Free Payback: The Men of Firehouse 69 by Lori Toland

Chapter One
     
    Andre was ready to bust
out of the truck and break down her door.
    Ryan, the driver,
pulled up in front of the two-story apartment complex, which appeared to be
fire and disaster free though that provided him little relief. “Easy there,
tiger,” Ryan said. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
    Andre grimaced as he
nodded and hopped out the truck, following procedure but all the while scanning
the building for any signs of fire damage.
    When they left the
station, it took him a few seconds to remember why the address seemed familiar.
He hadn’t been there except for once and when the realization hit him, that was
the moment when crippling fear set in.
    The apartment belonged
to Melanie, his friend’s younger sister. Why wasn’t she outside at the curb at
a safe distance? Couldn’t she hear their sirens or was she badly hurt?
    He hoisted the medical
kit on his shoulder and walked toward the apartment building with Ryan trailing
behind. His heart thudded so hard that it made him nauseated and all the while
every terrible scenario ran through his head.
    Relief flooded him when
he saw Melanie in the hallway. She seemed fine as she talked animatedly to his
teammates who had arrived ahead of them. “My roommate just panicked when she
saw the pan of alcohol on fire,” she said. “You didn’t have to come out.”
    Andre stopped behind
Bud and Dylan, and looked her up and down, checking for injuries. Once he was
satisfied she didn’t appear to be hurt, he took in her clothing. What the hell
was she wearing? And in the near freezing temperatures no less? Wasn’t she cold
dressed in that thin fabric?
    A black satin robe
covered her night gown, although it gaped at her neck and showed off her ample
cleavage. She probably didn’t realized she pressed her breasts together as she
crossed her arms to keep warm and her slender arms didn’t do much to cover them
up.
    With her attention on
Bud, he let his gaze roam over every inch of her curvaceous figure. It had been
a long time since he had seen those gorgeous legs and he tried hard not to
stare at all her bare, pale skin.
    “Miss, when you call
911, we have to come investigate to make sure you’re okay.”
    “I’m so sorry.” She
wrung her hands and then covered her face.
    Andre scowled. He
wanted to punch his co-workers for ogling her, not that he blamed them. Mel had
always been a looker, but she was his best friend’s baby sister and he
shouldn’t be eyeing her, either. “Mel?”
    Bright green eyes
peeked out at him as she looked up from between her fingers. A flush spread
across her pale cheeks as she pulled her hands away from her face. “Hi Andre,”
she said as her voice trembled. “Oh God, what are you doing here?”
    She visibly cringed as
she greeted him, which made him feel like a real asshole for some reason. Maybe
his glower intimidated her. He tried to smile nicely as he said, “I work at
your local station, remember?”
    She sighed as her
shoulder slumped. “Could my day get any worse?”
    “Are you okay? You’re
not hurt, are you?”
    Her pale cheeks turned
bright pink. “I’m fine. We’re both fine. My roommate panicked and called 911
when she heard me scream and saw a fire on the stove.”
    He frowned. Mel was a
damn good cook, most of her knowledge coming from her mom who ran a bakery in
town. “What was in the pan?”
    “I made these
bite-sized rum cakes for a Christmas party, but a little alcohol splashed out
and hit the burner. That’s never happened before so it scared me and I screamed
but I put it out quickly.”
    He took her by the
shoulder, and angled her so he could evaluate her injuries. He tried to keep
his assessment purely professional, but when he saw no injuries, he couldn’t
help but stare at her full breasts a moment longer than necessary. “Are you
sure you’re okay?”
    She pulled away,
looking anywhere but him. “I’m fine. So is my roommate, until I kill her
later.”
    Her embarrassment was
obvious, from