Chapter Nine
Thomas
“Let’s roll out,” Jason shouted so the whole crew heard him over the noise of the alarm. “There is a pileup out on Pigeon Road, looks like a car accident where the engine caught fire. No casualties reported so far but the car is still burning.”
The crew rushed to get all our gear on and get on the rig. Soon, we were on our way to the crash site.
Coming up on the scene of the accident, I saw a van that had me feeling anxious. An invisible hand of dread gripped my throat as I searched the area for my sister and two nephews.
“Where are they?” I whispered to myself but must have caught Jamie’s attention.
“That’s Rebecca’s van.” He gestured to Jason who was sitting across from us. “Chief, Rebecca and the boys may be involved.”
“Thomas.” Jason laid a hand on my shoulder. “No injuries or casualties were reported. We were only called to put out the fire. Remember that as we enter the scene and ensure everyone remains safe. You know our protocols.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling a calm wash over me. I opened my eyes and met Jason’s eyes. “Yes, Chief. I understand what I must do. Everyone’s safety is the priority.”
“Thomas.” Jamie tapped my shoulder. “I see Rebecca and the twins. They look uninjured and are safely by the officers over there. We can go see them when the fires are out.”
The confirmation that my family was alive and seemingly unhurt evaporated the rest of my anxiety and I was focused on what needed to be handled.
The flames were quickly extinguished; two cars had been burning and were now being towed away.
Witnesses and victims had gone through their questioning by the sheriff, and many had left the scene by the time I was able to join my sister and nephews.
The first thing I did was envelop the three of them in my arms and breathe in the familiar scent of my clan.
Safe, my dragon hummed, content to finally feel for ourselves that they were okay.
“We’re fine.” Rebecca’s soft voice was close to my ear as I refused to let go just yet. Even the boys hadn’t dislodged themselves from our embrace yet, showing me how scared they’d been during the accident.
“I know,” I whispered back before finally separating from them. “Did you call Holden and tell him what happened?”
“Not yet.” My sister shook her head, her brown curls bouncing around her face. “He had an important dinner tonight with a potential client. I don’t want to disturb him over something trivial.”
“It’s not a small thing, Becca.” I felt a small wisp of annoyance whip up in me at my sister’s words. “If you don’t want to bother him, I will.”
“Fine. I’ll call him now.” Rebecca swiped open her phone. “Watch the boys for a moment. Okay?”
“Yup.”
As I knelt to be at the kids’ level and listened to their versions of what had occurred, I kept an eye on my sister and her body language while speaking with her mate.
I expected his voice to have a soothing effect on her but instead, I noticed her shoulders stiffen and her forehead developed worry lines as the phone call progressed.
I was unhappy that my sister was getting more worked up by speaking with Holden instead of finding a sense of peace.
Once the call ended and she rejoined our group, I offered to meet up with them after my shift ended in a few hours. The nod Rebecca responded with and the smell of defeat wafting off of her told me that she needed me more than I first thought she did.
“Everything okay?” Jamie came up behind me and watched my family get into their mostly unaffected vehicle. “She looks like she’s barely holding on.”
“I know.” I turned and headed back toward our rig.
“I’m going over to her place after our shift ends.
I need to have a conversation with her about everything.
I know that she and Holden made their decision on how their relationship will work, but as the boys get older and I am less free to help her, she is becoming overwhelmed. ”
I took out my phone once I was seated on the truck and sent a text to Isaac.
Me: Can’t meet up tonight. Sister needs me.
Isaac: Everything okay?
Me: Mostly. I’ll tell you the story later. I’ll call you tonight or in the morning.
Isaac: Sounds good. I’m here if you or your family need my help though.
Me: I know. Thanks.
I put my phone away and focused on the ride.
Then I threw myself into filling out paperwork, cleaning up the station with Trevor, Chance, and Devin.
Yuri and Oliver made sure that everything was ready for the transition to the next crew starting their shift.
By the time my shift was over, I was exhausted, but I pushed it down so that I could help Rebecca.
When I arrived at her house, the boys were surprisingly in bed already and my sister was sitting on her couch in her fluffy hooded blanket and drinking wine out of her World’s Best Mom tumbler. I understood that mood and joined her on the sofa with my own glass.
“Truth, now. How are you doing?” I didn’t look at her directly. I learned long ago that not staring at her would let her feel more comfortable opening up.
“Not great.” Rebecca chugged her wine. A sign that she really was drowning right now. “I can’t keep doing this by myself. I know I have you here, but you have a life of your own.”
“Have you spoken with Holden yet?” I sipped my drink. I was going to enjoy the taste of this sweet red. “What did he say?”
“I tried but he’s been so busy.” Rebecca put her empty glass down. “He is supposed to take some time off next month though. I am hoping to convince him to find a new job then. Something local.”
“Do you think he will?” I wasn’t sure if he would.
“He has to. I can’t continue like this.” Rebecca’s voice caught on the last word, and she laid her head on my shoulder.
I didn’t offer more words. I knew my sister, and she wouldn’t want them. Instead, I offered her my calm. Through our clan bond, I pushed some comfort to her. I let her just feel her feelings for the rest of the night.