Heart on Fire

By Rye Hart

When the call came in, I never knew it would take me back to that night.

That night, I couldn't save her.

I wasn't about to let it happen again.

Madi may not love me –but we had a past.

Rocky as it might have been, I wasn't about to fail her too.

Especially since the same man who killed my ex is now targeting Madi.

My only goal is to solve the crime, save the girl and put the murdering bastard behind bars once and for all.

What I didn't expect was falling so hard for Madi along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rye Hart
• Release date: Dec 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393961123

Book preview

Hearts on Fire

Firefighter Romance

If you like this book, check out these others from Rye Hart

BURLY MOUNTAIN MEN

Damaged Goods | Stone Heart | Cabin Fever | Rugged Daddy|

Mountain Man’s Second Chance | Saving Mel | Teach Me Daddy

ROCK HARD HOTTIES

Rock Hard Daddy | Rock Hard SEAL | Rock Hard Neighbor | Rock Hard Baby Daddy |

Rock Hard Boss | Rock Hard Fake Groom | Rock Hard Prince Charming

STEAMY REVERSE HAREMS

Sin City Baby | 5 Bikers for Valentines | 6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas |

Her Best Men | Christmas With the McCormick Brothers

BILLIONAIRE BAD BOYS

Single Dad’s Spring Break | Hustler | 69th Street Bad Boys | Filthy Daddy

HOT SINGLE DADDIES

Cuff Me Daddy | Accidental Daddy | Naughty but Nice | Going Deep

SEXY SECOND CHANCES

One More Time | Bad Seed | Family Night | Forbidden Touch |

Hot Bastard Next Door | Heart on Fire | Luca’s Return |

Top Dog | The Longest Rodeo

ALL ABOUT THE BABIES

Baby Contract | Baby Wanted | Dom’s Secret Baby

STRICTLY TABOO

Two Weeks of Sin | Taboo Lovers | Step Daddy Desires |

The Better Brother | My Hot Stepbrother

When the call came in, I never knew it would take me back to that night.

That night, I couldn't save her.

I wasn't about to let it happen again.

Madi may not love me –but we had a past.

Rocky as it might have been, I wasn't about to fail her too.

Especially since the same man who killed my ex is now targeting Madi.

My only goal is to solve the crime, save the girl and put the murdering bastard behind bars once and for all.

What I didn’t expect was falling so hard for Madi along the way.

Chapter One

Oliver

I was just settling in for my shift when the call came in. A warehouse fire. Pretty routine stuff. Honestly, I assumed it was just a bunch of kids interested in starting their career in arson and destroying private property. But my thinking changed immediately when a follow-up call came in – there was someone inside the burning structure.

My heart thundered in my chest. I always got a rush of adrenaline and a racing pulse whenever a call came in. But, that rush of adrenaline and pounding of my heart always intensified when someone's life was in danger. My body was awash in sensations more powerful than any drug man could ever concoct as I flew into motion.

That's why I did what I did. To save lives. And I did everything in my power to do just that. I wasn't always successful though. The names and faces of the people I'd lost over the years were etched into my brain forever. Including her face. But I believed in what I did and would never stop trying to save everybody I could.

With a flurry of action in the house all around me, I pushed all thoughts of Lauren out of my head as I climbed into the truck. Sirens blaring and lights flashing, we raced out of the firehouse and blazed our way through the streets of Chicago.

The smoke was thick in the air, surrounding us before we even parked the truck. Jumping out of the truck, I noticed that the air was choked with the smell of gasoline. Looking at the structure, I saw that the flames engulfing it were larger than a dumpster fire. The smell of the accelerant and the aggressiveness of the fire told me this wasn't simply a case of stupid kids playing with matches and trash cans.

The smells around me disappeared once I put on my mask. All I could smell now was plastic as the protective mask covered my face and I felt the cool rush of oxygen. Rushing from the truck toward the structure, I heard a cracking and popping all around us. It sounded like gunshots but it was just the sound of light bulbs exploding. That sound was accompanied by the sound of wood cracking and the glass in windows shattering as the heat inside the building intensified.

The smoke pouring out of the warehouse made it almost impossible to see as we entered the building. The whoosh of the flames and cracking, groaning noises around us grew louder and more ominous. I looked up at the ceiling and grimaced when I saw the tendrils of flame crawling along. I couldn't see much else, but I prayed the roof didn't collapse in on us. Not until we'd finished the job.

The first step we needed to take – and take quickly – was finding the person inside. Witnesses reported they heard screaming, but I strained my ears and couldn't hear anything. There was a good chance the person who'd been heard screaming was no longer conscious. Which meant we had seconds instead of minutes to find them and get them outside and into fresh air.

Or the witness could have been mistaken and there was nobody in the building. It was possible we were risking our lives on a wild goose chase. It's been known to happen. More times than I could count, actually. But, better to err on the side of caution. I can't even imagine how I'd react if we pulled out, only to find out later there was somebody in there and they'd died because we didn't take the time to look.

The heat inside the structure was nearly unbearable, reminding me of the last warehouse fire I'd been on. The one that left me with burns all over my body because I just wouldn't quit trying to find survivors, even as my air was fast running out. If it wasn't for Jimmy, I'd very likely be dead too. Alongside her. The woman I'd gone in there to save.

I shook my head and pushed away the memories. Not this time, I told myself. No, this time, I would find the person in here and save them. I wasn't about to let another one die on me. No, this person, whoever they were, would be saved.

Moving through hallways choked with thick, black, cloying smoke in the darkness, and not knowing anything about the building, I felt like I was trapped in a maze. A maze I wasn't sure I'd find the end of. 

I pushed the negative thoughts out of my head. They weren't going to help. And I needed focus. I could do this. I had to do this. My heart pounded harder and my senses slowed down. It was like moving in slow motion.

The sound of a loud snap up ahead made me pause. A moment later, a large section of the ceiling, completely engulfed in flame, came crashing down from above. One of the guys behind me stepped forward and hosed it down, white smoke replacing the black smoke, fogging up the place even more than before.

We don't have much time before this whole thing caves in, he called out.

I nodded and gripped the ax I was carrying even tighter as I stopped to listen. I was intensely aware of the seconds ticking by. Every grain of sand slipping through the hourglass added to the pressure. I knew if we didn't find the person soon, get them out and get them to safety, this whole building was coming down.

Our Captain would, of course, order us out before the flames consumed the structure, but the person inside would be left inside. And I couldn't have that. I couldn't stand for it. Wouldn't. I was going to find them.

I looked left and right, trying to see through the darkness, but all I could see were the thick clouds of smoke choking the hallway, the clouds glowing a malevolent shade of orange and red as the fire climbed the walls around us.

We need to get out of here, my partner, Jimmy, called to me. This thing is coming down. We need to get out now.

I shook my head. Another minute, man.

We may not have another minute!

I strained my ears and stretched out all my senses and then I heard it. Heard her, rather. I heard coughing coming from nearby and I said a silent word of thanks, a powerful sense of relief flooding my body. That she was coughing meant she was breathing. Meaning, she was conscious and more importantly, alive. I lowered myself to the ground and felt my way around, edging forward while keeping an eye on the ceiling above us, following the sound of the coughing.

I finally found the wall with my hand and, using it as a guide, felt my way along it. The crack and pop of wood echoed around the hallway, sounding right above us. I cast a nervous eye upward, my gut tightening. The ceiling was going