Bad Karma (23 page)

And now there was Javier. He was the polar opposite of Cassie’s previous admirers. He was tall and muscular, with handsome chiseled features. In the game room, he’d stared at Cassie with a longing that was almost palpable.

He didn’t know how innocent she was. He couldn’t ever comprehend that she wasn’t ready to get involved with an experienced man, one who might break her heart.

Sky pressed her lips together. Cassie had blown up at her when she’d suggested that Javier might be too old for her. But she couldn’t stand by and watch this local Lothario take advantage of her little sister.

~*~

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Conflagration

Zach selected a nice bottle of wine and a carton of sodas from the store. He didn’t know what Sky would like to drink, but he didn’t want to take the chance that she’d feel uncomfortable.

When he picked her up, she looked gorgeous, her hair curling softly around her face, a light gloss on her lips and wearing a pale blue cotton dress with tiny straps. The color made her eyes looked even bigger and bluer than usual.

He greeted her with a kiss, inhaling her perfume and stroking his hand over her hair.

“
You take my breath away,” he said.

She grinned at him, seemed to be pleased by the compliment. “I’m a little worried about leaving Cassie by herself.”

“
Can she call Javier to come over?”

“
He’s on duty at the fire station.”

“
We can ask Rafael to have some extra patrols cruise by, just in case.”

She nodded, obviously relieved.

When they arrived at the Palacio Del Mar Condominiums, the sun was just starting to set, casting long fingers of scarlet across the magenta sky. They took a moment to appreciate it and to share a kiss before stepping inside the lobby with its marble fountain and gleaming surfaces.

Sky turned around, staring at all the luxurious appointments. “Wow! Being a sheriff must pay more than I thought.”

Zach shook his head. “Rafael comes from a very wealthy family. His parents moved here from Mexico with their kids when he was in grade school. That’s where he and Chloe first met.”

“
He has no trace of an accent.”

Zach snorted. “Rafael has a better vocabulary than I do and he’s fluent in French as well as Spanish.”

And his wife was born here?”

“
Long story. They were childhood sweethearts.”

They went up in the elevator to the top floor. When he rang the doorbell, Chloe opened the door, slightly flushed and grinning.

“
Come in. Come in.” She leaned close to give him a hug.

Zach glanced at Rafael before he embraced Chloe. A sharp stabbing glance from Rafael assured Zach that he was aware that his wife was being hugged by another man. Zach handed her the bottle of wine and carton of sodas.

“
How thoughtful, Zach. You knew that I’m not drinking anything alcoholic.” Chloe set the sodas down and then held out her hand to Sky. “I’m Chloe.”

“
And I’m Sky. When are you due?” She gestured to Chloe’s burgeoning middle.

“
We still have a few weeks to go.” She glanced at her husband who stood in the kitchen behind an indoor built-in grill.

Rafael gave her a look that could only be described as adoring. “Come on in, folks. I’m just about to throw the steaks on.”

Zach had a conversation with Rafael concerning Sky’s anxiety over leaving Cassie at the house alone.

Rafael called for patrols every thirty minutes outside their house.

Zach nodded at Sky and she smiled, looking somewhat relieved.

Chloe leaned over the table and lit candles. The table was set for four.

“
Where’s my favorite little rug rat?” Zach asked.

Chloe laughed. “My mom took Lacy for a sleepover. She thought we could use a night of grown-up talk.”

“
And Sybil gets Lacy all to herself,” Zach said,

Chloe ushered Zach and Sky to a seat on the long leather sofa. “Let me get this wine opened so it can breathe.” When she carried the bottle to the kitchen, Rafael took it from her and embraced her with one arm, brushing a kiss against her lips. He reached for a corkscrew and opened the wine for her.

Chloe returned to seat herself comfortably on the sofa. “I’m so glad that you moved here, Sky. We sure do need some more nurses.”

“
Do you go to the prenatal clinic in the hospital?” Sky asked.

“
No, Raffy takes me into Harlingen to a great female obstetrician.”

“
Nothing but the best for my wife,” Rafael called.

Chloe giggled conspiratorially. “And he thinks that Doctor Fischer is a little flirtatious.”

“
He’s a letch.” Rafael grinned at her. “I’d hate to have to shoot him.”

Within a short time their meal was on the table and Rafael was pouring wine.

“
None for me, thanks,” Sky said. “I’ll have a soda.”

“
Sodas for the ladies and wine for the men.”

The conversation was pleasant. Zach could see that Sky and Chloe would become friends...if she stayed long enough.

They took their desserts to the balcony and ate peach cobbler with ice cream as they enjoyed the cool breeze off the bay and the view of South Padre Island at night from the tenth floor.

He reached for Sky’s hand and felt gratified when she leaned close to him.

The sound of a siren far below attracted their attention. They looked over the balcony to see, first one and then the other, fire truck come screaming around the corner and head down the beach.

“
Oh, my God!” Sky whispered. “Look!” She pointed in the direction of Zach’s house. As he peered over the balcony, he saw plumes of smoke rising in the distance and a red glow of flames.

~*~

Javi was in the first unit on the scene. Clad in his turnout coat and bunker pants he hefted the Scott pack onto his back. He pulled the mask into place before reaching around and cracking the valve to release the cool oxygen into his
mask. Jamming his helmet on over his nomex hood, he didn’t bother to fasten the chin strap.

He didn’t wait for the rest of the team. He grabbed a halligan tool and ran up the stairs, shattering the sliding glass door when he found it locked.

Clouds of grey smoke billowed out.

Javier stepped through the opening. “Cassie! Cassie! Where are you?” The mask muffled his voice, causing him to yell in the hopes she would hear him.

Stooping low, he dashed toward Cassie’s bedroom. A mass of flaming debris blocked her door. He used the halligan to shove it to one side; just enough to get the door open and step through.

Dark smoke clung to the top half of the room, but he was able to locate Cassie curled up in her bed.

Javier shrugged out of his turnout coat and wrapped it around her.

He rushed her outside; feeling relieved as soon as he’d cleared the house. He ran down the stairs and lay Cassie on the damp sand.

She looked like a beautiful rag doll, rolling limp and pale out of his turnout coat.

Javier ditched his helmet and nomex hood before checking Cassie for signs of life. He felt for her pulse. It was weak and thready, but she wasn’t breathing. Tilting her head back, he cleared her airway and began to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

An ambulance sped toward them, lights flashing and siren screaming.

Cassie drew a wheezy breath and opened her eyes. She lay still, staring up at him without recognition.

“
Hi baby,” he whispered close to her ear. “I love you. Please be okay.”

He thought he saw a tiny flicker of acknowledgment before the emergency medical personnel took over. He stepped back, but couldn’t move away.

Let the house burn. The only thing that mattered was that Cassie was safe.

The EMT’s checked her vital signs, administered oxygen and loaded her into the ambulance, working to stabilize her inside the vehicle.

Cars arrived and Rafael Solis ran over to where Javier stood, with Cassie’s sister and Zach Bailey close behind.

“
Oh, my God! Cassie!” Skyler looked terrified.

The EMT spoke to her and assured her that Cassie had suffered from smoke inhalation, but that the firefighter had saved her before she’d suffered any burns and resuscitated her.

“
What firefighter?” she asked.

The EMT pointed to Javier.

Sky looked at him wide-eyed and then embraced him. “You! Thank you so much for saving my sister. How can I ever thank you?” She pulled back, searching his face.

“
Sky!” Zach cried out. “You have blood all over you.”

Sky looked down at her dress and arms, puzzled that she was covered with bright red blood.

“
It’s Javier,” Rafael said. “He’s bleeding.”

~*~

When the ambulance delivered Cassie and Javier to the emergency room, they had quite a retinue.

Skyler had jumped into the ambulance with the victims. Zach trailed close behind in his Jeep, with Rafael and Chloe bringing up the rear.

Sky kept staring at the man who had saved Cassie and then promptly passed out on the beach, unaware that he’d severed an artery in his right arm on a shard of glass when he’d carried Cassie out through the sliding door.

Cassie remained unconscious, but her color was better since she’d had the oxygen mask on.

At the Emergency Room, a team of medical personnel swarmed over the patients.

Sky looked up to meet Selena’s horrified expression.

“
Oh, no! Javier!” The usually cool Selena looked stricken.

Doctor Marcos recognized Sky and nodded at her. “Get in here, Sky. We need all hands.”

Sky hurriedly scrubbed and donned a gown and gloves.

She saw that Cassie was regaining consciousness and turned her attention to Javier.

Assisting the doctor, Javier’s artery was repaired and the gash in his arm received a neat row of sutures. Sky applied a sterile dressing and cleaned the surrounding area. Her hand swept over his muscled torso with a gauze pad, dampened in sterile water.

Nice specimen, Cassie. Adonis with a tan.

When he regained consciousness, he tried to sit up, but several pairs of hands restrained him. “Cassie,” he rasped out.

Selena threw herself over him, but Doctor Marcos pulled her off. “Don’t mess up my needlework.”

She sniffled and went to stand close to Javier’s head.

“
Where’s Cassie?” Javier croaked.