TREX HQ

“We’ve already had this discussion, Ryan.” Bailey shook her head at the persistence of her intel recruit. “You broke the rules.”

“For good reason,” he practically cried. “Please, Bailey. Hear me out. I need back in.”

“Because of a car sitting outside your apartment? The gray Chevy Impala happens to be the most common car in America. How do you know it’s the same one Jake saw?”

“I don’t, but he does. I believe him.”

“Good for you. It’s not enough.”

Ryan sighed, clearly frustrated. Too damn bad. It took more than seeing a common car outside his apartment to convince her to grant him access again. “I’m telling you, there’s something Murphy said to Jake that’s not right.”

“If this is about his comment how everything is falling into place, we’re already on it.”

“No. He knew Jake didn’t live with his uncle.”

She pulled up the transcript from the event and reread it, seeing nothing worthy of a second glance. “So? He never lived with his uncle.”

“Then why would Murphy make that comment?” Ryan wouldn’t let it go. He was like a dog with a bone. It was one of the many reasons she recruited him. Right now, it only annoyed her. They didn’t have time to debate this. He’d been suspended for abusing his access to track down his mother’s infidelities. One more strike and he was out. TREX didn’t have a three-strike rule. It stopped at two.

“A bad assumption?” Even as she said it, she didn’t believe it. Ryan was on to something. “People your age don’t live at home. I moved out when I was eighteen.”

“Twenty-seven is the new eighteen.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s the average age now. In this economy, people move back home after college. Between the debt from student loans and the rent for even a one-bedroom apartment anywhere close to a city, we can’t afford to live on our own.”

Dread slowly crept into her brain, slowing her thoughts. Why would Murphy mention Jake’s living situation? That convinced her. She knew better than to ignore gut instinct, even if it wasn’t her gut. “What are you thinking?”

“I think he knows Jake is TREX.”

Bailey’s pulse kicked up. “Keep going.”

“He seemed way too eager to help Jake with his political ambitions. He handed his phone over—freely—and didn’t even question when Jake set it on top of his. It’s like the guy wanted us to clone his phone. Or…”

“Or he cloned Jake’s at the same time.” Shit. Shit! Why hadn’t she put all this together? Was she losing her touch? Once again, she’d let her own recruit outshine her.

“Please unlock my access.”

She was already on it. “Done.”

“Thank you.” Ryan typed even faster than Bailey. In no time, he shared something on Bailey’s screen. “Check it out.”

“What am I looking at?” It was a bunch of random addresses on Bainbridge Island.

“This is a hot sheet the fire department monitors. It’s a list of buildings at risk for fire. If the building goes up, the fire department does its best to contain the blaze, but doesn’t enter unless there’re signs of life. Jake had it on his phone, which means it’s safe to assume Murphy now has it on his. See that last address? That’s Jake’s building.”

“His old building,” she corrected. “Why are you showing me this? It’s been condemned. He’s not there.”

“It’s Saturday. He is there. Now do you understand why I’m so close to a stroke? He’s there looking for Kayla’s necklace,” Ryan explained, his tone urgent, thick with worry. “What if Murphy had him followed? Bailey, if the fire department doesn’t know he’s there, they’ll let the building burn. He’ll be trapped.”

“You’re jumping to conclusions, cadet.” She hoped.

“Am I?” The clicking of the keyboard echoed over the line. Bailey waited, knowing it’d be worth it. Whatever he tracked had him on edge, worried about his partner. His worry made her worry. “There. Recognize the car? Now do you believe me?”

It was a satellite image of a silver Chevy Impala parked outside Jake’s old building.

“Stand by,” she muttered and ended the call to make another, one she’d hoped to never make. Damn it. Murphy was after her recruit. She had to stop him before he succeeded. “Secure the line.” Once she heard the clicks, she continued. “TREX. Bravo-Bravo-Six-Two-Six. We have a situation.”

* * *

[Jake]

That necklace had better be here. It’s freaky as hell being in this old debilitated building after dark, no light, no occupants, yet I hear movement. God only knows the number of bugs and rodents that have made this building their home, both before and after it’s been condemned.

I shift the beam of my flashlight around Kayla’s old apartment, looking for anything to catch the light. I see nothing and shuffle further inside. It’s got to be here somewhere.

Another noise catches in my ears and snags my attention. Are those footsteps? I swing the flashlight around but see nothing and curse my imagination for overreacting. Why the hell am I even here? Finding her necklace won’t prove anything more than I’m a crazy son of a bitch who doesn’t know when to give up on a lost cause.

But Kayla is no lost cause. Lost, yes. She needs me, needs me to show her who she really is. I can’t imagine going through life not knowing who I am. I don’t want her spending another day doubting herself. She can be so much stronger. So much more confident. I want to be the one to show her how.

If I can’t find the necklace, I’ll buy her a new one. I’ll buy her a hundred necklaces if that’s what it takes to prove how much I love her. Why’s it so hard for her to believe how I feel? The more I think about all our fights, all the times she’s pushed me away, the more pissed I get. Who is she to give me shit for being the way I am? At least I’m honest with myself, which is more than I can say for her.

Goddamn her for doing this to me. I’m a good guy, at least most of the time. Now I want to be better. I want to be more than I am. For her. Because of her. She opened my eyes to who I really am. I don’t want to be the guy who says whatever it takes to get into a girl’s pants. I want to be a man of my word. I want her to trust when I say something, I mean it.

Three weeks. Three weeks of fighting, making up, and fighting some more. I never tried to be someone I’m not with her. Not once. I hate that she’s got me so crazy I can’t think of anything but her. No girl has ever had this much of an effect on me.

I’m not going anywhere. No matter how many times I say it, I see the doubt clouding Kayla’s eyes. I hate that she’s so scared. And of what? Of herself. Of being happy. No one should ever go through life scared of being happy. I’m going to show her the true meaning of happiness, just as soon as I find that goddamn necklace.

I draw in a deep breath and stop. I sniff the air. What is that? Plastic? It smells like it did the night Kayla caught the light fixture on fire.

And then the fire moved into the wiring.

I lift my gaze to the ceiling and sniff the air once again. I then smell around the floor, the walls, then the ceiling. Yep. It’s definitely in the ceiling. Fire. The air starts to grow warm and thick. I jerk the light around but see nothing. Where the hell is it hiding?

The radio on my hip crackles to life, scaring the shit out of me. “Bainbridge Island Fire Department, be advised. There’s a report of smoke at 121 Madison Drive.”

Shit. Shit! That’s this building. The boys killed all the hot spots. I watched them do it. Besides, the fire wouldn’t survive two weeks feeding off the wiring without some sign. I turn and stop when I lift my gaze to the ceiling in the living room. It’s bowing, swelling from the heat. The boards pop and crack under protest. Jesus Christ, the fire is closer than I thought.

I race into the hall and skid to a stop. The fire already ate through the exits, blocking them. I run back into Kayla’s old apartment to process what to do next. I could break a window and jump, hoping I don’t shatter anything on impact—like my neck.

The radio sounds. It’s my captain. “Dispatch, we’re 10-8 to the scene.”

“Received at—”

I break protocol and cut into dispatch’s transmission. I’m not on duty and am only a cadet. That’s like a triple whammy. “It’s Cadet Swanson. I’m at 121 Madison Drive. The fire is in the rafters. I repeat. The fire is in the raf—” A deafening crash cuts me off. The roof in the living room collapses, sending me backwards. I dive into the bedroom just in time. As I land, I spot a shiny object caught between the floorboards and snag it. It’s Kayla’s damn necklace. She’d better appreciate the hell out of this.

I stand and do a quick assessment of the living room. No way am I getting out that way now, not without protective gear. The balcony is out of the question. Despite it only being attached to the building by a single bolt, I’d have to go through the fire to get to it. I take a glance at the closet and quickly dismiss the idea. That’s a death trap. My only option is the bedroom window. Now to find a way to break it without cutting myself in the process.

“Swanson?” It’s my captain over the radio and he doesn’t sound happy. “What the hell are you doing in a condemned building?”

I grit my teeth. I can’t tell him I’m here looking for Kayla’s necklace. I clasp it around my neck to keep it safe.

“I’m waiting, cadet.”

The fire is loud, angry and growling, as it eats through the floor and robs the room of oxygen. It’s already sucking the air from my lungs and I cough. “The ceiling is under an extreme amount of pressure, sir.”

“And you know this how?”

“I’m staring right at it. If we don’t get guys up there to release it, we’re going to lose the building.”

“Get the hell out of there.”

“That’s, uh…” I look around for a way out and cough as the flames move across the threshold, into the bedroom, and lick up the walls, blocking my way to the only window. It’s surrounding me and forcing me into the only room left not already engulfed in flames—the bathroom. It’s also a room with no exit. The window is too small to squeeze through.

I’m trapped.

I cover my mouth with my sleeve. “That’s going to prove to be a bit difficult, sir.”

“Goddamn it, Swanson.” This time it’s Jordan, my training officer. As my TO, it’s his ass as much as the captain’s if I die in this fire. I’ve broken just about every rule there is so far and no doubt lost my chance to ever join the department permanently. “I’m going to kick your ass when I get there.”

I can’t help but think of Kayla and her plethora of arbitrary rules. I get it. Maybe they’re not so arbitrary. If I’d followed even one of the rules, I wouldn’t be here now, trapped in the bathroom of a condemned apartment with fire closing in. Goddamn it. The timing of my epiphany sucks. “Get me out of here and I’ll be happy to take that ass-kicking.”

“We got all the hot spots,” McElroy says over the radio. “And it’s weeks later. This makes no sense.”

It clicks. The footsteps I heard. “Someone else was in here,” I tell them and cough again. “I heard them.”

“Hold it until we get there,” the captain says. “No need airing speculation.”

“No!” And there goes another rule as I talk back to the captain, disobeying a direct order. “Listen to me.” I cough hard as the smoke burns my lungs and scrapes my throat. I drop to the floor and breathe against the tiles, and keep the radio to my mouth. “You have to let me tell you what I know in case I don’t make it out of here.”

“You will not talk like that,” Jordan barks. “You’re going to make it out.”

“Let him speak.” Holy shit. I recognize that voice. It’s the assistant director of TREX, Special Agent in Charge, David Snyder. It doesn’t surprise me they have the means to hack into our transmission. TREX has ways. “Kid, you better get down every word.”

“Yes, sir.” It’s Ryan, thank God. Hearing my partner’s voice brings me comfort, like somehow, someway, he’s about to turn directly at the threat to save me. “Go ahead, Jake.”

For some reason, my throat tightens. This will be the last time I talk to him. To any of them. I’ll never see him again, never get to shake his hand and tell him how much I appreciate being his friend.

I can’t think about that now and push it into the back of my mind. “I’m in Kayla’s apartment. Her bathroom. The ceiling in her living room collapsed. The floor is on fire. There’s no way the guys are coming in that way.” I swallow hard as I glance above me. “The fire in the ceiling has already moved into the bedroom, which tells me it’s moving fast in all directions.” I squelch my fear at the thought I won’t make it through this. Being a firefighter isn’t about one person. It’s about saving the lives of others. Saving their homes. Protecting the men and women fighting the fire. It’s never about a single person. It’s always about the team.

I squeeze my eyes shut and move the radio away from my mouth as I swallow a sob. I’m not scared. I’ve trained for this. Even if the terror in my heart is racing my pulse, I refuse to let anyone hear it. I want them to save me—whether it’s TREX or the BIFD, but not at the expense of their own lives. All I can think of is Kayla, whether I’ll ever see her again. Love makes people do stupid things, like break into a condemned building to find a necklace. And I love her. God, how I love her. It squeezes my chest, twists in my gut, and makes it hard to take a breath.

“Keep going, partner.” Ryan’s voice sounds over the radio. It’s calm, soothing, but I also hear that underlying tension. He’s scared. “What else do you see?”

“No electricity.” I tried the lights when I broke in. “When I first got here, I swore I heard movement. I thought it was rodents, but now I’m positive someone else was in this building. Someone set this fire. I smelled plastic before the ceiling collapsed.”

I hear the sirens above the roar of the blaze. And then I hear the captain. “Get the arson investigator on the line. This is way too coincidental directly following the super being given the list of violations he had to fix to make this place habitable again.”

“We’ll perform our own investigation.” Definitely Snyder taking charge. “Your orders are to get Swanson to safety. We’ll take care of the rest.” His tone leaves nothing up for negotiation.

“Copy that.” The captain obviously picks up on Snyder’s tone.

Sweat pours down my face, stinging my eyes as it blurs my vision. Gasping for air, I belly crawl into the corner and eye the cast iron tub. That could work. I kick it to break the feet free of the floor and flip it over, positioning myself under it. Now, I wait.

And pray. Please, God. Let this work.

Shit. That super did this somehow. I don’t know how, since the son of a bitch is behind bars, but I know he did this. Burning the building to the ground means he doesn’t have to fix any of the violations and he’ll collect the insurance. I’m pissed he’s willing to risk the lives of all my firefighting brothers, all for a payout.

Then again, if it’s the super, why’s TREX involved? Is Murphy somehow behind this? Or Olivia Blunt? How’d either of them know about this building, know I’d be here? Unless they were having me followed.

Shit. That’s it. That car. The car that almost clipped me. Those men in the park. The same car again at Ryan’s. I’m being followed. Am I the only one? Did my appearance at my partner’s put him at risk? Or was his cover already blown? A deep foreboding sinks into my brain. What if Ryan’s accident was no accident? What if Murphy somehow arranged to have that girl turn in front of the scooter?

Something I plan to have TREX track down when I get out of here. If I get out of here.

Minutes pass and it grows harder and harder to take a breath. The heat is stifling, all-consuming. “Kayla,” I whisper. She can’t hear me and I know that, but it comforts me saying her name. I conjure up her pretty smile. “Don’t forget me.”

“There’s no way.” It’s Ryan. I close my eyes as tears stream out the corners. “There’s no forgetting Jake Swanson.”

“Ryan,” I choke on a sob and cough until I gag.

“I’m right here, buddy. I’m not leaving you.”

“Tell…Kayla…” Every breath grows more shallow as the fire surrounds me, robbing the room of oxygen. I’m not afraid to die. Everyone has their time. I just didn’t think mine would be when I’m only twenty-three. For the life of me, I can’t open my eyes. The heat is like a sauna, suffocating me as it closes in. The fire growls as it prepares to consume me, celebrating taking another victim. I try to take in air but can’t. It’s too hot. I cough and let out my last breath.

“Tell her what? Jake? Jake!” Ryan continues to yell for me, but I barely hear him.

As I fade, I feel the tub lift off me, then arms around me, lifting me. Something is dripping on my face. Only when I feel something over my mouth and the fuzz clears from my brain do I open my eyes.

I’m outside on the ground, oxygen over my mouth and nose. That something dripping is Kayla’s tears. She’s above me and is the most beautiful, welcome sight in the world. I reach to her. She grabs my hand and holds it against her wet cheek.

“What the hell are you doing?” she cries. With my free hand, I tap at her necklace around my neck. Her gaze drops to it. “Is that my grandmother’s necklace?” She then slams her glare to my face. “You broke into my old apartment to find my necklace? Why would you do that?”

“Love…you.”

“What is the matter with you? You could have been killed!”

I cough and take a deep breath of the oxygen. “Yeah.”

“I refuse to be in love with a man willing to risk his life for a necklace. Promise me you’ll never ever do anything this stupid ever again. If you do, I’ll kill you. Got it?”

“Got it,” I whisper. It’s all I have the strength for. With each breath I grow stronger, but I’m still weak. “Stay…with me.”

She squeezes my hand on her cheek. “Always. I’ll always stay with you, Jake Swanson. You crazy son of a bitch. Now I know how Emma feels about Ryan. It’s exactly how I feel about you. We really could give them a run for cutest couple.”

“Told you.”

“That is if I don’t kill you for doing this. Never scare me like this again, do you hear me? Never scare me again, Jake. I can’t lose you.”

I nod. “Yes, dear.”

She laughs and collapses on my chest, hugging me so tight I can’t breathe. But I don’t care. She loves me and that’s all that matters.

Out of the corner of my eye I spy a group of men and women in black heading toward the building. The largest man slows and turns to me. It’s Jackson. He nods. I nod in return. Then I read his lips. I’m still smoking you for this.

I chuckle and hug Kayla tighter. I’ll gladly take the smoking. I’m alive.