Read Online Razing Kayne by Julieanne Reeves - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Julieanne Reeves
Ads: Link
his lips across her temple. She
smelled of almond and vanilla. Subtle, like shampoo, and woman. Hot desirable woman. “Be careful.”
He felt her nod in response. Unfortunately, a part of his anatomy was thinking about
doing some nodding of its own, and his lack of control made him angry. The words came
out before he could stop them. “Get going before you cause me any more paperwork.”
Jessica gave him a hard glare and put the SUV in reverse, slowly backing through the
maze of vehicles. Angry was good. Angry would keep her from wanting to get close to
him, and he seemed to have no willpower where she was concerned.
Kayne returned to where Balentine, Cody, and several other firemen, including Joe
Sutton, still stood openly watching him. Balentine pointed toward Kayne’s chin. “Am
I arresting the fireman?”
“No.” Kayne really didn’t care about Cody. He was too busy trying to figure out what
the hell to do about Jessica or the revelation that Gracie had been rescued from a
car accident the night Jarred Hallstatt died.
“Stay away from her!” Cody’s shout brought Kayne’s thoughts back to the present.
Yeah, probably a good idea, but damn, now his mind was whirling with insane possibilities. “ Or what? ” Kayne didn't understand why he was pushing Cody. He wasn't one for fighting these
days, and he already planned to stay away.
Cody took a threatening step forward. “I swore to her husband I'd take care of her,
and I'll be damned if I let someone like you get near her!”
“Actually what you said—” Joe began.
Cody turned on Joe. “Shut the fuck up, Joe.” He swiveled back to Kayne and shoved
a finger under his nose. “And you! Stay away from her!” He stormed off without waiting
for a response.
The fact that Cody had to look up a good four or five inches to threaten Kayne made his threat laughable. Kayne looked at Joe. “Is he normally
that cheerful?”
“He's kinda had a thing for Jess since we were all in high school.” Joe pulled off
his Payson Fire Department baseball cap, only to put it right back on. “But there's
nothing going on there, no matter how much Cody wishes there were. Jarred, he...”
Joe stopped, shrugged, and looked away. “I was with him the night of the accident.”
“What happened?” Kayne wanted to understand how Gracie factored into this.
***
Joe rarely talked about the night Jarred died, but he'd seen Jess at the picnic last
Sunday. He’d watched Dobrescu interact with her and her children. It had been the
first time Joe had seen her genuinely smile in a long, long time. Maybe even before
Jarred had died. He’d also witnessed the longing in Kayne’s eyes, and the pain, when
he'd held Jess's little girl. Joe recognized the look of a man who'd lost everything.
Though it had been fifteen years, he still saw traces of the same emptiness looking
back at him in the mirror.
Pushing away those dark thoughts, he focused on Jarred, remembering his dying wish.
“Jessica said Gracie was saved that night?”
“Yeah. Total miracle she survived.” Joe could still picture that tiny, perfect baby that
he'd pulled out of Jarred's fire jacket.
“What happened?” Kayne asked, seeming truly interested.
“Cody was supposed to be working that night, and I think that's why he's so touchy.
He had an old girlfriend show up and wanted to get laid, so Jarred covered for him.
Survivor's guilt is an ugly thing.”
Kayne nodded his understanding. Joe swore he could still hear the echo of that call
if he listened hard enough.
***
“Medical, Engine 111, mile post 247.5, State Route 87. Single vehicle roll over. Witness reports vehicle through the guardrail, down the embankment. Turtled.” Turtled—great. The vehicle was on its roof. Joe threw on clothes and raced out the door as the on-duty
battalion commander.
“Engine 111, enroute,” Jarred reported.
“Battalion One, enroute,” Joe radioed as soon as
smelled of almond and vanilla. Subtle, like shampoo, and woman. Hot desirable woman. “Be careful.”
He felt her nod in response. Unfortunately, a part of his anatomy was thinking about
doing some nodding of its own, and his lack of control made him angry. The words came
out before he could stop them. “Get going before you cause me any more paperwork.”
Jessica gave him a hard glare and put the SUV in reverse, slowly backing through the
maze of vehicles. Angry was good. Angry would keep her from wanting to get close to
him, and he seemed to have no willpower where she was concerned.
Kayne returned to where Balentine, Cody, and several other firemen, including Joe
Sutton, still stood openly watching him. Balentine pointed toward Kayne’s chin. “Am
I arresting the fireman?”
“No.” Kayne really didn’t care about Cody. He was too busy trying to figure out what
the hell to do about Jessica or the revelation that Gracie had been rescued from a
car accident the night Jarred Hallstatt died.
“Stay away from her!” Cody’s shout brought Kayne’s thoughts back to the present.
Yeah, probably a good idea, but damn, now his mind was whirling with insane possibilities. “ Or what? ” Kayne didn't understand why he was pushing Cody. He wasn't one for fighting these
days, and he already planned to stay away.
Cody took a threatening step forward. “I swore to her husband I'd take care of her,
and I'll be damned if I let someone like you get near her!”
“Actually what you said—” Joe began.
Cody turned on Joe. “Shut the fuck up, Joe.” He swiveled back to Kayne and shoved
a finger under his nose. “And you! Stay away from her!” He stormed off without waiting
for a response.
The fact that Cody had to look up a good four or five inches to threaten Kayne made his threat laughable. Kayne looked at Joe. “Is he normally
that cheerful?”
“He's kinda had a thing for Jess since we were all in high school.” Joe pulled off
his Payson Fire Department baseball cap, only to put it right back on. “But there's
nothing going on there, no matter how much Cody wishes there were. Jarred, he...”
Joe stopped, shrugged, and looked away. “I was with him the night of the accident.”
“What happened?” Kayne wanted to understand how Gracie factored into this.
***
Joe rarely talked about the night Jarred died, but he'd seen Jess at the picnic last
Sunday. He’d watched Dobrescu interact with her and her children. It had been the
first time Joe had seen her genuinely smile in a long, long time. Maybe even before
Jarred had died. He’d also witnessed the longing in Kayne’s eyes, and the pain, when
he'd held Jess's little girl. Joe recognized the look of a man who'd lost everything.
Though it had been fifteen years, he still saw traces of the same emptiness looking
back at him in the mirror.
Pushing away those dark thoughts, he focused on Jarred, remembering his dying wish.
“Jessica said Gracie was saved that night?”
“Yeah. Total miracle she survived.” Joe could still picture that tiny, perfect baby that
he'd pulled out of Jarred's fire jacket.
“What happened?” Kayne asked, seeming truly interested.
“Cody was supposed to be working that night, and I think that's why he's so touchy.
He had an old girlfriend show up and wanted to get laid, so Jarred covered for him.
Survivor's guilt is an ugly thing.”
Kayne nodded his understanding. Joe swore he could still hear the echo of that call
if he listened hard enough.
***
“Medical, Engine 111, mile post 247.5, State Route 87. Single vehicle roll over. Witness reports vehicle through the guardrail, down the embankment. Turtled.” Turtled—great. The vehicle was on its roof. Joe threw on clothes and raced out the door as the on-duty
battalion commander.
“Engine 111, enroute,” Jarred reported.
“Battalion One, enroute,” Joe radioed as soon as
Similar Books
