I’m sure for Mark it felt like forever until our bodies hit the metal of the ladder. Don and one of the rookies were in position to receive us. I unhooked my harness and Don helped me carry Mark down to the truck’s roof.
“How you doin’, Mark?” I asked.
“Uh, um, ask m-me once I’m on s-solid ground.”
I grinned a little and nodded. “Seems fair.”
With Don’s help we brought Mark down the side of the truck where there was already a gurney waiting for him.
“Th-thank you!” He grasped tightly onto my hand, squeezing it with his still trembling hands.
“You’re more than welcome. Let these paramedics get you fixed up.” I was sure he’d suffered some smoke inhalation and a few burns, mainly minor, but they still needed to be checked out.
I watched as he was rolled off, paramedics placing an oxygen mask over his face. He was probably in shock at that point. My attention was pulled to yelling behind me. I turned from Mark being loaded in the ambulance to see my brother storming down the sidewalk, yelling at everyone in sight.
“What the hell happened?” he barked at the nearest officer.
I slowly made my way over to him, unbothered by his mood. Funny enough, despite the officer being the one with the gun, badge, and handcuffs, he looked frightened as hell of Aaron.
“Aaron!” I called, to take the attention off the poor officer.
“Carter! What the fuck is going on? I’ve been at meetings all day and get a call my damn building’s on fire!” His face was in an even more treacherous scowl than usual.
“Not the whole building. It’s been contained to the top floor, but the damage will be extensive.”
“Anyone hurt?”
I nodded in the direction of the ambulance just as it was pulling off. “I had to pull a guy named Mark through the window. Minor burns and some smoke inhalation, but his chair is still up there, probably destroyed.”
“Son of a bitch!” he yelled. “This was Mark’s first week as my junior assistant.” He shouted for the second time, “How the fuck did this happen? We have all types of safety measures for this.”
“We don’t know, but someone made mention of a birthday celebration gone wrong.”
My brother snarled. And that look alone told me heads were going to roll. I might even be intimidated a little by that look if I were one of his employees. Aaron zeroed in on something across the street and started in that direction. I glanced over and saw a group of his employees huddled amongst the crowd. In typical Aaron fashion he was none too gentle, even as he asked for the second time if anyone had been injured or hurt.
“He looks pissed,” Corey whistled, coming up beside me and staring across the street.
I shrugged. “He’s always pissed. It’s his thing,” I stated. I saw Corey turn to me but I didn’t meet his gaze. Aaron’s deal wasn’t my business. My job was done and I was just satisfied that no one had been seriously injured. Besides, I knew I’d learn all about what transpired to cause the fire through the investigation and my family’s own private review of the incident.
“Let’s load the truck. I’m fucking starving.” I slapped Corey’s chest with the back of my hand. “Eric, let’s stop at Luigi’s on the way back. Don’t you say shit!” I pointed at Don whose mouth was already partially opened, ready to talk shit about my choice in places to eat.
I watched as Don mumbled something while he tossed equipment in the back of the truck, but he didn’t directly respond.
We stopped and picked up some pizzas on the way back. I impatiently waited for the next four hours of my shift to pass. All I wanted to do was shower the day off and spend the evening in bed with the love of my life. We had a date that night and her mother had already agreed to keep Diego overnight. And although I’d miss the hell out of the little guy, I was greatly appreciative of the opportunity to have some alone time with Michelle.
~ Chapter Seventeen ~
Michelle
“Oh my God!” I pressed my hand to my chest, inhaling deeply as I watched the images on the flatscreen television that hung in the corner of our office lobby. Usually, Nancy had us playing office music from the television to promote a warm, friendly work atmosphere, but when Natoi ran in my office and told me to turn on the news, we switched channels. Now, I was staring as the love of my life dangled, a horrifying thirty stories in the air. And he wasn’t alone. Apparently, there’d been a fire at Townsend Industries and his squad had been called in to rescue a trapped employee. A mix of emotions swirled in my belly as the news reporter continued to give her blow-by-blow report of the scene.
“That’s your Carter, right?” Natoi questioned. I began looking around, noticing a few of the other employees were coming out to watch what was happening.
“Sh!” I shushed Natio, not wanting my personal business spreading around the office. Not only was I just not into gossiping at work, but I didn’t want my relationship being made public to anyone, for personal reasons. Instead of answering Natoi’s questioning look, I turned back to the screen, sighing in relief as Carter was lowered onto the ladder of a firetruck. I watched silently, heart still beating out of control, as another firefighter helped Carter carry a man down the ladder onto the roof of the truck. Not until I saw him make it safely with two feet on the ground did I release a full breath.
“You better go call your ma–” I didn’t let Natoi finish her sentence before I was pulling her by the arm into my office.
“Girl! What is wrong with you?” I hissed, shutting my door behind us.
