Page 9 of Ink and Ashes

Holland

I approach the table where the two firefighters sit—one with a mop of dirty-blonde hair while the other’s is dark as night. They both look to be around the same age, likely in their early-to-mid-twenties. Based on looks alone, I get the feeling these two are the troublemakers of the crew.

The blonde one licks his lips as he sees me approaching, and a smirk grows on the face of the other. A light chuckle falls from me as I take a seat in the chair across from them.

“Hi, I’m Holland. Holland Rhodes.” I reach my hand out across the table.

The blonde one smirks as he wraps his hand around mine, shooting his friend a look that says beat that . “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Rhodes.” He leans forward to place a kiss on my fingers as he adds, “I’m Ethan Langley.”

I roll my eyes. “Nice to meet you too, Ethan,” I say before I turn toward the dark-haired guy sitting next to him.

“Kiss-ass,” he mutters to Ethan. His blue eyes sparkle as he looks at me, shaking my hand without the extra flirting dished out by his coworker. “Hayden Adler.”

“It’s a pleasure, Hayden.” I smile at the two of them. “I was wondering if you’d mind answering a few questions for me.”

Ethan’s eyes widen, realization dawning on him. He clicks his tongue, pointing at me. “Ooh, you’re her, huh? The reporter our lieutenant warned us about.”

“Not a reporter,” I mutter. “But yes, I suppose I am she.”

Hayden picks up a stress ball, kicking his feet up on the table. “You know, we’ve been instructed not to speak to you.”

I sit up straighter. “I do know that. But you both strike me as the type who likes to do the opposite of what they’re told to.”

They share a look before Ethan laughs. “Damn, you’ve got us figured out already, don’t you?”

“I’m good at reading people.” I shrug. “Comes with the job.”

Hayden swipes a hand over his jaw and says, “Alright. What can we do for you, Miss Rhodes?”

“Call me Holland.”

Just then, a group of three other firefighters walks through the open garage doors. They all eye me with suspicion but continue into the station without so much as a hello.

I glance back at Hayden and Ethan, the question clear on my face.

“Shift change,” Hayden says simply. “As volunteers, we only work half shifts unless there are actual fires to be fought.”

“I’ll make this quick then.” I lean forward. “I’m just curious if you have any theories about what might be causing these fires.”

Hayden begins tossing the ball up into the air and catching it.

“Ah, you’re one of those, aren’t you? Always trying to find a deeper reason for why things happen.

” He shakes his head. “I think these fires are being caused by the same thing every fire in Ember Grove is caused by—lightning. Next question.”

I nod, turning to Ethan. “What do you think?”

He licks his lips before saying, “In the three years I’ve been volunteering here, I’ve never fought a fire in our jurisdiction that wasn’t caused by lightning.”

“Have you considered the possibility that maybe these ones aren’t all caused by lightning, though?”

“No,” Hayden says. “Because they aren’t.”

“Humour me.”

He rolls his eyes but agrees. “What else would they be caused by?”

I clear my throat, preparing myself for the response I know I’ll receive when I say, “Arson.”

He freezes just as the ball lands in his hands again. Taking his feet off the table, his expression turns serious as he shifts his gaze to me. Ethan does the same, his jaw falling slack.

Neither of them say anything for a moment, as if they’re trying to decipher whether I’m joking or not. One thing these guys will soon come to learn about me, though, is that I don’t joke. Not about my work.

“Your Lieutenant gave me that same look.”

“Well, yeah,” Ethan huffs. “If you think someone is intentionally setting these fires, you really don’t know anything about this town.”

I hum. It’s clear to me that in order to get these guys to believe my theory, I’m going to need some real, hard proof. I’m sure it isn’t easy hearing that someone may be setting fire to the town they’ve always loved.

“I think that’s all I need from you.” I stand from my chair, knocking my knuckles on the table as I add, “Thanks for humouring me, boys.”

Hayden’s look remains slightly skeptical, but Ethan’s grin is wicked as he responds, “You know you want me, Rhodes.”

“In your dreams, kid,” I toss back as I make my way deeper into the firehouse in search of more firefighters willing to speak with me.

I head up the stairs toward the kitchen. When I enter, there’s only one man sitting at the table, reading a newspaper. I recognize him as one of the few who just arrived.

I know I’m not likely to get much out of anyone else, but it doesn’t hurt to try. I knock lightly on the entrance frame.

“Yeah,” he says, not pulling the newspaper from where it covers his face. When I don’t respond right away, he shifts it down, his brows furrowed. “Who are you?”

“Hi. My name is Holland Rhodes.” I approach the table, holding my hand out to shake his.

The knot is still present between his eyebrows, but he takes my hand and says, “Raymond Morgan, but my friends and pretty girls like you can call me Ray.”

My stomach turns and I resist the urge to squirm. This guy is old enough to be my father.

“Nice to meet you, Ray. I’ve been looking into the fires that have been happening recently, and I wondered if I could steal a moment of your time.”

Ray leans forward in his chair. “‘Looking into the fires?’ Are you press or something?”

“Or something.” I chuckle. “You don’t know who I am? I thought Lieutenant Caldwell told you all not to speak to me.”

Ray shakes his head, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Why’d he tell us not to speak to you?” Ray asks.

I roll my lips together. “I’m an investigative journalist, and when I heard about the fires on the news, it raised a red flag for me. After looking into them more, I have reason to suspect arson may be involved.”

He scoffs, his jaw clenching the same way Colson’s did, but the look of surprise I’ve been expecting from everyone when I say those words isn’t there.

“No offense, sweetheart,” he starts, so I prepare myself to be offended. “But these fires ain’t arson. And if they were, a pretty girl like you isn’t going to be the one to stop them. Us men have it covered. You can run back to wherever you came from and try to invent problems for them instead.”

I narrow my eyes. That’s the second time he’s referred to my looks in five minutes.

I’m not even going to bother with this one.

Anytime someone has a negative response to my presence, there’s always one of two reasons for it: they either hate me because of what I am, or they hate me because of what’s between my legs .

Lieutenant Colson Caldwell is the former. Raymond Morgan is the latter. And only one of those people is worth spending time trying to get on my side.

Ray is not that one.

I keep my mouth shut as I roll my eyes, standing from the chair and leaving the room. I don’t spare him a second glance as I turn the corner into the hallway.

“Fucking asshole,” I mutter underneath my breath just as a woman walks by.

“You talking about Morgan?” she asks, her arms crossed over her chest.

I huff a laugh. “Is he always a sexist pig?”

She stares at me with narrowed eyes for a brief moment before she bursts out laughing. “Why yes, he is.” She takes a step toward me, uncrossing her arms to hold a hand out to me. “I’m Cassidy. I’m guessing you’re the woman who’s got my brother’s knickers in a twist.”

I laugh awkwardly, shaking her hand as my brows pull together. “Your…brother?”

“Lieutenant Killjoy, as I heard you lovingly refer to him when you first came by.”

I feel my cheeks flush as she leans against the doorframe leading to the station’s meeting room, a smirk on her face.

Now that I look at her, I do see the similarities between her and Colson.

He’s at least half a foot taller than her, but they both have the same sandy brown hair and piercing green eyes.

“Shit, I didn’t…” I shake my head, not realizing people had heard me call him that.

“Girl, you’re good.” Cassidy laughs. “I mean, I probably won’t ever let him live it down, which might make him hate you forever.

But all of us certainly got a kick out of it.

It’s one that hasn’t been used on him before, but I won’t lie and say it doesn’t suit him.

I’m kind of mad I didn’t come up with it myself. ”

I shake my head, my lips quirking up into a small smile. “I shouldn’t have said it, he just kept turning me down before even giving me a chance to explain. It made me so mad. ”

“Ah, yes. Colson Caldwell: the king of saying no.” She smiles softly. “Don’t take it personally. He has issues with the media.”

I nod, wondering what kind of issues, but I don’t ask. If I want to figure Colson Caldwell out, I’m going to have to do it alone. Knowing he doesn’t have anything against me specifically makes me all the more determined to show him not everyone is predatory.

I take in the uniform Cassidy is wearing. Changing the subject, I ask, “You’re a paramedic, right?”

“Sure am.”

“I guess you probably don’t see a ton of the wildfires then, but out of curiosity, what’s your take on them?”

“You mean, what do I think they’re being caused by?”

I pull my lip between my teeth, and she smiles.

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. I should know more about fire, given who my family is, but everything they tell me goes in one ear and out the other. The spike in fires this year is alarming, even if no one else is willing to admit it. But I couldn’t tell you why I think they’re happening.”

I tilt my head down. “Thanks.”

“Have you had much luck getting anything out of anyone else?”

I huff. “Talked to Ethan and Hayden briefly, but I think they only gave me the time of day because they want to sleep with me. Aside from them, only Colson and now Ray.”

Her lips twitch and I can tell she’s fighting back a laugh.