Feeding the Flames by Leah Braemel

Author:Leah Braemel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Somerlane Publishing
Published: 2015-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

As Zac had predicted, the police refused to allow Tabatha access to her building. “Sorry, ma’am, but you’ll have to stay back of the line. If you need shelter, we’ve got a bus set up over there for residents until we get the all clear.”

Though she’d known Zac was a volunteer firefighter, Tabatha usually heard about his exploits dumping water from high above. Which seemed dangerous enough—she never had understood the physics of what kept a helicopter aloft. But to actually see him in his gear, totally focused, running toward a building with flames shooting out of its windows, with the strobing lights against the dark sky, to hear the crackle of the flames, and smell the acrid smoke, had her clutching her hands to her mouth.

Is this what she’d face every day if she were in a long term relationship with Zac? She’d worried about him before, but seeing him in full gear walking into a burning building brought it all home. Could she face it day after day?

Yes. Because the only other option was to completely cut him out of her life. And if something did happen, she’d rather have spent the time they had together with him, than without.

Seconds later, a fire truck’s horn blasted repeatedly. The urgency unmistakable.

“What’s happening?” She called to a police officer guarding the line.

“That’s the evacuation order.”

Seconds later, three firefighters ran out of the building. One fell to his knees, coughing. The other two ran to the chief who barked something into his radio.

Flame and heat exploded from the windows, bricks clattered onto the street. One of the fireman on the ladders tumbled backward, his foot getting caught in one of the rungs until he hung upside down. The massive carved stones forming the parapets that she’d once found so fancy buried the firefighter who had been stationed at the base of the ladder, leaving only one boot uncovered.

“Man down, man down!” echoed down the street.

She searched the firefighters racing to help the men on the ground for sign that one of them was Zac. Or Quinn. But she was so far away she couldn’t read the names on the jackets.

One of the firefighters flagged the police officer guarding the barriers. “Hey, we’ve called for an ambulance. Make sure they can get through.”

Quinn’s an EMS. Why isn’t he helping? Is he one of the men down? Oh God, oh God, oh God.

A police officer she recognized from the diner hurried over. “Ma’am, you need to stay back on the sidewalk.”

She glanced around, surprised to find herself past the yellow tape barrier and in the middle of the street. How had she gotten here? “I’m just…” realizing the man I love—who I finally got together with—does a dangerous job. “My boyfriend’s one of the firefighters, my other best friend too. Zac Buchanan and Quinn Peterson.” I can’t lose them both. “Please, I just need to know they’re okay.”

She hated the way her voice had raised, hated the fear in it.

His expression softened. “Let me see what I can find out.

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