Page 97 of Keep Me Safe

“Have you heard anything about Dave?” he finally asks me.

The concern in his voice is audible, and it breaks my heart.

“Yeah, the doctors said he will fully recover.” I leave out the bit about him having to be intubated and his shattered leg.

His chest sinks under me as he exhales.

“You saved his life,” I tell him, in complete awe of the man holding me.

“That’s my job,” he says, brushing it off.

“That doesn’t make it any less impactful,” I tell him.

“He would have done it for me.”

I sigh, knowing that he won’t accept the compliment. Instead, I run my fingers over his jaw, swinging my leg over his body to straddle him.

“Now, don’t fucking do it again,” I say as I brush my lips over his. He chuckles at my demand, his breath hot on my neck.

“I can’t promise I won’t,” he says, nipping at my skin.

And even though it scares the shit out of me, I’m okay with it. It’s who he is.

It’s why I love him.

chapter thirty

noah

“You should be at home resting,” I say, looking over at Dave. He’s hobbling beside me in a cast and crutches. He’s still in pain, that fact evident by the way he winces with each step. It’s only been a few days since the fire, and the brace on my left wrist reinforces that.

“I told you, I’m just visiting,” Dave answers.

My eyes narrow on him and my intuition tells me something’s up. I open the station door for him, and he enters. I follow close behind him, my senses on high alert. The room is dark, which shouldn’t be the case, and I don’t see anyone. What is going on—

“Surprise!” All the guys shout in unison, or at least as close to that as they can get. A banner that reads ‘congratulations’ hangs over the doorway to the kitchen.

“What is this for?” I ask, confusion written on my face.

“We got a new fire commissioner,” Jeff explains, giving me that notorious Jeff look that tells me he knows something I don’t.

My brows knit together as I step further inside. Glancing over my shoulder at Dave, I give him a questioning look. A smirk is all I get in response. What do they know that I don’t?

I scan the room, looking for Al, but I don’t see him.

“Where’s Al?” I ask Jeff.

“Oh, that’s right. I was supposed to tell you that he wants to speak with you in your—I mean his office.”

I’m not sure I like the direction this is taking, but I listen anyway, walking through the kitchen to the back office. He’s seated at his desk, exactly where I expect him to be.

“Jeff said you wanted to see me. What is all of this?”

“Just a welcome back party.”

“They said there’s a new commissioner,” I deadpan.

A smile grows on his face, his gray beard stretching.

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