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   Copyright 2017 by Skye Ryan - All rights reserved.

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  The Fire Inside

  By: Skye Ryan

  Table of Contents

  The Fire Inside

  Bonus Sign-Up

  Future Lover

  The Fire Inside

  CHAPTER ONE

  J essica stood in her tasteful dark pantsuit, carrying her leather black briefcase and looking down at her phone at a cat playing the piano. She stifled giggling like a schoolgirl as she made her way down the hallway towards the lecture hall. Her brother, Kenneth, always had a way of making her laugh. It was the highlight of her day when she received his humorous text messages with clips of videos or memes he found funny.

  Kenneth’s main interest growing up was helping people. That was the reason why he had joined the ranks of firefighters with the Chicago fire department. Jessica always worried about him but knew being a fireman was one of the most important things in the world to him. She only worried because she and Kevin had a unique bond where they shared everything with each other. It was almost like they had a second language that their parents didn’t understand. It kinda drove them crazy and was responsible for their gray hair.

  Jessica had noticed that ever since she has started seeing a physical therapist a few months ago, that the pain in her lower back had diminished considerably. The car accident had plagued her life from the moment that she was T-boned on the highway during a major blizzard two years ago. She felt like she was just getting her life back and was the healthiest that she had ever been. Yoga and meditation gave her a sense of calm.

  She had always struggled with her weight growing up and never thought she was a desirable woman. There were those that looked at her with an inquiring mind. A noticeable trend had developed over the last few years where women with more curves were more acceptable. In fact, her craving for attention was now being met by the ogling eyes of the male gaze. They weren’t exactly subtle about their intentions either.

  “I don’t know how you do it, Jessica,” her best friend Tina marveled the week before over drinks, “you burn the candle at both ends working as a college professor and then you go home to write the great American novel. You really need to find some guy to jump.” Tina was a fiery red head with a smoking hot body and no filter. She said just about anything she wanted and never worried about the consequences or how her words would be perceived.

  Jessica couldn’t understand why Tina was her friend. They didn’t have anything in common and she always felt like an outsider when she was having drinks with her at their local bar. Jessica wasn’t looking to play games. She had an abundance to offer with a keen analytical mind. She was a bit intimidating for most.

  “I’ve always had a ridiculous work ethic, you know that, Teen, and besides, idle hands are the devil’s work.” Jessica replied, regarding her best friend enviously in her short red leather skirt. She knew a lot of guys would salivate at the chance to see her bend over in a compromising position. “I know what you’re going to say and I don’t want to argue with you, I have to get home early to grade some papers.” She twirled her hair in a clockwise motion around her finger. It was a nervous habit she had picked it up in childhood and had never been able to break it.

  “You have a lot of stress in your life and I know the perfect fix.” Tina had always been flirtatious with men and she didn’t mind mixing business with pleasure. There was a multitude of prospects in her life on any given day. She usually had a number of men on the go at any one time.

  “I respect you more than anyone”, Tina continued, “but you need to stop looking for Mr. Right and go after Mr. Right now. You would never do anything to jeopardize your tenure. That doesn’t mean that you can’t find someone for those moments where you have that itch. It has to be boring to scratch it alone. I could give you a few names with four gold stars behind their name in my little black book if you want.”

  It was the end of the day and they were to meet at six for drinks. While Jessica was excited to meet up with her friend, she hoped the entire evening wasn’t going to be centered on setting Jessica up with some random. Tina felt she was an expert on the topic of sex. Jessica couldn’t imagine being that open with her sexuality. She rarely ever showed any skin and she was very conservative when it came to the men.

  Her brother, Kenneth, gave her the benefit of the doubt. He never questioned her on her love life and she was most appreciative of having that part of her life off limits. Their parents were not of the same sentiment. They constantly tried to set her up with men that they believed would be her equal, intellectually speaking. She was quite selective in whom she wanted to spend her time with and she always found some tiny little fault. She would glean on a particular imperfection during an impromptu meeting set up by her meddling mother and father.

  She couldn’t stop watching the video of the cat playing the piano, it was so cute. Not watching where she was going, she bumped into what felt like a brick wall. It was unfortunate that it had to be Daniel, the star quarterback of the college football team. He believed himself to be god’s gift to women and life, for that matter. Jessica didn’t see him as anything more than an over privileged kid.

  Daniel looked her up and down, licking his lips and wondering how he could get her to shed some of those layers.

  “Miss Mills, if you wanted to touch me, then all you had to do was ask.” He knew that his broad shoulders and dimples were like catnip to the ladies. He was not opposed to an afternoon delight with an older woman.

  His blond hair was past his shoulders and his angelic blue eyes were filled with a menacing glare. Daniel believed that he could have any woman he wanted, and he wanted to sleep with all of them. His charm was being wasted on Jessica.

  “You are incorrigible, Daniel. I know you’re on your way to practice, but I really do need to speak to you about your grade.” She walked ahead of him feeling his eyes burning a hole into her pants from behind. She swallowed hard. She was inviting disaster by being alone with him.

  Jessica looked over her shoulder at him to find his gaze locked on her ass and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He looked up at her and slowly licked his lips at her, believing himself to be seductive. They walked into her classroom and he pulled the door closed behind him.

  Jessica firmly cleared her throat. “Daniel, I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to play the big game this weekend. It was agreed upon that you would keep a c-average and this last test was a dismal failure. I don’t know why you can’t grasp the concept I’m trying to teach. You have enormous potential, but you don’t know how to utilize it. Depending on a career in football is an admirable goal, but there are very few that make it to the big leagues. You have to have something to fall back on.” She was only trying to be helpful, but she could see that whatever she was saying was falling on deaf ears. He had his life planned out and football was the only thing he was counting on.

  “Let me worry about my future. It would be in your best interest to grade on a curve. Without me, they won’t be able to win the big game. I’m sure we can work something out that’s beneficial to the both of us.” He stalked his prey, making her back up until she was against the desk with no place left to go. “I see a woman with unspoken lust. You need a man like me with the kind of stamina that will have you panting all night long, Miss Mills. There’s no reason to be coy. I’ve seen the way you look at me. There’s not
hing to be ashamed of. I’ve always been considered an equal opportunity kind of guy.”

  Jessica could feel the panic set in and the smell of his overpowering cologne made her want to retch. She had to get a handle on the situation before things went from bad to worse.

  “This…this…is not appropriate behavior. I did not ask you to come in here for this. It might be best that you leave before you do something you regret.” She felt his strong hand on her chin. His eyes were trying to draw something out of her. He was a nice-looking boy, but he was so cocky and out of line, Jessica was absolutely repulsed by him.

  “There’s just so much a man can take. Teasing me by walking by my desk every day has to have some kind of payoff. You may not know it, but you need me.” He placed his other hand on her ample bosom and she could feel the heat of his palm through her clothing. There was something wrong with this kid. Somebody was going to have to put him in his place.

  She tried to move past him, but he had the weight advantage. The sting of her slap did not faze him, he smiled wider, fueled his need to have her, and nobody was going to stand in the way. The cocksure grin and the hunger in his eyes had grown considerably. She tried to move, but he was having none of it.

  “You don’t know what you’re doing.” Jessica looked at him and saw a determination that felt a little overwhelming. “I want you to leave.” Her words had an icy and very steadfast tone.

  “Your lips say one thing, but your body says something else entirely. I’m not going anywhere. We both know you want me.” He leaned in and had her in an iron grip about to manhandle her into submission. He had his mouth within inches of kissing her with a hard passion. This would hopefully melt her resolve.

  “Mr. Johnson, I believe the lady asked you to leave.” Tony Reynolds, a professor of Ancient Studies, had come into the room at just the right time. He was an ex-football player and still had a regimen. Working out kept him in tiptop shape. His hair was thinning, but he made up for that with muscles. They stretched against whatever clothes he was wearing; his cardigan sweater did little to hide his Adonis-like physique.

  Jessica was elated to see him. Daniel was not willing to put his money where his mouth was. He backed off with his hands up in a mock surrender. He picked up his books and started whistling as he passed by Tony at the top of the stairs. They exchanged glances like they were daring the other to cross the line.

  “I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to protect me, Tony.” Jessica said defensively. She felt that it was antiquated thinking to need a man to come to her rescue.

  “I know you can take care of yourself, but you shouldn’t have to put up with crap like that. I came here because I just got word about a big fire that started and I know your brother Kenneth is probably in the thick of it. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about, but the building has been completely engulfed in flames. I can take you to the address, but we have to leave now.” Tony was not playing some kind of angle. He was genuine and it was a damn shame that he was already taken.

  “That boy has nine lives and he’s already used up four of them. Let me get my stuff.” Jessica was shaking like a leaf and felt like somebody had walked over her grave. She had always worried about Kenneth and his becoming a firefighter this past year had been hard on her.

  Jack Stone was his best friend. Tall, dark, and handsome with an impish grin that made her feel naked around him. In confidence, Jack had told her that he would never let anything happen to Kenneth and she believed him.

  Jessica had always had what she considered a sixth sense. Something was nagging at her consciousness and it made her feel like getting to the scene would be better sooner than later. She grabbed her purple leather coat from behind the desk and followed Tony to his black pickup truck in the parking lot. She could always come back for her own vehicle after everything was said and done. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and she didn’t like it one bit.

  CHAPTER TWO

  T he flames licked the sky and the smoke was so thick that the emergency responders had to cordon off the area to prevent onlookers from getting any closer to the action. The spectators used technology to record the incident for posterity. It would be uploaded to the internet within seconds of capturing the grisly images.

  Jessica had her hand up to her mouth as a window exploded, shards of glass raining down on those firefighters standing too close to the scene. She could feel the heat penetrating her clothes and a wave of nausea had her bent over at an angle about to lose her lunch.

  “Jack, I told you not to go in there and you disregarded a direct order. Come out of there. You’re a damn fool, but what else is new. I don’t want another death on my conscience.” Jessica could see the Capitan and overheard his conversation over the radio. It did not instill of any kind of confidence in her. “I know you can hear me. You’re just being stubborn. There’s nothing you can do for him.” Her heart literally stopped in her chest. She was starved for any kind of information on her brother’s whereabouts.

  “Captain Arnold… Captain Arnold…where is my brother?” Jessica called out, trying to get his attention, but the noise around her was drowning her out.” She knew Tony was standing by her side and it was comforting to know that she could count on him for any strength she needed. “I want answers and I’m not leaving until I get them.” She noticed his shoulders straightened and then he glanced over his shoulder like he had heard enough to know that it was important to address her concerns.

  “Jessica, I don’t have time to hold your hand. I’ve lost two firefighters already and I’m not losing a third.” There was one lone shape on the ground covered in a sheet, and one more to be retrieved from the blaze.

  “I need to know where Kenneth is.” She saw the somber expression on his face and the way he turned towards the fire indicated that Kenneth was inside. “Oh, my god, tell me it isn’t true. God damn it, look at me when I’m talking you.” She was frazzled with worry and the crackle of the fire only compounded the issue.

  “I’m sorry, but we lost him. I don’t have anything more that I can tell you at the moment. I can tell you Jack was with him. He managed to come back out, but then he went right back in before I could stop him. This place is a tinderbox and we can only watch as it burns itself out. I pulled back my men and I’ve ordered them to keep a watchful eye on the surrounding buildings. We don’t want this to spread and become a neighborhood catastrophe.” He was worried, but he wasn’t going to show that kind of emotion in front of his men.

  Jessica pushed her way underneath the tape and walked on unsteady legs towards where Kenneth was last seen entering the building. She begged for a miracle and fell to her knees with the Lord’s Prayer on her lips. She reached for the cross around her neck and held onto it. The cross dug into her skin and it felt like it was going to leave a permanent mark on her faith.

  Two hands touched her shoulder and she glanced back to see that the Captain was showing compassion. “I haven’t heard anything from Jack in almost 10 minutes. I can’t risk sending anybody else in there and he knows it. In all my 35-years doing this job, I’ve never seen a fire act like this one.” He wanted to believe the impossible, but he had been around the block too many times to believe in such miracles.

  She looked with pleading eyes to the other firefighters. They were standing around anxiously and posturing a bravery that came only from years at their profession. If they hadn’t been given the order, they would’ve run headlong into the danger all over again. There were two in particular who showed their anger by gritting their teeth and holding themselves back by whatever willpower they had left.

  “Kenneth… Kenneth…Kenneth.” Jessica repeated his name repeatedly. Any hope of survivors slowly began to fade with each minute that went by. The captain tried to pull her away from the scene, but she was not budging from where she was kneeling on the ground. Her anguished cries were going to make a nice sound bite for the salivating jackals in the media.

  “There’s nothi
ng for you to do here. When it’s safe, we will go in and retrieve their bodies. I’ll come with you to notify your parents. It’s the least that I can do for a friend.” The Capitan pulled her to her feet and turned her away from the flames as they continued to burn.

  There were no words left for her to say. She was stunned into silence. She was in such a state of shock that she felt like she was both cold and hot at the same time. The captain had taken his jacket off and wrapped it around her. He was hiding her from those that got a sick thrill out of the suffering of others.

  They’d only taken a few steps when there was a collective gasp from the crowd. She turned in time to see a hazy image emerging from what was left of the building. His head was covered with a mask and his uniform was smoking from the intensity of the blaze. The massive figure carried a lifeless body in his arms, like some kind of offering to the gods. He stumbled down the stairs and two nearby firefighters rushed to his aid as the body fell from his gloved hands and into theirs.

  Jack felt the heat in his lungs, but it was like an old friend. It did not burn like it would his fellow firefighters. He pulled off the mask and watched horrified as the EMTs worked on the lifeless form on the ground.

  Jessica pulled away from the Captain and went to stand within feet of where her brother was being attended.

  “Don’t leave me. I will never forgive you if you leave me.” She cried out to Kenneth’s body. She could only stand and witness the valiant effort of those that were trying to get his heart to start.

  The eerie glow of the red lights from the first responders and the fire made for a melancholic feel in the air. When they called his death, it was like somebody had driven a knife into her chest and twisted it for good measure. She needed something to lash out at and she picked Jack. She wasn’t even thinking straight as she pounded on his muscular and unforgiving chest.