Everything went red after the first swing. I don’t remember how many blows I landed or how many Don landed. The next thing I could recall was Eric, Sean, and Corey, yelling and getting in between Don and myself. I blinked a few times, and saw Eric’s concerned face in mine.
“Let’s take a walk, man.” He patted me on the back, urging me out of the room.
I took one last glaring look at Don and turned with Eric. We left out of the room, passing through the TV and main room of the fire station until we were out back. As soon as we cleared the last step, I felt a shove at my back.
“The hell was all of that about?”
I turned to a pissed off looking Eric. I knew I fucked up but I hadn’t cared.
“Sorry, man. Don is fucking frustrating sometimes.” I ran my hand through my shortly-cropped hair and down the back of my neck.
“Don’s a jackass but he’s Don. And he’s under a lot of pressure right now, too.”
I squinted at Eric.
“There was another apartment fire. Another family trapped inside. Little girl died,” he stated.
I slow blinked my eyes closed. I knew about that fire, though I had been off when that particular call came in. “He thinks this is connected to the other apartment fires?”
Eric nodded. “But the brass doesn’t think so.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. He’s taking it hard, too. But back to you.”
I looked over at Eric.
“Don’s not the only one who’s received the brunt of your ire this week. What’s going on? Is it Michelle?” Eric peered at me, contemplatively, as if he was assessing me. Trying to discern whether I’d react to him the same way I’d reacted to Don for mentioning Michelle’s name.
I rubbed my chest. Just hearing her name sent a throb through my heart.
“I miss her and Diego.”
“Diego?”
“Her six-year-old son.”
Eric nodded, understanding coming over his face.
“I felt crazy as hell, too, when I fell for Angel. All I knew was that I wanted her. She was a part of me and there wasn’t anyone that was going to stand in the way of that.”
I inhaled, taking his words in.
“What if she’s the one standing in the way?”
“Same thing we do on the job. Figure out whatever the blockade is and obliterate it.”
I grunted. “Fucking tough guy.”
“Got to be. I work with the best of the best.” He clapped me on the back and I nodded, receiving the compliment.
“Thanks, man.”
“For what?” he questioned, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
I just chuckled. I worked with a bunch of tough guys. We’d never considered ourselves emotional or sentimental, but apparently that shit changed when you fell in love.
“Hey,” I called as we entered the hallway, to a passing Don.
