Chapter 40
“Valesco, with me.”
Tommy freezes the moment I use his surname.
Nobody here ever calls him that. His spine stiffens as he turns to me, already calculating how much I know and what I can prove.
It radiates off of his face. For a moment his disdain flickers through him as he scowls and his eyes narrow for a beat.
He opens his mouth to reply, but I cut him off with a simple command.
“Ahora.”
I turn on my heels and am about to step through the door when he pipes up.
“Can’t leave the desk, Elena. You know somebody has to be present at all times.”
I glance over my shoulder, barely able to bite back my smirk. Then I step aside and give a small nod at Carmen from HR, who passes me and sinks down in the chair next to Tommy’s.
“I know, Valesco. It is covered.” I look at Carmen, whose eyes glimmer with glee. “Let’s go.”
This time I don’t wait. I take long strides through the maze of hallways into the bay. Several people look up and welcome me warmly, but it stays eerily quiet when Tommy tries to greet them. We are nearly across when somebody coughs.
“Rata.” It sounds soft.
I halt my steps and cock my head. Torn between my professionalism and personal vendetta.
Do I defend him? The guy who nearly took Maya away from me because he wanted to ‘get in there.’ I shudder at the thought.
“Don’t turn it into a witch hunt.” Salisar’s words echo through my mind.
Tommy will have a rough time ahead of him.
Not a single firefighter in here will ever trust him again or want to work with him.
He will not be invited out for drinks anymore.
He will get the silent treatment and the cold shoulder all at once.
There is no need for me to add to that. But there is no chance in hell that I’ll write up the person who just stood up for me.
“That’s quite enough,” I say. My voice is quiet and even.
It’s no slap on the wrist, it isn’t even a reprimand.
It’s merely an acknowledgement of my position and a plea to them not to make me act on it.
I don’t await a reply. The boys hear me loud and clear.
They’ll understand and respect my stance.
I continue my walk and hear Tommy’s shuffling feet reluctantly behind me.
Rodriques and Sanchez, the lieutenant from Rescue 4, are already waiting in the small office when I lead Tommy inside.
His nose immediately scrunches up and he crosses his arms in front of his chest. I leave the door open and take my place at the table.
When I motion for him to sit, his eyes blaze at me.
All the kindness drains from his face and is replaced by a vision of pure hatred.
“What the fuck is all this?”
“Sit your ass down, Tommy,” Rodriques snarls.
This time I do stay quiet. My stare is as neutral as I can keep it. Tommy’s gaze darts through the room and his breathing is shallow. He’s like an animal caught in the headlights.
“I want to know what’s going on,” he demands again.
“Why don’t you take a seat, Valesco, so we can talk about it?” Sanchez’s voice doesn’t leave any room for argument and Tommy deflates. Wearily, he walks over to a chair and pulls it out. His eyes stay on mine as he sits down.
“Good,” Sanchez cuts through the tension. “Valesco, you wanted to know what is going on, but do you have any idea why we could be here?”
Tommy doesn’t turn his head when he speaks. He simply keeps staring at me, his lips pulled into a snarl. There is nothing left of the warm and friendly receptionist that I know him to be. The one who I’d never suspect would do me dirty. The man in front of me is petty and almost pathetic even.
“I bet it’s because of her,” he hisses, nodding at me.
“In a way,” Sanchez shrugs. “Want to elaborate?”
“No need, she knows what she did.”
I raise my eyebrow. “What I did? We are not here for me, Valesco.” I drag out his name, and I see him wince at the sound.
“So this isn’t about me telling the Chief about your affair with the reporter?”
His eyes bore into mine. Each syllable a challenge. I feel my jaw tense up, even if I try to keep my face impassive.
“In a way it is,” I reply. My voice is calm. “But you didn’t just speak to the Chief, Tommy. You used Maya’s good name for your own gain. And in the process you humiliated her, and me.”
He scoffs and shakes his head. “You did that all by yourself.”
Nando slams his fist against the table so hard that I jump at the sound. He has pushed himself off the chair and his chest is heaving now.
“Don’t play dumb, rata,” he hisses between his clenched teeth.
“Rodriques…” I warn him low and slow.
“Did you really think we wouldn’t hear about all the rumors you tried to spread about Elena?”
My head whips up. Rumors about me? But Nando only has eyes for the receptionist.
“That we didn’t hear about how you want to get into Maya’s pants? These women are our family, ?Joder!”
“Our family?” Tommy’s voice comes out in a squeak. “They shouldn’t even be in here. The station is no place for women. But because of… things like that…” he nods in my direction, “I am stuck behind a fucking desk all day.”
My jaw goes slack at the confession, but he doesn’t stop there.
“And she wasn’t satisfied with taking my job. No, she also has to take my woman.”
“Your woman?” I spit, the sudden rage flooding my body like a flash fire. “There is nothing of Maya that belongs to you, or anybody else for that matter. She is her own person, you filthy little…”
“?Basta, Elena!”
All faces whip toward the door, where Chief Salisar now stands in the frame. His large posture takes up most of the space. His eyes are on me. Blazing, but not with anger—protection. He is stopping me from saying anything that could be used against me.
“Sir, can we help you?” Sanchez offers casually, as if this conversation is an everyday occurrence.
“Yes. I expect a report from you three on my desk at the end of the day. Valesco, clean out your locker. You are on administrative leave until you can be transferred to another department.” Salisar slowly turns his head, his voice sharp.
“But sir…” Tommy mutters, but Salisar raises his hand.
“Enough. I heard what you said about women. I will not tolerate such thoughts in my station. Elena and Rosa are just as capable as any other firefighter in this building. I will not have anybody question that and put their lives in danger. You are dismissed.”
I stare at the Chief, who has his chest puffed out and is bristling in his spot.
Standing like that, with that fire in his eyes and his hands balled into fists, he is quite intimidating.
Even Sanchez and Rodriques are taken aback.
Tommy’s mouth is gaping and he’s blinking rapidly.
I look at him just in time to see the color drain from his face as the reality sinks in.
He looks at me one last time, eyes full of defeat, before his shoulders slump and he trudges outside.
The moment he leaves the room, we all exhale simultaneously.
I feel the tension leave my body. There is an empty feeling in my chest, where a big ball of knots used to be.
Shouldn’t you feel triumphant? I don’t. There is no feeling at all, really.
Tommy brought this upon himself. And now it’s out of my hands.
In the end, it’s better for me. The Chief knows how to deal with this.
If Tommy comes back, it will be on strict terms. There will be no more gossip.
There won’t be any more camps. It’s better this way.
“Chief, wasn’t that a bit harsh?” Sanchez breaks the silence.
Salisar shakes his head. “I had my suspicions about him for a while.” He glances at me briefly. “There have been more incidents that I cannot disclose here. Consider the matter handled.”
He nods and turns around, but halts in the doorway and looks over his shoulder. “Elena, you are expected in my office tomorrow at nine a.m. sharp. Bring Maya. You are meeting with the press officer.”
“Yes, sir.”
Her name alone brings a smile to my face that I can no longer hide.
Rodriques grins in reply and pokes his elbow in my ribs.
The smirk on his face is undeniable. Sanchez just quirks an eyebrow and shakes his head.
But I see the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.
Yeah, today ended well. I just hope that Maya’s meeting was just as fruitful.