The Billionaire's Secret Kink Box Set: Knox: Secret Alpha Billionaire Romance Bundle (Rosesson Brothers Book 1) (61 page)

He heard something to his left. A cracking, straining, ripping sound. A tree falling. More cracking. A shriek. A woman's scream, then cut off abruptly. His head jerked around, his ears straining. That had to be Emma!

He took off at a run, flanking the front edge of the fire. His mind filled only with the need to get to her before the fire did.

His legs pumped relentlessly. He willed his lungs to use the air and his throat not to cough. He hurdled downed trees like they were lincoln logs.

There, he saw the big tree that had just fallen. He ran to it and jumped on top of it, straining to see in the meager light. He looked around in a 360 but saw nothing. He pulled out his flashlight and walked along the trunk of the tree, sweeping first one side and then the other.

A flash of orange caught his eye. Her coat! His heart leaped in his chest. She was so still, laying on the ground. "Emma!"

He ran to her, pushing through sticks and branches. She was caught under the branches from the tree that had fallen, her face to the ground. There was a man laying right behind her on his back. A hunter from the looks of it, with a bandaged leg. With a might yank and a roar ripping from his mouth he broke the branches from the tree that were covering the two people and tossed them to the side. He had them free.

He slipped off his gloves and checked the hunter's pulse first, scared to check Emma's. Thready, barely there. This man was in trouble. Emma had him on some sort of a sled and had been pulling him to the road.

"Central, FF 465, send me a chopper. I need medical evac," he yelled into his radio.

"Oh honey, you gotta be OK," he whispered, putting his fingers to her throat. Strong and regular, her pulse spoke to him, told him she was going to live, if he could just get her out of here. "Oh God," he choked, a sob building in his chest.

"Emma honey, you hold on, my brave warrior, I am gonna get you out of here."

Craig looked backwards at the fire behind them. It was closing in. They were in an oven and within a few minutes, they would be engulfed in flames. He had to get these two people out of here and fast. He shouted into the radio again "Central, FF 465, I need two choppers, send them to the tanker three miles west of the scene on Crystal Creek Road. I can't hear you on my radio but get those birds in the air! I have two patients here, one certainly critical, the other possibly critical.

Craig looked around again and knew what he had to do. There was no choice. He said a little prayer for Emma's spine and prayed she would be OK when he moved her.

Then he rolled her over. She was unconscious, her eyes and mouth slack. Her forehead and left eye were purple and swollen where they had hit a rock partially buried in the dirt. His heart rolled over at the thought of his lovely Emma hurt, unconscious, in pain.

He hoisted her into a sitting position and picked her up under arms, gently placing her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He stepped inside the sled she had made and lifted the handle, bracing it against his midsection so he could steady her with both hands and not jostle her too much.

He pushed forward, feeling the weight of the sled behind him. Admiration filled him at what she had made, and what she had done. This woman was amazing. He wanted her to love him, he wanted her to be all his.

He pushed them out of there, one agonizingly slow step at a time. He had to make it to the road. There they would be safe. Even if the fire reached the road and jumped it, they could hole up in the tanker if they had to.

Craig pushed and prayed and when he reached the road he thought his desperate mind was playing tricks on him at first. No, there it was. He said a little prayer of thanks and pulled them up the embankment.

He could hear the chopper coming up the mountain. Relief flooded him. He laid Emma down as gently as he could on the asphalt and dropped the sled. He grabbed the flare gun from his pocket and shot a flare straight up. That should help.

He knelt next to Emma and checked her pulse again. Still there. Still strong. He went to the man on the sled, he still had a pulse too, but his face was ashen. He had to go first. As much as he would have liked to have gotten Emma on the first bird, he knew the right thing to do was send this man first.

The helicopter came into view. Craig ran to the truck and got more flares, marking a landing pad, then he ran back to his patients to protect them from the buffeting winds as the helicopter set down. The fire had reached the embankment, and the hot winds carried ashes and burning sticks.

The medic jumped out with a board before the bird was all the way on the ground and ran over to him. Craig pointed to the man. "He's got to go" he tried to yell, but only a small squeak came out. His throat was raw from breathing the scorching air and ashes.

The medic put the board on the ground next to the hunter and they transferred him onto it, strapping him down. Craig didn't want to leave Emma but he had to, to help the medic get the man on board. They carried him swiftly, bending to get safely under the blades.

Craig turned around and ran back as the helicopter lifted off. Emma! He didn't see her right away. The ground where he had left her was empty. Panic ripped through him again, blacking his vision.

He saw her, by the truck, she was standing, but bent over and holding her head.

He ran to her, joy flooding him. She was standing! She was OK!

"Emma!" he tried to shout, but his voice sounded small and not his, and didn't seem to carry to her. She turned to him anyway, dropping her hand, his name forming on her lips in surprise.

It was night-time. Orange light filled the sky from the forest blazing beside them. Craig ran towards her, stopping in front of her. He looked down into her face, his eyes threatening to spill tears. His hair and skin were smeared with dirt.

His strong hands grasped her upper arms almost hard enough to hurt. His voice, husky and strained and weak, not sounding like him, broke and cracked as he said:

"I thought you were gone.

I thought I had lost you.

With God as my witness I swear I will never let you go again."

He fell forward onto her chest and slid down her body. He grabbed her around the waist and squeezed her in a bear hug. Now his sobs did come.

Tingles danced up and down her spine, radiated outward along her back, and wrapped around her body.

She felt ready to explode with love and happiness and relief.

He had forgiven her.

Her own tears slipped down her face and she hugged his head to her middle, loving the feel of him.

Craig was the man in the vision all along. Emma couldn't believe it. Her brain felt ready to burst with joy. She didn't feel her injuries, she didn't feel anything but her own exploding emotions.
It's Craig, Craig is the man in my vision. Sweet, strong, dependable, sexy Craig.
How could she ask for anything more than that? She felt blessed beyond belief, like the Heavens themselves had opened and set this man down, made especially for her.

She pulled him up, peered up into his face and whispered, "Craig, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for what I did."

His face crumpled with emotion. "Don't speak another word of it Emma. I understand why you did it. And it doesn't matter. You're OK, and that's all the matters."

He pressed his lips to hers, gently. Emma's mouth thrilled at his touch. Her happiness turned to sweet, sweet wanting. She had turned this man out of her bed once, but now she couldn't wait to get him back in it, for good.

The whoop whoop of the second chopper filled the air.

He broke the kiss. "That's your ride," he smiled sweetly at her.

"You called in a helicopter for me too? I can drive down; I don't need a helicopter."

"Emma, you were unconscious for at least ten minutes, you can't drive down. You need to be x-rayed and I'm sure they will want to watch you overnight for a concussion."

"Well you drive me then!"

"I'm needed at the firebreak. I was on my way up there for the night shift when I found your truck."

Emma looked downcast. It looked like her celebration would have to wait. Besides, her head did hurt a little - well a lot.

He lifted her chin with his hand. "I'll be there first thing in the morning. I'll check you out of the hospital and take you home. Would you be willing to move in with me? I don't want to spend one more second apart."

Emma laughed. "Move in with you? Maybe you should move in with me."

He leaned forward and kissed her on the ear. "Maybe I should. I promise I'll be there by 8:00 and we'll talk then. You go and get some rest."

The helicopter moved in, making any further conversation difficult. When it landed, they walked up to it together and Craig helped Emma climb in to sit on the gurney.

"I can't wait to see you, my love," he said in her ear before slipping out onto the ground, walking out of the way of the blades and giving the pilot a thumbs up.

My love.
Emma touched her hand to her ear, feeling the tingle his breath left there.

She watched as they lifted higher and higher, Craig waving the whole time.

She blew him a kiss, even though she knew he couldn't see it.
You are my love too. I love you.
She thrilled at the thought.
And our new life together begins in the morning.

<<< The End >>>

Epilogue

Emma blinked heavily. Light flooded the window. She checked the clock on the wall. 10:00! Where was Craig? Maybe he had come and left because she was sleeping. The doctors had woke her every two hours all night long to be sure her brain wasn't swelling but for some reason no one had woken her since 5.

The door opened. Craig? She sat up straight in bed, a wide smile instantly on her face.

The smile withered as she realized who it was. Norman.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" She had no patience for Norman today, or ever again.

He looked honestly surprised at her outburst. "Emma, aren't you happy to see me? It doesn't look like you have many other visitors to speak of."

"No I'm not happy to see you, get the hell out of here. I'm done with you Norman."

"Ahh but Emma, don't you understand, I really just want to be your friend."

"I don't want to be your friend Norman. Leave now or I will have you thrown out."

Norman laughed. "Who is going to throw me out Emma?" He leaned over the bed with an evil grin on his face. "Your boyfriend?" he sneered, sounding like a two-bit villain in every crappy movie ever.

Fear spiked Emma's heart. Craig. Ohmigod. Craig!

Emma jumped out of bed and grabbed her only clothes, her wildfire-fighting uniform on a table in the corner. She ran to the bathroom and locked it, dressing quickly.

When she came out, Norman was gone.

<<<<>>>>

Edge of the Heat 2 is available here:

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About the Author

Lisa became a full time author in the summer of 2014, fulfilling a childhood dream. She lives in the Inland Pacific Northwest, and is married with 2 sons. She is a U.S. Army veteran, plus former paramedic, 911 calltaker/police radio dispatcher, and volunteer firefighter. Her husband is also a veteran, and a retired police officer. Connect with her on her facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/LisaLadewAuthor
or email her. [email protected]

The end