Page 55 of Four Firemen For Christmas

“That’s not important.” Miles’s seat strained, telling me he must’ve sat down.

Henry scoffed. “It’s pretty damned fucking important to me. Who filed the complaint?”

If Miles realized Henry wasn’t disputing the claim, he didn’t bring it up. But the man was smart. He’d figure it out sooner or later. He hadn’t outright asked Henry to confirm or deny the claim. It was the only thing giving Henry a chance at keeping his job.

They’d tolerate shit like that from me or Derek, though with a severe warning not to let it continue. I knew because I’d been in this office before Danielle broke up with me. We’d gotten caught sneaking out of the fire truck and one of the rookies ratted me out. If Henry admitted to breaking protocol, he’d be fired on the spot. There were no excuses in Miles’s eyes that excused a man in Henry’s position.

Miles’s chair squeaked and the silence grew unbearable.

I tried not to think about what I’d do without Henry leading us. I trusted the man with my life, and I couldn’t see myself following any other man as captain except maybe Samuel. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I slapped a hand over it, silencing it before it could ring.

“Who filed the complaint, sir?” Henry asked again, his tone bitter.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that information,” Miles answered.

The fuck he wasn’t. So someone was allowed to accuse Henry, but he didn’t get to know who?

Fuck and damn it all. I knew who Henry’d fucked in his office. There had only ever been one woman in that office who Henry would have sex with, and it was Emma. She’d betrayed Henry, betrayed all of us.

The revelation hung in the air, a heavy cloud casting a shadow over the once-familiar surroundings. Bile rose in my throat. She’d been with us all night and all morning, which meant she’d filed the complaint before asking to have sex with all of us.

What a liar and a hypocrite. No wonder she’d said this couldn’t last. She planned on ruining it.

Well, I wouldn’t let her ruin Henry.

My body turned hot, then cold and hot again. Conflicting emotions surged through me. How could she do this to Henry? To us? I couldn’t believe I’d misjudged her, that we all had. Henry trusted her. He’d shown her his darkness and she’d spit in his face. My trust in Emma shattered as I threw myself back onto the main level.

Laughter burst out from the kitchen, the current group enjoying the moment of peace. They all knew how quickly it could be broken. One ring of the bell and they’d bolt out of the kitchen, throw on their gear, and rush out to put their lives in danger.

A sense of betrayal reverberated through me, stifling every breath. I hadn’t felt this betrayed even when Danielle broke up with me. Never felt this tension mixed with a palpable sense of disillusionment.

The cold bite of reality contrasted sharply with the heat of my anger and disappointment. I grabbed my coat from the rack and shoved my arms into the sleeves. I barely felt the cold air stinging my cheeks or the snow peppering the top of my head as it fell in thick sheets that obscured my vision.

Everything seemed unforgiving and harsh. I pulled my coat tighter around me, a feeble attempt to shield myself from the emotional storm. Rage and the chill wind rocked me back and forth until I reached my car and dropped into the driver’s seat.

The city outside continued its usual hustle and bustle. Smiling people hurried up and down the sidewalk, most likely on their way to finish Christmas shopping.

I slammed my palm on the steering wheel and ripped open the glovebox. The necklace I’d bought Emma yesterday sat in its little red box and mocked me for a fool.

“You’re not getting away with this.” I cranked the engine and put the car in gear. As I eased toward the road, I spotted Samuel and Henry standing outside the main bay. The bright red fire engine outlined their bodies, and I knew by the look on Samuel’s face that Henry had told him the news.

They both turned toward me when I hit the street and punched the gas. Samuel started to move away from Henry and held up a hand like he wanted me to stop.

No way. Not this time. Emma was going to face the consequences of this, whether she liked it or not. What was the purpose of her harassment case? Had she thought they’d wait until after Christmas, giving her plenty of time to rack up sex time with all of us before she called it quits?

I didn’t know the answer, but I was about to find out.

26

EMMA

Ihanded Derek the last plate from our breakfast and grinned while watching him dry it. His arms flexed a ridiculous amount for such a small task. “Are you trying to turn me on?”

He made his pecs pop up and down beneath his t-shirt. “Is it working?”

“Maybe.” I emptied the dirty sink water and dried my hands on a nearby dish towel. “What do you think happened?”

Henry had rushed out in a flurry of movement after getting a phone call that neither of us heard. He’d told us to stay as long as we wanted, and I’d convinced Derek to help me clean up Henry’s kitchen. He kept everything so tidy that I hated to leave a mess behind.

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