Lost in Flames (Lost Series Book 2)
Read Lost in Flames (Lost Series Book 2) Online
Authors: C.T. Nicholson
Lost in Flames
A Novel by C.T. Nicholson
Copyright © 2015 C.T. Nicholson
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electric, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner(s) and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Other Books by
C.T. Nicholson
Lost Chances-
Lost series
Aiden's Betrayal-
Guardians of the Society Novel
Drake's Secret-
Guardians of the Society Novel
Forbidden-
A Serian Novel
DEDICATION
As usual I dedicate this book and all others to everyone who's been there for me. Family, friends, fans, ect.
To my husband who may get aggravated with all the work that goes into writing and publishing, but still sticks by me and supports me completely.
To all the fans who've waited patiently for this book to come out and I truly hope it was worth it.
Acknowledgements
My Fantastic Editor who works with me on my crazy requests.
Natalie G. Owens
My cover artist who always knows exactly what I'm looking for
The Illustrated Author
http://www.theillustratedauthor.net
The one and only
Golden Czermak AKA FuriousFotog
He gets the perfect shots every time!
Wow.
His sister had really beat them all to marriage and children. Wyatt wiggled in his arms wanting Uncle Mike to make more silly faces. Not that he had one issue with doing that all day. Seeing his nephew giggle and grin proved enough to keep him going. Those uniquely changing eyes had been inherited from his sister. Nearly everything else about Wyatt came from Cooper, who sat in the chair beside them watching their interaction with amusement. His black cap with the TrueTimber symbol on it matched the camo one Mike wore. This being an everyday addition to his wardrobe, years of use might've warranted its retirement. Good thing Cooper was sent free ones via his sponsorship with the company.
"Next, you'll have one of those." Cooper nudged his arm. "Having him and Sophia in my life is the best thing to ever happen to me. There's nothing I'd change."
Considering Cooper had made great headway in becoming one of the biggest names in the country music world, Mike thought it pretty damn good that his sister and nephew were loved so much. "I'd have to find the girl first and I think I'll keep flying solo for a while."
"It won't matter what you want when the right girl comes along. Believe me. Your whole world will change." The adoration in his gaze couldn't be ignored as it never wavered from Sophia. "They can drive you crazy and pull you closer at the same time. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
As she conversed with Ryan about something that seemed to be serious, Sophia looked beautiful in her blue dress with her round belly showing just how soon they'd have another baby to spoil. Except for her dark hair, she reminded him of their late mother when she was pregnant with her.
That memory happened to be one of the last ones he had of when she was still healthy and smiling all the time. Always happy and devoted to her children, she'd lost the spark when she was diagnosed with cancer and then, they became the ones to take care of her. Knowing that Sophia didn't have as much time with their mother upset him. Even so, she'd turned out a lot like her.
Wyatt squealed and her motherly instinct ended the conversation; she hurried over to grab him up. "What is Uncle Mike doing to you?" she asked with a hint of laughter in her eyes.
A yawn came from his small body and he rubbed his eyes. Mike kissed each adorable dimpled cheek, dragging a giggle from him. "I think this little guy is getting tired."
"Here, I'll put him to bed." Cooper took Wyatt and glared at Sophia. "You shouldn't be picking him up or carrying him around."
Mike's sister rolled her eyes when Cooper disappeared through the back door. "If he could keep me from picking up a feather, I swear he would."
"I think we all would." Mike and his brothers may have been a little too protective of their sister, but they really didn't care. It worked perfectly that her husband and their best friend had the same over-protective gene. If he did find a woman, she'd hate him for feeling that way and he'd hate changing. Which was why waiting wasn't a bad idea. At least he didn't have to change his personality. It didn't help him to see the love between Cooper and Sophia. If the result of meeting a girl turned into that kind of love, he would take it. Even if it meant he'd have to try and tone his overbearing ways. Love wasn't that easy. Not for everyone.
"I know. I can't do anything on my own without someone fussing over me." Her forehead crinkled and she frowned. The irritated look didn't last long before Cooper came back and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her extended belly. Her eyes glazed over when she tilted back to look at him.
Seeing his sister so happy and in love made everything they'd gone through worth it. None of them would've let Cooper keep his legs otherwise. There was no one in the world he'd rather have care for his baby bear.
"It won't be long and Wyatt will have a little sister to compete with for attention." Cooper rubbed her belly.
"There will be no competing. They'll have plenty of attention with this family." Sophia's laughter brightened the day. Even with the sun high in the sky already.
"Oh yeah. No worry in that department." He couldn't believe how quick everything was happening. It had been almost two years since Cooper came back to town. So much had changed since then. Jacob lost his assistant since his sister had Wyatt. Nick, well, he was still the same, but they hardly seemed to see Jacob anymore, what with his working out of town a lot. "Time goes by too fast sometimes."
"You're telling me. Every time I'm gone for a few weeks, I swear Wyatt's a whole other baby, and Sophia is even—OWW!"
Sophia slapped his hand that still covered her belly. "You better watch what you're about to say."
"Be careful," Ryan said, taking a sip of his drink. "She's sensitive right now."
His sister took another swing, but at her loud-mouthed friend. Someone he'd call a friend, as well.
"I was just going to say even more beautiful." He winked at Mike.
"I'll accept that. Even if I know you're full of—" Cooper placed his hand over her mouth and moved it when she tried to pull it away. "What?"
"You have to watch your language. Don't you remember what the books said about how she can hear you speaking?" The stern look proved he was serious.
Sophia teetered on the verge of laughter. "It's not like she's going to come out cursing. Anyways, I was just going to say full of love, Sebastian Cooper."
The use of his full name was her way of telling him not to test her.
"Looks like she has you there." Mike did want what his sister and Cooper had, but there was no need to worry about the right woman ever coming into his life. No one new ever came into town; he already knew every girl around, and none of them were the ones for him. Definitely not candidates for the relationship he watched evolve in front of him every day.
It almost hurt to see just how happy they were together. He acted like he didn't care to settle down, but he wouldn't deny the truth to himself.
The sound of his radio came as a relief. Work took him and his mind somewhere else, a well-needed reprieve. He listened to the call and jumped up out of his seat when he heard house fire. "Sorry. I'll try to get back to eat later; if not, save me a plate."
Sophia tried to give him a hug and he fought the laugh at how difficult this task proved to accomplish with her stomach getting in the way. "We will. Just be careful."
He waved to Ryan who'd returned to the grill. There was no need for more than that as he hurried to his truck. It wasn't unusual for him to have to leave in a hurry. They all supported him and knew what was expected. Yet, this offered another reason why having a relationship would be tough for him. Women thought firemen looked hot in uniform, but didn't care for the men's constant need to take off when on call or the danger that came with the job.
The short drive didn't give him enough time to dwell too much on his life. Soon, he'd arrived at the site of the fire and changed into his uniform as the other men did their job. The two story house had flames overtaking the first floor. "Is anyone inside that we know of?"
The place had been empty a few weeks before.
"Yes!" Mrs. Wilson came rushing toward him, one hand holding a floppy hat on her head. She wasn't the most reliable witness, considering she exaggerated over everything, but he couldn't risk a life on it.
"Who's inside? I thought it was still vacant?" He only knew that because he'd checked into it two weeks earlier. Living with his brothers became crowded sometimes. For some reason, having Sophia out of the house made it seem more so. She'd acted as the buffer between them. Not that he wouldn't miss them, but he needed a change.
"I rented it to a young lady three days ago. I was walking Rex outside and saw her up in the window on the second floor. It was a few minutes later that I saw the smoke and called y'all." She pressed her fist against her lips even as she fought to catch her breath from hurrying to him. "I can't believe this. She's such sweet young lady. You boys get her out of there."
Mike informed the others of a possible victim, then grabbed Seth and TK to go with him. Once they made it through the front door, he yelled, "Fire department, call out!"
Nothing. The roar of the fire rang loud in his ears. He pointed up the steps. "I'm going up."
They kept searching the lower level. There was no need to have two going up to the top floor with only two rooms and only one person to search for. At the top, he went left, toward the bedroom Mrs. Wilson stated she'd seen the woman in. Smoke engulfed the upstairs and he knew the girl would be unconscious. Luckily, the flames still hadn't made it there. Not that it meant he was out of danger. The floor beneath him could give at any time.
"Fire department. Call out!"
Once again, there was no answer. Then he spotted her blonde hair spread out near the window. She may have tried to get out. He approached and checked her for any noticeable injuries, then spoke into the radio.
"I've got her. She's unconscious with no obvious injuries. I'm coming out."
TK's voice sounded over the radio. "The fire is spreading fast. It's blocking your way down the stairs. You'll have to go out the window. Sending the ladder truck around to you."
Finding the window painted shut, he made the quick decision to bust the glass and clear as much of the sharp edges as possible. He waited until TK had reached them in the bucket, which made the process a lot easier as they were able to get the truck over beside the house. Newer neighborhoods where houses were built closer together made this maneuver nearly impossible.
Mike gathered the woman up in his arms and carefully handed her over. "Take her down and send it back up for me."
His man didn't hesitate and it wasn't long before he joined them on the ground. The damn ambulance hadn't arrived yet, so he used his oxygen mask on her and studied her as he waited for some response. She was skinny, almost too much so. She'd felt fragile in his arms.
If she were his, he'd change that. He sighed. What an absurd thought. There he was with a victim and thinking about ridiculous things. It had to be because he'd been thinking about meeting someone.
From the looks of her clothes, she shouldn't be in their small town. Not that she wasn't pretty enough. She looked beautiful even with black soot covering her. Her lids fluttered open to reveal icy blue eyes. It took him a moment to recover from the sight—one that would engrave itself in his brain for a long time.
Stop thinking as if she were a girl you'd meet in a bar, not rescuing from a fire.
"Ma'am, we've got you and the ambulance is on the way," he reassured her.
Her eyes opened and closed as she tried to focus on him and comprehend what was happening. It didn't last as her lids fluttered again and finally fell shut for good.
When EMS arrived and waved him out of the way, he removed his gear. They worked fast, then drove away with the mystery girl.
Mrs. Wilson watched them go. "I don't know what happened. That poor girl could've died in the house I rented her. My son had told me to just sell it, because it needed so much work. I just thought it only needed a good paint job and a few things a handy man could handle. She came and practically begged to rent the house for a short time. I figured it wouldn't hurt if she wasn't planning on staying long. She said she didn't care about me having anything fixed."
As annoying as she could be, Mike couldn't stand to see her upset. He grabbed one of her hands into his. "She'll be fine. The smoke caused her to pass out. You don't know that the fire had anything to do with the house itself. Maybe she left something on or smoked. At least insurance will cover that loss."
She nodded. "I've got to get to the hospital somehow."
"Let me get to the house and change, then I'll take you there." He looked over and caught TK smiling. The asshole knew she'd talk his ear off and found it funny that Mike was the sucker to fall for it. Taking Mrs. Wilson gave him an excuse to check on the girl too, but he wouldn't tell them that.
Mike almost regretted his offer by the time he arrived at the hospital. The talking never ended, even as he helped her from his truck, and they walked through the automatic doors.
The nurse at the desk smiled at Mrs. Wilson. "Hi! How have you been? We've missed you at bingo."
As they chattered on, he stepped over to the other desk and asked what room number the mystery girl was in. He tried to tell Mrs. Wilson, but just went on his own when she didn't pay him any attention.
Room four-eighty one. The door sat open wide enough for him to see her putting on her soot-covered pants on, giving him a peek of light blue panties. He turned away, loath to be the pervert watching her.
The door swung further open and he twisted at the sound of her gasp. Her eyes went wide with fear. If he didn't know better, she looked like she was trying to run away. He didn't think the hospital would be releasing her so soon, though.
"Where are you going?"
She trembled visibly, looking past him and then back to him. "I have to leave."
"Why? Are you in trouble?" He took it as a yes with the way her eyes searched around them. The feeling rolling over him though had nothing to do with
her
obvious terror; but had to do with why a relationship wouldn't work for him. As he stood there with this complete stranger, he experienced an overwhelming and inexplicable urge to protect her from whoever or whatever was scaring her. He could just imagine how he'd be with a woman he loved.