Fire and Pride

Chapter 17

Gabriel

     A constant internal scream rang in my head since Captain Reed told me about the cancellation at The Gatehouse. One glaring reason  made sense, at least for cancellation instead of rescheduling, and it was arson. The investigation came back and my entire career trembled before a firing squad. My damn libido, and Valerie's irresistible curves, might have me royally screwed. My entire future depended on me begging her not to tell anyone about what we did. If the fire department found out then I'd lose my job and everything I've worked so hard for. Not a part of me thought she'd intentionally get me in trouble but if asked I needed her to lie her ass off.

'Why didn't I wait for the arson report to come back before I took her home?' This thought haunted my every waking moment.

     Several times I searched around the gym but she wasn't there, even waited in the parking lot for an hour in the hope I'd find her. When it didn't pan out, I drove around to clear my head but stared at every blonde I passed with a wish it was her. Five torturous days later and I still hadn't found her. Valerie vanished off the surface of the earth. Work dragged on and kept me on edge, terrified Capt. would call me into his office and fire me on the spot. Despite myself, flashes of the forbidden night invaded my mind. Her sweet taste which I still craved, the sensation of her nails on my skin, how her body fit perfectly around me, how her voice got breathy on French words before she screamed my name.

"James, hey Earth to James," Max interrupted my internal struggle.

I shook my head, "Hey man, what's new?"

"You good?"

"Yeah, why?" 'He can't know, right?'

"You're sitting there with a big ass smile, all zoned out. Been trying to make you snap out of it for a couple minutes now," he smirked with a raised brow.

"What? Yeah, no I'm good. I'm gonna head out," I grabbed my bag from the floor, "early day tomorrow. Night Cline".

     Instead of heading home, I drove to the bar. With any luck I'd run into Valerie there. Granted it became a nightly routine since I found out, I still held faith she'd appear. On the third night Ash caught on and made me spill; no harm in an extra set of eyes and ears. I neared the bar and raised my chin, with a slight shake of her head my hopes were crushed. Without a word she put a beer in front of me and left for another customer. I hung my head and stared into my beer. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and high alert overrode my worries. Somebody was watching me. I raised my head slowly, it took a moment to meet JJ's hard stare. He jerked his chin to the side and I groaned as I rose to follow him. Once his office door shut behind us he rounded at me.

"What the fuck did you do Gabriel?" he accused.

"What are you—"

"Don't," he interrupted with venom, "don't you fucking dare lie to me!"

A deep sigh escaped me as I flopped into a leather chair near his desk. "Man I fucked up, really fucked up".

"What happened and how are you going to fix it?" the usual cheerfulness replaced with a mix of exasperation and disappointment.

"It's Val," he straightened at her name. "The call from Capt. was to tell me the fire was arson," I watched the realization furrow his brows.

"You risked your career to fuck some woman?" he seethed.

His words triggered something in me, something irrational and primal. My fists clenched, shoulders rolled back, and I jolted to my feet before I spoke, "It. Was. Not. Like. That," coldness seeped into my growl through clenched teeth.