Burning Love. by Emily Zimmerman. (best free novels .TXT) 📕

I woke to the sound of glass breaking, and all of the sudden a scream erupted from the apartment beside mine. I jumped from my bed and looked out my window; a flame was shooting out the window beside mine. I backed up from the window, wondering what to do. Just as I backed away, a flaming beer bottle sailed through the window, just eight feet from where I stood. Before I could think, the bottle exploded and my apartment went up in flames, knocking me over.
I screamed and crawled into the kitchen where the flames hadn’t reached yet, I crawled toward the front door and didn’t have to touch the handle to know it was too hot, it was smoking.
I sucked in a breath and automatically went into a coughing fit; the room was filled with smoke. I panicked, running and jumping over the wall of fire to get to my window.
“Help!” I screamed, still coughing.
The firemen were here, trying to rescue as many people as they could, but it seemed the entire building had been bombed. Suddenly, the door was broken down and a man in a mask came in. I heard the crack of the ceiling and looked up, a terrible feeling of dread coming over me. I looked back at the fireman and reached out a helpless hand as the ceiling fell.
The last thing I heard was the sound of a male voice yelling “no!”

I awoke in a hospital bed, I had a respiratory mask over my face and I felt like I’d just been hit by a truck. I pulled the mask off of me and tried to sit up, but a hand pushed me down. “Oh no you don’t.” an attractive voice said from beside the bed.
I looked toward the owner of that voice and almost passed out. The chief of the fire department, Daniel Rodney Havens, sat beside my bed. Even with the week I’ve been here, I’ve heard that Daniel is sought after by every woman in the small town of Sabadell, every woman except me, of course.
Daniel is a large, muscular man, showing that he worked out probably twice a week. He has broad shoulders, and washboard abs. His arms were muscular, and I wouldn’t mind having them wrap around me for the rest of my life. Daniel had chocolate brown eyes and rugged-looking dark brown hair that went down just below his ear.
“You gave us quite the scare. You were lucky the floor gave way just as the ceiling did. The Landabuild’s couch saved your life.” He chuckled.
I rubbed my head where a sharp pain kept hitting, feeling a slight bump there “you also got a concussion; your head hit the wooden frame under the arm rest pretty hard. You have internal bruising where the supports of the ceiling hit your leg, and a few burns on your arm. But other than that you’re fine” he explained.
I studied the bandages on my arm “how bad are the burns?” I finally spoke.
“Not all that bad, just imagine you set your arm on an electric oven for a few mere seconds. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse” he murmured.
I nodded and leaned my head back, looking up at the ceiling “what is your name?” he asked me.
“Skylar Grey.” I whispered.
“I haven’t seen you around before. You must be fairly new since the entire town hasn’t started speaking of you.” He chuckled.
I nodded “I moved here a week ago. I used to live here when I was little, but my parents moved. I moved back thinking it would be a nice change” I lied. He didn’t need to know the real reason I left.
He nodded “well you’ll be the center of attention now…may even get in the paper”
Panic flooded me “how far out does the paper run? Is it just through the town?” I asked, trying to be casual about it.
He didn’t seem to buy my casual façade, he studied me with careful eyes “relax, the paper doesn’t leave the town” he murmured.
I did relax, I was safe. “Maybe you want to tell me why you’re really here.” He raised an eyebrow.
I immediately tensed again. “It’s nothing important. And I don’t want to talk about it, anyway.” I said.
“If you don’t want the papers leaving town, it’s obviously something important. Are you hiding from someone?”
“No!” Just my ex-husband.
“I think you’re lying.”
“Well what do you care if I am? And what are you doing here anyway? Where is Uncle Jess and Aunt Mabel?” I had to change the subject before his hypnotizing eyes made me spill everything.
“I care because you could be in danger. Your Aunt and Uncle had to run the store today, and asked me to make sure you were okay.” He kept his eyes trained on me, refusing to let me change the subject. “Please, I just want to help. Who are you hiding from?” He said, leaning forward on the chair and putting his hands on the edge of the bed.
“I…I’m not hiding from anyone I just…” I couldn’t think, my mind was swimming.
“Who are you hiding from?” he said again.
I shook my head slowly, finally looking away from him “I’m hiding from my ex-husband, okay? I divorced him three weeks ago, but he doesn’t get it. He’s a violent man and will do anything to get what he wants. He has connections and will probably find me soon enough, but right now he has no idea where I am. I’d like to keep it that way for now.” I said.
I wouldn’t look at Daniel, he probably thought me weak and stupid. That’s how I thought of myself.
“Have you told the police?” he asked after a few beats of silence.
I sighed in frustration. “He has a lot of money. If I tell the police he’ll just pay them off and send them on their way. He called me once and told me that if I told anyone again that he’d kill me. And that’s why you can’t tell anyone about this, not a soul. If he found out that I talked to you about this I’d be six feet under. Please, promise me you’ll not tell anyone!” I begged.
His eyes got impossibly darker “I can’t just stand aside and let this happen!” he growled.
I was about to reply, when the door open and the doctor walked in. I was so caught up in the conversation that I didn’t even notice that my arm was burning.
“Hello Daniel. Skylar, I’m Dr. Lonny. How are you feeling today?” He asked, lifting my bandaged arm.
“I’m feeling okay. My arm hurts and so does my head. I think I’ll be alright to go…oh wait…” I trailed off, realizing that I had no home to go to.
“Yes, most of the people who lived in that building are making that realization.” Dr. Lonny murmured, probing my head for the bump.
“I’m sure my Aunt and Uncle have an extra room…or I could just get another apartment…” I was talking more to myself than I was anyone else.
“Your Aunt and Uncle don’t live in a house. They live above their store” Daniel informed.
“Well I’ll go with plan B” I shrugged.
“I don’t think you should be living alone with your injuries. Your internal bruising will leave you unable to walk without assistance.” Daniel said.
I knew where this was going, and I wasn’t going to have it. “Well. Skylar, you’re looking okay. I’ll come back with your release papers in a few minutes” Dr. Lonny said, glancing at Daniel knowingly.
Aunt Mabel bustled in just as I was about to tell Daniel I’d be fine.
“Oh sweetie! You’re awake! I hope you don’t mind us leaving Daniel to watch you. He doesn’t have work today and offered. The store is busy, but your Uncle wanted me to come down and check on you. Jess and I have been wracking our brains trying to think of a place for you to stay, but we can’t think of anything! We called all of the apartment buildings we could think of, and they’re all being filled by the people who lived in the apartment building that burned down.” She said hopelessly, patting my hand.
“She can live with me.” Daniel volunteered just as I was thinking I’d have to move away again.
Aunt Mabel’s eyes brightened. “Oh that would be wonderful! You can stay in town Sky!”
I gave a wide eyed glance at Daniel. “No, no. I don’t think that would be necessary.” I said quickly.
“Skylar Grey! How are you going to turn down an offer like that? Why it’s downright rude! He offers you a place to stay from the kindness of his heart, after pulling you from that burning building…”
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry, just being stubborn is all. I’m independent.” I shrugged.
Mabel relaxed and smiled at Daniel. “Thank you Dan. What a nice offer that is.” She murmured.
Daniel smiled, blinding white against his dark skin “no problem Mrs. Gabriel.” He murmured.

After Daniel left, saying he had to prepare a room for me, Mabel kissed me on my forehead and left as well. Fifteen minutes later the doctor came in with release papers, and I was set free with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. My Aunt Mabel had gone to the store to get me new clothes, since mine were lost in the fire.
I had a crutch under my arm because the internal bruising in my leg rendered it useless. I couldn’t put weight on that leg. I was just contemplating how I would get to Daniel’s house when he strolled into the lobby of the hospital.
He smiled at me as he approached “I’m glad to see you up and around. But we need to get you home. Come on, your closet has been stocked with clothes your Aunt bought. Your room is all ready, and everyone is eager to meet you.” He said as he walked me out to his car.
It was a red Corvette, with black leather seats, and a high-tech dash. Too many buttons to count.
“This is a very nice car.” I murmured, stroking my hand down the soft leather. Daniel glanced at the hand that stroked the leather and I could have sworn his eyes darkened, but he looked away before I could know for sure.
“Yes. It’s one of my favorites.” He murmured, clearing his throat.
I looked out the window as we passed where I once lived. A man stood with his back to us, looking at the rubble and I tensed. He turned around and I gasped. “Oh my God!” I leaned back against the seat, putting my hand to my forehead.
“What? Who was that?” Daniel asked.
“J-just speed up!” I said in a panicked voice.
He sped the car up and rounded the corner, speeding to the outskirts of town. “Who was that?” he asked again.
I tried to do some deep breathing, watching as my hands shook. “It was John’s best friend, Gram. He must be helping him look for me!” I panicked.
“Calm down. They won’t get near you at my house.” He promised.
I worked to slow my breathing, trying to comfort myself with that thought. He turned onto a winding road, with forest all around. It was amazing, but I couldn’t keep my mind off of Gram, how did they find me so quickly?
I was pulled from my thoughts when he rolled to a stop; I realized we idled in front of a