Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49258 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49258 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Fuck! Koa allowed himself to be pissed for a few seconds before forcing his brain into gear. Rule number one, don’t let anything mess with your mind. That was a surefire way to get yourself and your team killed. He shrugged off his worries and headed to find out what they’d face.
Three long weeks later, Koa walked back to his locker to grab his keys. The single members of the team joked and laughed, but Koa noticed he, Jerico, and Zale were quiet and focused. His only thought was to find Giana.
Walking out the door, he watched Aspen run to Jerico and Pippa smother Zale in a million kisses. His heart sank. No Giana.
“Jerico, I need to tell Koa something,” Aspen said, stopping her daddy from carrying her away.
She ran to his side. “We couldn’t get Giana on the base. She’s waiting for you outside.”
Koa’s energy skyrocketed, and he raced for his truck. Risking the MPs fining him for speeding, he drove as quickly as possible through the gate.
“Welcome home, soldier,” the guard called and pointed to the left.
Squinting into the late afternoon sun, Koa spotted her truck parked at the side of the road. He pulled behind her and jumped out of the cab. Gravel flew as he ran to her.
“Flame,” he whispered, gathering her into his arms. “I missed you so much. Are you okay?”
“I’m good, Daddy. My heart is so happy to see you,” Giana told him with tears in her eyes.
Koa pulled her against him and kissed her sweet lips. Instant heat swelled between them, pushing away the exhaustion from his mind. He forced himself to lift his mouth from hers. When she cupped his cheek with her hand, he turned his head to press a kiss to her palm.
“I’m sorry for the bad timing. Tomorrow, I’m getting you a base pass, little girl. I never want you to have to wait alone.”
“Aspen and Pippa are awesome. They wanted to stay with me, but I sent them inside to greet their daddies and tell you where I was. I have Jellybean with me for protection,” Giana explained, nodding at the stuffie sitting in the passenger seat.
“Hi, Jellybean. Aren’t you pretty? I’m glad to see you’re helping Giana. Thank you for keeping my little girl company,” Koa told her.
Giana wrapped her arms back around his neck and hugged herself tighter to him. “I think the guards were concerned I was up to no good, but when I told them I was waiting for you, they were super nice.”
Koa laughed. Those guards knew everyone’s business. “They must have guessed you were the one who left a note for me with the day crew. Will you come home with me, Giana?”
“I’d love to, but my shift starts in an hour. I’m really glad you got home in time so I could see you. I’m so sorry I have to rush off.”
He pulled back slightly to scan her. “I didn’t even notice you were wearing your uniform. How long’s your shift?”
“Twenty-four hours. Then I have some time off because I grabbed some extra shifts while you were gone. As the captain, I work with all the shifts on a rotation, so I see how everything is going with each crew.”
“You have a lot of responsibility, Flame.” He couldn’t rip her clothes off here and show her how much he cared for her. Resigned to celebrating with her in twenty-five hours, he asked, “How did you get to be the captain so quickly?”
The guys had posed that question while they were deployed, and Koa hadn’t known. That had earned him some ribbing about what they did other than talk when they were together. Good-natured teasing, of course. The team knew exactly how long he’d known Giana.
“A combination of knowledge, skills, and luck, I guess. I have a criminology degree. I did a stint as a parole officer, but it quickly became too dangerous,” Giana admitted, shaking her head. “Unfortunately with the increasing violence endangering first responders of all kinds, my degree moved me up the chain of command in the fire department as a needed resource.”
“And that’s safer for you?”
“Definitely. I mean risks are everywhere, but I’m out with an entire team instead of meeting with dangerous individuals alone now.”
“An excellent reason to make a switch, little girl. Were you hurt?” Koa kept his tone steady, despite his urge to take care of anyone who’d lifted a finger against her. Judging by her expression, there was more to the story than Giana simply taking a bit of time before starting a different career. Instantly, he was concerned about her safety, even if something had happened a few years ago.
“No, but several close calls. I lost my nerve, giving off the wrong vibe to bad guys. I had to make a change.”
“I’m glad you did, Flame.” Koa forced himself to relax. He didn’t ask any more questions. His little girl was brave to face the truth head on.