Page 93 of Anchor Point

Basically, Mac and I had both broken the rules, and the mayor thought he’d finally found a reason to fire me.

“Did you hear from the attorney?” I stood, gathering my paperwork.

“Not yet.”

Upon returning to work the day after the fire, after working with Human Resources to ensure that the injured men were sorted with the support that they’d need, I’d contacted an attorney of my own. I’d suspected that the mayor might take this opportunity to pull a stunt. So I’d dug up as much dirt on him and the city manager as I could and passed it along to her.

I went to the ladies’ room to check my appearance. I’d tried to cover the bruising from the few licks that Loren had managed to land but couldn’t do much about the still-swollen eye. It was my first look in the mirror that had softened my anger toward Mac. Half of my face was swollen, and a cut over my eye had bled profusely. I couldn’t blame him for being overly touchy once the fight had ended.

And if I were being honest with myself, I’d needed the comfort of his arms and had drawn strength from him.

But the fact remained that one—or both—of us would lose our jobs after this meeting. Even though the local news, both paper and citizen word of mouth, labeled us as heroes, one of us would have to pay the price.

The woman in the mirror before me didn’t look like much of a hero with her slumped posture and defeated expression.

Failure was a suffocating blanket on my shoulders.

I’d wanted to be a fire chief for as long as I could remember, following in my dad’s footsteps. Had I thrown it all away? Lost my dream job? Lost my chance to honor my roots and make my family proud?

I’d busted my ass for this place. This career. Had my weakness of needing to be with Mac in the heat of the moment cost me that dream?

There was some measure of peace in knowing that I’d made a difference in the world. I’d negotiated for better equipment for my crews. Hell, I’d saved my daughter and stopped a killer.

But that knowledge and those deeds wouldn’t get me a paycheck or benefits for Rosie. Who would hire me once it got out that I’d broken the rules.

Anyone would.

The words in my head sounded like my voice but held Mac’s strong attitude.

Where had the badass woman who’d been hired for this role gone? She wouldn’t stand and stare morosely in the mirror, cataloging all the ways she was wrong. Hell no. She’d catalog all the ways she was right and the system was wrong. She wouldn’t be defeated. She’d tell that cocksucker mayor where he could stuff his rules and blaze her own trail.

I squared my shoulders. I’d played by other’s rules for too long.

I reached up and grabbed the hair clip, releasing the severe bun I normally wore. Why was I minimizing myself? I loved my curls and didn’t like my hair up, but I’d taken to the style when I realized that I got more respect as a peer when I hid my feminine aspects.

And that was total bullshit. I deserved respect because I was a hell of an administrator in the fire service. I shook out my curls and fluffed them.

This mayor could kiss my ass.

This was my firehouse. They needed me. I’d done more for them in the few months I’d been here than anyone had in the last five years.

And whether these people liked it or not, they were mine, and I was going to continue to fight for them.

I turned on a heel and stalked out of the bathroom, wearing my cape of righteous indignation. Let these assholes come for me. I was ready to take on them and the rest of the world.

Municipal meetings were boring and uneventful unless there was an inflammatory topic on the agenda. I walked in with Cathy by my side and went directly to the front row, right where the council members and the mayor had to see me.

I made eye contact with each member as I got comfortable in my seat.

The meeting agenda included a mix of contract approvals, a financial presentation, and declarations.

Nothing about me or the fire dept.

Still, I didn’t trust that something wasn’t about to go down.

Beside me, Cathy leaned close to murmur in my ear. “I’m just making it look like we have a secret to discuss.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. “Will Trina be here?”

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