“My brother!” she yelled.
Glancing over, I saw the little boy was cradled in the other firefighter’s arms.
“Your brother’s coming down right behind us. We’re all getting out of here.” I held onto her with one hand. “Keep your eyes up for me, okay?”
She was trembling with fear, and my biggest concern was that she’d see how far off the ground we were and would slip or lose her balance.
“That’s it, nice and easy. You’re doing great,” I consoled as we made our way down the ladder. I glanced up to make sure the firefighter and the little boy were following. When I saw they were, I returned my attention to the girl.
“We’re almost there,” I stated until I felt my foot hit the top of the truck. When I stood on the truck, I picked the girl up and handed her off to Don, who then passed her over to the paramedic. Seconds later, I was passed her younger brother, who although frightened and crying, didn’t appear harmed.
“’Medic says they’re going to be okay,” Don came over a while later to tell me.
The three story home held three apartments. We were able to enter the building once the flames were out and it had been cleared. From the looks of it, faulty wiring caused the fire. The two kids were home alone because their mother ran to the grocery store.
“Good job.” Don patted me on the back.
“Right back at you.” We bumped fists.
After speaking with the captain for a few minutes, I returned to my truck to find my guys in a heated debate with the men of Rescue Two.
“Nah, fuck that! A bet is a bet!” Steve, one of the guys from Rescue Two, yelled.
Fuck. Steve had a point.
“Harvard, you believe this shit? We saved their asses, and they’re still trying to hold a bet over us,” Corey said.
“First of fucking all, you didn’t save shit!” Steve spat. “Second, we always knew the supposed tough guys of Rescue Four were a bunch of pansies.”
“Watch your goddamn mouth, Steven. We’ll make good on the bet,” I interjected. They may have won the bet, but there was no way I was about to let them talk shit about Rescue Four.
“Yeah, what he said,” Don added. “We can handle anything you throw at us.”
“All right.” Sean, another Rescue Two man, stepped forward. “We’ll let you know what you have to do.”
“When?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
“Oh, we’ll find you. We know where you reside.”
I gave Sean a look but didn’t say anything. I shrugged as if it were no big deal, before telling the rookie with us to pack up the hose so we could leave. This scene wasn’t our fire to handle all the paperwork on, so we didn’t need to hang around any longer.
“I can’t believe they beat us here!” Corey said, slamming the passenger door.
That had been the bet. Weeks ago, guys from Rescue Four bet Rescue Two that we could beat them to any fire, anytime, anywhere. And while I wasn’t on shift at the time of the bet, it stood for all shifts. We lost this round, and now it was time for us to pay up. I knew the guys of Rescue Two wouldn’t let us live this down.
“I’m gonna need a beer after this shift,” Corey commented.
“Copy that,” I agreed.
Chapter Two
Angela
“Heads up. Rescue Four just walked in.”
I looked up from behind the bar just as they entered. Individually, these guys could stop traffic, but together they were enough to give a normally healthy woman a heart attack. The first to enter was Corey with warm brown skin that held gold undertones. He stood at about six-feet, and by the way the black T-shirt he wore clung to his body, you knew he was in the gym at least five days a week. Next to enter was Don, who was about an inch taller, and just as muscular with olive skin and dark hair with a scruffy beard. The first two were enough to make any girl swoon, but I felt the blood rush to my ears when the third and final Rescue Four man came into my line of sight. The one they called Harvard, although his real name was Eric. He stood the tallest of the three with creamy tan skin and dark hair that looked smooth as silk thanks to his Asian heritage. I once overheard one of the guys say that he was Korean. With his chiseled jaw, full lips that were almost pouty, and dark hooded eyes, he screamed sex appeal. He looked like he held the secrets of the world behind those eyes. His mysteriousness was coupled with the fact that out of all the firemen who frequented the bar, he spoke the least. Firefighters were a loud, proud lot. I knew them well. My father had been one for more than thirty years, and my older brother was one of them. I grew up around them. But Eric had a steely calm to him, like he didn’t have to announce who or what he was to the world. He knew who he was.
A trail of goosebumps rose along my arms when those dark eyes circled the room, finally landing on me. I was behind the bar, far from the door, but it almost appeared as if his eyes darkened when they slowly scanned down my body. His facial expression remained neutral and I forced myself to turn away, moving to help another customer.
