Page 81 of Living with Fire

Finally I hit send and with a hand at my forehead and phone to my ear, I wait until I hear an operator. “911, do you need police, fire, or ambulance?”

“I need an ambulance to the 10-42 bar. There’s a man out back who’s collapsed, and he needs help.”

“Do you know what happened?” the voice on the other end asks calmly.

I watch as Nate and Brody work on the man. “No, but there’re firefighters here, and I think they’re giving him Narcan.”

Confusion from the other end. “Fire is already on scene?”

“No, no,” I huff, frustrated. I can’t think. “I… no, I mean, there are off duty firefighters here. One of them owns the bar.”

“Okay, do you know the address to the bar?”

I open my mouth to answer her, then close it. I should know this because I’ve been using it and seeing it everywhere for the past three weeks, but it’s completely gone. The number, the street, everything is just gone. I’m drawing a complete blank.

The guys are busy with Tony, so I don’t ask, instead turning to look down the alley towards the street to see if it rings a bell. I freeze when I meet the cold eyes of Vincent standing at the mouth of the lane, watching my every move. The phone slips from my hand as the whole world stops.

After more than six months of hiding, he’s found me. I knew this day would come, but I wasn’t ready for it. I don’t know if I’d ever be ready for it.

The panic doesn’t come until something touches my arm. I shriek in surprise, reflex making my feet finally move from their spot as I spin around to confront my attacker.

Except my real attacker is standing seventy-five feet away from me down the alley, and Liam is standing beside me, watching me with a sharpness I’ve never seen him use.

The man might be a playboy and jokester, but the way he’s looking at me right now tells me he knows something is going on, and he’s trying to figure out what it is. I’m guessing this is what makes him good at his job, but it sure as hell isn’t helping me right now.

My phone is at his ear, and he’s talking to the operator without taking his eyes off me.

I swallow hard, chancing a glance back down the alley, nearly sagging when Vincent isn’t there.

No. No, no, no. If I know where he is, it’s easier to stay safe. It’s easier to keep Nate safe.

But now it isn’t just Nate I need to worry about. I think I may need to worry about Liam and Brody too, since Vincent has seen me with all three.

“You okay?”

I look up from the computer to find Nate leaning against the door jamb of the office, observing me with keen eyes.

I love those eyes. So much. I love the way they look at me like I’m the only woman in the world, and how tender they get right after he’s given me a sweet kiss, or how dark they can be when he’s hungry for me. They’re inquisitive and insightful, wise beyond his years.

It kills me that I’m going to leave them, and him, behind. But it’s for the best. I know I need to do it, just like I needed to walk away from everything in Colorado.

“Yeah,” I tell him, lying to his face. I hate myself for it, but I’ve got to do what needs to be done.

His eyes narrow marginally. “It’s okay if you’re not. That couldn’t have been easy to see.”

I’m perplexed that he hasn’t come further into the room, but maybe I’m giving off a vibe that says I don’t want him in here. It would be both true and untrue at the same time. I want him to wrap me up in his arms, but I know that I would cave and tell him everything. I can’t afford that.

“It wasn’t something I could do every day,” I tell him honestly.

He gives me a reluctant smile. “Why don’t you shut it down for the day and I’ll take you home? We can grab something to eat on the way.”

“No,” I say quickly, cringing inwardly at myself. I hope I didn’t tip him off by sounding too forceful. “I’m so close to being done, I just want to get this finished.”

Nate glances at his watch, runs a hand through his hair, then nods at me. “Okay. But if you’re not done in the next hour, I’m not taking no for an answer.” I almost breathe a sigh of relief when he turns to leave, biting it back when he pauses. “Hey, what were you doing out in the alley in the first place?”

I don’t think I will ever find something I hate more than lying to him.

I thought up my lies when I was sitting at my desk after the guys told me to go back inside. I had some time to come up with things that were plausible, but I didn’t want to have to use any of them. Unfortunately, the universe seems good at not granting my wishes.

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