Page 66 of Burning for Alexander
“No,” I breathed. “Oh, god. Baby, no. I’m so fucking sorry,” I said again. Tears came unbidden, and I let them fall. It was kind of silly and certainly unexpected, but all I could picture was a scared boy all alone in a fire and then all alone in the world. If only my family had known, they would have taken him in. They would have moved heaven and earth to give him a home. A family.
Kincaid’s hands moved up and down my back as ifIwere the one who needed consoling. “It’s okay. I promise.”
“It’s not. It’s not okay. It’s so fucking unfair.” My voice was ragged with frustration and tears. “And please stop comforting me when you’re the one who experienced the loss. I just… I wish I could have been there to take it all away from you somehow.”
He pressed a kiss into my hair, and when he spoke, I could hear the smile in his voice. “Shh. You would have been an egg. And eggs aren’t much help in a fire.”
I lifted my head and kissed him desperately, eager to give him all the care now that I couldn’t have given him then. He let out a soft laugh and then a groan of pleasure. His hands moved along my back and down to my ass and back up into my hair. Like he couldn’t get enough of me.
Like he was happy just kissing me.
I fell asleep that night feeling spent. But also knowing there was no way this was just physical anymore. Not for me.
And I suspected not for Judd Kincaid either.
Because I might be an almost-virgin, but even I knew hookups didn’t hold you while you cried.
20
KINCAID
IndexEcho:Just showered after four days away from fresh water. You can’t imagine how disgusting I was.
DrunkenPoet:That sounds like an invitation. Hold on, imagining you in the shower now. BRB.
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Alex Marian was a good man.It had been two days since his late-night tears, and I still couldn’t get over how upset he’d been when I’d told him about my parents. It had taken me a little while to get past my prejudice against Alex from the mistaken identity situation in Amsterdam, but this was the perfect example of how wrong I’d been about him.
Lieutenant Pope popped her head in my office. “There’s a call for non-emergency fire response to a potential hazmat situation on Randolph and Gallatin.”
I quirked my head at her. It was unusual for my crew to involve me in a call like that.
“The reason I’m informing you is because it involves a Timber employee. And since you seem particularly interested in keeping them in compliance… I thought you might want to know about it.”
I immediately stood and grabbed my jacket. “Let’s go.”
When we arrived at the scene, a man I recognized as Karim Haddad was patiently scrolling his phone, while an older woman in Carhartt overalls and work boots shot him an evil eye from across the driveway. The small house behind them was divided into two apartments—one side neat and tidy, the other with a collection of half-rusted metal outdoor furniture and dead plants in front. The two-car garage was the same. One half was spotless, while the other was cluttered with a mishmash of storage totes and trash bags.
“What’s going on?” I started with Karim since I didn’t know the woman.
Karim tilted his head at his neighbor before sliding his phone into his back pocket and crossing his arms. “Sue seems to think I’m preparing to dispose of dead bodies.”
Sue snapped, “It’s a barrel of lye! What else does a man do with a barrel of lye, I ask you?” She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Thank you for coming, Chief. I’m Sue Garrison. Mr. Haddad and I share this garage, and I found multiple suspicious chemicals being stored there. Not just the lye. I’m concerned for my safety. I have two dogs, and the last thing I need is to wake up in the middle of the night dead!”
I saw Kinsey stifle a laugh out of the corner of my eye while Karim simply exhaled.
“Well, let’s take a look, then, shall we?” I asked. “Show me what you’re concerned about, and I’ll figure out whether or not it’s being stored properly. Karim, is that okay with you?”
Sue bustled forward. “He doesn’t have to consent since I consent for both of us, and it’s a single space.”
“That’s not exactly true,” I said as Karim said, “Go ahead. There’s nothing improperly stored, and I’d like her to have peace of mind, even though she’s being a pain in the ass about it.”
Sue huffed.
Just then, a car pulled up, and Alex got out. “What’s going on here?”
I could tell right off the bat he was angry. “Alex—” But before I could ask what he was doing there, Karim’s shoulders dropped.
