“We can help with the dog too if you want,” Mack said. He looked at Axel’s face. “Or not.”
“Blink, Heller,” J.T. murmured. “Can one of you guys find out what happened here? I was driving home when a friend saw flames and called 911, then called me to let me know.”
“J.T. texted us at the movies,” Axel said. “I swear, when I find Fletcher, we are going to have a serious talk. And then I’m going to beat him to—”
“Ah, Heller, might not want to share with guys from the fire department. Who know the police.”
“Fletcher, huh? We can pass that name around, see what comes up.” Reggie smiled. “We’re always down with cleaning up the city.”
“One racist prick at a time,” Mack muttered, saw Rena’s gaze on him, and coughed. “I mean one racist jerk at a time.”
She finally relaxed and squeezed Axel’s hand on her shoulder while wiping her eyes. “It’s only a place. No one was hurt, right?”
“I’ll be right back.” Brad left.
One of the guys asked Rena a question about her salon, but Mack kept glancing at Axel.
“Problem?” Axel finally asked.
“You look so familiar.” Mack frowned.
Then Rena laughed, almost hysterically, but at least she wasn’t crying, and said to Mack, “This is the Viral Viking.”
J.T. blinked. “Seriously? That’s you, Heller?” He started laughing as well.
“It’s not funny.”
Mack nodded. “Oh, right. The guy all the women are getting so excited over. Dude, you’re a minor celebrity.”
Tex looked him over. “Huh. Maybe we could get him to come to one of our adoption weekends.”
The others stared at Axel and made him uncomfortable.
“Ah, I—”
“I would think having hunky firemen at the adoptions would be enough to generate interest,” Rena said in a flirty voice.
He blinked down at her then at the firemen, realizing she’d probably find them attractive, that was if she liked muscular idiots who ran toward fire and not away.
“Well, I don’t know that I’d say hunky,” Tex responded, his grin a little too wide.
“More like sexy or incredible. We like those adjectives,” Mack rallied.
Reggie rolled his eyes. Axel likedhim.
Then J.T. asked about the site for Seattle’s new fire station because he couldn’t remember from the news.
Axel grew bored with the fire department guys until he overheard mention of a sweet little Chevelle parked by the side of the road. He turned. Even in the dark it looked pristine, shining under the lamplight overhead.
“What do you think, Heller?” J.T. asked.
He saw Rena engaged with Reggie and found it safe to step away for a minute. He took a few strides to the car and noticed some spots that could use a touch-up.
Mack, Tex, and J.T. joined him.
“Not bad. Needs new paint.”
“I know.” Mack sighed. “I’ve been trying to find someone.”
