and I was blown away by how good it was. After I finished my second plate, I told them about my discussion with Paul. I had previously told them about Dana, so they understood why I was stressed out once I filled them in on the issue with the shipping account. Their faces reflected the same concern that had been etched on mine since I arrived at work that morning.

  “What are you going to do? You have to report this, right?” Jett leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

  “Yeah, I don’t have a choice.” I sighed and sipped my wine. “Hopefully Paul will do it before I have to, but if he doesn’t—I don’t even want to think about that.”

  “I’ve heard that whistleblowers sometimes struggle to find work after they report something like this.” Jett exhaled sharply and shook his head. “Other companies are afraid to touch them.”

  “I’ve heard that too.” I grimaced and nodded. “If I report it, I’ll have to do so anonymously, but they’ll interview everyone at Dunkirk Accounting while they conduct their investigation. I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold it together if they start grilling me.”

  “I’m sure they’ll think it’s Paul who reported them, right? Since it’s his account.” Jett reached for his water and took a sip.

  “Probably.” I sighed and sipped my wine again. “I have no idea what really happened with Dana. People at the office say she got fired, but now that I know what she found wasn’t an isolated incident…”

  “Maybe the company paid her off.” Rand narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to contemplate something. “That would make this situation a lot worse though.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe they wouldn’t do a better job of hiding it though—especially if Dana figured out what they were doing and it was intentional.”

  “These corporate types always think they’re invincible.” Jett shrugged. “The people at Enron barely bothered to hide what they were doing and it was years before anyone caught on.”

  “That’s true.” I sipped my wine and sighed. “I always thought that kind of stuff just happened to other people—I never imagined I would end up in the middle of a scandal.”

  “Just be careful.” Jett leaned forward and pursed his lips. “Money makes people do stupid shit.”

  We talked for a little longer and eventually ended up in the bedroom, but we didn’t have sex. I would have done my best to enjoy it if they wanted to, but they seemed content just holding me. I felt a lot better sleeping between them, than crawling into bed alone. I had no idea what I was going to do about the situation at work, but I hoped the responsibility didn’t land on me to report it. I would tell the truth if I was questioned, and that would lead them to Dana. I wouldn’t be anything more than a witness to the mistakes they uncovered—if Dana even responded to them. If Rand was right and she was paid off, then she might not be very forthcoming. No matter how the situation unfolded, even if it ended badly, I had to find another job. That would be a lot easier if my face wasn’t attached to the scandal. Just being associated with Dunkirk Accounting after the scandal broke would make it difficult.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jett

  I hated to see Brylee so troubled, but I understood why it was hard for her to deal with her situation at work. There was a part of me that wished I could shoulder all of that worry and handle it for her, but it wasn’t my place. She had to make the best decision for her career and be able to sleep at night once she did. She was a good person, and I knew she wouldn’t be able to just ignore the situation. If her co-worker didn’t do the right thing, she would be compelled to take action. It was eating her up, to the point that I could see the pain in her eyes. We would just have to be there for her, and support her if things didn’t work out for the best. It was all we could really do under the circumstances.

  “Good morning, beautiful.” I leaned over and kissed Brylee’s forehead when she woke up.

  “Where’s Rand?” Brylee blinked a couple of times and looked at the empty spot beside her on the bed.

  “He’s making coffee. We woke up a little early but didn’t want to disturb you until we had to.” I smiled and took her hand.

  “I slept like a rock.” She squeezed my hand and sat up in bed. “I thought I would toss and turn all night, but once I fell asleep, I was out.”

  “Good.” I nodded and let go of her hand. “Let’s have a cup of coffee and then we all have to get ready for work.”

  “Sounds good.” She slid to the edge of the bed. “It was really nice to wake up next to you—I hope that doesn’t sound weird.”

  “No, not at all.” I slid over next to Brylee and pulled her into my arms. “I really like seeing your beautiful face in the morning.”

  “I don’t think it’s very beautiful at this point.” She giggled and sank into my embrace.

  “It’s always beautiful.” I leaned back and stroked her cheek. “The most beautiful sight in the world.”

  I couldn’t resist kissing her soft, pouty lips one time before we went to the kitchen. I was growing extremely attached to Brylee. I wanted to wake up beside her every day—I wanted to start every single morning with a kiss that made fireworks explode in my head. We weren’t there yet, but I hoped we would get there one day. She was too perfect to sleep alone, even if we didn’t spend the night tangled in a passionate embrace. I just liked being with her. All of the lonely nights—all of the dates that went nowhere—she was the one I had been waiting for. I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that she understood how special she was every day that we were able to spend together.

  “Okay, you two.” Rand walked into the bedroom and cleared his throat. “We have to get ready for work.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I chuckled under my breath and stood up.

  Rand immediately took my spot on the bed and started kissing Brylee once I walked into the kitchen. I couldn’t say anything because I certainly didn’t have the power to resist her lips when they were begging for mine. I poured three cups of coffee and once they were finished, they came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. We made small talk, completely ignoring the topic from the night before, and then it was time for Rand and I to go back to our apartment. I hated leaving Brylee, but duty called. The three of us ended up leaving at the same time—without me staging a meeting for once—and we made out a little bit in the elevator before it got to the bottom floor. I barely had time to pull my lips away before the doors opened.

  “Okay, I really have to get to work now.” Brylee squeezed my hand and giggled.

  “We all do.” Rand pushed the button to hold the elevator door open so she could exit first.

  “But first we need some breakfast.” I patted Rand on the shoulder once we exited the elevator.

  We said goodbye to Brylee again and headed to the truck. Our favorite diner was packed, so we decided to grab a couple of sausage biscuits and eat them on the way to the station. I was glad to see that it was relatively quiet when we got to work. The investigators still didn’t have any new information on the warehouse fire but expected something back that afternoon. We lounged around mos
t of the morning, played a few games of poker for pocket change, and finally got a call around ten for a car accident. It wasn’t very severe but we did a little cleanup at the scene before heading back to the station. There were a couple of small fires in the afternoon, but nothing that was out of the ordinary. It was shaping up to be a pretty slow day, and I hoped the night would bring more of the same.

  Later that evening

  “We got an update on the arson at the warehouse.” Chief Johnson walked into the common room and tossed a file on the table. “I know you two were curious about it.”

  “Did you get a positive identification on the woman we found?” Rand reached for the folder and picked it up.

  “Yeah, her name was Dana Brooks.” Chief Johnson shrugged. “The police have been trying to reach out to her family, but her parents are deceased and she wasn’t married.”

  “That sucks.” I shook my head and sighed. “She disappeared and nobody even noticed?”

  “I don’t know. Until we know more about her, we won’t be able to figure out why she was in that warehouse to begin with. She didn’t own it and as far as we can tell, she didn’t have any connection to the owners at all.” Chief Johnson sighed.

  “Do the investigators think she was the one who started the fire?” Rand flipped a page in the report.

  “Everything seems to point to that.” Chief Johnson nodded. “We just don’t know why.”

  “Wait a second.” Rand’s face went blank. “It says she worked for Dunkirk Financial.”

  “Dunkirk Financial—Dana. Fuck!” I slid my chair over beside Rand so I could look at the report.