Shock Advised (Kilgore Fire #1)

by Lani Lynn Vale

  It was then I saw she was already dressed and ready for work.

  “About a half hour,” she said.

  My brows furrowed.

  “Then how in the hell is it already in the paper?” I asked. “How do they even know about this?”

  “I can help with that,” Jack said, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket. “You asked me to look into those articles that’ve been showing up on the firefighters and the calls y’all have run before any news is released to the public.”

  Luke shot me a look.

  I’d asked him to look into it, too.

  But he’d been slower about it than Jack had.

  I was just covering my bases, though.

  “Same chick, I mean reporter, has written all the articles,” he said. “Ran a background check on her and her financials. Real interesting stuff. It seems that she’s been getting a weekly deposit. They conveniently started two days before the first article she published about the trailer park fire. And she’s been getting one a week since then, all from the same person. This person.”

  He showed me the information he’d been able to dig up, and I groaned.

  Wanda McCarty, the partial owner of Jenner’s Heating and Air.

  “Mother. Fucker.”

  “What?” Everyone asked at once.

  Jack glared at me.

  “Tai had the fire marshal give out a few tickets on an A/C business, and in the meantime, it seems that he managed to well and truly piss off the woman that runs the show there in the process,” Jack said reproachfully.

  I winced.

  Yep that’d been me. I had done that.

  Me and my overreacting self.

  But, really, that miserable bitch had it coming.

  “I’m aware that she doesn’t like me, for some reason, and she’s refused to schedule an appointment for some A/C repairs in my old place. So what? What does all the rest of this have to do with me?” Mia asked glaring at me through narrowed eyes clearly telling me this conversation was far from over.

  I grinned unrepentantly.

  “She was also sending emails to one Edwin McCain from a Gmail account listed as mia.davis@hotlook.com. McCain is the man you stated was Colt’s father, correct?” Jack questioned.

  Mia closed her eyes and sighed.

  “So were they both in on it, or was Wanda doing it all on her own?” I asked.

  “Edwin wasn’t aware of Wanda. All he knew was that the woman he had a restraining order on was now threatening him,” he said. “He also told his wife about what happened, and she said he had to file a police report about it.”

  I closed my eyes as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “This is one big cluster fuck,” I said.

  Jack snorted.

  “You could say that again,” he said.

  My eyes popped open to glare at my brother.

  “Back off,” I said. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

  He bared his teeth at me.

  “How many times do I have to tell you to keep your nose out of other people’s business?” He snapped.

  “Okay, here we go,” I said, throwing up my hands.

  My brother still blamed me for everything, like I was still that fucked up mess of a teenage boy, and he clearly would never stop.

  “What, exactly, would you have done had Winter been in this same situation?” I asked curiously.

  Jack scowled. “Winter wouldn’t have been in this situation, because I would have taken care of it. It’s a moot point.”

  My eyes narrowed.

  “Boys,” Mia said softly. “This isn’t the time nor the place…”

  I sat back in my chair and glared daggers at my brother.

  Jack did much the same, and the other two men in the room who didn’t have the last name Stoker (who, I might add, were lucky bastards to not be related to the mother fucker who loves to make my life a living hell) both sighed.

  “So…what now?” Mia asked softly. “Am I allowed to go to work?”

  Luke nodded.

  “Yes. With this new evidence that was conveniently brought to our attention, we now have other avenues to investigate. We’ll let Mr. McCain know about this development in the case and how we plan to proceed,” Luke said, moving to the door.

  “And what about the other bitch?” I asked.

  Luke’s eyebrows rose at my use of colorful language.

  I was normally pretty careful about using profanity in a professional setting.

  There was just something about this whole situation that was really bothering me.

  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I had a really bad feeling about it. And it was making it hard to control my emotions.

  I really, really wanted to punch my brother in the face.

  Granted, I wanted to do that a lot. But usually I was able to hide it better than I was able to do at this moment in time.

  Mia stood up, too, and started for the door.

  She grabbed my hand on the way, though, dragging me along with her.

  I flipped my brother off as we went, and he had the nerve to laugh.

  Fucker.

  Nico followed me out, and my brother followed behind him.

  I kept Mia’s hand in mine, tugging her back slightly to walk next to me.

  “Don’t wait for me to wake up next time, okay?” I asked.

  She smiled, her pretty white teeth gleaming.

  “Yeah, I’ll call you next time.”

  “Promise?” I said.

  She nodded.

  “Promise.”

  Chapter 16

  I turn beer into pee, what’s your superpower?

  -Beer Mug

  Mia

  This had been the week from hell.

  Three days ago, that darn newspaper article about me ran in the paper

  Today, people I knew, people who knew me, treated me like a leper.

  People I didn’t even know treated me that way, too.

  “What the fuck is her problem?” Masen asked, staring at the charge nurse like she’d grown a second head.

  A woman who I’d worked well with for over a year, now, looked at me like I was shit on the bottom of her shoe.

  I sighed.

  “It’s the newspaper article,” I said. “I don’t even know.”

  You would think people would get their facts straight before jumping to judgment.

  However¸ this situation proved to me just how judgmental people could be with the way that my coworkers and even random people in the grocery store treated me.

  Right now, I could seriously use a freakin’ day off from dealing with all of this shit.

  “Well, she needs to chill the fuck out,” Masen said. “Or I’m going to stick my foot out and trip her next time she comes waltzing by with her big ass hair and ugly ass face.”

  I smacked Masen on the arm.

  “Shut up,” I hissed.

  She smiled.

  “So, back to our earlier conversation before the she-cow interrupted us,” she turned her glare back to the charge nurse for a few long seconds before returning her gaze back to me. “I got a hit on my dating profile.”

  My mouth dropped open.

  “You did?” I asked excitedly. “Who is it?”

  She grinned and nodded her head in excitement.

  “He’s a firefighter,” she whispered.

  My mouth dropped open wider.

  “For Kilgore?” I asked, really getting excited now.

  She nodded.

  “Yes. And I said I’d go out on a date with him, but he had to go on a double date first, so I could make sure he wasn’t a serial killer,” she continued.

  I rolled my eyes heavenward.

  “You’re kidding, right? You didn’t say those exact words, did you?” I pleaded.

  She picked up the lunch that the cafeteria worker handed her and headed to the cashier while I got my own tray.

  I met her in the check-out line, but she waved me off
when I attempted to use my badge for payment. “I got it. You can get it next time.”

  I nodded and stopped by the drink counter to fill my cup up with Dr. Pepper, before walking to the table that Masen had picked out in the far corner of the room.

  “Thank you,” I said as I sat.

  Masen smiled.

  “You do it for me all the time,” she said.

  I did.

  “No, but really. You didn’t really say those words, did you?” I asked her, picking up my fork and digging into the red beans and rice I’d gotten for lunch.

  She nodded. “I did.”

  “What’s his name?” I asked.

  “Bowe.”

  My mouth popped open in surprise.

  “Oh, Masen,” I said. “You’re in for it now.”

  Masen had a thing for men’s voices.

  She loved deep, growly ones. She was so in love with Chris Young and Josh Turner because of how low their voices were. She also was known to dismiss a potential date if he didn’t sound a certain way.

  It was vain, but that was Masen.

  And I couldn’t wait to see how she reacted tomorrow when she heard Bowe’s voice.

  I smiled for the first time since I’d arrived at work and had to deal with the charge nurse’s shit.

  Oh, this would be so good!

  ***

  The next night

  Tai’s eyes trailed down my body, taking in my tight jeans and halter-top.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  I grinned.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I’m ready when you are.”

  He nodded, and his eyes went behind me.

  “Bye!” He said to my mom.

  My mother lifted her glass of wine, but she never looked away from the screen.

  Dancing with the Stars was on, and she didn’t like being interrupted when it was on.

  Tai chuckled as he grabbed my hand and led me down the walkway.

  “Was your day any better today?” He asked.

  We’d planned on meeting for breakfast, but I’d begged off because my mom needed help with a blanket shipment she was sending out later this afternoon.

  So this was my first time to see him in more than forty-eight hours.

  “It was better…but only because I didn’t see anyone all day,” I admitted.

  Tai’s hand tightened on mine, and he turned to look down at me.

  “If I had realized what the woman was going to do, I would’ve never put you into that position,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry. I only meant for her to have a little bit of Karma come back and bite her in the ass.”

  I smiled warmly at him.

  “The woman’s had a hard-on for me since I started calling her office six months ago,” I said. “My air’s been acting up ever since they came out the first time, so I’ve had to call at least once every two weeks since,” she said. “I’m sure it would’ve happened with or without your help.”

  He looked skeptical, so I leaned forward and placed my lips against his.

  He returned the kiss, tightening his hands on my hips and pulling me deeper into his body.

  I broke the kiss, with a breathy exhale, and grinned at him.

  “And I was the one that started all of that loveliness with Edwin,” I admitted, even though it hurt my stomach to even think about the bastard, let alone talk about him. “I think we’ve both an equal part in all of this, so let’s just drop it.”

  He bit his lip, and I had the irrational desire to take over that task for him.

  But he wrapped his big, sturdy arms around my shoulders and pulled me into his hard chest.

  “You’re too nice,” he said.

  I laughed.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Tell that to my charge nurse.”

  He let go of me to open the truck’s door and then helped me inside.

  I had to breathe shallowly because the pants I had on were ones I hadn’t worn since before nursing school two years before.

  I’d gotten curious when I was unpacking some of my boxes that morning and had found them at the very bottom of one of the boxes.

  After debating whether I should or not, I’d tried them on to see if they fit.

  And, much to my surprise, they did.

  Only, I was scared to bend over in them, and I couldn’t really take any deep breaths.

  “How was work yesterday?” I asked, hoping to take my mind off the discomforting state of my pants.

  I’d asked him last night, but he’d said he’d talk to me about it today.

  I’d asked him to elaborate, but a call came through right then, and he hung up before I could press him on it further.

  I was curious and wanted answers.

  Not to mention that I’d forgotten to ask him this morning in my rush to help my mother.

  Tai sighed.

  “So we found out who the leak was in the department,” he said.

  “Oh?” I asked curiously, turning in my seat so I could see him better.

  He nodded. “Turns out it wasn’t anyone that worked there, it was the wife of one of the guys.”

  My brows rose.

  “Elaborate,” I ordered, snapping my fingers in his direction.

  He snorted but continued.

  “It was Fatbaby’s wife.”

  My mouth dropped open.

  “What?” I crowed in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

  He nodded. “Fatbaby’s wife asks him to go into detail about his day, and he’s learned over time that it’s easier just to give her the information she wants so she doesn’t make his life a living hell.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “What I mean is that, his wife is a bitch. Their relationship is the weirdest one that I’ve ever seen,” he said. “His wife gives my ex-wife a run for her money in the race for the title of the most nasty, bitchy wife.”

  “Oh,” I said. “How did you figure out what was going on?”

  Tai turned left and headed to the diner where we were meeting Bowe and Masen.

  “Fatbaby did,” he answered. “He was talking to his wife on the phone about a fire last night, when he got this suspicious look on his face. He said goodbye to her and immediately went and signed into her email on a hunch. Low and behold, he found emails back and forth between not just the reporter she’s been giving information to but also the lovely secretary at Jenner’s Heating and Air.”

  I blinked.

  “You’re shitting me.”

  He shook his head. “Afraid not.”

  Shit.

  “Shit,” I repeated what I’d been thinking.

  “That about sums it up,” he agreed. “I’ve never seen Fatbaby so mad before.”

  “What’s his real name?” I asked curiously.

  The name ‘Fatbaby’ was a huge mouthful, and honestly, he didn’t look like he liked the name all that much.

  “Aaron Sims,” he answered. “Why?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  Why wouldn’t someone want to know the man’s real name?

  “Do y’all think he likes the name?” I asked.

  Tai shrugged like he could care less whether he liked it or not.

  “I don’t know. If he doesn’t like it, he needs to say something. I didn’t like when they called me Chief, as in an Indian chief, so I told them to stop, and they did. If it really bothered him, he’d say something,” Tai said, making it sound like it wasn’t a big deal at all. “Plus, firefighters as a whole have to have a release somewhere, and we get that by joking around with the men and women on our teams.”

  “You have women on your shifts?” I asked.

  He shrugged as he pulled into the diner’s parking lot.

  “Every once in a while Baylee and Winter get put on our shift if someone’s out, but as a whole, no we don’t,” he answered as he backed the truck into a space and put it into park.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  He lifted one shoulder in a shrug and got out, walkin
g around the truck and opening my door before I even got my seatbelt undone.

  He offered me his hand and I took it, dropping down the twelve feet to the asphalt below.

  Okay, it probably wasn’t twelve feet, but it was damn close.

  Okay, it wasn’t close at all…still.

  Once I had my balance, he smacked my ass and guided me in front of him.

  I glared at him over my shoulder.

  “To answer your earlier question,” he said. “I don’t know why there aren’t more. There are plenty in Longview. I’m guessing that it’s because we’re a smaller town, and they just don’t apply for the job.”

  “Mmm,” I said. “Interesting.”

  “Why?” He asked.

  I shook my head.

  “No reason. I’m just really curious is all.”

  Tai held the door open for me and I stepped inside, looking around the diner for Masen and Bowe.

  When I didn’t see them, I smiled at the hostess…who glowered at me.

  Mother fucker.

  Would this ever stop?

  “Four please,” Tai said, his body tense at my side.

  The waitress sat us at the back…or as close to the back as she could. It was only when she seated us at the table directly next to the entire Kilgore SWAT team that I realized this wouldn’t be the quiet first meeting that Masen had wanted.

  “Hey boys,” I said, waving.

  I got hand waves back, but Luke and Nico were the closest.

  “How’s it going tonight, Stoker?” A big man with tons of tattoos raised his hand up and offered it to Tai.

  Tai walked over to their table and shook the man’s hand.

  “Going pretty good, Saint,” Tai said. “How’s the baby?”

  The big tattooed man grinned.

  “She’s fucking perfect.”

  Come to think of it, this man looked fairly familiar, too.

  Speaking of the man, he turned his eyes on me and smiled.

  “You got a woman, I see,” the man, Saint, said.

  Tai nodded and held his hand out for me.

  “Yeah,” Tai said. “This is Mia. Mia, this is Michael aka Saint.”

  I walked over to him, offering him my hand as I did.

  He took it, gently, and then let it go.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said.

  I smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  I curled around Tai as he pulled me closer and stared at the men at the table.

  They were all huge.