Protecting Her Secret Son Read online

  Chapter 11

  Daniel’s alarm sounded and he quickly slapped it off before gently untangling himself from Shannon’s luscious, supple body. He had no regrets as he sat on the edge of the bed with the fragrance that was hers alone lingering in the air. Hard to believe she wouldn’t have a few regrets, he thought, pushing to his feet. He’d just have to burn that bridge when they got there.

  He grabbed a quick shower, shaved and dressed for his shift, riding the energy boost of great sex all the way into the kitchen. He made the coffee and laced up his boots while it brewed.

  He’d filled his tall PFD travel mug and was reaching for his jacket when he heard the bathroom door close. Now what did he do? Wait or head to work? It wasn’t like he didn’t have practice leaving for work before a woman woke up. Walking out on Shannon without a word, after dumping his family issues on her and taking her to bed, didn’t feel right. He checked his watch and gave himself five more minutes.

  While he waited he heard his dad’s truck start up. Daniel swallowed down more coffee, his dad’s voice in his head scolding him for getting involved with Shannon. At least he assumed his dad wouldn’t approve of his getting involved with a woman and kid with trouble as big as Bradley Stanwood and his associates. It was hard to get a read on where Dad stood on Shannon as a future daughter-in-law.

  Shannon on her own merits had tempted him and starred in his more creative dreams for over a year. Now that he knew her as a woman and as a mom, he was only in deeper. With the attraction sparking between them, landing in bed was practically inevitable. What came next wasn’t as clear. The incomparable, satisfying experience stirred up questions in the back of his mind.

  She was already single-mom tough, but was there room in her life to be the kind of tough necessary to love a firefighter?

  His five minutes were up. He went to the whiteboard on the fridge to leave her a note about when he’d be off when he caught sight of her rounding the corner.

  Her hair tousled from sleep, her nightshirt falling to mid-thigh, he cursed the job he loved. “I need to get over to the house,” he said. “You’ll be good here today?”

  “We’ll be safe if that’s what you mean.” She skirted around him to get to the coffeepot. “I can check in on the progress at the charity house for you.”

  “You’re supposed to lay low and stay out of sight. Ed will send me any updates.”

  “That works,” she said over the rim of her coffee mug.

  The easy reply put him on edge. “What are you thinking?”

  “Have Ed keep me in the loop, too,” she suggested. “My phone works. I know what you want over there. We’ve talked about it enough and I can keep track with your project binder.”

  “You’re sure?” He trusted her, he just didn’t want her out there alone while Stanwood was in the wind. Every indication was he’d followed her car and the decoy north, but Daniel wasn’t convinced. Worse, he knew Shannon wasn’t either, though she hadn’t said it aloud.

  She tipped her head toward the clock display on the microwave. “You need to get moving,” she said with a smile. “Have a good shift.”

  Might as well take the leap and believe. Surely the philosophy could apply to relationships and crises alike. He couldn’t help himself. Pulling her close, he gave her a slow, sweet kiss. It would never last him through an entire shift and he hoped it would leave her wanting more as well.

  “Aiden will be up soon.” She smoothed her hand over his shoulder. “Go have a good day. We’ll be fine.”

  Daniel forced himself to leave the apartment, surprised by the challenge it posed. He felt a pang in his chest that he didn’t get to see Aiden before shift. The kid had wormed his way in and Daniel couldn’t wait until Stanwood was in custody and they could do this right.

  Was he ready for a family? He wondered as he reached the firehouse. If that family started with Shannon and Aiden, he was definitely ready and he hoped Shannon could get on that page soon. He didn’t want to come home to a hollow construction zone anymore.

  Striding into the firehouse, he felt a different kind of home, surrounded by men and women who were as close as brothers and sisters. Each of them had lives outside the house and the risk of their work. Contrary to his dad’s grousing about adrenaline and responsibility, Daniel respected how the people he worked with balanced commitment to their families with a career serving the greater community. Although he might be a black sheep at home, a disappointment to the family business, he fit in around here.

  The routine and focus required for the work pushed his personal questions aside. It felt as if he’d been gone for months rather than weeks. The firehouse wasn’t as different from a construction site as his dad believed. The camaraderie, teamwork and timing were critical to success in both areas.

  The morning ticked by with details and drills until finally the speakers sang out with a call. “Think you remember how it’s done?” Mitch asked him as they donned gear and loaded into the truck.

  “Easy as riding a bike,” Daniel replied, climbing into his seat.

  The driver navigated traffic, swiftly reaching a house in the heart of a rundown neighborhood. “Squatters dropped a match, I bet,” Mitch said as the crew poured out to assess the situation.

  “Probably.” Daniel looked around the deserted street. On most calls, someone met the truck, desperate for help. At the very least they usually had to deal with curious bystanders milling about.

  The lack of activity put an itch between his shoulder blades. “Stay alert,” he told the crew as they started into the building.

  The fire had a good head start and tried to discourage them with heat and hungry flames. Smoke gathered in heavy clouds at the ceiling and Daniel knew as well as the others the fire was running through the walls.

  Not much time.

  Working in pairs, Daniel and three others searched for victims trapped inside. Seeing the discarded drug paraphernalia at the door, they followed the trail of it up the stairs. Over the radio he heard the crew outside working to get the fire out before it spread.

  A warning from the chief let them know they didn’t have much time before the roof would drop in on them. The building groaned, underscoring the chief’s assessment. Daniel and Mitch hurried to clear the rooms on the third floor.

  In the central hallway, Mitch tapped his shoulder, pointed upward. “Time to go.”

  Over the radio, the chief ordered them out.

  “I’m right behind you,” Daniel said to Mitch. “One last room.” He aimed for the one room they’d overlooked. Tucked behind the stairwell, with the door closed, it was easy to miss.

  “It’s a closet,” Mitch said as a fiery chunk of the ceiling dropped down into the hallway. “Let’s move.”

  The closed door bothered Daniel and he pounded on it. The police were constantly rousting kids out of houses like this. None of the other doors had been closed. He tested the knob, locked, thought he heard a cry. “Someone’s in here!”

  Mitch turned back. “What the hell?”

  “It’s locked.” Daniel had his Halligan into the door frame already, prying at the brittle wood. “Fire department!” he shouted as he worked. “Call out!”

  With a pop, the door came free and Mitch shoved it aside. Huddled in the corner, a skinny person with stringy hair and a tear-stained face coughed.

  “Let’s go,” Mitch said, reaching toward the victim. “Can you walk?”

  A bony arm and hand reached back, trembling. Daniel reported they were coming out with a victim and led the way. They hit the landing on the second floor when the roof gave out with a deafening squeal and thunder. The fire, freed from the walls, blazed anew with a ravenous, deep voice.

  His radio blasted with shouts, orders and demands for status. Daniel looked back and got a nod from Mitch, relayed they were okay. For the moment. />
  A chunk of the roof had dropped through the stairwell, trapping them between the center of the house and the front door on the landing between the first and second floors. Daniel swiftly reassessed, watching and listening to the fire moving around them. “We can hand off over the gap,” he decided.

  Mitch nodded an agreement as Daniel moved into position, easing his way around what was left of the stairs. Between them, they moved the victim, a young woman, over the gaping hole in the stairs. She coughed and choked, her thin body shivering like a leaf riding a windstorm. The air quality should have been better as they moved toward the front door, but debris from the roof collapse added foul dust clouds to the smoke.

  Daniel steadied the victim until at last they were free of the burning building and out in the clear air of an overcast day. Daniel shoved back his mask and inhaled the brisk, cool air. Paramedics rushed forward with a gurney for the victim. They’d covered her dirty face with the oxygen mask when a sharp, whip-crack of sound sliced through the air.

  Not sounds from the fire, that was a bullet. Followed by two more.

  Daniel and Mitch moved to cover the woman they’d rescued while the paramedics tried to get the loaded gurney behind better cover. One wheel of the gurney got jammed in the pock-marked sidewalk and they went crashing to the ground.

  The tumble knocked the wind out of Daniel and sent pain lancing around his ribcage, up his side. Mitch swore. Behind them, the chief barked out more orders as the shooter kept firing. Policemen arriving at the scene leaped into action, calling for backup as they moved to return the gunfire coming from an equally dilapidated building across the street.

  Undaunted, the shooter kept firing. Daniel glanced to the victim, wondering who wanted her dead so badly.

  “Move the truck!” the chief shouted.

  Daniel heard the engine rumbling, felt the truck drive up closer to the house, putting an end to the rain of bullets. They righted the gurney and settled the patient, giving her oxygen. Long minutes ticked by while they hunkered down until finally the police announced they’d found the shooter’s nest, not the shooter. While they continued in pursuit, the firemen and paramedics finished their work as well.

  “What kind of trouble are you in?” Daniel asked, worried for the girl they’d rescued. The track marks on her arms proved her an addict in need of immediate intervention. She shook her head weakly, sucking in the offered oxygen. She pointed to him and Mitch. “Said he wanted firemen.” She worked to force out each word.

  A chill slid down Daniel’s spine at the statement.

  “We need to transport.” The paramedics started moving.

  Searing pain had Daniel sucking in a breath as he stepped aside.

  “You need to ride along?” Mitch asked.

  Daniel shook his head. “Landed wrong on the gurney, that’s all. Did you hear what she said?”

  Mitch nodded. “I also noticed the gunfire was focused on us. Didn’t end until the truck moved.”

  “Not a good sign,” Daniel said. At Mitch’s pointed look, he took a careful breath around the pain in his ribs. “I’ll go tell the chief.”

  “Be sure you add the part about your girlfriend’s ex being with the mob,” Mitch said quietly. “Grant gave me a heads-up when I covered for you Saturday night.”

  Daniel couldn’t argue. It might be random craziness that pushed the gunman or it might be Stanwood. Whether he’d pulled the trigger himself or hired it done, Daniel couldn’t rule out Shannon’s ex. Reluctantly, he said as much to the chief.

  Ignoring the pain in his side, Daniel helped his crew pack up for the trip back to the firehouse. With a start like this, he feared it would be a long shift.

  He wasn’t wrong. They’d only been back an hour when another call came in, same neighborhood, similar fire. No one trapped inside, which was a relief, but when they rolled back into the house, Detective Hertz was waiting for Daniel.

  Apparently, witnesses described a man similar to Stanwood in the area, offering cash.

  “The decoy didn’t work?”

  “He figured it out, lost us,” Hertz said. “We don’t know it’s him, but you need to be careful. I’ve checked on Shannon. She and the boy are fine.”

  “So he’s targeting my lieutenant?” Chief Anderson asked.

  “If it’s Stanwood, and that’s my bet, he isn’t known to get his hands dirty.”

  “He has the money to hire others.”

  The detective nodded in somber agreement while the if echoed in Daniel’s head. “Seems like one hell of a coincidence if it isn’t Stanwood.”

  “Be careful is the best advice I have right now.” Hertz closed his notebook. “The patrol continues to shadow the Nolans. I’ll be sure there’s an increased presence here, too.”

  The detective walked out and the chief stared at Daniel, hands on hips. “You could stay off the truck until we know.”

  “Not if you’re giving me a choice, sir.”

  The chief scowled down at the stack of reports on his desk. “We need you,” he said thoughtfully. “You don’t do me a lot of good if the shooter succeeds.”

  “I’m aware.” He wouldn’t do anyone any good if Stanwood managed to wound him or worse. Still, if he was drawing Stanwood’s focus from Shannon, he considered it progress. “If he’s out there setting fires for a chance at me, the police will have a better chance of catching him.”

  “Get after it, then,” the chief said.

  Daniel walked out of the office and pulled out his phone, checking for updates from Ed or Shannon. Hearing a commotion in the kitchen, he walked in to see what his crew was getting into now.

  * * *

  Shannon knew something was wrong the moment she walked into the firehouse. There was a weird undercurrent in the air. When he saw her, Daniel’s smile was bright enough, but she saw the quick wince and heard the catch in his breath when he scooped Aiden up into his arms.

  “Hey, buddy,” Daniel said as Aiden wrapped his skinny arms around his neck. “How’s your day going?”

  “We saw the charity house,” Aiden began. “Mimi took us.” He continued giving a full rundown of the day’s events from breakfast to afternoon baking as only a four-year-old could.

  To her amazement, Daniel appeared engrossed by the recounting of her son’s day. She scolded herself for the reaction, for expecting Daniel to get tired of Aiden. Daniel wasn’t Bradley, nor was he anything like the other two men she’d dated briefly.

  She stepped forward. “Here are the cookies.”

  “Whoa,” Mitch said, taking the plate from her. He grinned at Aiden. “You really baked these? They look tasty.”

  “You have to share,” Aiden said. “Mommy said so.”

  Daniel tickled a silly giggle out of her son. “Did you save any for me at home?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

  Aiden bobbed his head, eyes sparkling, and the two of them were obviously planning something while her mind was stuck on the idea of home being a place for all three of them. Together.

  She’d ruthlessly jerked her mind back from that twisty track of contentment and possibility and future as she and Aiden had baked the cookies. Two batches of her favorite double-chocolate chip later, she hadn’t quite found her way back to accepting this was temporary. Once more, sex had changed everything, but there would be no regrets. If this was all they had, she would enjoy it without putting pressure on either of them.

  One of the paramedics led Aiden off to explore something else, giving Daniel and Shannon a moment alone.

  She wanted to ask what was hurting him, but thought it better if he volunteered the information. A small test for both of them, considering what they’d each needed to overcome. “The house is coming along,” she said.

  “Great.” He tipped his head, stepping back into a quiet corner of the hallway.
“Any chance we gained a day or two on the schedule?”

  A purely feminine part of her had been hoping he’d moved them out of sight to sneak a kiss. “Maybe half a day.” She reached into her tote and pulled out the project binder.

  “You’re joking.”

  “Not at all.” She opened the binder to her day’s notes. “I made a couple of calls and got a workaround on the back-ordered flooring.”

  “I didn’t want to sacrifice quality.”

  “We didn’t. Jennings didn’t,” she amended quickly when his brow furrowed. Sharing an apartment, having the best sex of her life, didn’t make them an enduring “we.” Live in the moment. “It’s the exact product you ordered, fulfilled through remnants.”

  His dark eyebrows lifted with momentary respect and surprise and then dipped into a frown. “I didn’t think of that.”

  In reflex, she reached out to comfort him, drawing her hand back before she overstepped the boundaries. This was his place of business. “You’ve had other things on your mind.”

  His enigmatic blue gaze locked on to her. “Last night—”

  The dispatch warning sounded and the call came for the ambulance only. Aiden appeared at the end of the hallway as the paramedics headed out to the job. He raced for Daniel again, barreling into his leg.

  Daniel winced more visibly this time.

  “Easy,” she said to her son. “Did you have fun on the ambulance?”

  “They call it a rig, Mommy.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Will you go out next?” Aiden asked Daniel, his eyes wide. “Are your sirens louder than the rig?”

  “Definitely. You heard them on your tour.”

  “We need to get going,” Shannon said to Aiden, reaching for her son.

  “I’ll walk you out.” Daniel dropped down, offering his back to Aiden. “Hop on, bud.”

  Aiden scrambled up, his small hands gripping Daniel’s shoulders as Daniel held his legs. She smiled at the two of them making plans for the end of Daniel’s shift tomorrow.