TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1) by Kallypso Masters (the false prince TXT) 📕

already—first with her brother being killed in action in Afghanistan, then Marc nearly being killed while serving in Iraq. Tony didn’t know if anything would come of this relationship with her, but did he want to put her through something like that again?

Hold on. You’re just having a vacation fling, not planning a marriage or long-term relationship here.

Carm had handled herself—and him—well in family-crisis mode tonight, though, if that were any indication. But having to worry about him on every shift, every call? At least with her living in Aspen, she’d be kept busy with the resort and wouldn’t be within range of scanner broadcasts. Mama had often kept the thing on, waiting to at least hear what was happening in Aspen Corners with two of her sons.

He’d seen Mama go through these situations when he was a kid too, not always doing a very good job of hiding her tension when Papa was out on a dangerous mission. Then the day came when Mama had received the call every mother and wife dreads. Her grief had been so deep and consuming those first six months, everyone wondered if she’d follow Papa to an early grave.

Hell no. He didn’t want to put Carmella through that. Which made fooling around with her this week a big mistake, because Carm wasn’t the kind of girl you screwed around with and then dumped.

What was he doing down here with her anyway? His family needed him right now, and here he was off on a vacation. Time away from work his brother and superiors had insisted he take, but all the same, he should have stayed closer to home and been there for Matt and the family tonight.

Rafe texted again. He picked up his phone. Mama wanted to know where he was and if he was okay. No doubt Rafe also was curious. Tony texted back to reassure Mama all was well, but didn’t elaborate on where he’d gone or whom he was with. Instead, he asked for more information about his brother’s condition, but soon learned they still didn’t know anything. At least it didn’t sound as though he’d suffered a life-altering injury.

Not this time anyway.

Tony glanced up as Carm carried two steaming mugs to the table, placing one in front of him. “Thanks.”

Their companionable silence felt comforting to him, but Matt’s injury reminded him that he had no business doing anything more with her this week other than diving, having dinner and drinks, and keeping his damned hands off her.

“You okay?” she asked.

He nodded automatically without giving her question any thought.

“Listen, why don’t you go on up to bed? No sense both of us waiting up like this. You have a big day ahead of you.”

“I’m fine. If I get tired, I’ll go to sleep.” She took a sip of her coffee and set the mug down again. “I’m sure Matt will be fine, Tony. I’d like to sit here with you until you know he’s in the clear.”

“I appreciate that.” He took a sip of his coffee. Strong, black. She already knew how he liked it. “Matt’s tougher than any ceiling collapse, but I can’t help but worry anyway.” Should he say more? The two of them had formed an intimacy bubble tonight that went beyond anything sexual. He wasn’t used to expressing any vulnerability to a woman, but the words were out before he could take them back. “I’m feeling kind of helpless.” He didn’t have to wait long for her to respond.

She reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “That’s understandable, Tony. Being so far from home right now has to be hard. You’re a close-knit family, not to mention the fact that all you guys work in an incredibly dangerous profession, which only strengthens those bonds.”

That she understood his need to be with family meant a lot, but Carm also understood the fire department culture. She was aware of the risks. Marc probably told her about what happened at work on a superficial level, but nobody told their family members all the gory details.

“Can’t see myself doing anything else. It’s more than a job.” His words sounded a little defensive even to him.

She nodded. “And it’s a good thing for the rest of us that there are people like you and your brothers willing to go into a burning building to save lives. It takes a special breed of men and women to be brave enough to do that.”

He shrugged off talk of bravery, but her words touched him. “We train all the time. Only take calculated risks. We don’t go into unstable structures unless we suspect there are victims inside. My guess is that’s why Matt was in that house.”

“How on earth can you know whether someone might be inside?”

“Well, that’s the call of the captain or lieutenant on the scene as incident commander, although sometimes the evidence is clear to us all—vehicles in the driveway, toys in the yard, time of day or night, reports from neighbors. That determines whether we send in firefighters to search first, or knock down the fire and search later.”

He told her a little about how he conducted a search of a residence, which helped ground him and take away some of his worry. She asked intelligent questions, having more than a passing knowledge of what the job entailed.

When his phone lit up again, he glanced down to see that Rafe had texted. Almost an hour had passed since the last text. He hadn’t realized so much time had gone by.

“What’s it say?”

“No concussion.”

“Thank goodness!”

“Yeah. He’s having some neck pain. They’re giving him instructions on what to do for neck spasms and giving him a muscle relaxer. Sending him home soon.”

“Wonderful, but those pills can knock you out.”

Tony nodded. “Mama’s going to stay with him for the next few days to take care of him.”

“I’m glad they’re letting him go home and that he won’t be alone.”

“Me too.”

Carm extended her hand to his and gave it a squeeze. Tony set