Page 47 of Striking the Match (Redwood Bay Fire #3)

Cassius

What a night.

At least an EMT was able to bandage up my traitorous ankle again and give me a cold pack.

I had some naproxen in my Longhorn to help calm down the inflammation, and seeing as it’s apparently not just a truck but also a submarine, Teddy and I were able to sit in the dry while the aftermath of the flash flood unfolded, wrapped in more emergency blankets to not only keep us warm but the seats protected.

Thank goodness I keep this vehicle parked out front.

I dread to think about the Ferrari and the Lambo that were in the garage. Teddy’s car, too.

When I feel able to hobble, I leave a dozing Teddy there with the doors shut so Kiki can be left to roam out of the duffle bag without my supervision.

I’m sure the poor little thing is going to be horribly traumatized by all of this on top of everything else she’s been through, but I’m not going to give up on her.

One day, she’ll trust that her home is safe and she’s not going to find herself getting swept out to sea.

Unlike the rest of my stuff.

Most of it I don’t care about. But seeing as the building didn’t totally collapse, I’m really hoping I might be able to retrieve some nostalgic items once it’s been made structurally safe to enter again.

That won’t be for a while, though, and all that really matters is that there was miraculously no loss of life.

That’s why I left Teddy to sleep in the car with Kiki.

I want to make the rounds and speak to as many of my guests and staff as possible to personally ensure they’re physically okay and not too rattled.

This never should have happened. The flood risk was minimal.

But according to Captain Valentine, several other properties were caught up in the same flood that should have been totally safe.

Like the landslide Teddy and I also survived, this was allegedly a combination of baked dry ground reacting to an onslaught of rain in a short period of time.

But climate change isn’t real, right?

Whatever. I’ll have plenty of time to be furious later. Tonight, I spend the next hour or two speaking to who I can before they’re cleared to go by both the police and the medics.

Paisley seems more upset about her dress and my house than anything she suffered, mostly because before Mother Nature hijacked the night, we already raised enough money to clear the shelter’s rather large debt with the veterinarian.

Not only that, they’ve got credit that should last them at least six months, if not a year, so they can focus on simply housing, feeding, and marketing for all their fur babies for the next several months.

Gus is choked with emotion as he tries to thank me for the tenth time.

You’d think Mrs. Bloom coordinated disaster relief efforts every day from the way she puts herself in charge of the station handing out emergency blankets, hot chocolate and protein bars.

Poor Miss Margot looks like she’s been electrocuted by how wild her long coat is.

She’s currently just a pair of black eyes and a little black nose in a tumbleweed off fluff.

But seeing as she’s wrapped in a Seahawks hoodie with a bowl of milk in front of her, she doesn’t seem to be feeling too sorry for herself.

My former teammates all give me thorough back slaps in condolence for my house, offering to help any way they can. I assure them I’ll be just fine but point out that the other households affected tonight in Redwood Bay might not be so fortunate. My friends assure me they’ll take care of it.

When tragedies like this strike, I’m sure the victims usually have to face a battle with their insurance company on top of everything they’ve lost. I already know mine is going to be difficult because this never should have happened.

But I’m lucky to have considerable savings and assets at my disposal.

I want to do everything in my power to ensure the other households who suffered tonight have that same peace of mind.

The fact that my buddies want to help with that even though I’m not even on the team anymore warms my heart.

Speaking of rich and famous friends, I’m surprised to find my new LA posse still hanging around.

Although in shock like most everyone else, Bella, Reyse and their husbands are all pretty calm about the whole incident.

I guess when you live adventurous lives like they do, they have a higher threshold for freaking out.

“Cassius!” Bella cries when she sees me approaching. “Are you okay?”

The four of them are waiting by a sleek black car that I assume someone called to take them back to the city.

The roads are apparently all clear now. It’s crazy how much damage a flood can do in a matter or minutes before the water just washes away, like nothing ever happened.

Well, aside from all the silt I’m sure was left behind inside my house.

Damn, that’s going to be disgusting once it dries out.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I tell her as I let everyone in the group give me a hug.

“You’re limping,” Reyse says dubiously.

I shrug. “I’ll live. Are you guys all right? I still can’t believe this happened.”

“Spoken like a true action hero,” Bella says proudly, swatting my arm. “You’ll be wanting to do your own stunts, I’m sure.”

Her job offer had gone clean out of my head, and I laugh, feeling excited all over again. “We’ll see,” I tell her. It’s going to be nice to have something else to focus on aside from getting back on my feet.

Again.

“Are you heading off?” I ask the group.

Bella sighs. “We were waiting for Sebby, but I think she might have a different plan for the rest of her night.”

She points to her co-star, and I spy Lili Kwon taking very good care of Sabina Max by flirting with her outrageously. From a distance, it looks like the feeling is entirely mutual.

Good for them.

After swapping numbers, I leave the rest of them with well wishes for an uneventful drive back to LA. Then I head back into what’s left of the triage center outside of my destroyed house.

I marvel at the rest of Teddy’s squad. They came out for a party, yet when they were needed, they sprang into action without a moment’s hesitation. And now, even when the actual team on duty is here, they’re doing what they can to help while still in their bedraggled evening wear.

I already knew Teddy was brave and selfless, but if I was to go off that old adage about seeing who a man is by the company he keeps, it’s safe to say that Teddy is the best of men.

Again, I already knew that, but it’s nice to be proved right.

I’m completely oblivious as to how much time has passed until my phone rings in my pocket.

I’d already made sure my folks were fine before sending them home in a cab and spoken to both my brother and sister, so I’m not entirely surprised that it’s Bryan’s name that flashes up with the time.

It’s not even one in the morning, which feels early.

But I suppose the flood hit almost three hours ago.

As I answer, I realize I can’t remember when I actually saw Bryan last. “Where are you?” I ask instead of saying hello. But my PA is used to me and just laughs at my bluntness.

“Doing what I do best, remember?”

“Damage control?” I say, peering through the crowd of people still left outside the ruins of my home. The many flood lights mean visibility isn’t a problem, but I still can’t see where Bryan’s calling me from.

“Quit looking for me,” he says, and I can hear him eyeroll.

“I left ninety minutes ago, thanks for noticing.” I’d feel bad, except I know he’ll be proud of himself for that.

“I’m texting you the address of where you’re staying tonight.

After that horrendous shit show, your guardian angel, aka me, has found you something adorable and I have just stocked it up personally with some goodies.

So all you have to do is drive your lil’ tush over there with your man and your cat and I will call and let you know when you need to resurface. I booked three nights just in case.”

We’ve been closely working together for several months now but even still I’m struck dumb by his above and beyond approach. “Bryan, I…”

“Don’t get mushy,” he snaps. “You know I used your credit card. I also bought myself some ridiculously expensive wine because Jesus, Mary and Joseph , I’m going to need it when I get home. So be a good boy and drop off the grid until I summon you back, okay?”

I chuckle weakly, too tired to argue, especially when I’m so impressed. “Bryan, thank you,” manage to tell him before he can wriggle out of my heartfelt gratitude.

He hums. “Well…thank you for not dying…I guess,” he mumbles before ending the call abruptly.

I laugh again, already on my way back to my car, but not before catching Captain Padilla to let her know that Teddy and I will be heading off.

She claps me on the shoulder and sighs. “Hell of a shindig, Garda. But if you’re thinking of doing anything for New Year’s…maybe scratch my name off the list. I’m not sure I could handle the excitement.”

“Sure thing,” I assure her good-naturedly. “See you around.”

She gives me a salute then gets back to business.

As promised, Bryan has messaged me a what3words location.

I can’t see anything like a hotel on the map, but I trust him and I’m too exhausted to double check his math, so I simply program it into my phone to guide us there.

When I arrive back at my truck, I peer inside the window before opening the door. What I see makes my heart melts.

Teddy is still asleep, but now Kiki is curled up in his lap.

Maybe she won’t be so traumatized, after all.

I clamber inside and give him a gentle shake. “Hey, baby. We’re going to go somewhere to spend the night, okay? Do you want to say goodbye to your friends before we leave?”

He blinks owlishly at me and yawns. “I’ll message the group chat,” he mumbles, getting his phone from his pocket.