Trial by Fire Read Online Free

the standings, huh?” Romeo shut his trap. Good. “Tommy, don’t worry about upsetting Sean. The fact is, he’s going to be blindsided by scenarios that remind him of how his family died. No way to avoid it in this job, and he knows that’s nobody’s fault, especially yours. Got it?”
    With a shaking hand, Tommy pushed the damp hair out of his eyes. “Just the same, I want to apologize. I can’t believe I lost it like that.”
    Jeez, I’m everybody’s daddy. I’ll never have kids, so God handed me these guys to make up for it. Not exactly an even trade. He might be younger than Sean by five years, but he felt ancient as a freaking fossil. Just once, couldn’t everyone wipe their own asses?
    “Fine, talk to him. But if he gets nasty, don’t take it personal,” Howard advised. “I’m his best friend and he’ll barely open up to me. ”
    Skyler’s answer was lost on Howard as he glanced toward his mystery woman. Since another engine had arrived, Knight had left the quint and was talking to the girl, helping her sit up, his hand enfolding hers. Zack said something that made her tilt her chin up and grace Boy Wonder with a blinding smile. Zack returned it.
    And he hadn’t let go of her hand. Yet.
    “Excuse me,” Howard muttered, leaving Tommy and Jules the Pain staring after him.
    He bore down on the cozy pair like a heat-seeking missile. His usual paragon-of-patience-and-brotherly-love mojo took a last gasp for air and croaked. Irrational, violent thoughts invaded his tired brain. Like picking up A-shift’s resident genius and squeezing with his bare hands until his eyeballs popped out and went rolling down the driveway.
    A year without sex—your palm doesn’t count— topped by twenty-four hours without sleep will do wicked things to a guy.
    At his approach, Zack looked up and grinned. “Hey, Six-Pack. Your patient is ready to run laps. I was just telling Miss McKenna—”
    “I need you at the house to help supervise the clean up. Now.”
    Zack’s smile withered at his curt tone, and he blinked behind his wired-rimmed glasses. “But that’s not—”
    “Your job. I know.” He sighed, sorry to have snapped. Knight was a superior team member, highly respected, not to mention gifted with an IQ of 150. A man everyone expected would make captain one day. Zack and Miss McKenna were staring at him uncertainly.
    “When I’m finished with the patient, I’ll help you. The captain will see to the engine for you while he waits for the police.”
    Zack’s dark brows furrowed. “Why? What’s going on?”
    “We’ve got a body inside, possible homicide. It’s badly burned.”
    His eyes met Zack’s startled blue ones, and they silently acknowledged the gravity of the effect that must be having on Sean.
    “Ah, shit.” The younger man shook his head. “I saw Tommy run out. I was on my way, but I had to stop and check on the patient first. Yeah, I’ll take over the scene, make sure the fire is out and nothing else is touched. The captain doesn’t need to go inside.”
    “Thanks, man. I owe you.”
    “Forget it.”
    With that, Zack rose and strode toward the smoldering house. Doing my job because I had to see the girl. An uncharacteristic breach of etiquette for a rules-oriented guy like himself. Howard tamped down a wave of guilt.
    “Body?” the woman squeaked, finding her voice at last. “A dead body ? In Joan and Greg’s house ?”
    Aw, man. He was a clueless idiot for mentioning a victim in front of her.
    He gazed into her heart-shaped face. Pretty, he decided, rather than a classic beauty. Not one of those Amazon hardbodies who hung out at his fitness club, sweating off what God blessed them with. Not Miss McKenna.
    Her lovely face was as soft and rounded as the rest of her. Full, kissable lips. Like a ripe, juicy strawberry, begging to be plucked. Ooh, a man-eating bachelor killer. She stared back at him, waiting for an answer.
    “I’m afraid so.” He scrambled for an intelligent