Page 42 of Burning Hearts

He turned, surveying what remained of the compound.

Even the fence was down, and every building had gone up in flames. But patches of green grass remained in a few places.

“Scorched earth, right?”

Logan glanced at Vince. “That’s pretty close to what I was thinking.” Along with wondering if he was the one who’d started this. “Anything over there?”

Vince said, “Looking for something?”

“You seem to have a good eye at assessing things.”

“And you’ve got all those rescue squad lieutenant skills.” Vince tipped his head to the side. “Are we swapping pats on the back or what?”

Logan had said something that had this guy on the defensive. “Who were you before you became a hotshot and a smokejumper?”

“Born and raised fighting fire.”

“I know your dad was the smokejumper boss before Jade, but that’s not what I’m talking about,” Logan said. Vince didn’t normally want to discuss his father—or what had happened late last season. The memorial for Captain Ramos hung on the wall in the hangar. “Did you ever do anything else?”

Vince had tensed. “What I’ve done in the past doesn’t factor here.”

Jade strode over. “Problem, gentlemen?”

Logan shook his head.

“Just getting to know each other. You know, ’cause we’re both up here in Alaska for the season.”

And they’d both been in Montana last year, so what was the guy’s point? When Logan glanced at Jade, she shook her head, so Logan figured she didn’t know either.

“Guess we should be BFFs by now.” Vince turned and stomped off.

Jade fixed her boss-lady stare on Logan. “What did you say to him?”

He shrugged. “Maybe don’t mention his father?”

Cadee and Skye wandered over then. Cadee said, “Whose father?”

“Vince’s.”

Cadee flinched. Her face paled.

JoJo glanced at her. “Cadee?”

“Whoa,” Logan said. “You okay?” He seemed to be putting his foot in it all over today. “Is everyone feeling all right?” It was that or he was missing something huge.

“Don’t worry about it.” Cadee turned. “I’m gonna go check…something else.” She strode away.

Skye frowned. “She and the captain were pretty close. She was more torn up about his death than anyone.”

Jade had gone to talk to Orion and Tori, giving the rookies some pointers. Vince was at the far end of the compound, picking around in the remains of a building over there, looking like he’d found something.

Skye rubbed her nose. “This place stinks.”

“Sorry. When I poured gasoline on the pile, I didn’t think it would destroy the whole place.” He’d caused enough of a distraction that he and Jamie and Tristan could run, but he’d never expected it would turn into a full-scale blaze that took out everything.

“Bro, you didn’t cause all this.” She glanced around.

“I’m just glad we haven’t found any victims.”

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