Texas Wildfire (Texas Heroes Book 1) (3 page)

Keeping up appearances was tough. Her strategy for staying alive was to keep out of his way and do nothing to set her husband off. Anyone would wonder why she remained, why didn’t she just slip out the door and disappear? Well, there was a very good reason.

Retaliation.

He’d warned Makenna often enough, but she’d learned he was serious the hard way. The only time she’d tried to leave, Damien had come after her and when he’d hauled her home, he not only beat Makenna and broke her arm, he killed their black lab right in front of her. And it had been his dog. Damien did it because he knew Makenna loved the animal and to give her a visual, lingering reminder that he meant exactly what he said. He told her coldly that the dog wouldn’t be the only one to pay the price. He clearly promised her that if she ever told anyone the truth, he’d make her and the one she trusted pay dearly. Makenna had no reason to doubt him. He’d been very liberal with his demonstrations.

She had the scars to prove it.

His threat still rang in her ears. “Don’t test me, Makenna. You’ll be sorry. I know how to deal with idiots and I won’t tolerate anyone interfering in our lives. It won’t pay you to get attached to anyone. If you step out of line, anyone you care about is in jeopardy.”

Makenna knew Damien was dangerous, as dangerous as a coiled cornered Texas rattler. But no one in this town would ever believe her, even if she did escape his revenge. This was his home town and he was loved. When Damien was younger, before he’d taken the job with the fire department in Fort Worth and met her, he’d become a hero in Hays County. Almost singlehandedly he’d rescued a Sunday morning congregation in the Baptist church after a fire had started in the empty baptistery. All they could figure out was that someone had knocked some candles over, but no one remembered lighting them. The story was told how he’d been passing by, noticed the smoke coming through the roof and rushed in to guide everyone to safety, returning to fight the fire before the structure was a total loss. And that wasn’t his only claim to fame. During his previous service in the Hays County VFD, Damien had performed more than one of these happenstance heroics. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Johnny-on-the-spot to dash in and save the day. When they’d abruptly left the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Wades had been welcomed home with open arms and he’d been instantly placed in the leadership position in their all-volunteer department.

If only she had the strength to do something about it. Several times she’d considered going to Titan, telling him the truth about Damien…about everything. But she didn’t have the courage. How could she open up to a man she didn’t really know? Oh, she’d built up a fantasy world around him, one where he would be her knight-in-shining armor, fight her own personal dragons for her. They’d shared some heated looks, but her experience with men was so limited, Makenna was afraid she might be misinterpreting that look for interest when it was actually indigestion.

Her husband didn’t allow her much interaction outside the home. He insisted on approving everywhere she went and everyone she came into contact with. It was a wonder he put up with her volunteer work at the nursing home. Perhaps it was because he didn’t feel threatened by the elderly residents. Little did he know that she had found friends there. They might all be in their twilight years but that didn’t hinder them caring for her. Makenna smiled thinking of Miss Rosa and Miss Ethel, two little ladies who taught her to play chicken-foot, a hilarious domino game. She would sit with them and help them do their nails. And then there was the old gentleman, Mr. Winfred, a WWII veteran who had more stories than he could find people to listen to them. He’d noticed her bruises, the times she’d had her arm in a sling and he’d guessed. It killed Makenna to lie to him, but she did so just in case he might mention it to someone else. Damien was dangerous and she had to take precautions to protect herself and others, especially her friends.

A few years ago, right after they’d moved to Hays County, she’d once gotten in his face after he’d slapped her around. Everything within her told her to fight. She’d never been a violent person, but the injustice of it all just ate her alive. Makenna threatened to go to the police, and he’d informed her with a smirk that she’d get no help there. He had friends, he said. Friends who would make sure no one believed a damn word that came out of her mouth. To show her he meant what he said, Damien had methodically begun to plant seeds. He told folks to help him ‘watch out for her’, that she sometimes got confused and that she’d undergone psychiatric care. Yes, it was true about the therapy, but she didn’t need monitoring and there was no time when she wasn’t painfully lucid. Damien knew good and well that her time seeing a psychiatrist was due to a trauma, not to any mental problems on her part.

Recently, he’d acquired a concealed handgun license and he’d flashed it around in front of her, telling her how easy it would be to pick someone off, like a sniper. He’d made her blood run cold. Honestly, she wouldn’t put anything past the man. He was crazy. So she feared to talk to anyone. All she could do was escape into her own mind until she formulated a way to leave without endangering anyone else.

When reality became more than she could handle, Makenna resorted to day-dreaming. Fantasizing. Walking to the window, she stared out into the night, imagining a different end to the evening. Condensation had built up on the glass, so she took her finger and drew MTF several times. If she were with Titan instead of Damien, he would be here with her now. She could almost feel his warmth, his strength at her back. He would place his hands on her shoulders and she’d lean into him…his palms would slide across her chest to cup her breasts.

Makenna turned in his arms, seeking his lips. He didn’t make her wait, capturing her mouth and claiming her lips as if he couldn’t survive a moment longer without her kiss. She wanted him so much. Clinging to his broad shoulders, she rubbed herself against him, showing him without a shadow of a doubt how much she needed him. She could take pleasure in him, and she would…but right now she wanted to give.

Guiding him to the bed, she bade him undress until he was gloriously nude, his big body a playground for her amusement. He wanted her, she could tell. His cock was strutted with desire, bobbing in front of her eager mouth. Yes, he wanted her. Titan wanted more from her than cries of pain or promises made to escape a beating. He wanted her—just her. “I need to love you,” she whispered as she wrapped a hand around his cock and brought him to her waiting lips. The very act of taking him into her mouth was a sacred one—she did it because she wanted to, not because she was forced.

With trembling anticipation, she gently sucked at the tip, teasing the sensitive spot beneath the flared head with her teeth. Titan’s groan was her reward. He fisted the sheet at his side with one big hand while cupping the back of her head with the other. With greedy relish, Makenna sucked and licked until he lost control.

Shifting his hips he pressed forward, bucking inside her welcoming mouth. Makenna smiled, using her hand to stroke him as she slid her lips up and down his shaft, taking him deeper down her throat each time. Oh, how she loved this. Mindlessly she sucked, giving him as much pleasure as she could, reaching down to play with his sac, rubbing his balls between her fingers.

How long had she been denied such pleasure? Being with a man who only wanted to please her—not hurt her. She kept sucking his cock until his grip tightened on her hair and he shouted, bowing his back. And all the while she licked, sucked, swallowing him without mercy until he was gasping for air. “Makenna, my Makenna.”
Leaning her head against the cool glass of the window, she massaged herself between the legs until she jerked, giving herself a modicum of release.

As she straightened her clothes, Makenna heard the sirens. As always, a tingle of apprehension slid down her spine. She was always afraid one of the firemen would be injured or there would be a fatality. Firefighting was a dangerous occupation. Even with her hatred of Damien, her need to be free of him, she wouldn’t wish a fiery death upon him or anyone. But he wasn’t the main one on her mind. Oh, she worried about them all—Hotshot, Blaze, Maverick, Dallas and the rest—but Titan was the one she prayed for. So pray she did, asking for his safety, his care. She turned up the volume so she could hear the dispatcher’s voice while she got ready for bed.

As she stood nude in front of the bathroom mirror, Makenna studied her reflection. Oh she paid no attention to her looks, what little she had, or to her too generous figure. What caught her eye was what she had to hide. The fresh bruises on her breasts, the older yellow and purple ones on her ribcage, and the black finger marks on her shoulder where he’d grabbed her and flung her against the wall the night before.

If only she could have a normal life with a man who loved her.

After a quick shower, she returned to the living room, sitting next to the scanner. At least this way she could keep up with the unit, make sure they were all okay by listening to their radio transmissions. Plus, she’d know when Damien was on his way home.

Over at the brewery, things weren’t going as planned. Titan thought they’d be in and out quickly. The initial report had been that a welder was working to replace an old fire escape when a spark ignited some beams in the wall. Two ladder trucks had begun spraying the outside structure while he and two others had headed inside. They’d got everyone to safety and were on their way out when a spark fell into one of the vats. That was all it took. With the flammability of alcohol, the explosion was instantaneous. The whole building shook and Titan was thrown about twenty feet. As he tried to rise, he hung his jacket on an exposed jagged pipe, tearing the thick material. A flame of fire licked right up his side. Due to his battered gear, Titan was burned. The next thing he knew, the whole ceiling was coming down.

“Man down! Man down!”

Through a haze of pain, he heard Ronan radioing for help. The last thing on his mind was…Makenna.

Back at the Wade house, she heard the ominous announcement. “Man down! Man down!” Jumping up, Makenna ran to the scanner, standing over it with her heart in her throat. The channel was designated for firemen and first responders only, and since this was a rural community, there were few formalities.

“Who is it and what’s going on?”

She knew this was one of the EMTs, most probably Owen, the senior member of the team. Straining to hear, Makenna went down on her knees.

“Ceiling collapsed, one of the ale vats exploded. The firefighter is unconscious with some burns to his back. He’s out of the building and we’re working on him now. Hurry, it’s Titan Sloan.”

Unbidden, a cry broke from her throat and she didn’t even think. Running to her room, she scrambled to get back into her clothes. With little forethought and no plan, she grabbed her keys. Makenna was out the door and headed for the hospital before she could talk herself out of it.

“Hurts like a bitch!” Titan groaned.

“Hold still, son,” the doctor ordered. “If you’re able to make so much noise, I think you’re going to be fine.”

Titan should’ve been relieved at the announcement. Instead, he cursed himself for his idiocy in not anticipating what was about to happen. “Was anyone else hurt?”

“No, not to my knowledge,” Doc Proctor muttered as he applied ointment to the second degree burns on Titan’s back.

“At least I didn’t need blood. With my rare blood type I would’ve probably died.” Titan closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain. Burns were the worst.

“I remember, you’re AB positive. No problem now, you had an anonymous donor give blood in your name. You have your own private stash.”

“You’re kidding.” Titan was curious. “Who would do something like that for me?”

“You may never know, that’s why they call it anonymous.” Owen laughed, standing to one side. “By the way, I just heard from the scene on the scanner. The department is still fighting the fire. That last explosion took the building. They’re trying to keep it from spreading to nearby businesses. Don’t worry, Damien will take care of everything.”

“Keep me informed,” Titan hissed. “I need to know what happens.”

“Will do. In the meantime, there’s someone here to see you.”

Titan turned his head, trying to see past the physician and the nurse. “Who?”

“Hold on, we’ll be out of your way in a second.” The nurse continued to apply gauze to the wound.

Whoever it was stepped back, probably one of the guys. “Tell them not to leave.”

“She won’t.” Owen assured him. “I’m sure Damien sent her to check on you. It’s Ms. Wade.”

Makenna.

Whatever he’d been feeling, any pain or discomfort, went right out of his head. “I want to see her,” he began forcefully, then remembered what he was doing. “To ask her about the others,” he added quickly.

“Hold your horses,” the doctor said as he applied the last bit of tape to the bandage. “There.”

As soon as the health professionals left the room, he waited…impatiently. Finally, she stepped into view. Titan’s heart lurched in his chest. She was so beautiful. Makenna had the sweetest face and a mouth he’d give ten years of his life to kiss. Her hair was long and full of body, hanging down her back in fat sausage curls. Once when he’d been watching Grey’s Anatomy, it had hit him that she looked a little like Jo Wilson. The actress’ name was Camilla…something. It didn’t really matter, because the actress wasn’t the object of his desire, the real person standing in front of him was. “Hey. You came.”

Makenna’s whole body was vibrating. She shouldn’t be here, but her heart hadn’t given her any choice. “Of course I came. How are you?”

“I’ll live.” He tried to smile, raising himself up on his forearms. They’d told him he needed to stay off his back for a few days. And by the way it felt, he figured that might be a good idea. “I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

She wanted to comfort him, to put her arms around Titan and hold him tight. But she couldn’t do that, he didn’t belong to her and she was as much a prisoner as if she dragged a ball and chain behind her with every step. Titan had never given an indication he was drawn to her in any capacity other than a friend. All of the intimate connections between them existed only in her head. When she’d arrive at the fire hall with a heavy dish and Damien strolled ahead of her, not even holding the door—it would be Titan who raced to take it from her. He was always first to see when she needed anything. But he was like that with all the women. Titan Sloan was a gentleman and she’d read entirely too much into his gallant gestures. Licking her lips, heat blooming on her cheeks, she stammered over her words. “I…I was worried about you.”

Hope heated his chest like a flare gun going off. If this woman gave him even one hint, one hope she wasn’t satisfied in her marriage, that she longed for him as much as he did for her—he’d move heaven and earth to make her his. “No need. I’m fine.”

“I was listening to the scanner. I heard there was a firefighter down,” she said lowly. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

“You were afraid it was Damien,” he ventured. “No, it was just me.”

Makenna cleared her throat. “I didn’t want it to be you.”

Titan gripped the sheet. It was a wonder he didn’t tear a hole in the cheap cotton. The meds running through his system weren’t doing a helluva lot of good, except maybe to loosen his tongue. Before he could call back the words, he just spat them out. “Makenna, you know this isn’t working.”

“What isn’t working?” Makenna tensed. A sinking feeling rose in her middle. He didn’t have to say anything more. She understood. He’d seen through her concern and knew she felt more for him than mere friendship. And he didn’t want it…or her…

Titan sought words, words to explain how he felt. But they wouldn’t come.

“Makenna, what the hell are you doing here? You know you shouldn’t be out alone at this time of night!”

Titan couldn’t argue with that—he didn’t like Makenna out alone either.

A pain shot through her where Damien pinched her arm in a cruel grip. To anyone looking on, it would seem he was just holding her. They couldn’t tell he was digging his thumb in with great force. She winced, then tried to control it. What happened later would depend on how she acted now. “I was just checking on Titan.” Next, a lie slipped from her lips, implying she thought the injured firefighter could be Damien. “I heard there was a firefighter down. I was worried.”

The pressure of his fingers didn’t lessen. Instead, he applied more and moved her backward in the room. “Go home and wait for me,” he growled in a whisper.

Makenna didn’t wait to hear more. She left, hurrying back the way she came. The impulse to go to Titan was one she should have ignored. All of the attraction, all of the longing was one-sided, on her part only. He was a man of honor, there was no way he would ever be interested… She bit back a small keen of despair. And now, now she’d pay for her foolhardy decision. Part of her wanted to keep driving and never look back. But the knowledge that Damien would punish an innocent person in her stead made the impulse impossible. Makenna couldn’t risk that, she couldn’t let someone else bear the burden of her transgressions.

When she arrived at home, she sat down and waited.

There was no use trying to hide.

Back at the hospital, Damien stood over Titan. “Accidents happen. You were lucky.”

“Just glad no one else was hurt.” He didn’t really know what else to say. His mind was still whirling over what he’d blurted out to Makenna.

“I’d like to apologize for my wife,” Damien said out of the blue and Titan jerked his head up to meet his Captain’s gaze.

“For what? She just came to check on me…or whoever was hurt. She heard the information on the scanner.”

“Well, Makenna doesn’t always use the best judgment. I tell her to mind her actions, but she doesn’t always listen. Believe me, I’ll straighten her out.”

His odd words and odder attitude puzzled Titan. It bothered him. He was about to ask Wade to clarify what he meant when several of his buddies came storming through the emergency room door.

“How the hell are you, big man?” Hotshot asked with concern.

“We can’t turn our back on you for a minute,” Maverick muttered.

By the time he’d reassured his friends, the Captain was gone and Titan had a bad feeling he didn’t really understand.

*  *  *

For the next week, Titan took it easy, puttering around his ranch and allowing his back to heal. Tammie called to check on him, reminding him about their date in a few days. “I remember. I’ll be by to pick you up at seven. I’m on call, though, so don’t forget I might have to leave at any time.” If she discerned the lack of enthusiasm in his response, Tammie said nothing.

Being a volunteer member of the fire department as well as the search and rescue team was different than being a full-time employee in the field. In rural communities like theirs, neighbors had to band together and do whatever needed to be done. So he lived his life, taking care of his land and cattle until the fire alarm sounded and if it was where he could go, Titan sprang into action. It was the same with all the volunteers. They each had careers, held down jobs—be it ranchers, business owners, construction workers or whatever. Most of them could respond easier at night but there were those, like Titan, who usually could turn loose of what he was doing during the day to help someone in need.

While he was injured, it was a different story. Right now fighting fires was out of the question, as was dangling from the end of a helicopter cable. He couldn’t risk people’s lives and livelihoods by being less than a hundred percent. Thank goodness there were things he could do around the ranch, chores he could manage until the burns healed enough that he didn’t have to go into town once a day to have the dressings changed at the clinic. It was times like this when he missed having a wife or at least a steady girlfriend to keep him company. All wasn’t lost. He might not be able to do any blacksmithing until he healed, but he could ride his horse and drive his tractor, move hay with the fork lift and check on his livestock.

Right now he was sitting atop Valiant, his big red Quarter Horse, traversing Lookout Ridge. His stock was grazing below on grass he’d planted in the winter. Despite the heavy rains they’d had in May, they were right back in drought conditions in August. The rocky soil just didn’t retain enough water. That’s why he always planted Bahia grass. It seemed to thrive when nothing else would. “Easy, boy,” he spoke low to his horse, who’d stepped on a loose rock and set off a mini-avalanche of fist size pieces of limestone skittering down the steep hill. Several of the Angus glanced toward him, as if to ascertain whether or not they should stampede or go back to chewing their cud. Seeing Titan appear to be unaffected by the sudden noise, they returned to their business. This made Titan smile. People seriously underestimated the intelligence of cattle. He’d seen them open gates, come to the aid of calves stuck in the mud and even play a game with an old ball one had found in the pasture. That was why he raised breeding stock. He enjoyed a good steak as much as the next fellow, but he drew the line at eating someone he ‘knew’. Titan chuckled at his own thoughts.

Oh well, most would think him to be a bit sensitive…until they got a good look at him. Titan was a former body builder, his biceps measured nineteen inches around and he had a nine-pack of abs that could sub as a rubboard if necessary. Competing, and winning, had been the way he’d put himself through college. He had made it on his own since high school. His parents would have given him the money, they were successful people. Being independent and on his own was important to him. As for as the body building was concerned, Titan didn’t practice the lifestyle any longer, the regiment was just too strict. Nowadays he kept his muscles intact with just a good workout, honest labor and hard work.

“Let’s go, Val.” He nudged the stallion with his knee and they headed down the hill. He picked his way between the juniper trees, whistling a low tune to keep himself company. Titan loved his ranch. He’d acquired it six years ago from his uncle, his father’s brother. His folks lived in Austin, but he’d spent many happy childhood days on this ranch. When his uncle Brad decided to sell, Titan had been ready to commit.

The sign over the gate read ‘Skyview’, and he thought the name fit. The sky was big here. A limestone ridge stretched twenty miles through the Backbone. At 1270 feet above sea level, his ranch was surrounded by canyons and valleys. Looking out over the vast landscape, it was easy to believe just about anything was possible. And he wasn’t referring to ghosts—he was thinking about Makenna and the future.

He hadn’t seen her since the night he’d been in the hospital. One day last week, Blaze had brought by some cookies for him that she’d sent to the station. He said she’d whispered to him that if he’d bring them by Titan’s ranch, she’d appreciate it. Her making cookies for the men was nothing unusual. She was always doing things for people, and she was always low-key, giving the unit the credit instead of taking any for herself. He liked to think the cookies might mean she felt something for him. But as wife of their Captain, he knew this was all too normal for Makenna.

From the moment they’d met, Titan knew he was playing a dangerous game with himself. He could’ve walked away and let someone else take his place, found some other way he could serve the community. Remove himself from temptation. Instead, he’d chosen to stay, knowing he was helplessly attracted to a woman he could never have. A woman he couldn’t even hint he had feelings for.

Titan pushed his summer Stetson back on his head, wiping the dampness from his hairline. His memory from the other night after the fire was a bit hazy, but he thought he might’ve said something he shouldn’t have—or at least started to say it. Now he was worrying. Damien had acted strange, but it wasn’t jealousy. He just couldn’t pinpoint what the man had been getting at when he said he’d have to ‘straighten’ Makenna out.

Lost in thought, when Titan finally noticed his surroundings, he discovered Valiant had carried him home. He loved his house. It wasn’t huge, a split-level ranch style made from local stone and cedar. Titan had built it with his own hands. Heading his mount into the red two-story barn, he made sure the stallion was settled with fresh oats and water. Trying to figure out what he was going to fix himself for supper, he finally decided to grab takeout when he went into town to have Meg check his dressing. The doctor had wanted him to stay another day or two in the hospital to avoid infection, but since he refused to go along with that, he’d finally compromised with the check-ups.