Page 34 of The Firefighter's Fate

“I’m here to talk to you,” Ember announces boldly at me. She’s unfazed by my anger.

I grunt.

“Leave. Now.”

She shrugs nonchalantly and picks up her bag.

“Sure thing,” she says.

I try to ignore the erection growing in my pants. I try to ignore the sense of desire creeping into my bloodstream.

I try to ignore how goddamn pretty she is.

“Never come back,” I snarl as the journalist passes.

“I’ll be seeing you tomorrow,” Ember cheerily replies.

And, just like yesterday, she skips merrily out of the fire station.

The audacity of her...

“Why’d you do that for?” Eric asks me once she’s gone. “We were all having a great chat.”

I glare right back at him.

“She’s a parasite,” I reply.

“She’s nice,” Eric retorts.

“She’s a parasite here to bleed me dry, also known as a journalist,” I say. “She’s about as nice as a sore pimple on my ass.”

“You’re too mean to her,” Eric remarks. “You should let her talk to you for a minute. She’s great company. She’s got some great stories about her times interviewing some fucked-up drug lords and dictators.”

I grunt again and turn to the rest of my crew. They’re all nodding along in agreement with Eric. They’ve all been put under her jolly spell.

“I want you all to know that I will happily strangle whoever lets her back inside,” I bark.

That shuts them all up. They know I’m serious.

Fucking journalists.

Fucking pretty journalists.

I won’t ever, ever talk to her. No matter what she wears.

16

EMBER

Connor might’ve thrown me out again from the fire station yesterday, but I was able to find out through Eric and the other firefighters that today is his day off, which gives me the perfect opportunity...

I’ve always been good at this job. I’m proud that I am. I know how to speak to people. I know how to draw out the story below the surface. Connor may be putting up some of the best defenses I have ever witnessed as a journalist, but I still have my old bag of tricks that are sure to work. I’ll get to him. Eventually. I know it.

And so, on Connor’s day off, I head back into the fire station. Back into the jaws of danger.

“Hello, Eric.”

The man looks up at me from the front desk, fearful.

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