Page 33 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters

I laugh lightly. “He loves his Legos. Speaking of, have you heard from Leo or the guys?”

“No,” Stacy says, and I instantly recognize the concern in her voice as it echoes mine. “Not yet anyway.”

“Have you tried calling them?”

She nods. “Texted, too. Nothing.”

My stomach drops. “From any of them?”

“Nope,” she shakes her head slowly. “I’ll admit, I am a little worried. My mom called to tell me that there were some fatalities at the fire they were called out to, but she said they were warehouse workers.”

“Okay, thank you, Stacy,” I reply and go back to my place.

I hear the door close as I walk down the path. My pulse races as I reach for my phone and try calling them again. First, Dax. I get his voicemail. Then, Leo. His phone is turned off completely.

I try Beck next. Again, I get his voicemail. This can’t be right. It doesn’tfeelright.

I can’t exactly run to the scene of the fire, crazed out of my mind, looking for them.

“Melinda,” I mutter to myself and search her contact details in my phone. “She’ll know more for sure.”

“Hey, Mel, sorry to bother you at this hour.”

“It’s fine, honey, don’t worry about it,” Melinda says. “Jim and I were just about to pop open a couple of beers. Are you okay?”

“Me? Yes, fine, thank you. It’s just… have you heard anything about that warehouse fire?”

The silence on the line makes my heart skip a beat. “Dax and the guys were on shift for that one?” she asks, but the tone of her voice sounds different.

“Yes.”

“Crap.”

“What happened, Mel?”

“Well, I heard from Carlos that they have a dead firefighter on top of the two victims they managed to get out,” she says. “A bomb went off inside, apparently.”

“Oh, God,” I feel the air leave my lungs and I fail to breathe any of it back in.

“Had I known that Dax and the guys were on it, I would’ve paid closer attention,” Melinda says. “Listen, you stay put. I’ll start making some calls.”

“What’s wrong?” I hear Jim say in the background.

“It’s that warehouse fire,” she tells him. “Dax and the guys were on shift.”

“Melinda, where’s the warehouselocated?”

“I doubt you’ll find anybody left there at this hour. The fire has surely been put out by now. The place is probably swarming with deputies, arson investigators, and crime scene techs. Ember Ridge may be small, but the local sheriff has invested heavily in these operations. This is wildfire and meth lab country, after all.”

It’s a beautiful country, quieter than other parts of America. But the region does have its share of crime and nuisance, much like everywhere else, though I doubt three arsons in two weeks is a common occurrence.

“Where do I go then?” I ask helplessly, eager and desperate to find Dax, Beck, and Leo. To find themaliveand well. But Melinda said that a firefighter died, and their phones are off, and I think I’m going to be sick.

“I don’t know. Try St. Anthony’s Hospital. They’ve got an emergency burn unit,” Melinda says. “Hold on Olivia, let me make some calls and find out first, okay?”

Without even thinking, I hang up and grab my car keys.

I’m terrified that I may have lost one of the very few, truly good things in my life. The uncertainty is too much to handle, and I need to move, to do something.