Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 72856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Knocking on the door, I waited for the ‘enter’ to come.
It didn’t.
In its place was a terse, “In. Now.”
“Shit,” I sighed.
The sound of his voice didn’t mean good things for me.
Although Allen had nothing on Jack when he was in a rage. So as long as I kept my cool and didn’t mouth back like I was known to do, I should be fine.
“Sit,” Allen said the moment my feet crossed over the threshold.
I did, ignoring the mannequins in the seat next to me that looked like they were fucking.
It was something we’d send the newbies or the paramedic students in to do.
They had one objective. “Don’t get caught.”
So the students would come into Allen’s office, rearrange the various mannequins that were stored in the corner, and get out without Allen knowing.
We didn’t bother to tell them that Allen had his office wired. It was fun to watch the students think they’re getting away with something.
We got to watch from the other room, laughing the entire time.
Allen was also a good sport about it. He didn’t care as long as we weren’t being ‘mean’ to the recruits and students.
The two mannequins on the chairs next to me were facing each other, one looking as if the other was riding him. Hands were placed perfectly, and the mannequin that was supposed to be the man on the bottom had his head thrown back as if in the throes of ecstasy.
“I got a call today about you,” the chief said.
I winced.
The woman pushing the baby.
Perfect.
“Yes,” I said.
He sighed at my evasive answer.
“Let me read what she had to say,” he said, putting on his reading glasses. “Wouldn’t touch that bitch with a ten-foot pole. She better hope she doesn’t have a fire here that requires more than someone pissing on it to put out. She inadvertently pissed off the whole fire department with the way she spoke about Mia.”
I waited to hear what else he had to say.
It wasn’t much.
He stared back at me with the same unwavering gaze.
So I explained. For the tenth time.
“Goddammit!” Allen said, slamming his hands down on the desk. “You can’t fuckin’ say stuff like that, even if it’s true!”
I sat back, surprised by his outburst.
He was always so in control. To see him not was a sight to see.
“I never said it was true. I talk a good game, but that bitch will get the same great service that my own brother would get if it came down to it,” I told him honestly.
“You don’t like your brother,” Allen said with a smile, taking his seat.
I snorted. “I love my overbearing, always whining about my life, prick head of a brother. It’s just at times I forget that I do, and act accordingly.”
He laughed.
“Get out of my office, Taima. Don’t say shit like that anymore,” he ordered.
I saluted him half-heartedly. “Sir, yes sir.”
He flipped me off and I walked between the two chairs.
The mannequins fell off, landing with a thump on the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.
“Huh,” I said.
The new position put the ‘woman’ on top, her knees up by the ‘man’s’ ears.
“I’ll have to try that position tonight,” Allen laughed.
I gave him a thumb’s up and left with a smile on my face. One that quickly fell off the moment I got into the main room of the fire house.
“What’d he want?” Winter asked.
Baylee, her partner, was sitting directly in front of her. They were playing a card game that looked confusing as hell.
“He wanted to yell at me for some bitch overhearing a comment I made today while we were inspecting that lady’s business,” I explained.
Winter narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh,” Drew said. “You don’t know that Taima, your favorite brother-in-law, has a crush?”
I pushed Drew, nearly toppling him out of his chair.
He righted himself with a laugh.
“Shut up,” I said.
“Why?” Drew asked. “It’s true.”
It was.
I was falling fast and hard.
“Why is it always the broken ones?” Winter asked. “She’s a nice woman, after all, but she has some work to do before she’s ready to take you on.”
I scowled. “What are you talking about?”
Winter gave me a glare.
“That girl,” Winter said. “What was her name? Randi?”
I blinked.
I hadn’t thought about Randi in a very long time. In fact, until Winter brought her up, I knew it’d been years since I’d even heard her name.
“What about her?” I asked, taking a coke out of the fridge and bringing it to the table where I took a seat and watched the game being played.
Bowe was busy cooking our dinner, and I watched absently as he stirred something in a pot that was boiling on the stove.
“You went to jail because of her,” Winter said.
“I went to jail because that bitch of a mother of hers was trying to sell her on the street for drugs,” I growled.