Chapter Twenty-One
JAY
I laid back on the sofa in the common area of the firehouse with one arm tucked behind my head. In my other hand, my phone buzzed.
Sarah: We just got up. About to make breakfast.
I’d left for work at five this morning. While I was getting ready, Sarah had brought Nora to bed with her, and the sight of the two of them cuddled up together made me ache to stay with them.
I glanced around the firehouse. A few of the guys were eating breakfast while the others were finishing a game of rummy.
This place used to be my escape. Where I’d chill until those alarms went off.
Now it didn’t feel that way. Now, it felt like a place where I had to go through the motions, power through the hours, until I could be where I wanted to be most.
I shot Sarah a text back, smiling as I did.
Me: Don’t tell me you’re making waffles again.
Three dots appeared and disappeared in rapid succession. I chuckled. Ruffling her feathers by teasing her about her latest mishap was way too much fun.
Me: Should I prepare the guys to head over?
Sarah:
Sarah: Between that night I burned the chicken and then leaving the waffle griddle on, it might not be a bad idea. I’m a fire hazard.
The alarms blared loudly, and I jumped up off the sofa, then shot Sarah another text.
Me: Going on a call. Don’t burn anything. I’ll text when we’re back at the house.
What should have been a simple call to put out a fire turned into pulling a handful of teenagers out of the old boathouse that was ablaze.
Apparently, they’d been using it as a place to lay low away from the adults in their lives.
To make matters worse, the place was close to the tree line, and we had to work to keep the flames under control so the forest didn’t catch fire too.
It was hours before we were back at the firehouse.
Some of the guys started drills, burning off the excess adrenaline, and some crashed on their cots.
I was always the one who ran for coffee and pastries after a call like this.
Because what better way to perk up than with a coffee and some sugar?
It wasn’t a big deal, but it was something that I could do for the guys.
But before I headed out, I had more important things to do.
Me: We’re back. How are my girls doing?
Just as I hit Send, a notification popped up.
It was from the Ring camera app I’d installed after mounting the camera outside my door last week.
I clicked on it, and as the video loaded, my stomach sank.
Shit. No way I wouldn’t recognize the greased-back hair.
What the hell was he doing outside of Sarah’s apartment?
“Fuck” flew from my mouth, causing the guys nearby to whip their heads in my direction. “I need to call Sarah.”
I paced the length of the small sitting area as the phone rang once and then went straight to voicemail.
“What’s wrong?”
Ignoring Owen’s question, I tried again. When she still didn’t answer, I switched back over to the app. But it was too late to warn her. Drew was disappearing into Sarah’s apartment. Fear and anger coursed through me. If he hurt them… No. They had to be okay. I couldn’t lose them.
“I gotta go.” I turned and almost barreled into Owen.
He stopped me with his hands on my shoulders. “What’s going on?”
“Drew just broke into Sarah’s apartment.” The words stuck in my throat as I tried to shove out of his grasp.
“Dude, stop.” His fingers tightened on my arm.
“No fucking way.” I glared. “They need me.”
“Not alone. We all go. Come on.” He waved at the guys around us as I pushed past him and headed for the stairs that led down to the bay. “No one goes after our family.”
Though terror still gripped me, my heart skipped as my team headed down the stairs to help me protect my girls. It was something I could give Sarah. She didn’t get just me, but my family. My parents and sisters, and my work family.
Less than five minutes later, we were loaded up, and Logan was turning on the sirens as he maneuvered the rig out onto the street. Owen was on the phone with Dylan while I tried Sarah once more.
“God dammit,” I yelled as her voicemail picked up again.
Please, God, don’t let anything happen to them.
If I hadn’t already been 100 percent sure that they were my future, it would have been more than obvious to me now. Never in my life had I been this scared.