Free One Fiery Night by Em Petrova Page A

eyes, reluctant to get out. She could barely stand the idea of spending time alone in the hotel room where the memories of her and Luke’s lovemaking were still so fresh. He’d told her he loved her, for goodness’ sakes.
    And then he’d accused her of sniffing around his brother.
    “Ugh!” She switched off the shower and whipped the curtain forcefully back. With jerky movements, she toweled herself off and wrapped her hair in another towel turban-style.
    Striding from the steamy bathroom nude, she caught the voice of the news reporter on the television she’d left on. “Fire crews are on the scene of a two-alarm blaze on the South Side tonight. Mary Jensen is on the scene. As you can see, flames are leaping to heights of forty feet. The roof is completely on fire, and the building is on the verge of collapse. Fire companies from the South End are working to put out the fire and it’s rumored a homeless man has taken up residence inside. Only one firefighter is specially trained to work under conditions such as these—our own hero Luke Puckett from Firehouse 5.”
    Josie’s heart seized and then plummeted to her feet. A cold sweat broke over her. She folded in half, struggling to drag air through her lungs, which were somewhere around her knees.
    She plastered a hand to her chest, choking and gasping. Luke. Inside that fireball? What if she never saw him again? Was never given the chance to tell him how much she loved him or to make things right?
    In a split second, she’d made up her mind. She threw on the first thing she saw, which was the white sundress she’d worn to the award ceremony, without bothering to put on undergarments. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and was out the door, her hotel key and her purse in hand.
    Outside, the summer night was sultry. The air wrapped around her like a lover’s arms, but she continued to shiver despite the temperatures. The black sky was velvety here, but on the South Side, an orange glow would light the night from the flames of the house where Luke was doing his job.
    A perilous job that could cost him his life.
    Fear choked her. After their argument, she’d thought him lost to her. But death was… Well, permanent. She’d never be able to forgive him or rage at him or kiss him. All the amazing things that meant she was head over flip-flops in love with him.
    She ran into the street and hailed a cab. As it skidded to a stop, she yanked the door open and jumped inside, practically yelling at the driver to take her to the fire on the South Side.
    “You’re crazy, leddy,” he said in a thick accent.
    “Please hurry! Someone I love is in that fire!”
    He peeled out into traffic at her words and stomped on the gas. She rode the edge of her seat, too afraid to lose sight of the strip of road ahead for fear it would somehow slow them if she did.
    Precious minutes ticked by while the flames on the TV screen flickered in her mind’s eye. Luke, please be okay. Give me the chance to listen to what you have to say.
    The cab couldn’t go fast enough for her. By the time they reached the first blocks of the South Side, she was bouncing on the seat, lips moving in a silent prayer.
    The driver hit the brakes behind a line of traffic. “This is as close as I can get, leddy. They’ve got the street blocked.”
    “Thanks!” She tossed him a big bill and hopped out of the car. Streaking down the sidewalk as fast as she could in her flip-flops, she swung her head left and right, searching for signs of the blaze. Ahead, the whoop of a siren shook the night. She surged forward as a burst of adrenaline hit her system.
    The reek of smoke reached her before she could make out the roar of flames. The familiar sound caused a heavy sweat to break out all over her body as she recalled the events at her house just days ago.
    By the time she reached the police barricade, she was sick with terror.
    “You can’t get through, miss. The block’s closed down to allow the crews to