Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

“All right class,” Brianna said on Friday afternoon. “Let’s have silent reading time.” They only had about forty-five minutes left in the day.

All the sudden, there was a huge bang. Brianna jumped up from her desk and looked outside the window of her class door. Smoke. Was there a fire? The thought barely flitted through her mind when the alarm went off.

She froze, and her mind went back to being in that closet. Cries of her kids pulled her out of the memory. Blowing out a breath, she tried to calm her racing heart. This wasn’t the time to panic. Pushing her fear aside, she grabbed her phone from her desk. “Okay, kids. Line up.”

“What was that noise, Miss Brianna?” one of the girls asked with a tremor in her voice.

“I don’t know. Everything will be fine.” The kids lined up. Brianna opened her classroom door. While there was smoke, she didn’t see any flames. She glanced at the exit strategy beside the door to refresh her memory, though she didn’t need it. She never entered a building or room without knowing the exits. Never again.

“All right, kids, we’re going to leave the classroom now. We’ll go right and out the back door to our assigned area on the playground. Stay in formation and remember to hold hands.” She looked at Matt. “Matt, you’re in the lead.”

“Yes, Miss Brianna. This way everyone.” Holding hands, her kids walked out of the classroom, and she brought up the rear. The other classes were leaving, as well. They were a small school, so there weren’t many classrooms in this school, only six.

At the back door, the assistant principal held it open and directed the children away from the building. Brianna’s heart pounded as she made her way behind her class and out of the building. Everything inside her said “run”. She held up her hands, not surprised that they were shaking badly. This was her worst nightmare. As she followed her class through the door, she breathed a huge sigh of relief to be outside. The farther away from the school they got, the more that relief took hold. They were okay. She was okay.

Once they were away from the building and in the open grass area, she noticed that several of the girls were crying. “Everything will be okay.” She sat down on the grass and opened her arms.

Her students swarmed her, and that was fine. She knew their fear, and while they’d had drills, this was different. What they needed now was a distraction. She could use one too. “Let’s sing.” Brianna started singing the ABC song. One by one, the kids started singing with her.

Soon, the entire school was singing as fire trucks arrived. It was Friday, but Brianna noticed Rafe step out of the first truck. Several firefighters immediately went inside. Brianna kept her gaze on Rafe as he stood by the truck, chatting with another man.

She relaxed more. They did not seem overly concerned, so maybe this was nothing. But it wasn’t a drill either. After about five minutes, the firefighters walked out of the school and straight over to Rafe and the other man.

The principal and assistant principal joined them. After a few minutes of discussion, both women shook their heads and walked back toward the students. The principal clapped her hands, and the singing stopped.

“False alarm, everyone. Not sure who, but someone threw a smoke bomb in the hall.”

Brianna took a deep breath, letting the last vestiges of her panic go.

“The school buses will be here shortly to take you all home. If you need to grab anything from your classroom, a firefighter will escort you. We’ve got the doors open to air out the smoke.”

Just then, the school buses rolled up. Brianna stood and gathered her students. “Is there anything you need that can’t stay in the classroom until Monday?”

Two hands shot up.

“My bag has my medicine in it,” Jessie said.

“I didn’t eat my lunch today, and it will spoil,” Matt said.

“Okay. I’ll run in and get them.” Brianna looked up to see Rafe walking toward her. “I want you all to go stand with Miss Ruby’s class until I come back.” She watched her kids until Ruby looked up.

Ruby gestured as if she was slinging something over her shoulder and Brianna realized she was signaling she needed her purse, and Brianna waved. That would be easy enough to get as their classrooms were right next to each other.

“You need to go inside?” Rafe asked.

“Yes.” She was happy to see him.

“I’ll escort you.” His tone was so serious.

“Thank you.”

Rafe took her by the arm, and they walked in the door she’d come out of. The smoke was already clearing. She stopped at Ruby’s classroom.

“I thought yours was the next one,” Rafe commented.

“It is. I’m grabbing Ruby’s purse for her.” Brianna opened the door and went to the small closet to grab Ruby’s purse. Then they went to her classroom. She grabbed the kids’ stuff and then her own.

Rafe stood in the doorway, watching, his eyes shifting back and forth as if he was expecting trouble. Once outside, she gave Ruby her purse and her kids what they needed before escorting them to their buses.

Brianna turned, and Rafe was right there. “How are you doing?” he asked as he walked her to her car.

“I’m okay. I was scared at first, but I’m good now.”

“Did you see anything?”

“No. Just heard a big bang and then saw the smoke. The alarms went off a second later, and I got the kids out.”

“Good job.” Brianna pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked her vehicle. “I didn’t know you were working today.”

“I’m not. I was at the firehouse, talking with the Captain, when the alarm went off, and I came along.” He stepped closer. “I was worried about you.”

Brianna grinned. “I’m fine, especially when I realized there was no fire. I won’t say I wasn’t scared, because I was.”

“God, I want to hold you, but…” He gestured to gear he wore. “Are we still good for tonight?”

“Yes. See you later.”

Rafe leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. “I won’t be so gentle later.” He turned and walked away.

A very effective way to take her mind off the alarm this afternoon, she thought. Brianna’s skin tingled her entire drive home.

* * * *

“No!”

Brianna’s scream brought Rafe out of a sound sleep. He turned to see her head thrashing against the pillow, her face full of fear.

“Rafe…No!”

Her arms flew from side to side. Rafe sat up and captured her arms so she wouldn’t hurt herself. “Brianna.” No response. “Wake up, Brianna.” This time, he put more force behind his words.

Her eyes popped open. Fear filled them, then she blinked. “Rafe?” He released her arms. Her hands went to his face. “You’re here. You’re okay.” She was breathing heavy, as if she’d run a race.

“I’m fine, sweetheart.” He shifted on the mattress and pulled her against him. “Bad dream?”

“The worst.” A shudder went through her body.

“Want to tell me about it?” Brianna stayed silent. He began to worry.

She didn’t answer right away, just kept hugging him tight. When she finally spoke, her voice was no more than a whisper. “There was a fire, and you rushed inside, only to be trapped. I watched the building burn with you inside it.”

Oh, God. Her worst nightmare. Rafe tightened his hold on her. “It was a bad dream, probably brought on by today’s events.”

“Yes. But I can’t shake it. Rafe, I don’t want to lose you.”

He wanted to reassure her she wouldn’t lose him, but he didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. While he did everything to be safe, something could happen, something no one could predict.

“I really want to promise you I’ll be fine, but I can’t. I follow the rules when I fight fires. I don’t take chances.” She snuggled closer, letting out a long, shuddering breath, then relaxed in his embrace. “You mean a lot to me, Brianna, and I don’t want to lose you either.”

She snuggled closer to him and kissed his chin. “Then we’re on the same page.”

“We are.”

Brianna closed her eyes, but Rafe couldn’t get back to sleep. Was he being selfish by keeping Brianna in his life? He didn’t want her to have nightmares about fires or him being stuck in one. But this was his job. More than that. His vocation.

He wasn’t sure how to resolve this issue or if there even was a resolution. Maybe on Monday, he’d talk to the chief about it.

* * * *

Brianna woke in Rafe’s arms. Last night’s nightmare flashed in her mind. She tilted her head to look at Rafe. His eyes were closed, his face relaxed.

He didn’t dismiss her nightmare or her fear. The other thing was he didn’t make a promise that he couldn’t keep. Her parents used to tell her that another fire like the theirs couldn’t happen again. That was a lie. There was no way to know for sure.

Rafe had held her and done his best to comfort her, and that had gone a long way. She knew the nightmare had been triggered by what happened at school. It wasn’t Rafe’s fault.

He shifted in his sleep.

Brianna closed her eyes and soaked up his closeness, searching for a distraction. There was something she wanted to do tonight at the club, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react.

* * * *

Sierra met Brianna in the ladies’ room at Wicked Sanctuary.

“Are you sure about this?” Sierra asked.

“Yes.” She’d been thinking about this and had talked with Sierra about how the fire cupping felt. Tonight, she was going to ask Rafe to demo it on her.

“Okay, here you go.” Sierra handed her two nipple covers.

“Thank you.” Brianna was still a little self-conscious about being nude, so this was a good compromise. Leaving off her sports bra, she put the nipple covers on. “Wow, you can’t even tell I’m wearing anything.”

“Yes, these are the best ones I’ve found. Tonight, when you take them off, if they start pulling on your skin too much, take a little baby power and sprinkle it. Also, make sure you wash them really well, and you can reuse them.”

“You’re the best, Sierra.”

“Anything to help out my fellow subs.” Sierra stared at her. “Does Rafe have any idea what you’re going to ask him?”

“No. And I’m not sure if he’ll accept my idea.”

“Because of your fear of fire?”

“Yes. But, honestly, I watched him do the cupping on you, and it looked heavenly and relaxing.”

“It was very relaxing, and it really helped me feel better.”

“You weren’t feeling well?”

“I’m fine. Just tired. It energized me.”

Brianna nodded, and together, they walked into the club. Brianna instantly spotted Rafe sitting at the bar with Max and chatting with Kaley behind the bar. Taking a big breath, Brianna walked over to them.

Max nudged Rafe, and he turned around. His eyes grew wide as he slid off the stool and stalked toward her. “Sierra,” he acknowledged her, then his gaze locked on Brianna.

“See you later.” Sierra left.

“Evening, Sir.” Brianna tried to keep her tone even and soft. The smoldering look in Rafe’s eyes increased her nervousness.

He swallowed. “You’re…” Rafe shook his head. “You didn’t need to do this for me.” He waved his hand at her bare torso.

Brianna almost laughed. He hadn’t noticed. “Are you paying attention, Sir?”

Rafe frowned.

“I’m not completely nude.” She brushed her fingers over the nipple covers.

“You’re wearing pasties?”

“They could be called that. I like nipple covers better, Sir.”

“Why tonight?”

“Because…” She placed her hand on his arm, wanting to touch him as she asked. “I’d like you to do a fire cupping on me, Sir.”

“You’re not ready.”

“But I am, Sir.” She tightened her hold when he would have turned away. “I chatted with Sierra, and I’d really like to try it.” She took a step closer. “I trust you, Sir. There is no open flame on my body or even nearby. Will you try it with me, please?”

Rafe closed his eyes and then opened them. “If I do this, there will only be two cups done. I won’t leave them on more than two minutes, and if you get scared or feel they are too hot on your body, you are to tell me immediately.”

“I can do that, Sir.” Anticipation flowed through her veins.

“All right, let me ask Max if it’s okay.” Rafe took her hand in his and guided her over to where Max was sitting. “Max, Brianna would like to try fire cupping. Is it okay to do it tonight?”

Max glanced from Rafe to her, then nodded.

“This won’t last long,” Rafe said.

“That’s okay. Whenever you want to do it,” Max commented.

Rafe nodded. “First, I want you to hydrate.” He helped her onto one of the stools and stood behind her, arms around her waist. “Water for Brianna, please, Kaley.”

“Yes, Sir.”

When Kaley brought back a bottle, Brianna opened it and began drinking. Sierra mentioned that Rafe had told her to be well hydrated before.

“We won’t be able to do the cupping for at least another hour.”

“Why is that, Sir?”

“Because we ate a late lunch at four, and it needs to be five hours after a meal before I do cupping. My rule. Some will do between three and five; I like five.”

“I can live with that, Sir.”

“You don’t have a choice,” he whispered. “It also means no play tonight. I won’t risk your health in any way.”

“Okay, Sir.” Brianna leaned back against Rafe as she drank her water, and they chatted with the others at the bar. He was going to do fire cupping on her. Her skin tingled. She felt like she was crawling out of her body, and at the same time, she wanted to run for the nearest exit, then she was back to wanting to demand Rafe start their fire play session.

And… Well, she hadn’t told Rafe this, but she’d watched a couple of videos on fire cupping. It looked safe and everyone talked extensively about safety precautions. There was an ebb and flow at the bar she barely noticed until Rafe kissed the top of her head.

“I’m going to go get everything ready. Have Max or Noah bring you to the fire play room in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, Sir.” She missed his warmth and steady presence after he left.

“Are you going to be okay doing this, Brianna?” Max asked.

“Yes, Sir. Sierra and I talked, plus watching Rafe do it made me want to try.”

Max nodded. “I’ll escort you over.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Brianna finished her water and glanced at Max. “I need to run to the ladies’ room, Sir.”

“Go.”

Brianna walked out of the club and into the bathroom. She did have to go, but her heart wouldn’t calm down. Breathe. In and out, she took deep breaths, and her momentary panic subsided.

Max was outside the bathroom when she came out. “I’m ready, Sir.”

Max studied her for a moment, then nodded. Sierra walked out of the club and stood on one side of her. Max was on the other as they walked to the fire play room. Nerves caused Brianna’s stomach to turn over in a good way. It was okay to be nervous. She’d never done this before.

She almost laughed out loud. There had been a lot of firsts with Rafe and Wicked Sanctuary. She looked forward—mostly—to this new one.

Rafe had everything laid out when they arrived. He took her hand and pulled her into the scene area. “Do you still want to do this?”

“Yes, Sir.” She cupped his cheek. “I’ll be fine, Sir. I want to try this.”

Rafe nodded. There was still concern in his eyes, but he listened to her. “All right, let’s get you onto the table.” He helped her up.

Brianna folded her arms and laid her head on them, but she turned her face away from Rafe.

“I’m going to put a rolled-up towel over the back of your neck.”

“Why, Sir?” He hadn’t done that with Sierra.

“While there is no fire, I don’t want to catch your hair with a cup. I shouldn’t since I’m not doing it that high. Safety issue for me.”

“Okay, Sir.” She had a feeling Rafe was being extra careful with her. He placed the towel over her neck.

“Now, I’m going to rub oil on your back.”

She jumped a little when the oil hit her skin, but Rafe massaging the oil into her skin over and over made her relax into his touch. She closed her eyes and let her mind just drift.

“Here we go,” Rafe told her quietly.

The next sensation was something she couldn’t really describe. There was warmth and the sensation of her skin being pulled tight once and then a second time. She immediately became calmer, more relaxed.

The pull on her skin wasn’t unpleasant, just different. Then the suction was released. A rush of tranquility flowed over her as her skin settled. She laid there as Rafe poured more oil on her skin and rubbed it in. Then he covered her back with something.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir.” While the scene itself had been short, her body seemed fully satisfied.

“Just lay there while I clean up.”

Brianna didn’t have a problem with that. She wasn’t even sure she could stand. Sierra hadn’t said anything about that, only that she’d been energized by the fire cupping. Now that Brianna could think, there was a strange buzzing through her body. It wasn’t unpleasant, just unlike anything she’d experienced before.

“Brianna.” Rafe’s voice was soft. “Ready to get up?”

“You’re done, already?”

“Yes.”

Brianna lifted her head and straightened her arms, arching her back. Tingles spread out as the towel slipped down.

“I’ve got you.” Rafe helped her swivel and sit with her legs over the table. With his hands at her waist, he lifted her up and into his arms. In the aftercare area, he sat with her in his lap, a blanket wrapped around her upper body. He handed her an open water bottle to drink from. “How do you feel?”

“Great, Sir. I didn’t even hear you light the wand to do the fire part.” That wasn’t a bad thing either.

“You might feel some soreness tomorrow. The cupping can bring toxins out of your body. But you’ll be with me, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“I never do with you.” She gazed up at him. “I loved what you did, Rafe.”

His eyes grew wide.

“I know it’s probably not the right time to say it, but…” He placed his fingers over her lips.

“It’s the perfect time. I’m glad you wanted to try. We haven’t known each other that long, and I didn’t want to pressure you.”

“You never pressure me.” She realized that was true. “I’m so glad I met you, and you became my Dom.”

“Same for me.” He cradled her against his body. “Any pain?”

“Just some tingling, otherwise, no.”

“Good. Just rest, and we’ll go home in a bit and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Yes, Sir.” Brianna closed her eyes, content to be in his arms.

* * * *

Rafe grinned from ear to ear when he walked into the firehouse on Monday. He and Brianna had spent a wonderful weekend together. She’d enjoyed the fire cupping, and he was in awe of her for taking that challenge on. He’d been worried at first that she was doing it to make him happy. But she’d convinced him she wasn’t. Brianna was the most amazing woman he’d ever met.

Hell, he’d almost hit the floor when he thought she’d come into the club topless. Rafe didn’t consider himself possessive, but found with Brianna, he didn’t want her showing too much of her body in the club.

“Hey, Rafe,” the captain called from his office.

“Yeah, Captain.” Rafe leaned against the door frame.

“I’m going to need your expertise this morning.” The captain pointed to the chair in front of his desk.

Rafe moved into the office and sat down. “What’s going on?”

“Well, I think our little arsonist is back.”

Rafe sat back in the chair. “What happened?”

The captain explained about two suspicious fires over the weekend, and he wanted another pair of eyes. They’d had so many fires lately that something wasn’t adding up. At eight-thirty, the Captain and Rafe headed out to the first fire.

It was an old warehouse down by the water. While the Captain drove, Rafe questioned him about why he thought it was arson. The Captain gave his opinion, and once they got to the scene, they both made sure they were dressed properly before entering the warehouse.

Rafe stopped just inside the door and looked around for the point of origin. “It looks like it started in the back and moved forward.”

“That was my deduction, as well. When we got here, the building was almost fully involved.”

Rafe made his way slowly into the structure. The windows had heavy smoke deposits on them. Interesting. They shouldn’t have been that damaged. When he made it to the next part of the warehouse, he stopped.

“It started here.” The damage in this room was much worse. The windows had either cracked or been blown out, and there was a hint of something in the air. “There’s a chemical smell.” Rafe studied the floor. “And the burn pattern is wrong.”

“That’s what I thought. Shall we head over to the other one?”

“Yes. I can come back to this one with more equipment and take samples.” Rafe ran his hand over his face. He had a feeling he knew what he’d find, and it would match some of the other investigations.

The next one was an empty store front in town. By the grace of God, the fire hadn’t spread to any of the other stores. This one had the same pattern. “Damn, this isn’t looking good,” Rafe said.

“That’s why I wanted your opinion.”

“I hate to say we have a serial arsonist, but we’ve had too many fires.” Rafe shook his head.

“I agree. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. At first, I thought maybe it was kids playing around, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Let me grab some equipment and see what else I can determine, but I’d let the higher ups know what we’ve found.”

“On it.” They walked back to the truck.

Once back at the firehouse, Rafe grabbed his arson equipment, loaded it into the small truck that belonged to the fire department, then drove back out to the first scene. He really hoped this was kids, but he had a feeling it wasn’t.

Rafe took his time at each scene, including talking with the neighbors of the empty store and near the warehouse to find out if anyone had seen or heard anything. He also stopped by the police station and picked up the preliminary police reports.

After dropping off his samples at the lab, he went back to the firehouse and set up in the conference room. He pulled all the reports of the fires over the last three months to see if he could find a pattern. It was going to be a long week.

At least he could look forward to seeing Brianna. When he worked until six, she had him come by her place, and they ate dinner together. She was a much better cook than she liked to believe. He didn’t spend the night—much as he wanted to—but it didn’t stop him from kissing or touching her.

He rubbed his forehead as he put another file on the not-arson pile. Something wasn’t adding up here, and he was determined to figure out what it was.