Page 21

That’s the extent of our relationship.

And then she’d begged Rio to let her in on the compound takedown. So, this was how it ended. Dani would get her story, while Grizz was left out in the cold.

At least he knew the truth of how she felt about him.

On his way to the vehicle compound, he almost ran Dani over. She stepped into his path, as if to block his way.

“I want to go with you.” She stood in front of him, a defiant and fierce look etched into every facial feature. “I won’t get in the way. I want to help. I need to be there when the hotshots save the day. I want to tell the story?—”

He couldn’t stifle the growl that erupted from deep inside. “That’s all you do. Tell stories. Doesn’t matter who you use.” Had she used him? Had the kiss they’d shared just been her way to cozy up to him so she could get what she wanted?

“What does that mean?”

“Look, honey, I’ve got work to do, and you have a life to return to.

Our commander, Tucker Newman, is heading to the airport to pick up some of Rio’s team flying in for the investigation, and he offered to drop you off.

We’ll make sure you get your story. But you need to go back to where you belong. And that isn’t here.”

The fire in her eyes dissipated. His words had hit the intended mark. And just like that, he was the beast again. But it was for the best. “Go home. I’ve got work to do.”

She took three steps back. “If that’s what you want, Grizz. Go.” She waved her hand to usher him forward. “I’m not stopping you.”

He stomped to the vehicle compound. At least he knew it was over. There was zero chance of anything happening with Dani.

He knew she wouldn’t stand up for their relationship, if it could even be called that. Sure, they’d had a few moments while they’d been on the run. However, their differences outweighed the few things they had in common. He was delusional if he thought for a second that he belonged in her world.

Grizz jumped in the back of the old school bus that transported the hotshots and their gear.

Kane gave Grizz a head nod. “This doesn’t look good. The winds are shifting, and we need to contain the fire. Even with the recent rain, we don’t want to risk any stray sparks igniting elsewhere.”

Sanchez stared ahead. She was tough as nails, but knowing her father was still missing would break even the toughest hotshot.

Kane flanked Sanchez on the other side and gave her hand a squeeze. Grizz put a hand on Sanchez’s arm. “We’re going to find your father. With Dani’s evidence, we now know what we’re up against.”

Even if he’d just completely walked out on Dani, closing the door on any kind of relationship.

The bus bumped over the rocky dirt road. The big wheels hopefully would make it through the parts of the road that had washed out with the mudslide. But the driver would have to drive around the most direct path, looking for solid terrain.

Saxon nodded toward Grizz. “Take my mind off things, Grizz. What’s up with you and the beauty queen?”

“Yeah,” Kane chimed in. “I’ve never seen you so protective of anyone before.” Kane’s hand lingered on Sanchez’s a little too long. Interesting, since he mocked Grizz’s relationship status.

Grizz shook his head. “She only wants one thing. A story. I’m just a means to an end for her.”

“I don’t think so,” Sanchez said. “Out of all of us, you saw a depth to her that we initially missed. She wants to avenge Josh’s death and see my dad rescued. It’s not a story anymore. She’s invested.”

Grizz snorted. “I can’t believe she’s fooled us all.”

Sanchez stared at Grizz. “I’ve only spent a little bit of time with her, but even I can see that she’s not that self-centered. You have to let go and trust her to do the right thing. I think she’ll surprise you in the end.”

Was Sanchez right? This woman had been searching for her missing father, and now the man had disappeared again when she’d been so close.

Fearless. Just like Dani.

Grizz shook his head. He had to get Dani out of his mind for now. He had a fire to put out.

They saw the smoke billowing about a mile ahead. The truck stopped at the end of the washed-out road. Kane opened the door. “Looks like we’re walking from here.”

Grizz checked his radio to make sure it was in working order. He was thankful for a tech team that had worked around the clock to restore their communications. They grabbed their gear and hiked uphill.

Smoke wafted down the mountainside, and the roar and crackle of the fire grew louder with every step Grizz took. The smell of charred wood made his nose itch.

“Let’s put this fire out.” The order came from his team leader, Mitch Bronson, over their radio comms. “It looks like they were running more tests in this lab, so we can’t assume we’re dealing with the same chemicals as at their last compound. Let’s be careful.”

Black puffs of smoke signaled their destination.

Grizz heard a gasp in the comms from Skye. The smokejumpers had been dropped into the area a few minutes before the hotshots. “What a disaster. Parts of the complex have been decimated, and the fire is heading towards the main building.”

Despite the cool temperatures, sweat trickled down Grizz’s forehead.

A different voice interrupted the airwaves.

Rio.

“We just caught a break. We’ve received information that suggests the SOR has been testing aerosol dispersal methods, maybe trying to find the best delivery system. We may have destroyed their warehouse, but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this threat.”

Could this day get any worse? Grizz remembered the fallout from before, with fish and animals dying after coming into contact with the poison. If they released the same compound into the air, the results could be devastating.

He refused to let his thoughts go there. He had to focus on stopping the fire.

The dense trees cleared, and Grizz got a good view of the compound from the same location Josh and Dani had snapped those pictures.

Flames shot high into the sky from one building.

But the main building remained untouched by the fire.

So far. The fire was tracking toward the center—to the building where they suspected the chemicals were being housed.

Grizz’s anger raged hotter than the fire.

If that building exploded, the chemical fallout could impact Alaska for miles.

For the second time today, Grizz prayed for a miracle.