Brax, Hollywood, and Ghost Pepper arrive and all head straight to the bar to meet us.
And, no, these aren’t any of our real names. In the firehouse, we all either go by our last names or a nickname that was given to us by the guys. Since my last name is Feddeler, they call me Fed. Not too original, but it’s my family name—something I’m very proud of—so I’ll take it.
None of us say anything as Marchy stands behind the bar, pouring us all a shot.
We all take one from him, hold it up in a silent prayer to those we lost, and down it in unison. One for all, all for one—our motto and lifeline to the job we chose.
2
Silas
An hour goes by,and the alcohol has finally set in, making me feel pretty good as the singer onstage finishes her set. A few more people have arrived during that time, and it was obvious they enjoyed the show. I even caught myself nodding my head to the songs she was playing.
I bring my fingers to my lips and whistle loudly to show my appreciation, which catches her attention, so I clap my hands over my head and love the way it makes her blush.
Yes, I’m being obnoxious, and, no, I don’t care. She did a great job, and she deserves more than the light claps everyone else is giving her.
I lean back and watch as she leaves the stage and walks to where Joey is at the end of the bar. Deciding that my clapping wasn’t enough, I head her way to tell her how much I liked her set.
“Great job tonight,” I say as I get close enough for her to hear me.
She laughs as she responds, “Thanks for clapping so much when I was done.”
I hold my arms out to my sides with a cocky grin. “What can I say? I like to show my appreciation when it’s well deserved.” I hold my hand out to her. “I’m Silas.”
She doesn’t reciprocate and looks at Joey first, like she’s asking for permission before introducing herself to me. He laughs more to himself, dropping his chin to his chest and shaking his head.
“What am I missing here?” I ask.
“I warned her about you guys,” Joey says.
“You warned her? What? Are we horrible human beings or something?” I ask, half joking, half not. “You do realize, your brother is one ofusguys.”
“He didn’t mean it that way,” she says. “He just told me there was a good chance you guys would be here and that there were a few I should probably stay clear of.” She raises her eyebrows and rubs her lips together like she’s afraid to know if I’m one of them or not.
I smack his arm. “Wow, bro. Blocking before we even walk through the door. That’s a new one. And here I thought, you liked us.”
He pauses for a second, takes an inhale, then says, “Kara, this is Silas, or who we call Fed. He is not one of the guys I was warning you about.”
I smile proudly. “Now, that’s better.” I hold my hand out to her again. “It’s nice to meet you, Kara.”
She giggles at our antics as she shakes my hand. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Fed and I actually go way back. We kind of grew up together, so I can vouch for him honestly.”
“Well, that’s the way you help a brother out. Now, why don’t you get this lovely lady a drink and put it on my tab?”
“Since when do you have a tab?” he asks like he’s in shock.
“Exactly. That’s why I said to put it on my tab,” I respond jokingly.
Kara speaks up. “It’s okay. I’ll just have a water.”
She pulls out the barstool and takes a seat, so I do the same as Joey fills a cup with water, places it in front of her, and moves on to help another customer.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Looks like you’re already making yourself at home,” she responds sarcastically.
