Read Online Into The Flames (Firehouse Fourteen Book 4) by Lisa B. Kamps - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa B. Kamps
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Lauren was faster, knocking it away.
"Jump her balcony? Again?"
"Yeah. This isn't the first time Smurfette's locked herself out."
"It was just the one time. And I was doing fine. I would have been fine. You didn't have to rescue me—"
"You were stretched between the two railings like someone on the rack, fretting that you were going to die."
Smurfette straightened, her posture regal and defiant. "I most certainly was not."
Dale snorted. "Yeah, okay. You're not fooling anyone. I was there, remember? Now, come on." He reached for her hand again but once more, Lauren stopped him.
"Since you know how to get into her place, you go take care of that. Take Kenny with you and Melanie will stay here with me."
An icy blast of something that might have been fear ripped through Dale. Lauren's words were low on the list of words he didn't want to hear. Not just low; probably dead last. Especially with the calculating gleam in her eyes. He wanted to pull her to her feet and drag her back to the bedroom and yell at her until she told him what she was up to. Not that that would do any good because Dale was positive she wouldn't answer him, no matter how much he yelled.
"Lauren—"
"Or we could sit here and continue our discussion about our sister."
Dale bit back a curse, his jaw clenched so hard that a sharp pain shot along the side of his face. Damn her. Why was she even doing this? He couldn't believe that Lauren would stoop to blackmail, even about Lindsay. And it's not like the threat really meant anything, not when he knew they'd end up having another discussion anyway. And another, and another, until Dale finally gave in.
He ground his teeth together then headed for the door, pausing to look back at Kenny. "You coming?"
"You really need me—"
"Yes he does. Now go." Lauren gave him some indecipherable look that Kenny must have understood because he followed Dale out the door and down the stairs, out into the damp night air.
"What the hell is my sister up to?"
"I have no idea."
"I don't like the idea of her upstairs with Smurfette. By themselves." Dale moved to the balcony, looking up at it.
"Why do you call her that?"
"Did you see the paint all over her?"
"Yeah."
"The first time I met her, the paint was blue." Dale grinned. "Reminded me of Smurfette."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't even hear that."
"Oh, come on. Smurfette was cute. Her voice was annoying as hell, but she was still cute."
"Now you're just scaring me."
Dale grinned again then jumped up, his hands closing around the spindles. He kicked out with his legs then swung them over the railing, landing with a soft thud. He looked down at Kenny, still smiling. "You coming?"
"How about I just meet you upstairs? It's not like you need me to help open the door."
"Fine. I'll just Lauren you wimped out."
"What is this, some kind of payback for something?"
"If I have to do this, so do you. Come on, get up here." Dale stepped out of the way, watching as Kenny climbed the balcony in much the same way he did. Then he turned and opened the door, stepping into the large eat-in kitchen, Kenny right behind him. The room looked just like it did the other time he'd been in here. Warm and cozy, with a colorful hooked rug covering the tile floor. The walls were painted a warm shade of yellow with splashes of bright red in the curtains and bold prints hanging on the wall. Even the canisters on the counter were red, a hodge podge collection of apples and roosters that shouldn't really go together but did.
"Interesting decorating choices."
"Wait until you see the rest of the place." Dale led the way out of the kitchen, smiling when he heard Kenny stumble to a stop behind him.
"Holy shit."
"Told you."
A small loveseat was tucked into the corner of what should have been the dining room, next to a compact stereo and a rack full of music CDs. The rest of the apartment—part of the dining room area and the entire living room—was empty of real furniture. At least,
"Jump her balcony? Again?"
"Yeah. This isn't the first time Smurfette's locked herself out."
"It was just the one time. And I was doing fine. I would have been fine. You didn't have to rescue me—"
"You were stretched between the two railings like someone on the rack, fretting that you were going to die."
Smurfette straightened, her posture regal and defiant. "I most certainly was not."
Dale snorted. "Yeah, okay. You're not fooling anyone. I was there, remember? Now, come on." He reached for her hand again but once more, Lauren stopped him.
"Since you know how to get into her place, you go take care of that. Take Kenny with you and Melanie will stay here with me."
An icy blast of something that might have been fear ripped through Dale. Lauren's words were low on the list of words he didn't want to hear. Not just low; probably dead last. Especially with the calculating gleam in her eyes. He wanted to pull her to her feet and drag her back to the bedroom and yell at her until she told him what she was up to. Not that that would do any good because Dale was positive she wouldn't answer him, no matter how much he yelled.
"Lauren—"
"Or we could sit here and continue our discussion about our sister."
Dale bit back a curse, his jaw clenched so hard that a sharp pain shot along the side of his face. Damn her. Why was she even doing this? He couldn't believe that Lauren would stoop to blackmail, even about Lindsay. And it's not like the threat really meant anything, not when he knew they'd end up having another discussion anyway. And another, and another, until Dale finally gave in.
He ground his teeth together then headed for the door, pausing to look back at Kenny. "You coming?"
"You really need me—"
"Yes he does. Now go." Lauren gave him some indecipherable look that Kenny must have understood because he followed Dale out the door and down the stairs, out into the damp night air.
"What the hell is my sister up to?"
"I have no idea."
"I don't like the idea of her upstairs with Smurfette. By themselves." Dale moved to the balcony, looking up at it.
"Why do you call her that?"
"Did you see the paint all over her?"
"Yeah."
"The first time I met her, the paint was blue." Dale grinned. "Reminded me of Smurfette."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't even hear that."
"Oh, come on. Smurfette was cute. Her voice was annoying as hell, but she was still cute."
"Now you're just scaring me."
Dale grinned again then jumped up, his hands closing around the spindles. He kicked out with his legs then swung them over the railing, landing with a soft thud. He looked down at Kenny, still smiling. "You coming?"
"How about I just meet you upstairs? It's not like you need me to help open the door."
"Fine. I'll just Lauren you wimped out."
"What is this, some kind of payback for something?"
"If I have to do this, so do you. Come on, get up here." Dale stepped out of the way, watching as Kenny climbed the balcony in much the same way he did. Then he turned and opened the door, stepping into the large eat-in kitchen, Kenny right behind him. The room looked just like it did the other time he'd been in here. Warm and cozy, with a colorful hooked rug covering the tile floor. The walls were painted a warm shade of yellow with splashes of bright red in the curtains and bold prints hanging on the wall. Even the canisters on the counter were red, a hodge podge collection of apples and roosters that shouldn't really go together but did.
"Interesting decorating choices."
"Wait until you see the rest of the place." Dale led the way out of the kitchen, smiling when he heard Kenny stumble to a stop behind him.
"Holy shit."
"Told you."
A small loveseat was tucked into the corner of what should have been the dining room, next to a compact stereo and a rack full of music CDs. The rest of the apartment—part of the dining room area and the entire living room—was empty of real furniture. At least,
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