Bad Boy's Touch (Firemen in Love Book 3) Read online

A car door slammed. She jumped and pushed me away like I was a leper.

  I was about to protest, to ask why she ended something so delicious when I could give her so much more – but there was a panicked look in her eyes, and I didn't like it at all.

  A man approached. He had a badge, but wasn't dressed like the usual cop.

  “There you are, Madison. You were due back at the station an hour ago.”

  She fumbled for words. “Yes, but we had an incident. Several suspects got away, and there's reason to believe this fire was set deliberately.”

  The man seemed to be ignoring her. Instead, he stared right at me. Not one to back down, even from a cop, I stared back.

  “Who is this person? Is he in your custody? If so, get him cuffed so we can process him.”

  She and I locked eyes. She licked her lips.

  Did I piss her off? Would she betray me?

  “No, he's... He's with the Waco fire department.”

  The guy sneered. “Looks like a bum to me.”

  I was about to throw a punch at his face, but Madison grabbed my shoulder as he turned around.

  “Who is this asshole?” I whispered.

  “Victor Patterson, chief of police.”

  Oh. I lowered my fist.

  Victor wandered about, shouting orders to his officers, but never actually doing much himself.

  Madison refused to look at me. She packed up her things and got into her car.

  I wouldn't let her go so easily. I grabbed hold of the hood so she couldn't back out yet.

  “You're just gonna leave me here after that?”

  “It was a horrible idea, okay?” She rubbed her eyes. “Have a good evening, Brett.”

  As she pulled away and tore down the highway, I realized she didn't call me Silver. It was kinda disappointing.

  Victor cast me a disdainful glance. “If you're with them, why are you standing around doing nothing, boy? There's a fire to be put out. Get with it.”

  I ignored him, got in my car, and sped home. It felt so wrong.

  And it was gonna keep feeling wrong until somehow, some way, I got Madison undressed and between my sheets.

  Chapter 4 - Madison

  Brett Silver kissed me.

  I couldn't believe his nerve. What kind of man puts his hands on a woman – who he'd just met – and tries to make out with her?

  He was aggressive. Demanding.

  But I liked it.

  Harvey walked by and tapped my desk. I jumped, startled out of the fantasy playing in my head. It was a dirty movie, thoughts of very many naughty things Brett would do to me. A man like him was definitely wild in the sack...

  “Looks like filling out reports has put you to sleep,” Harvey said with a smile. “Don't let Victor see you daydreaming, or he'll write ya up faster than you can blink. Guy seems to be on a rampage lately.”

  I picked up my pen with a sigh. “He's acting like an asshole because he wants that job with the FBI. As if riding us harder is going to make him look better.”

  Couldn't believe I ever dated that dick.

  He'd been sweet to me when I first got hired on the force. Despite his being more than ten years older, in his early forties, he won me over with his charm. I had looked up to him, to the way he took charge of a situation.

  I quickly learned the perils of dating one's boss. Worst of all was working with him after the break-up a couple of months back.

  It was, to put it mildly, uncomfortable.

  “Jeez, what happened last night?” Harvey stirred his steaming mug of instant noodles. “We get reports of gang activity. Fighting in the street. And it turned into a shootout – with you as the hostage.”

  It still shook me up. Rico's hand had bruised my arm where he grabbed me, but the mental trauma was worse than that. The feeling of that cold gun barrel pressed against my head... I'd never forget it.

  “But Brett Silver saved me.”

  “Yeah, I heard that. You sure got lucky he was in the building at the time.” He stuffed his mouth full of ramen. “Guy's a hero.”

  “Yeah. A hero.”

  I neglected to tell him the truth: that if things had gone just a little differently, Brett would probably be sitting in a cell this morning. And I, well... I might not have been sitting here at all.

  Did I make the right choice in letting him go?

  He was a firefighter, yeah, but with a closet full of nasty secrets. He fought in an underground club against violent, dangerous criminals. He seemed to be well acquainted with the strip club staff, too.

  I was sure his bad habits didn't stop there.

  Yet my lips still tingled when I remembered his kiss. When I thought of him making love to me, my body responded eagerly.

  If I were smart, I would stay far away from him.

  “All right, folks. I must say I'm very disappointed in you.”

  Victor marched into the room, his hands in fists so everyone knew how pissed off he was. The handful of officers quieted.

  “What happened last night was a complete disaster. I sent you fools out there to do a simple job: investigate the fights, check for warrants, nab a few guys to parade on TV as scapegoats.” He kicked a trashcan over. “Instead, it turned into total and utter insanity. I want to know who is responsible for this mess.”

  Nobody said anything. Whichever of us was stupid enough to take the blame would be looking for a new job real quick.

  “Dozens of innocent people were put in danger. Someone could have died.” His stare landed on me. “Rico and his gang escaped – almost every last one. And then half the building went up in flames. This is all over the news, you realize. Do you have any idea how bad this makes us look?”

  I raised my hand. Guess I was the only one brave enough to stand up to Victor. Or maybe the dumbest. Knowing him, he'd brush my opinion off anyway.

  Victor smiled a little, the way you might smile at an ignorant child, too young to understand.

  “Yes, Madison. What is it?”

  “I have reason to believe the fire wasn't accidental. There was a person at the scene. He... He tossed a lit match into a trail of alcohol.”

  I didn't say that I never laid eyes on this man, that I was going by what Brett thought he saw and nothing more. Sure hoped he was right, because I was putting my neck on the line for this.

  Victor smiled wider, then burst into laughter. Nobody else seemed to think it was all that funny.

  “You're telling me it was arson.” He shook his head. “Who do you suppose would attempt to burn down a strip club in the midst of a shootout with the police? He would have to be a very stupid arsonist, don't you agree?”

  “I'm only reporting what I saw, sir.”

  Victor's smiled vanished. He paced the room, hands behind his back. That meant I'd gotten him thinking – and knowing him, he was about to come up with some wild plan to make himself look good.

  To him, it wasn't so much about solving crime, really. Keeping up appearances was most important of all.

  “Arson,” he murmured. “Hmm. It is rather suspicious, I suppose. If we caught this bastard, it would be blasted all over the news. We could use some positive media attention for once.”

  We officers exchanged knowing glances. Once Victor got an idea, we were the ones who had to make it happen – no matter how ridiculous, which it often was.

  “I heard the fire department's got a crew down there investigating right now,” Tim said.

  Victor's eyes narrowed. “Well, we can't let them score all the glory, can we?”

  “But what do you want us to do, sir?” Harvey asked. “They're the ones with fire experience. They'd be able to figure out if it was arson or accidental.”

  “Yes, maybe you're right – but they won't get far without our help. We run the criminal investigation side.” He beamed. “That does it, then. We'll work with the fire team to uncover the truth. Interview witnesses. Look for clues to be used as evidence.”

  He didn't really believe it was arson. I co
uld see it in his eyes. But he refused to let anybody show him up, even the fire department.

  “So, who wants to volunteer, hmm? Who will be our lucky new Kingston Police Department Fire Investigator?”

  No one raised their hand. Did I blame them? Not really. Who wanted to go on some wild goose chase when there were real live criminals out there to hunt down?

  But I was there last night when the blaze started. I witnessed the whole thing. And if there really was an arsonist wandering free, I'd do anything to bring him to justice.

  “I'll do it, sir.”

  Victor looked puzzled. “You, Madison? I'm not so sure that's a good idea.”

  I bristled. This was a major reason for me leaving him: he was a sexist jerk who, though he'd never admit it out loud, thought police work was a man's world.

  We went into his office and he closed the door. It made me uncomfortable, being so close to him, trapped in this box of a room.

  “What's the problem with it? I'm clearly the best choice. I was in the bar when the perp started the fire.”

  He plopped down in his cushy leather chair. “I understand that, Madison. But we're not talking about writing speeding tickets here. If someone is purposely setting fire to buildings, you could be putting yourself in danger.”

  I growled. “Danger? What would you call last night, when you sent me to break up the fighting? I put myself in danger everyday because it's my job. I don't need you trying to 'protect' me, like I'm some kind of delicate wilting flower.”

  He said nothing, just cracked his knuckles and studied me. There was a coldness in his eyes, cruelty almost, that he'd rarely shown me before.

  To think that I slept with this jackass made me sick.

  “I don't allow the others to speak to me that way, you know.” He chuckled. “Were you anybody else, I'd have fired you on the spot for insubordination.”

  I couldn't let him get to me. Even now, months later, he was still trying to get me back.

  A younger, dumber me would have probably given in. I wasn't that desperate girl anymore. Being alone didn't scare me. I'd find someone better – way better.

  Better like Brett?

  Yeah, not a good time to be thinking about getting laid.

  “If me telling the truth equals insubordination, then go on and fire me.”

  He'd already lost interest. Now, his work on the computer was more important than me.

  “I don't know what I would do if you got hurt. To think that last night, you could have died.”

  “I'm just as capable as any of these men here.” Had to keep my tone firm. Steady. “I would appreciate it, sir, if you'd treat me as such.”

  He waved a hand. “Oh, no need for formalities when we're alone together. Call me Vic, just like you used to.”

  I said nothing. Ugh, if I didn't love the job so much, I would have handed in my resignation form ages ago.

  “I see you're insistent.” He stopped typing and looked at me. “Give me one good reason why I should give you this promotion.”

  “Promotion? I don't want a new job title. Don't even need more pay.”

  “Then tell me what's in this for you?”

  Whenever I closed my eyes, I lived it all over again: the orange and yellow flames growing, consuming everything in their path. The searing heat, the smoke burning my lungs, as I crawled to safety through that broken window.

  I saw my nine-year-old self, crying in terror as I searched for my family. Mom, dad, Jenna, Charlie... I thought they died and left me all alone.

  “Madison?”

  I shivered. Years of therapy couldn't undo the nightmare in my head. I couldn't go back in time and save my home from burning down. But there was one thing I could do, now, in the present.

  “What's in it for me,” I repeated. “Revenge.”

  It wiped the cocky smile off Victor's face. Vengeance, getting back at those who slighted him, was something he understood well.

  “Ah, yes. Now I remember. An arsonist set fire to your house when you were just a girl. They never caught the sick freak, did they?”

  “No, they didn't.”

  “And you think by catching an arsonist now, it will somehow make up for that?”

  “Nothing can make up for it. I just want to stop this person before it happens to someone else.”

  He smiled again. “It's a great story. Tugs at your heartstrings. The media will love it.”

  I should have known he'd approve so long as there was something in it for him.

  “Then it's settled.” He scribbled a few sentences on a paper and stamped it with his signature. “You have my approval to join the investigation.”

  I took the paper with shaking hands.

  “Don't make me regret this,” he muttered on my way out. “I expect results.”

  I sure hoped Brett was right about this.

  Chapter 5 - Brett

  Jayce held up a pair of panties, his nose wrinkled.

  “Well, at least our investigation won't be boring.” He threw the ladies' underwear at me. “Here. Want a souvenir? You spend so much money at this place, you deserve it.”

  The sparkly, frilly undergarment landed in the charred remains of the bar. This was ground zero, where it all started. Looked like a bomb went off in here – technically, it kind of did.

  “Won't be spending much money in here anymore,” I muttered, tripping over a burned chair.

  “That's a shame. Whatever will you do without all those lap dances and cheap booze?”

  I had no answer. Wasn't really thinking about it right now.

  It was Madison who'd been on my mind all night.

  I didn't know what to make of her. Getting girls into bed with me was usually easy, but she resisted my flirting and brushed me off. Probably 'cause she was the cop and I, in her eyes, the bad guy.

  “This feels like a waste of time.” Jayce kicked a pile of broken bottles away. “What are we even looking for? Can't believe you pulled me away from the poker table for this.”

  I gestured to the hall by the bar. “The culprit was standing right behind this wall.”

  “Well, he's not there anymore. You sure this whole thing wasn't an accident? I mean, you got bullets flying, flammable liquid... It's easy to imagine.”

  One of the strippers, Cocoa, burst into tears. She hadn't been here last night and dropped by this morning to get her paycheck. Now she stood in the manager's office, sobbing.

  “What do you mean, the club is closed? This is my only job, Toby! I can't afford to take time off.”

  Toby patiently explained that there was nothing he could do. Our investigation could take a while, and the repairs even longer. Cocoa cried harder.

  “Damn it,” I growled. “These girls don't deserve this. They're poor college students. Single mothers. What are they supposed to do now?”

  Jayce picked through the rubble with a sigh. “That's the way fire is. Nobody deserves to lose their house, their job, their belongings... or the people they love.”

  I swore when I found who was responsible for this, I'd string him up and beat his ass myself.

  Okay, I had to focus. Blinding myself with anger would help nothing.

  Best to start around the hall, where the guy had been. The floor there was cement, light colored in most places – except for a blackened trail that led all the way to the bar.

  “Look, this is where he poured the alcohol. The trail stops halfway through the hall, here.” I marked the spot with a yellow evidence card. “Then goes right down the middle and up the bar counter, where all those shelves of liquor were.”

  “Like the fuse of a bomb,” Jayce added. “I gotta say, it is pretty strange. The chances of this being accidental seem slim.”

  Unfortunately, the explosive blast had been so powerful that much of the evidence had likely been destroyed – if the arsonist left any for us in the first place.

  Then something caught my attention in the midst of the mess. There, underneath a clear bottle of rum, was a
match. It was blackened from top to bottom, but still intact.

  I carefully picked it up, fearing that it might crumble to ash in my fingers. This was the match that started the fire; it had to be!

  Before I could show Jayce, a car pulled up in the parking lot, then Madison strode through the front door.

  I almost dropped the match. God, she was even more beautiful in the daylight.

  Our eyes met, and she looked away, a hint of a shy smile on her lovely face. Wow, what was wrong with me? The last time I'd gotten butterflies in my stomach, I was sixteen years old and crushing hard on the homecoming queen.

  It was a feeling I hadn't realized that I missed, a feeling that one-night stands and casual encounters never gave me.

  Jayce got to her before I could say hello. I was real glad the guy had his own wife, or else he'd be flirting his ass off right now – and given his charm and movie-star looks, he'd probably succeed. Bastard had stolen girls away from me more than once before.

  “You're with the police department, ma'am?”

  She nodded. “I've been assigned to investigate the possibility of arson here, so I suppose our cities will be working together on this one. And please, no 'ma'am.' Call me Madison.”

  Jayce's gold wedding band gleamed on his hand. Looking at it made me feel weird.

  Jealous?

  Nah, don't be ridiculous. Marriage just wasn't for guys like me. I played the field too much. Got myself into trouble and was real good at breaking the law.

  No sane woman would have me, especially not a cop.

  I cleared my throat loudly. Jayce looked at me, then at her. He grinned and winked. We'd been friends for so long, he knew easily when I had my eye on a girl.

  “I'm gonna go check out the room next door. See if I can find anything.”

  He left me and Madison alone. Her expression was serious, all business.

  “So it looks like we're a team for now,” she said. “Find anything yet?”

  “Don't tell me you forgot about last night.” I put the match in a baggie, then climbed over the debris to get closer to her. “Because I sure as hell haven't.”

  She pulled a notepad out of her pocket and scribbled on it while doing her best to avoid eye contact. Hoped she was writing her phone number down, but no luck there.