Shain Chapter 17

The smoke was so thick I wasn't able to see my hand in front of me, and it was getting worse. The two-story house's fire was fully involved. The house, I was afraid, was a total loss. So why was I here risking my life?

According to the mom outside, one of her children, her ten-year-old son, was still unaccounted for. She'd gotten the five-and-two-year-olds out, but not the oldest. I was searching this far corner on the second floor, hoping to find him. The rest of my team was spread out. Grey was on the first floor, and Frank was helping him there. They had "gone interior," as we called it. They were aggressively attacking the fire from the inside with the hose, while outside were Pete and our captain, Noah, fighting the flames from there and trying to beat it back long enough for us to get the boy out.

I kept calling his name, hoping he'd hear me and call out so I could find him, but there was nothing. Most people would be shocked at how loud it was in a burning building—the roar of the fire, the creaking, and other noises. Thumps of things falling was one of them. You had to constantly be on alert to avoid things falling on you, watching for the walls and floors to collapse. The heat, even in my protective clothing, was literally hot as hell. Fires could get as hot as eleven hundred degrees Fahrenheit. I had to "get low" in order to get in, and the crawling slowed me down considerably. Thank God I had my self-contained breathing apparatus, SCBA.

I was part of the truck company, which means I went inside the structures. I was to conduct a primary search to find any victims. In this case, I knew who was in there because of the mom. As I went along, I tried to look at the extent of the fire, but I didn't have time to find voids, bust into walls, or attic spaces. The others were part of the engine company which directly fought the fire.

When we went inside, it was apparent the main seat of the fire was in the kitchen. Frank and Grey were applying or blacking out the fire with water. The water when it made contact would turn into steam which would cool the burning surface and smother the flames. They had to worry about steam burns and regular ones. Never a safe moment.

The heat and smoke, even with my SCBA on, were getting to the point where I would have to call it soon. I hated the idea, but dying here would do no one any good. Pausing to yell one more time, I sent up a prayer before I did. The relief that washed through me when I heard a small, scared voice answer me off to my right was intense. I crawled there, still calling his name, until I felt small hands pat my arm.

"Caleb, I need you to come with me. I'm Shain. Your mom is outside waiting for you."

"I want my mom," he bawled.

I got him bundled up, and I knew he was too frightened to walk or even crawl out of there with me, so I hoisted him up and bent in half. I started back the way I came. I soon found out I wasn't leaving the same way I came. The flames had jumped and were now blocking the stairs. Getting on the radio, I gave an update.

"Chief, this is Kinsley. Over."

I paused for his response.

"Go ahead. Over."

"I found the boy. We're trying to exit, but the stairs to the second floor are blocked by the flames. Do you have another evacuation point? Over."

"Good work, Kinsley. Can you get to the southwest corner? There's a window there, and there appear to be no flames. We can move the ladder truck. Over," Noah replied without hesitation.

"I can. We'll head there now. Over."

"Go. I'll make sure the truck is there for you. Be careful. Over."

"We will. Out."

Finished with the conversation, I changed directions and went back the way we came. Only this time, I felt my way into the area that I hadn't inspected since I found Caleb first. The smoke here was a tad less, but not much. I used my hand to follow the wall. Thankfully, it wasn't burning hot. The smoke was beginning to have a much brighter hue, which told me I was near a window. I was quite sure I was in the southwest corner. From what I recalled from my quick scan of the house from the outside when we arrived, it should be.

When I got to the light, it was a window. Glancing out, I saw the ladder being raised. Sheltering Caleb between me and the window, I unlocked it and yanked up to open it. It didn't budge. Please don't tell me it's painted shut. I hated it when people did that. I gave it two more heaves before, luckily, it opened. The flames weren't near us yet, so the addition of oxygen from the window wouldn't feed the fire. Pete was the guy on the ladder.

"Come on, buddy. I'm gonna get you out of here," Pete called out to him.

The boy whimpered and buried his face in my stomach as he clung to me with a death grip. I knew he was too frightened to do as instructed because of the way he was clinging to me. The only way to get him out of here was to go out the window myself with him attached to me.

"Are the others still inside?" I shouted to Pete.

Pete shook his head. "It got so intense they were coming out when I was coming around with the truck. The house can't be saved."

"Okay, I'm coming out. I need you to be ready to grab him when I get close enough, then get him down. He's scared to death. He needs his mom."

"I've got you both. Can you lean him out further?"

"Yeah, let me brace myself."

It was no fun to be balanced precariously on a window ledge two stories up as you attempted to get someone to let go and rely on someone's grip to keep you safe. The ladder was relatively sturdy to us but not to your average person and definitely not to a terrified kid. I was almost tipping out of the window when Pete was able to grab Caleb. Unfortunately, Caleb panicked and began to kick and scream. I wobbled. His arms tightened around me.

"Caleb, I need you to look at me and listen. Stop kicking and fighting. This is important," I said forcefully. It took him several moments to raise his head to make eye contact and stop struggling.

"Good. I need you to reach out with your arms to the other fireman. I promise if you do it and don't kick or fight, he'll have no trouble getting you down and safely to your mom. Can you do that for me? Please."

He nodded jerkily. "Y-yes, I can do it."

"Okay, good. On the count of three, I want you to let go and reach as far as you can. When I tell you, I need you to let your legs go, too. Ready. Here we go. One."

"Two." I felt him stiffen when I said it.

"Three."

The poor kid had a petrified expression, but he gained the courage to let go and reach. When Pete nodded to indicate he had a good hold on him, I told Caleb to let go with his legs that he had around my middle. This time, there was hesitation for a couple of seconds, and then his legs relaxed. He swung in the air a small distance to the ladder and Pete. His scream was loud, but he was good. Pete had him bundled up to him and started down the ladder in no time. This meant it was my turn to get the hell out of there.

I stretched to reach the ladder. The gap was due to there being a small outbuilding up against the house. It didn't allow the truck to be backed up far enough to have the ladder touching the side of the house when fully extended to its max of twenty-four feet. They must've not had time to put the roof ladder on, too. It wasn't a big deal. I'd done this many times. I let go and jumped.

When I made it without incident, I breathed a sigh of relief and then hustled my ass to the ground. I wanted to see how Caleb was doing and if the rest of my team was okay. It was a shame the house was a loss, but it would be a travesty if anyone had died, including us. Quickly rounding the house, I scanned to see if everyone was present and accounted for and their condition.

Caleb was with his mom and siblings, who were a safe distance away, sitting in the back doors of the ambulance. A paramedic was checking him out as well as he could, with Caleb glued to his mom. She was crying. My team was all present in the yard, and from what I saw, no one was injured. The roar of the fire got louder as the roof collapsed. I wondered what caused it. Being in the kitchen, had someone left the stove on? I was always curious about the causes of fires and often hung with the inspector, if possible, to see how he or she worked to determine the source. I'd put in a lot of studying on my own to learn more about this aspect.

I didn't get the chance to do it today. After a check in with my crew and making sure the family was alright, we watched them be transported to the hospital to be checked out thoroughly and we were dispatched to another fire. Christ, I hoped it wasn't gonna be a back-to-back nonstop day. Those drained you of every bit of energy.

???

Unfortunately, my prediction was true. We barely had time to catch our breaths before we were called out to another fire. Some were worse than others, but wearing our suits and equipment, fighting the fire, then adding in hoses, and all the other stuff we did was physically draining. I was ready to drop when I walked out the door to Daredevil's truck.

This was my first time driving myself to and from work. He had to go out of town to inspect a project. They had a deadline and he wanted to be sure they met it. He wouldn't be home until late. He insisted I take his truck and not my bike since I was always tired after a shift. Good thing he couldn't see me. I was almost unsteady on my feet. My legs felt like Jello.

I moaned as my ass hit the seat. I turned on the truck, and then the next task was getting the seat warmer going. It would help my sore muscles or at least a small section of them. I'd take it. The air was brisk, but I left the window all the way down as I drove home. It was wonderful to smell clean air. It helped to clear the smoke stench from my nose, which lingered after every shift. It took a while to get rid of it. The second reason I had it down was the sharpness of the air, which helped to keep me awake. The last thing I wanted to do was wreck and hurt myself or someone else.

The sight of the Infidels' compound was so damn welcome I wanted to cheer. The truck was equipped with a controller to allow it to open the gate. When I was on my bike, I entered a code in a box on this side of it. Prospects weren't assigned to be there all the time. Today was one of those days they weren't. Impatiently, I waited for it to open wide enough to allow me in without scraping the sides of the truck. I doubted he'd be happy with me if I did.

Driving up the main road, I parked it in its usual spot in front of the clubhouse. When I shut off the engine, I sat there with my head resting on the steering wheel. I needed a minute to get the strength to walk to our trailer. Maybe I should've parked there and then put it in its spot later after I slept. Damn, that sounded good to me. I was about to restart it and drive to the backside of the building when my door was abruptly opened.

I jumped as I noted Cullen standing there frowning. "Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine. Just tired. I'm debating driving this monster to the trailer to tell you the truth. I don't think I can walk that far," I admitted wearily, though I didn't know why I thought he needed to know. I was getting to know him and Colton, although admittedly, I wasn't around them as much as the others. They were kept crazy busy. I was kinda surprised he came over to check on me.

"You don't need to be driving anywhere. You look like you're about to pass out. Scoot. I'll take you to the trailer." As he said it, he unbuckled my seatbelt and gently pushed on my side. Too tired to fight him, I fumbled my way over to the passenger seat. I didn't care if my ass was in his face or not. I slumped there and closed my eyes. The ride was a matter of moments, but I was almost asleep when he stopped, and then I was basically removed from the vehicle and prodded into the trailer.

"Do you need me to call anyone?"

"No, I'm really fine, Cullen. Just tired. I'm gonna take a shower and a nap."

He wasn't happy to leave me without marching me to our room, but I doubted he wanted me to tell Daredevil he was in our bedroom, even if it was for an innocent reason.

"Thank you, Cullen. I appreciate you doing this. I hate to be shitty and not offer you something to drink, but I've gotta sleep."

"No problem. Go sleep. If you need something, call me. Here, let me give you my number?" he reached out to me.

"Actually, Daredevil programmed everyone's numbers in my phone, including yours and Colton's. I've got them. Thank you again."

He gave me a chin lift then closed the door. I dragged myself to the bathroom. I had to shower then go to bed. It ended up being the quickest shower of my life. My head barely hit the pillow and I was down and out.

???

The sensation of being in a sauna brought me out of a deep sleep. I was fumbling to get out of the water when I realized I was in bed burning up, and it wasn't due to a sauna. As I tossed them aside, I became aware of the reason for my heat stroke. There was a hard, naked man pressed up against my back. The heat he was generating combined with mine was smothering.

I whipped my head to the side. Those beautiful green eyes I loved were studying me. Blinking, I checked the clock over his shoulder. God, I wondered if I'd slept all evening for him to be home. I was surprised to note it was only nine, not eleven or later. He told me this morning not to expect him until at least eleven or later. I'd only planned to sleep an hour and then get up so I could sleep tonight with him. Typically, being on the day shift, I didn't go to bed when I got off work, so I'd keep to a regular schedule.

"What're you doing home this early?" I asked. My voice sounded hoarse.

"Why're you hoarse? Are you okay? Cullen said you could barely walk and couldn't drive to the trailer. Why didn't you call me? I would've had someone come get you." There was a slight bite of reprimand in his tone.

"Whoa, slow down. Give me a minute to get my brain working." I took time to stretch and yawn, then shake myself before drinking water from the glass on my nightstand. He must've put it there. Feeling a tad more alert, I answered him.

"I get hoarse sometimes when I inhale too much smoke. It'll go away. I'm fine, just tired. It was an extremely busy day. We ran our asses off. Yeah, I was tired, but there was no need to call you or make someone come get me. How did the job go? I thought you said you'd be gone until late?"

"The job went well. I left when I got Cullen's call about you. When I got here, you were dead to the world. I couldn't wake you up, so I got in with you. Go back to sleep, babe. Do you need anything?" He kissed my shoulder.

"I don't want more sleep right now. Cullen called you? He didn't need to do that. I don't like messing up your work," I huffed.

"Shain, you mean more to me than any fucking job. He was worried. He told me he never saw you this tired. Everyone knows if something goes on with you, they're to call me."

"What!?"

"Yeah, it's my job and privilege to take care of you. I know you can be stubborn and independent, and I love those things, but sometimes you need to let others help. You being as tired as he said worried me. Since you're not going back to sleep, let's get up, and while I make us something to eat, you can tell me about what you did to exhaust yourself so much."

"Okay, but we'll be revisiting the whole calling you thing."

"We can, but it won't change anything. Now up. Come on," he smacked my ass, then got out of bed with a smirk on his face. I was distracted by his naked glory. My body reacted, and I debated for a second whether we should stay in bed and do something else.

"Hey, none of those come-hither looks until after I feed you," he warned me, but he was grinning as he said it. Tease.

Making a production out of pouting, I slowly got out of bed to get dressed. He threw on a pair of shorts. Man, guys had it so easy when it came to clothing. Wish all I had to do was slip on a pair of shorts. The image of me running around like him made me giggle.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing. I'll tell you later. I need to go to the bathroom."

Ten minutes later, I was in the kitchen at the table, watching him prepare a quick stir fry as I began telling him about my day. I tried to get him to let me help, but he was adamant I should rest. Talk about me being stubborn. He was the king of it.

As I described the various calls, I saw how he wrinkled up his forehead. I had to see why. "Why're you frowning like that?"

"I'm concerned with what you go through. It's dangerous as hell, Shain."

I sighed. "Rome, you knew what I did before we got together. I love it even if it is tiring and dangerous. We train to minimize the danger part as much as possible, but there are no guarantees that if I go in, I'll come out. I want to give those to you, but I can't. I won't lie. Can you live with that?" I was terrified he'd say no. I didn't know what I'd do if he suddenly felt he wouldn't be able to.

He came over to me and practically lifted me to my feet. His arms came around me, and he squeezed me as he stared deeply into my eyes. "I won't lie. I wish you worked in a boring office all day where the worst I had to worry about was you getting a paper cut, but let me finish," he said as my mouth opened. I remained quiet.

"I know you'd never be happy, and I want you to be. I know I would hate it if you told me I couldn't do my job or said I had to leave the club. They're a part of me, just like firefighting is a part of you. I just need you to be as careful as you can because I can't lose you. You're vital to my happiness and very existence."

My heart melted, and if I hadn't already loved the man to distraction, this would've made me fall in love with him. I pulled his head down so I could give him a blistering kiss. I made sure he knew how I felt about him. We were moaning when I was done, and I wanted to say fuck dinner, but I knew he'd never let me get away with not eating, so I had to hang on until afterward, then I'd jump him. My tiredness was forgotten.

"Let's get dinner done so I can have my wicked way with you," I whispered to him. The grin he got on his face told me he had an idea, maybe more than one, and I was in for one helluva night.

"It's a date. Sit and stop distracting me with all your deliciousness," he commanded.

I did as he asked. I would talk to him more about his fears later. I wanted to keep the good mood going. It would relax me more than anything else. I didn't know why I was so exhausted. Maybe I was coming down with something. I hoped not. I was new and didn't want to start out missing work within the first couple of months. It set a terrible tone. I rarely ever took time off or called off at my old department. I didn't intend to do it here.

The next hour dragged on for me as he finished cooking, and we ate. It did so because I wanted to have him naked in our bed. I had a different hunger, needing to be appeased. While he cooked and we ate, he filled me in about his day. I didn't understand some of the things he referred to about being a machinist. However, it was fascinating, and I saw how much he loved what he did. He explained he was a precision machinist, which meant the work he did was to create one-of-a-kind items or small batches of them for clients. I discovered that he even had some of his own designs, which he had patents on. Lots of engineering went into it. I was very impressed and found it interesting even if I wouldn't do it myself.

As we wound down, my desire began to ramp up even more. Giving me his sexy smile, he suggested I go relax and have a soak and let him clean up. He explained he'd showered when he got home. He wanted to set the mood, as he called it. God, what was in store for me? Whatever it was, I was more than happy to prepare myself. I rushed off to the bathroom.