Knox Fire - 3 Short Stories in 1

USA Today Bestselling Author Hope Ford brings you 3 stories in one. Knox Fire - The Complete Romance Series - includes:

Coming For You

I save people. That's what I do. But this time was different. She thinks she can leave me. But she has no idea. Because now that I've found her, I can't let her go. I'm coming for her.

I Am Home

I was stood up by my date. But Nash was willing to step in and save the night. He's perfect… too perfect. I think he's a player… I mean look at him. But he wants to prove to me that he's found the one. Me.

Chief

Her voice is the first thing I heard in the hospital bed. And when I wake up, she is the first person I search for. When I realize how young she is, I try to push her away because she deserves someone who is younger and without a mangled face.
That's what I keep telling myself anyway. If only I can convince my heart.

Each Steamy, Sweet, Short Story has an alpha man, curvy woman and a happily ever after.

Chapter 1

Mason

A woman is screaming, fighting her way through the crowd of people watching the fire.  I know that tone.  I hear the desperation in her raw voice.

Someone is still in the building.

Nash and I run over to the woman, who is being restrained by a large man.  She is crying and hysterical, beating her hands against his chest.

Nash hollers, almost growling at the guy, “Let her go.”

I’m surprised by the tone in his voice, but I don’t have time to question him.

The man immediately lets her go and Nash stops her from running into the burning building by wrapping his arms around her.

“What is it?” I ask her.

She’s crying and she’s almost incoherent, but I make out her words.

“My roommate is still in there. Second floor, apartment 207.  Please save her.” She’s huffing and puffing, trying to break free.

“Stay with her,” I tell Nash.

I gather some of my crew and ask, “Who checked the second floor?”  I gesture behind me.  “She says there is someone in 207.”

A rookie steps forward and I can tell by looking at him, I’m not going to like what he has to say.

“I did.  But no one answered the door.”

“You didn’t do a sweep of every apartment?”

Before he can answer, a few of my crew and I storm back into the burning building.

We climb the two stories as fast as possible.  Leading the others, I race down the hall, passing all the opened doors and I don’t stop until I reach apartment 207.  There are smoke and flames everywhere and I’m praying that we have enough time.  Luckily the brunt of the fire is on the floors above us, but I know we only have seconds to get out of here.  The ceiling is falling in and it won’t be long until the whole building piles in on top of us.

I don’t take the time to knock before I rear back and kick in the door.  The room is filled with smoke and my eyes are drawn immediately to the floor, where a woman is lying with a pool of blood at her head.  She’s a curvy woman that some of the men here would have trouble carrying.  But not me.  She’s small compared to my six foot three inch, two hundred and fifty pound frame.

I shouldn’t move her without checking her injuries, but I am out of time.

“Let’s go, Mason. Grab her, we have to go.”  Another firefighter hollers at me.

I bend down and as gently as possible scoop her up in my arms.  I follow the others out as they move debris that has fallen or is falling around us, leading us to safety.  We barely make it outside before flames are shooting out of the second story windows and we hear the squall of the building collapsing.

It was a close call, but I don’t have time to dwell on it.  I look over to where the ambulances are and stride toward them.

I look down at the woman in my arms and she is watching me with wide, fearful green eyes.  I’m surprised she is awake when she was unconscious only seconds ago.  She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.  Her face is covered in soot and her hair matted with blood, but her beauty still shows enough to make me catch my breath and stumble as I’m walking with her soft, curvy body held against me.  I hold on a little tighter and tell her, “Everything is going to be okay.”

I bypass all the male paramedics and lay her down on a gurney next to a female one.  I know it’s unprofessional of me, but I can’t imagine sitting here and watching another man touch her. I take off my helmet and mask and grab her hand.

When she looks up at me this time, my face is in full view.  She gasps and pleads, “Please, don’t leave me.”

Before I can respond, she has passed out again.

I stay with her while the paramedic does an evaluation.  I keep asking her if she is going to be okay, until she’s short with me and tells me to step back and let her do her job.

I stand back from the woman lying on the stretcher, but I still am holding her hand.  I just can’t let go of her yet.

The paramedic explains to me that the wound on her head seems superficial, but they will do further evaluation at the hospital.

“Where are you taking her?”

“Knox General,” she responds to me.

Her friend comes running up to us, with Nash following behind.

“Oh my God, please tell me she is going to be okay,” she begs, looking between the paramedic and me.  The paramedic explains that all her vitals are good but she is going to the hospital to have her head checked and so she can be observed for smoke inhalation.  The friend seems to deflate right in front of our eyes, almost like she might collapse.  Nash is beside her instantly, holding her up and helping her into the ambulance.

He’s telling her, “Katie, she’s going to be okay.”  And I can’t help but instantly realize that I don’t know ‘my’ girl’s name.

I stop the friend from getting in and ask her, “What’s her name?”

She pauses only seconds before telling me, “Allison.  Her name is Allison.”

“Okay.  If she wakes up before I get there, tell her I’m on my way.”

She looks at me curiously, and I see the question in her eyes, but all she does is nod at me and then climb in the ambulance behind Allison.

I catch another glimpse of my sweet girl through the window.  I rub my chest and I know by the rapid beat of my heart that my whole life is about to change.

I go to check on the rest of the crew.  The quicker I know everyone is okay, the quicker I can get to Allison.