32. thirty
thirty
. . .
CREW
My alarm pulled me from the hottest fucking dream I’d ever had in my life.
Only when I slowly blinked my eyes open to the dimness of my room did I realize it wasn’t a dream at all.
Instantly, my hand found Aspen’s hair as she bobbed her mouth up and down on my cock.
“Fuck, baby,” I rasped, voice still thick with sleep. “My filthy little slut.”
Aspen only flicked her gaze to me and hummed around my length as she took me deeper and deeper until my head bumped the back of her throat. I was fucking obsessed with her little gag, and how her eyes watered, the sharp inhale through her nose. How none of it deterred her from taking me another inch.
Her hand chased her mouth as she pulled off, the other one fondling my balls in a way that had them drawing up. The base of my spine tingled with impending release.
“How do you want it?” I asked.
Over the last four weeks, since the first time we’d slept together, Aspen had given me more blowjobs than I could count, and her mind was always changing on where she wanted me to unload. I fucking loved how she kept me on my toes. We hadn’t worked our way entirely up to my…rougher appetites, but she’d taken everything I’d thrown at her in stride, greeting it all with equal fervor.
She was making it damn hard not to fall completely ass over boots in love with her, and honestly, I didn’t give a fuck. As far as I was concerned, Aspen McKay would be the last woman I ever fucked, and my dick would be the last one she ever let in that tight pussy of hers.
“Inside me,” she said, scrambling on top of me and reaching between us to shift her panties out of the way and sink down on my length. Both of us groaned, and I gripped her hips hard enough to bruise as she rolled them back and forth, working me in and out of her warmth.
“Fucking hell, little phoenix,” I moaned as the sounds of her pussy sliding over my cock filled the room. “I love how wet you get for me.”
Aspen hummed in pleasure as she rocked faster, her short nails digging into my chest as she rode me. This was without a doubt my favorite position. Her perfect little tits bounced in time with her movements, her mouth opened in ecstasy as she chased her orgasm, the nub of her clit rubbed against the root of my cock. Watching her unabashedly take what she needed from me was so goddamn sexy.
I knew she was getting close when her inner walls closed even tighter around me, milking me, so I bucked up into her. She cried out and let go, collapsing against me at the same moment my release barreled through me, and I emptied into her while she quivered in my arms.
Our chests heaved in unison as we came down from the high. When my breathing returned to normal, I brushed her hair off her face and planted a kiss on her forehead, which prompted her to tilt her head back and give me a real one .
“Morning,” she murmured.
“And what a good fucking morning it is,” I grinned. “Unfortunately, I really do have to get up for work now.”
She clung tighter to me, arms banding around my chest as if that could keep me here in this bed with her.
“You can’t leave me.”
“Trust me, there is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you. But?—”
“We can’t leave the citizens of Dusk Valley without their hottest firefighter,” she parroted, and I laughed, digging my fingers into her sides to elicit that giggle I loved so much.
The words had become a bit of a running joke between us over the course of the last month. The first time, two days after I’d first taken her, she’d been the one to utter them. Saying that, despite how badly she wanted to keep me here with her, she knew she couldn’t prevent me from doing my job.
I hated leaving her as much as she hated to see me go.
“It’s twenty-four hours,” I promised, like I did every time. “Twenty-four hours, and we’ll be right back here.”
“I’m counting on it, hotshot.”
With a final kiss, I rolled her off me and got out of bed, knowing she’d fall back to sleep while I showered and got ready.
After getting dressed and packing my bag for work, I made a travel mug of coffee for myself and set another one up so all she’d have to do when she got up was press a button. I even went so far as to leave a little note for her.
I miss you already. Text me when you’re up.
Xo,
Cre w
Was it cheesy? Hell yeah.
Did I give a fuck? Absolutely not.
By the time I rolled to a stop outside the fire station, I was damn near walking on air. Even four weeks into this thing between us, the shine had yet to wear off. We were in the honeymoon phase, and it wouldn’t always be sunshine and roses, but I was thoroughly enjoying our time together.
I didn’t only mean in bed, either.
We’d been to the ranch for family dinners three more times, and my mom, sister, and the twins fell more in love with her every time they saw her. Lane, of course, was keeping her at arm’s length while the investigation was still ongoing.
As for Trey, well…he was fucking lucky I didn’t bash his face in the first time I saw him after Aspen told me what he’d done. He kept his distance, being sure to sit as far away from us as possible at dinner and never speaking directly to Aspen or I was liable to growl at him.
The whole charade annoyed the shit out of Mama, but I wasn’t ready to forgive him for making a pass at my girl under my own roof .
The discord between us wasn’t all bad, though. I’d used it to con him into upgrading my security system for free so Aspen felt safe enough to stay there alone at night when I was on shift.
Things on the Prom Night Arsonist had been quiet since the dumpster fire. The lack of any movement on the case would lull normal people into a sense of security, like maybe the killer had decided to go dormant, but people like Aspen, Lane, and I knew better.
Something was coming, and we’d be ready to greet it when it arrived.
“Hey, lover boy,” Tuck cooed as I walked into the firehouse and made my way toward the locker room.
I rolled my eyes, shoving him playfully as he got all up in my personal space, making kissy noises at me. “You’re so annoying. It’s no wonder you’re still single.”
Tuck scoffed. “I’m single because I want to be, not because I don’t have options.”
I snorted. “Keep telling yourself that, kiddo,” I said, ruffling his hair like I would a little boy’s.
Tuck ducked away from me then put up his fists in a fighting stance. “You wanna go, old man?”
“I’m three months older than you.”
“You started it by calling me ‘kiddo,’ and you’re still old er,” he pointed out. Then he dropped down on the bench while I got changed and put my bag inside. “But in all seriousness, man…it’s good to see you happy.”
“Thanks, brother. Appreciate it.”
Truthfully, I was still getting used to the idea myself. Before Aspen came along, I had been happy enough—with my family, my job, life in general. But having her by my side made everything better.
Suddenly, I understood what love songs were all about, and why women were obsessed with romance novels.
I wanted to be that kind of boyfriend for Aspen.
Though, the word “boyfriend” pulled me up short because we hadn’t exactly slapped labels on anything yet. An oversight I vowed to correct the second I got home tomorrow morning.
She couldn’t deny me when I was giving her orgasms, right?
The first twelve hours of shift absolutely slogged by. The only call we got was for the ambulance, which had to respond to a single car accident out at the county line.
The guys and I sat around, twiddling our thumbs, playing endless hands of poker, using jelly beans and M&Ms as chips. Around ten, with nothing better to do, we decided to tuck in and catch some shuteye while we still could.
That proved to be wise, because some hours later, the alarm cut through the silence, pulling us all instantly from our slumbers.
The dispatcher’s voice rang out when the bells dropped off.
“Truck twenty-seven, engine forty-five, ambulance thirty-five. Residential fire, two hundred block of Willow.”
We geared up and headed out, our sirens and lights a noisy, animated procession through the otherwise still night. Everyone in town would be awake now, and they’d all be migrating in this direction to see what all the fuss was about.
“I fucking hate residential fires,” Childers said. “You never know what you’re going to find.”
I nodded my agreement, adrenaline flooding my system. At this late hour, the chances the house had been empty were extremely slim, and I had to hope the residents had awoken and escaped unharmed.
As usual, we were the first on scene, and I shoved my helmet on my head as I hopped out of the truck and took stock of the situation.
The blaze from the two-story house lit up the night sky like a candle in a darkened room. The exterior of the structure glowed red, which indicated the fire was already in the walls. Flames poured from the blown-out windows, licking at the siding and gables of the roof. What I was sure had once been a gorgeous, welcoming front porch was now charred and leaning dangerously to one side, likely minutes away from pulling away from the house and collapsing entirely.
Chief’s buggy screeched to a halt at an angle across the street, blocking any through traffic. He exited, grabbed his gear, and approached me.
“What’ve we got?”
“Looks fully involved,” I said, indicating the haze of dark smoke that blanketed the air above the house. “Haven’t gotten in yet, so right now that’s all I know.”
“I’ve got IC,” Chief said with a nod. “Take your team and do a quick internal sweep. Two start in the basement, two start upstairs, and meet in the middle.” He eyed me warily, knowing I tended to go a little cowboy on calls like this. “I’m talking five minutes tops. Understood?”
I gave him a mock salute as I paced away, grinning. “Aye, aye, Chief.”
His lips moved with mumbled words, though I was too far away to hear them. Likely talking shit, which only made me smile wider.
“Twenty-seven!” I shouted, and three men appeared out of the smoke and shadows to line up in front of me. “We’re going in, so mask up. We’re going to do a very quick sweep to clear it of any potential victims. Childers and Burns, I want you two to start in the basement. Tuck and I will take the second floor. Do not split up . Eyes on your partner at all times. Got it?”
My men nodded, already strapping their SCBAs to their faces. I donned my own, then followed the three of them up the pathway to the entrance. We breached with a well-placed donkey kick from Tuck, bumped fists, then headed inside.
God, the temperature was excruciating. In an instant, I was dripping with sweat, my base layer clinging to my skin beneath my turnout gear. Even with the mask providing me coverage and fresh air, I could still feel the heat on my face.
“Fucking hot!” Burns shouted.
“We’ve likely got even less than five minutes! Be quick!”
Childers and Burns nodded before heading around the corner in search of the basement staircase. At my six with his hand on my shoulder, Tuck and I proceeded up, testing each riser before fully putting our weight on it. The last thing we needed was to end up in the basement with Childers and Burns.
At the top of the stairs, I led us toward the left, figuring we’d start at the end of the long hall which three rooms branched off and work our way back. Thankfully, all the doors were open, and Tuck and I shuffled into the first. He knelt to check under and around the bed while I moved to the closet. In fires, those were the two most common places people would hide to try to protect themselves. There wasn’t anyone in either, so Tuck and I moved onto the next room, clearing it and the third in record time.
As we descended to the main floor, Childers and Burns reappeared.
“Perfect timing,” Childers grinned. “Find anything?”
Tuck held out his empty hands. “Obviously not, dipshit.”
Childers held his own up in surrender. “Just checking.”
“Stop dicking around and do your jobs!” I shouted, shoving Tuck forward toward the little hall that jutted off the living room. At the end was another enclosed room that appeared to be some sort of office. There wasn’t a bed, but Tuck looked behind the two armchairs on one side while I approached another closet.
When I swung the door open, a wall of flame leapt out at me, and muscle memory had me dropping to the floor as it shot over my head.
“Fuck!” Tuck yelled. “Cap, you good?”
His face appeared in my vision, hand outstretched to help me up when I waved that I was fine.
“Fucking hell,” I said. “I thought that was gonna take my head off.”
Tuck choked out a laugh. “I thought it did. Closet is clear, though. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Status report,” Chief’s voice crackled over the radio.
“Upstairs and basement are clear. Main floor is nearly clear and then we’re heading out.”
“Good job, boys. See you out here.”
After a final pitstop to check behind the shower curtain in the small bathroom and receiving confirmation from Childers and Burns that the living, dining, and kitchen were clear, we pushed out into the night.
“Open those lines up!” Chief shouted as soon as we appeared, and a heartbeat later, the distinct hiss of water hitting flame filled the night.
Sutton and Thomas approached, handing each of us water bottles. After we removed our masks, Tuck and Childers dumped theirs over their heads while I settled for sipping mine and slipping off my turnout coat.
Police sirens cut through the night, and I watched as my brother and another patrol car pulled up, Lane and two of his men approaching the scene.
I was grateful Johns wasn’t one of them. That guy had always been a prick, even when we were in school together. I’d grown up, and grown out of my bad habits, but he refused to let it go. The punch I’d delivered to his face outside my house had been a long time coming.
“Sheriff,” Chief Madden said when my brother reached our sides.
“Chief, Captain,” Lane replied, nodding at both of us, then to my men. “Boys.”
Childers, Burns, and Tuck all jerked their chins in greeting…then promptly found somewhere else to be.
“We cleared the structure and didn’t find anyone. Looks like the owners are out.”
My brother lifted a hand, urging him to stop. “I could’ve told you that.”
“You know who owns this place?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Lane said, scrubbing a hand down his face. “And you’re not going to like it.”
“Spit it out, Lane,” I ground out through gritted teeth.
My brother cut me a glare, but heaved a sigh as if psyching himself up and said, “This house belongs to Harold and Lee Leigh. ”
I swore under my breath as Chief said, “As in…Vicky Lee?”
“Her parents,” Lane confirmed.
“Fuck!”
“Knock it off,” Lane warned. “We’re in public.”
I got in my brother’s face, anger coursing hot and heavy through my veins, not giving a single fuck that the entire second shift of the Dusk Valley Fire Department stood somewhere behind me. “Can’t you see this fucker is taunting us now?” I shouted, then dropped my voice before dropping a bomb on Lane. “The Lee family is the one that reached out to Aspen. They’re the reason she’s here.”
“ Fuck ,” Lane breathed.
“Cap!” someone shouted before I could say anything further, and I whirled to find Childers standing at the perimeter, a few feet off the smoldering front porch. With two hoses, the engine crew had made quick work of knocking down the blaze, and we were about to start overhaul.
“Yeah?” I called back.
“We’ve got accelerant. Smells like diesel.”
A string of colorful curses flew from my mouth.
Always the level head in any situation, Chief settled a hand on my shoulder and said, “Take a walk, kid. Get your shit together, then come back and lead your men.”
Before he’d finished speaking, I was pacing away, peeling off my gloves. When I reached the truck, I grabbed my phone off the dash and called my girl.
“Crew?” Aspen said sleepily when she answered.
“Hi, baby.”
“Are you okay?” she asked. Sheets rustled on her end, and if I closed my eyes, I could see her sitting up in bed— my bed—brushing her hair behind her ears and rubbing her eyes. “You never call me from work. And it’s the middle of the night.”
No, I didn’t. But I needed to talk to her, both to calm myself down and to remind myself that she was safe at home .
“I’m sorry for scaring you,” I said. “But I’m fine. Just on a call and wanted to hear your voice.”
Shit . That had been the wrong thing to say. The last thing I wanted to do was worry her, but I was freaking the fuck out, and my mind to mouth filter was busted.
“What’s going on?” she asked, completely alert now.
With a resigned sigh, I said, “We got called out to a residential fire.”
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah, everyone is fine. Engine knocked it down, and we did an interior sweep to make sure it was empty.”
“Okay…”
“The house, Aspen.” Fuck, I really didn’t want to tell her, but I ripped of the bandage. “It belongs to the Lees.”
Aspen gasped loudly, the sound followed by a gentle thud.
“Aspen?” I asked. “You okay?”
When she answered, her voice sounded far away and small, and I decided she must have dropped her phone. “That family has been through enough, Crew.”
“I know, baby. The upside is they weren’t here, so no one got hurt.”
“I fucking hate this guy,” she choked out, her tone watery, like she was on the verge of tears.
God, I wished I could hold her. I wanted to comfort her, to wrap her in my arms and assure us both that everything was going to be alright—even if I didn’t entirely believe it at the moment.
“We’re going to get him,” I vowed. I didn’t know how, but I knew I wouldn’t stop until this fucker was dead or behind bars. Honestly, I didn’t have a preference, and I doubted Aspen or anyone else in this town did either.
Aspen sniffed and said, “Okay. Be safe, hotshot. Come home to me.”
“I will,” I promised .
We hung up a short while later, and I walked back to Chief and my brother.
“You good?” Lane asked.
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t. None of us were. But I had a job to do.
“I’m going to send some deps out on interviews with the other families that are still local,” Lane said. “And I’ll be putting in calls to the rest.”
“Why?”
“I want to make sure the local ones are aware this is something that could happen. I don’t want to see anyone else lose their home or their life on my watch. As for the families that have moved, I want to see if anything funky has happened to them, or if it’s only happening here in town. It’ll give us an idea of if the perp is mobile or not.”
Thumping my fist into my brother’s shoulder in an understanding gesture, I said, “Keep me posted, yeah?”
“In the interest of full disclosure, there’s something else I should tell you.”
“Yeah?”
“We let Chris go late yesterday afternoon.”
“What do you mean, let him go ?”
“He finally made bail thanks to his flunkies, so we cut him loose.” Lane shrugged. “Do with that what you will.”
Was he…?
Nah, not possible.
There was no way Lane was giving me permission to go off book here, right? He was the sheriff , the paragon of justice and doing the right thing and following the letter of the law.
But still, as I caught his gaze, something glimmered there, and I picked up what he wordlessly conveyed to me.
With a sharp nod, letting him know I understood, Lane saluted me and Chief, then walked back to his cruiser, where his deputies had gathered .
“What was that about?” Chief asked.
“I’m not sure,” I lied.
Chief’s attention was a brand on the side of my face, but I didn’t dare look at him. Instead, I focused on the scene, making a mental plan before approaching my guys to execute it.
“Stay out of trouble,” he warned as I moved away.
I spared him a glance over my shoulder. “Always do.”
His disbelieving snort followed me all the way across the yard.