Page 32 of The Firefighter's Fate

“You work for my father.”

He knows. Somehow.

“I am an investigative journalist who works for your father’s media,” I reply. “I don’t work for him. I’m not some hitman hired to take you out.”

Connor chuckles darkly.

“That’s bullshit,” he says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, clearly my father has sent you here to interview me, right? I would say that classifies as working for him.”

“Would you like to sit down and talk about it?” I ask him with a chirpy smile. “I’ve got all the time in the world. I’ll be happy to do an interview right here and right now. You can tell me everything about your father, and your opinion of him.”

Connor grimaces. His crossed arms look so intimidating and... big.

“You’re a tricky one, but I’m going to be polite, Ember, and tell you no. I don’t want to sit down and talk to you.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Seriously. Not now, and not in the next million years.”

“You know I’m not going to stop, right?” I ask him. “I’m going to keep annoying you until you finally relent. I’ll wear you down.”

“You’ll wear me down?”

“Yep. I’m really rather good at it, if I may boast.”

Connor chuckles again and shakes his head dismissively. He reaches down and picks up the heavy weight again and proceeds to continue with his bicep curls.

“Try all you want, Ember Mortensen, but you’re not going to get anywhere with me,” he says.

I watch on as he effortlessly flexes his thick biceps.

Don’t stare at those arms... don’t stare at those arms...

“Just try me,” I retort. “I will wear you down.”

But the man has stopped listening. He’s too busy with his workout, or at least he wants to appear to be.

He wins this time.

And so I walk away.

But I will be back. For sure.

I’m not going to let him deter me. I’m going to figure out his weakness. I’m going to keep trying to pick at his defenses until he’s finally talking to me.

I’m going to write that damn article. No matter what.

15

CONNOR

As I suspect, Ember returns a day later. She struts through that door to the fire station full of the attitude and arrogance as if she owns the place. This out-of-towner bursts in like a ray of sunshine into my dark kingdom, determined to have her way.

Boy, she’s really going to try to win this little game, isn’t she?

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