19. Zoe

For once,luck was on my side.

I didn’t know if he was trying to get away from me or if things were perfectly timed, but my dad had to leave the next day to visit some friends out of town. He wouldn’t be gone for long, but it would give me, Kieran, and Kit a whole day and a whole night to search the house for my mom’s research.

It had to be there. I felt it in my bones.

“Let’s check the closet in my parents’ bedroom,” I decided as I led Kieran and Kit through the house. They didn’t need any guidance. They had been in here enough to know where everything was, but I felt more relaxed having them right there with me.

“That’s a good idea. People hide things in closets all the time,” Kit replied.

“We should check all of them,” Kieran agreed.

I was willing to check anywhere and everywhere at this point. We headed into the bedroom, my heart aching at the sight of a framed photo of my mom on the nightstand. My dad probably stared at it at night before bed, missing her being in bed next to him.

I tore my eyes away and opened up the small walk-in closet next to the dresser, stepping inside to glance over the hung-up clothes and shoeboxes. When Kieran and Kit squeezed inside too, warmth flooded my cheeks as we bumped and squeezed past each other. Their bodies were as firm and athletic as the other firefighters.

And they smelled good too. Like the wood in their house and maybe something sweet like cinnamon.

Honestly, I was getting a bit of whiplash. We kept reminiscing about the past, but when I focused on the present, I saw two handsome firefighters who weren’t afraid to get in my space at all. We were so comfortable with each other, which was dangerous.

It made me want to touch them more.

“Nothing in here,” Kieran sighed as he peeked inside a few boxes on a shelf above our heads.

“Yeah, nothing,” Kit replied as he looked behind the clothes. He turned around and almost ran right into me, his hands grabbing my hips.

I still stepped back out of surprise, my back hitting Kieran’s chest. Heat flooded my entire body as I glanced between them, hoping that my blush wasn’t that obvious. The last thing I wanted to do was make things awkward if they weren’t attracted to me in that way.

“Sorry,” I said.

“My fault,” Kit assured me, flashing me a comforting smile before letting go of my hips. He turned and led me out of the closet. “What next?”

“Let’s check the office again. I might’ve missed something in her documents,” I suggested.

Kieran’s hand brushed my back as he squeezed past me.

“Let’s do it,” he said.

I watched them both walk ahead of me, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Were they looking for reasons to touch me? Or maybe I was being wistful.

Shaking my head at myself, I followed them to my mom’s office, and we divided up the folders in her filing cabinet.

“Just skim and see if there’s anything about fires,” I told them as we sat down on the floor in a triangle like we always used to. No one felt left out that way.

I certainly wouldn’t mind being surrounded by them, though.

The sounds of pages flipping and disappointed sighs filled the room as we filtered through all of the folders. Every single one. I blinked my eyes a few times as they started to water and ache from straining so much.

I was used to digging around in documents for my job, but this was a whole other level of browsing. My mom did so many deep dives into all sorts of crime topics and specific criminals, stuffing folders full of transcripts, photos, notes, and relevant newspaper articles. It just made me surer that all her proof was hiding somewhere.

“There’s mention of a house fire in this case folder, but I doubt it has anything to do with what we’re looking for,” Kit said before tossing the folder back into his pile.

I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed.

“I guess she stashed her research somewhere else in the house. Somewhere she wouldn’t want any strangers to find,” I guessed as I started tucking folders back into the file cabinet drawers.

“Any other closets?” Kieran asked.

“There’s one in my room, but I doubt she put anything in there,” I replied as I shut the last drawer.

“Wouldn’t hurt to check,” Kit insisted with a shrug.

I didn’t really want to go into my room because it would just remind me of my last few days at home before I left for North Carolina, but I had to put my sadness aside. This case was more important because it affected more people.

Whether that was a healthy way to think or not, it still motivated me enough to nod and lead them to my room. I pushed my door open and paused, a wave of memories crashing down on me and stealing my breath away.

Packing my bags with tears in my eyes. Having one last talk with my dad as he asked over and over why I was leaving and if I had to go. Stealing a picture of my mom and me off the fridge before leaving the house.

Not looking back. Until now.

“Are you okay?” Kieran asked as his fingers brushed the back of my arm.

His touch snapped me out of my memories, making me nod and walk inside. Being back in my old room with my desk where I wrote stories, my bookshelf full of books, and my violet-themed bed with a single stuffed panda bear on it was weird. Even a little trippy.

That must’ve been the nostalgia. Or was it the trauma?

“Hey, it’s Snuggles,” Kit laughed as he picked the panda bear up. It had been my favorite stuffed animal since I was six when I got it for my birthday.

“Can’t believe you left him behind. You monster,” Kieran smirked, bumping his shoulder against mine before making his way over to the closet.

While he dug around in there, I ventured over to my bookshelf, smiling at the sight of a few origami pieces and paper airplanes. My mom and I did origami, while my dad and I made paper airplanes and threw them all over the house. I couldn’t ever bring myself to get rid of them.

I picked up an origami boat, the back of it hitting one of the paper airplanes and sending it plummeting down to the ground.

“Shoot,” I muttered as I crouched down next to the side of the dresser, grabbing the paper airplane off the floor. Before I could straighten up, something caught my eye behind the bookshelf. Something protruding from the wall. “Guys, can you help me move this bookshelf?”

“See something?” Kieran asked as he and Kit got on either side of the bookshelf. They grabbed the sides and hauled the bookshelf forward away from the wall, my eyes catching the way their biceps flexed from the exertion.

I could admire them later. Right now, I was focused on the hidden compartment in the wall, closed off by a metal door. It reminded me of a built-in safe, but luckily, there was no combination for me to crack.

“Oh, yeah. I see something, alright,” I replied as I moved closer to the door, testing the flat handle until I heard a click. Please, let there be something in. Please. Please. Please.

I pulled open the door and stared inside at a thick manila folder. My heart pounded in my chest as I grabbed it and pulled it out, flipping open the top to reveal an old newspaper article.

Search Underway for Serial Arsonist Responsible for Rockview Fires

“This is it! This has to be it!” I gasped as I handed the article to Kit as they both crowded my sides. My eyes fell upon my mom’s handwritten notes, a jolt of pain lighting up my chest as my fingertips brushed the swirly writing. I focused on the actual words, tightening my jaw. “I suspect that there is more than one arsonist. Judging from the amount of effort and expertise, this has to be a multi-man operation.”

“So, we’re looking for more than one dangerous person? Great,” Kit sighed as he dragged his hand through his hair.

Kieran pulled a printed-out map of the town, motioning to a few red circles.

“I think this red circle is that old gym that shut down,” he said as he motioned to one of the circles.

“The one with the swimming pool?” I questioned him as I took a closer look at the map. What were the circles even pertaining to? There weren’t any notes on the map.

“Yeah, that one,” Kieran replied.

Kit pulled a photo out of the pile, frowning as he showed me.

“I don’t recognize these people,” he said, showing me a picture of four men standing outside on the sidewalk in front of a bar.

“Is it just me or does this picture look… sneaked? Like the photographer was hiding behind something,” I asked as I pointed to the brick wall on the right edge of the picture. It was also taken at a slight angle like the camera was poked out.

“If this is your mom’s picture, she didn’t want to be caught taking it,” Kieran pointed out before nodding to the guys. “They’re giving me a weird feeling.”

My brow furrowed as I stared at the men. They were dressed in suits and looked nice, but there was something off about them. They looked far too intimidating for some reason.

“They could have something to do with the fires. They could be our arsonists!” I told them, my pulse quickening.

Had we really found the answer?

“This is a lot of information to go through. I think we should bring everything to the crew and the police tomorrow,” Kit suggested. “But I think you’re right. We found exactly what we needed.”

I released a slow exhale, unable to keep it steady. After so many fires and so much research, I’d finally found the answer. Well, my mom had it all along.

“She did it… she really did it,” I murmured.

Kieran slipped his arm around my waist, while Kit’s arms went around my shoulders, sandwiching me and steadying me.

“She was awesome,” Kit said in a gentle voice.

“Our second mom,” Kieran added.

My bottom lip threatened to quiver as I nodded.

“I miss her… all the time,” I replied before looking between them. “I want to make her proud.”

“You’re finishing what she started,” Kit pointed out. “She’d be so damn proud.”

A warm smile crossed my lips as the cold sadness started to melt away. Radiant happiness bloomed in my chest as I held our hope and victory in my hands. We’d done it.

“I could use a drink. What about you guys?” Kieran asked.

I took a deep breath and nodded, holding the folder against my chest as Kieran and Kit moved the bookshelf back into place.

“Why don’t we order a pizza and hang out in the living room like old times?” I suggested, figuring something familiar could help us relax after our discovery.

I didn’t know what to make of everything yet, but I knew it was something huge. Whoever those men were was an important piece to this puzzle, and I was determined to complete it. For my mom. For the crew. For the town.

For myself.

By the time the pizza was delivered and the guys returned with a six pack, I was ready to clear my mind and try to relax. Tomorrow, we would crack this thing wide open. We could put a stop to it all, and I could write the best story of my life.

Everything had paid off. All the pain from coming back. All the confusion regarding my budding feelings for the crew. Everything.

“To memories, new and old,” Kieran said as we all sat down on the fuzzy rug in front of the couch. We clinked our beers together before stealing a slice of pizza each from the box in between us.

Obviously, we were drinking juice or soda back in the day, but this still kind of felt like old times.

There was just one major thing that was different: the tension. My eyes kept catching theirs, and it wasn’t a casual look. It was a look of intention. To admire. To tease.

“I’m really glad we all got to see each other again,” I told them after finishing up my slice of pizza. My first beer was already gone, and I felt a gentle warmth buzzing beneath my skin.

“I was just thinking that,” Kieran commented with a cheeky grin that made my cheeks heat up. I missed that smile. “You were all the talk last night after you left our place.”

Kit chuckled a little and sipped on his beer instead of answering.

I cocked an eyebrow at them, feeling a surge of confidence. We were all having fun, so what the hell? A little flirting didn’t hurt anyone.

“Oh, really? I hope it was all good things,” I teased as I glanced between them, heat building in the atmosphere.

“Always,” Kit assured me as he moved the pizza box off to the side, eliminating any barriers between me and them.

“You can’t leave me hanging like that! What was said?” I pushed with a playful pout.

Kieran hummed under his breath just to taunt me before nudging Kit.

“I’m pretty sure Kit said something about how gorgeous you look,” he said.

Kit smirked and gave Kieran a light shove.

“Jerk,” he muttered before looking over at me. “But it’s true. You look beautiful, Zoe.”

Now, my face was on fire. Good thing I was hanging out with two firefighters. Hot firefighters.

“Well, you two are looking quite handsome yourselves,” I responded, riding that wave of confidence to get closer and closer to them. “I didn’t want to say anything in case that made things… weird.”

“We’re all grown up. It’s perfectly fine for people to compliment each other,” Kieran pointed out before moving closer to me, something sexy and devilish glinting in his eyes. His hand found my knee, his touch burning right through my tights. “Right?”

Oh, he was playing with fire. And I was going to play right along.

“Perfectly fine to touch each other too, right?” I asked as my hand rested on his before slowly gliding up his arm.

“Yes,” Kieran murmured, his voice dropping lower and quieter in a delicious whisper.

My eyes flickered over to Kit.

“And it’s perfectly fine to share too,” I said as I extended my hand out to him, beckoning him with my eyes.

Kit’s eyes darkened as he peered at my hand. After another sip of his beer, he set it to the side and grabbed my hand, pulling me forward instead.

I gasped as I stumbled onto my knees, being dragged onto his lap before my mind could even catch up. My nails dug into Kit’s shoulders as I straddled his waist, our eyes locking.

“Kit…” I couldn’t get another word out before he claimed my lips with his.

Kit gripped my thighs, squeezing my flesh through my tights and under my black skirt. He dragged his teeth across my bottom lip, all of his pent-up desire spilling over.

My heart hammered against my chest as I buried my fingers in his curly hair, my tongue brushing his as our kiss deepened. It wasn’t long before I felt the heat of Kieran’s body behind me, a shiver traveling up my spine.

Kieran’s lips teased my neck as he untucked my shirt from my skirt, edging it up my body to take it off. He unclasped my bra, tearing it from my body and grasping my breasts from behind a second later.

I moaned into Kit’s mouth, reveling in the slight roughness of Kieran’s hands. Every squeeze and tweak of my nipples sent tremors of pleasure through me, making me mindlessly grind against Kit.

“You’re killing me,” Kit groaned as he gripped my chin, his tongue breaking through the seam of my lips to taste me.

“She knows what she does to us,” Kieran murmured before dealing a teasing bite against the back of my shoulder.

A broken cry ripped from me, my hands tugging on Kit’s button-down shirt.

“Please… touch me,” I begged, needing more stimulation because the build-up was so torturously good.

Kieran teasingly licked a line up between my shoulder blades, making me shudder. He twisted my nipples between his fingertips, chuckling as I bucked my hips in Kit’s lap.

“Oh, we will,” he assured me before stealing me out of his brother’s lap. He turned me around, laying me back on the rug and parting my thighs with his legs.

Kit hovered by my head, leaning down to capture my lips in a numbing kiss. He palmed my breasts, muffling my moans as Kieran flipped my skirt up.

Kieran clicked his tongue.

“These are in the way,” he commented before grabbing the material of my tights and ripping them down the middle.

A shocked gasp rang from me, cool air hitting my exposed thighs and panties.

Kieran pushed my panties to the side and leaned down, swiping his tongue up my folds.

I dropped my head back as a weak moan drifted from me.

“Yes, please…” I pleaded, feeling the gentle caress of his tongue against my clit. Each stroke felt like heaven, fire coursing through every inch of me.

Kit grinned down at me.

“I’ve been wanting to do this since laying eyes on you yesterday,” he told me.

I gave him a blissful smile as I reached up to press my hand against the ridge in his fitted khakis.

“Show me,” I insisted, licking my lips.

Kit’s jaw tensed, and I could tell my words got to him. He rose to his feet and pulled off his clothes, his erection springing free from his briefs. Kneeling back down next to my head, he fed his cock through my open lips.

“Fuck, your mouth feels amazing,” he groaned as I bobbed my head, taking in more and more inches.

Kieran looked up from working two fingers inside of me.

“Greedy girl,” he chastised me as he rocked his fingers in and out. “What do you think, Zoe? Want me to fill you too?”

I moaned around Kit, nodding as much as I could without taking his cock out of my mouth. My eyes rolled up to Kit’s, enjoying how he tilted his head back in bliss.

Kieran removed his fingers and sat up, taking off his shirt and freeing his cock from his jeans. He pushed the head against my entrance, easily sliding inside of me.

“So wet for us,” he praised me. “You’re doing so good.”

His encouraging words and thick cock nearly made my head spin. Heat swirled low in my stomach, seeping between my thighs as Kit started thrusting into my mouth.

It didn’t take long for Kieran to match his brother’s pace, both of them rocking in and out of me. Bliss overtook me, filling every cell of my body. My hands coursed up my body, grasping my breasts and teasing my nipples as they watched me with dark eyes.

“That’s it,” Kit murmured. “So fucking sexy.”

Kieran groaned in agreement, lowering his eyes to watch his cock disappear deep inside of me over and over.

“I can feel you squeezing me,” he told me. “I bet you want to come so bad, huh?”

I moaned again, spit seeping out of the corners of my mouth as Kit continued to thrust past my lips. The deeper he went, the more tears filled my eyes, but it felt so good. Their pleasure was mine.

Kieran pressed his thumb against my clit, rubbing steady circles as he pounded into me.

“Come on, baby,” he gritted out. “I want you to come all over my cock.”

Kit raked his fingers through my hair, gripping tightly as he shoved himself down my throat.

“Oh, fuck,” he growled as he spilled.

Tears spilled from my eyes as I swallowed him down, a pink hue filling my cheeks as the heat consumed me whole. The friction on my clit and Kieran’s deep thrusts were a deadly combination, shuttling me toward a hard, intense orgasm. Every muscle in my body locked up before I succumbed to intense shakes, only able to gasp my pleasure as Kit pulled away.

Kieran slammed home, filling me even more as he came.

My body shuddered from the stimulation, my eyes rolling up to the ceiling.

“Oh… woah…” I breathed out as Kieran and Kit collapsed on their backs on either side of me.

The warmth of their bodies enveloped me, helping me come down from the high of pure euphoria. What a way to elevate our friendship.

“Yeah,” Kieran agreed.

“Woah,” Kit sighed in bliss.

We all shared a warm smile with each other, but as the minutes ticked on, I couldn’t help but notice a fluttering sensation in my stomach. It wasn’t lust or nervousness. It was something deep and enlightening. Something that could possibly ruin everything if they didn’t feel it too.