Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
My eyes swept around the room, taking in every single defiant look and letting them fuel my motivation. I couldn’t let my fears get in the way right now. I couldn’t run away and expect my problems to disappear.
If they were willing to face the cartel head on, so was I.
I hopped off the bed and spun around to face them, all eyes turning to me.
“Let’s go back home.”
Chapter 24
Zoe
Stepping foot back in the fire station felt like returning home. The ten men who I cared about so dearly spent just about most of their lives here, and this was the place where my investigation flourished. Where I felt hope, determination, desire, and happiness.
It was good to be back home.
I never thought I’d say that after all the pain I endured here in my past, but a lot had changed since I first came back to work on this case. This town wasn’t just full of sad memories anymore. It was a battleground where justice could prevail and evil could fall. A headquarters where good, honest work was done. A home where feelings could flourish and desire could be shared.
“Zoe!”
I smiled as the other firefighters spilled into the apparatus bay to greet me. A surprised squeak broke from me as Cohen pulled me into his strong arms, nearly squeezing the breath right out of me.
“I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye,” I apologized as I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him back.
“You scared the hell out of us,” Paolo said as I hugged him next. He stroked my hair as I pressed my cheek against his chest. “You can’t do that.”
I tilted my head back to gaze up at him, a guilty expression adorning my face.
“I know. I’m sorry,” I told him sincerely. “I was scared that I was going to lose you guys.”
Angus took my hand and drew me over to him and Jae.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he assured me as his lips brushed my temple.
Jae slid his hand around to the small of my back, pulling me closer so that he could kiss my cheek.
“Yeah, we’re in this together, remember?” he reminded me.
“You fought so damn hard for that,” Cohen said from behind me.
I smirked and playfully rolled my eyes as I turned to face Tobin, my heart aching at the sight of him on crutches.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I walked closer to him.
Tobin offered me a small smile as he nodded.
“No broken bones. I just need to stay off it,” he assured me before moving closer, his lips gracing my forehead. “I would’ve run across the country to find you, though.”
My heart fluttered as I placed my hand on his cheek, my eyes starting to sting. I could’ve lost him. I could lose any of them, but if we took the cartel down, we would all be so much safer. This threat could come to an end after all these years.
“You all have to be very careful if we’re going to do this,” I warned them as my eyes shifted to every single one of them, my throat clenching. “Please, I can’t… I’ve already lost my mom to these guys. I can’t lose any of you too.”
Faces softened all around me as a wave of emotion swept over us. This situation felt all that more real, along with its risks. Even the thought of going to more funerals made an empty, gaping hole fill my chest. It couldn’t be filled without all of them.
“You won’t lose us. We’re going to fight like hell,” Kit promised.
“We’re ready for this,” Paolo assured me with a determined look on his face. “We’ve been trained to handle dangerous situations. Granted, not cartel-related ones, but we can hold our own.”
Cohen stood next to Paolo with his arms crossed.
“He’s right. We don’t back down from danger. We run toward it,” he reminded me.
They were the bravest men I knew, and if I had to pick anyone to be by my side while I ran into this blaze, it was them. We fed off each other’s energy, and I could feel the anticipation in the air as we longed to end this.
“Hello?”
I whipped around to see Detective Jennifer poking her head into the apparatus bay, my eyes growing wide.
“Detective! Any news?” I asked as we quickly swarmed her.
Obviously, our patience had run out at this point.
Detective Jennifer froze as we hurried toward her. Once we all crowded in front of her, she adjusted the lapel of her black blazer and straightened up.
“Yes, after going through your mother’s notes and cross-checking with what we already have, we suspect that the cartel is expecting a large shipment of illegal drugs on Friday at their main headquarters. We believe that’s the abandoned gym after going through nearby street and surveillance and cameras,” she explained.