Beyond the Flame

By Carrie Collins

The last thing Kristen Carleo expected when she left work was for the building to explode. That is, until she found out her no good brother claimed she owned the building and now owes over a half million dollars to people he’d swindled. With only a few months to raise the money, Kristen is doing all she can to stay out of jail and hide from the people after her. Wasting time on men isn’t on her schedule.
Wondering why he can’t catch the eye of Kristen, Martino Mancini finally gets his chance when he’s called in for a rescue of a delicate nature. He’s puzzled though because the closer they seem to get, the further away she pulls. Blaze knows she’s hiding something, but he doesn’t know what. All he wants is to help her, all she wants is to protect those she loves.
Sparks fly, flames rage, can their relationship stand the heat?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carrie Collins
• Release date: Sep 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005392789

Carrie Collins

Carrie actually goes by the name CC in most places. She grew up in upstate New York in a log cabin in the woods. Now she currently resides in Connecticut wreaking havoc on a different state. If you have met her, you would not forget because her laugh can be heard across three counties.She is actually a spinning instructor part time which is something she loves. Carrie also enjoys getting dragged around by her 120lb devastatingly handsome Anatolian shepherd, Thor. When she isn’t doing that, she enjoys copious amounts of coffee, writing, reading, yoga, paranormal stuff, and urban exploring.

Book preview

I had settled on a stool and was munching on a strawberry that I’d swirled in a fruit dip when lips hit the side of my neck. I jumped and turned to see fantastic brown eyes looking in mine. The second I took to gaze at him, he turned and bit the whole strawberry off of my fork. Hey, you scoundrel, I scolded and wiped a little fruit dip on his nose.

Blaze leaned down, kissing me full on and mushing the dip onto my nose in the process. He pulled back a bit, smiled, and kissed me again. When he pulled back, he whispered in my ear, Good morning, Bella. You have a hot date tonight, don’t forget.

Why are you canceling? Who’s replacing you? I asked, feigning confusion.

Ah, you break my heart and ego, he exaggerated, clutching his chest stumbling slowly back.

Better that than your…. I started.

He gave me his sad puppy face, No, you wouldn’t. It was going to show you around later to some beautiful places.

I was going to say your leg.

Me too, he laughed, sneaking in another quick kiss.

Beyond the Flame

Carrie Collins

Published by Carrie Collins at Smashwords

Copyright 2021

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

BEYOND

THE

FLAME

By

Carrie Collins

A BEYOND NOVEL BOOK TWO

For my dad who gave me an everlasting love of dogs.

Thank you, friends and family, you people are the best.

Thank you, Sarah, for always helping drive my vision forward.

PROLOGUE

I walked into Mozz, the fancy Italian restaurant lounge, feeling absolutely fabulous. My old friend Mazy was meeting me here for a few drinks. It was always a great night when Mazy came to town. She was actually a famous country singer who always wore blonde or colorful wigs, lots of makeup with fake lashes, and eccentric clothing to disguise who she really was when not winning awards and being hassled by the media.

The woman was an absolute hoot and redneck to her core; it was what I loved about her. I caught a glimpse of her big auburn out of control curly hair from the corner of my eye. It was crazy how different she looked from her famous persona, but definitely more gorgeous when she was normal.

She had taken a seat near the stage where there was a man crooning about love. As soon as I approached the table, she stood up and grabbed me in a tight hug, My sugar-covered peach. Mazy proceeded to hug me harder, even lifting me off the floor. The woman was a nut. Sit, sit. No need to stand around now, she ordered, waving her hand at a chair.

I laughed. She said it like I was taking my time sitting when she was actually the reason I was unable to sit down. Tell me everything about everywhere, I prodded. I loved hearing about all her adventures. She’d offered to take me on tour a million times, but I only went for a few weekends because I was always too busy working, especially now.

Not much to say. I am starting to tire out, sorry to say. I’m just burnt out, my husband is unbelievably annoying, which I just started noticing, and I want to be normal again. Tell me what you did today. I need to hear normal things, please, she begged.

I smiled, knowing she was going to tease me, Well, on my way to work this morning, I passed a homeless woman and her daughter just sitting there on the side of the road, and they had no coats. Her face completely fell. So, I called work and told them I was going to be late. I ran home and grabbed them my old coats, a backpack full of food, and goodies. Since the store was on my way, I grabbed a bit of cash so she could buy anything else she needed.

I am going to cry; why are you such a Hallmark movie? Tell me where that shelter is, and I will send some funding too. You know, if I loved women, I would totally do you, she threw out there as she sipped her wine. I almost spit out mine.

Me too, but you would need to sing me to sleep every night, I insisted.

Keep going; I need to hear this whole dang thang. She was a hand talker, so hers were moving all over while she gabbed.

Well, she was super grateful and let me help her to a shelter. She was in an abusive home in which she escaped but had no skills to work. Her name is Mary, and her eight-year-old daughter is Alana. She will get started by staying at the shelter and finding placement somewhere that can help her with education. Then I went to work, which is weirdly great, even with my brother there. My boyfriend has been a bit odd lately, but we are both so busy that I think maybe he just has a lot going on. Tonight, he is helping his mother move to a smaller place.

Men, we don't need ‘em, but everyone has to have a bad habit, Mazy responded and held up her drink so we could clink glasses. But damn girl, I can see you are doing well. Look at that dress.

We sat there and drank several more glasses of wine, listening when some of the performers were excellent. The food was outstanding, and we practically needed to be carried out of the place. It was an awesome girl’s night, and my stomach even hurt from laughing so much. We decided to go dancing at a small dive bar not far from my house before going back to my place for the night. Once the bill was paid, we started for the door, and I caught something out of the corner of my eye.

I blinked once, then again, and again, just to be sure I was seeing what I was seeing. And sure enough, it was my boyfriend. The one who was helping his mother move, Brandon Rich. What? Mazy asked, colliding with me as I stopped abruptly. Her gaze was searching the area mine was stuck on.

See that guy sitting across from the uppity-looking woman?

Uh yeah. Why? Do you know them?

You know my boyfriend who is so kindly helping his mother move tonight?

Shit, shit, shit, she repeated in my ear. Her spine straightened, and I knew we could seriously get into trouble tonight. Well then, let’s go say hello and see if he needs a hand with the move.

I was glued to the spot, unable to budge, but as soon as I heard her shoes start clunking in that direction, I knew I had to move. Mazy is a total loose cannon. We arrived at their table at exactly the same time, just as Mazy started talking, Well, hey y’all.

Brandon looked up, and I saw him swallow unbelievably hard. The woman looked at us and then back at him. I am sorry, do I know you? she asked us.

I pointed to Brandon, who was trying to convey a message to me through his eyes which I swore was begging. Hi, I am Kristen. That is my boyfriend you are having dinner with, and I didn’t know he would be here. He told me he was helping his mother move tonight.

The woman whipped her head to him and then back to me. I am sorry, you must be mistaken. We have been married for eight happy years, and we are celebrating our anniversary tonight. I could not believe she thought I was mistaken.

Sorry, miss, you have the wrong man. It has happened to me before. I am so sorry, but if you could move on so we could enjoy our evening, that would please us very much, he added and looked back to his wife.

In moments like this, I know one should take the high road, but I also thought this woman should know I have been dating her husband for a few years. And secondly, the fact he dismissed me like he didn't know me really pissed me off. So, I broke out my phone and flipped to one of the only two pictures of us he let me take and turned it towards her. Mrs. Rich’s eyes bugged out of her head, but I was in no way done. I opened up a text string that had I love you with hearts typed through it and hit the info button next to Bran’s name.

You do know this number, do you not? I asked her. Now she was getting the whole picture. I am not mistaken, and that bedswerver, I started pointing at Bran, is an asshole.

Brandon stood up and was shoving my phone away from her. I don’t know who you people are, but you need to leave. This is jacked up to do to innocent people. Are you a stalker from one of my conventions? Dear, you know what people can do with photoshop now. This woman clearly needs help.

Mazy growled, and I knew she couldn’t be stopped; she took what appeared to be mussels carbonara and tossed it at him. Red sauce flew everywhere, the bulk of it drizzled down his white button-up dress shirt, and some hit surrounding patrons. I grabbed his glass of red wine and poured it over his head, This wine pairs perfectly with this appetizer, asshole.

His wife was standing looking hurt, confused, and completely admonished. Brandon looked beyond angry, but I could tell he was holding back due to his wife standing there. Are you kidding me with this shit? he asked.

Mazy got there first, You reap what you sow, douchebag. Then she launched a few dinner rolls at him.

She then grabbed my arm, starting to pull me away as we could see managers on their way over, ready to intervene. But I had to get a few last words in. Don’t bother coming for your things. I am lighting them all on fire. Also, your dick is a hell of a lot smaller than you think it is and that tattoo on your back is really girly. I knew he had a complex about both of those things, so they were direct hits.

Mazy and I ran the rest of the way out of the restaurant laughing hysterically as we hailed a cab. We continued to go dancing at the dive bar like nothing had happened. The crowd was fun and into group dances which I always thought looked cool when a group coordinated a dance. We closed down the bar, ending the night dancing on it.

I could not have asked for a better ending to a relationship because if I was alone, I might have gone home and cried after calling Brandon out. I wasn’t an emotional girl when someone did me wrong, but something about the moment I saw him really sat with me. I got a pit in my stomach like a warning of bad things to come.

Instead, Mazy and I painted the town and started a fire in the gas fireplace when we got home. We collected all of Brandon’s things and tossed them in one by one. He had some of his precious artifacts, which consisted of a collection of Batman toys, some video games, and concert t-shirts he had collected since the nineties. I felt not one bit of regret as we giggled while tossing in each one.

You, ok? Mazy asked sincerely.

Actually, I am fine with it. Once I thought about it, I realized I should have seen there was something off, but I was too busy to notice. I guess I just liked the company in my free time, and he started off so sweet. We always went to dinner in another town. Who does that?

Red flags baby, we run at ‘em like bulls. I am tired of doing it too. Let's make a deal, right here and now. We stop falling for crap, or we have to do a dare of the other’s choosing on our next visit.

Deal, but we need to decide now on the dare level. Like going streaking down Main Street or wearing out a dress that you insist on? With Mazy, you really needed details because her thoughts could take her anywhere.

She smiled hugely and knowingly, Okay, mid-level. Uncomfortable for sure, but not crossing any lines. Girl Scout honor. Her hand was held up in the Girl Scout honor position, and I laughed.

We gabbed for another hour before heading to my room to pass out. When we got up, she offered to stay and reschedule her show if I needed her. There was no way I would ask her to do that, but I knew she would if I did. I loved this girl. She had shut my phone off this morning when Brandon kept calling me over and over.

I was glad to have the day off so I could easily avoid him if he tried showing up. After she left, I took a shower feeling so strangely. It was like the sky was about to fall. It was more than just Brandon because I had a foreboding feeling for a week before that, and it had not subsided. But I could not figure out what it could be.

CHAPTER ONE

Kristen

Today was not my day and since I’m talking about it, neither were the last three hundred or so of them. If I were to rate it, it would fall in my top ten. But today was a little worse than some of the others. First, my laundry got stolen this morning and what sucks is I do my laundry once a week. So basically, all the clothes I wear on a regular basis are now gone.

It had been a rough year, so I had lost a lot of weight, and it looked good on me, but too much more would not. My boobs held in there at a nice C cup which was a huge plus, and I had a decent booty if I do say so myself, at a short five foot two. The one thing I felt good about at the moment was my body from the neck down. My stomach was flat, my arms were strong, and I had fat left in the right places.

Unfortunately, I had a lot more clothes in size twelve than size six, so I looked ridiculous. All the pants I tried on looked way too big and popped out like clown pants when I added a belt. So, I found a dress, and it was somehow the best option, even though it looked like an old maternity dress I threw it on. At this point, I figured screw it; you can totally get away with it in a sundress. It was red with spaghetti straps and came down below my knees. I was so grateful for the length because I hadn’t fully restocked my lingerie and had zero panties that fit, so commando it was.

I had a job interview for a great office position at a company that paid really well. Money was a serious issue for me right now, and I really needed it. Currently, I held down five jobs. Why? Not because I love to work, but because I had a deadbeat brother.

See, my parents died in a car accident when I was eight and my brother Jim was fifteen. He told me not to tell anyone. No adult lived with us because he said we would get separated and never see each other again. There were no other relatives I was aware of at eight years old, so I believed him. To a girl that young, losing her last family member would be devastating.

Jim received the life insurance check, and he actually paid off the house. Then he used the rest of the money to quit school, only feed me cereal, and sit in the house all day smoking pot. He bought all types of ridiculous things like snowmobiles, jet skis, video games, and TVs. What he didn’t buy was any new clothes for me, food other than cereal, or anything else. He just bossed me around and sent me to my room. At least we had cable, and he got me a TV, so he didn’t have to spend time with me. I grew up on sitcom families and yearned for a family like those I saw onTV.

I was eleven when my teacher noticed my clothing had not changed in years. My shoes had holes worn in the bottoms, my shirts were stained, and all my jeans were falling apart. All of it was way too small, and it was noticeable. She questioned me quietly, and I explained my brother was eighteen and taking care of me, but I was scared I wouldn’t see him again. I begged her not to tell anyone; he was all I had left, even if he was a jerk.

So, this lovely woman I’ll never forget, Ms. Mayhew, picked me up one Saturday and took me shopping. She bought me a few new outfits, some shoes, and other school supplies. We even got our hair and nails done together. I imagined it was a day my mom would have taken me on if she was still around. It may have well been a trip to Disney. I didn’t think she told anyone since no one showed upat my house and separated us. Ms. Mayhew was one of the only people in the world I trusted.

She was so kind to me that when my brother didn’t pay the taxes on the house, leaving us homeless, she took me in. I lived on the streets for about a week before she took me aside at school, asking what happened. It was hard admitting that I was looking for food in trash cans. This woman was so good to me there was no way I could lie to her.

In a fit of tears, I told her everything. She took me to my brother right after school, grabbing what little I had left, and took me to her home. Jim helped her pack me up like he could not wait for me to go, which made me cry all the way there. I just didn't understand why he was so mean. The alley I lived in for a week was awful but I did it for him.

The woman was a godsend who treated me like her own daughter. After that, I had a meal three times a day, new clothing, dance lessons, and a new life. She showed up to every dance recital and allowed me to try out other school activities. We spent hours cooking food and desserts that tasted like heaven. Those years with her were the best after my parents passed, and I loved her so much.

Ms. Mayhew was an older woman who passed on when I was nineteen, and it broke my heart. I hoped to have her for a lot longer. She didn’t have a life insurance policy but left me her house in Nebraska as I was her only family. All I had to do was pay the taxes, which weren’t so bad, so I rented the place out while I went to college in Colorado. The income helped pay for the tuition and books that weren't paid by my academic scholarships.

I went for a 2-year business and accounting degree, hoping to get a good job somewhere while I worked at a local pizza shop. It took me 3.5 years to do it, but it was totally worth it, and I got an accounting job at a local car auction. None of this was my true dream. I actually wanted to own my own shop selling crystals, homeopathic items, and things to help people. But you needed startup money for such things, so in the meantime, I would work my way up at corporations.

I had saved all the money I could from working at the auction and pizza shop over the next eight years. I had $50,000 in the bank, and I couldn’t believe it. All my hard work was paying off. That was enough to get me started. That was also when Jim reappeared in my life after nineteen years. One day I was walking down the street, and god help me, I saw him and said, Jim?

It was a knee-jerk reaction; he just caught me off guard. If it had been through a cafe window or some such, I probably would have watched but avoided him. We had no relationship to speak of. Anytime I tried to contact him in previous years, he ignored me. Ms. Mayhew was supportive of my effort to keep what family I had left, but I could tell she didn’t think I would get the result I wanted. I gave up a long time ago and had moved on from the sadness of my only relative wanting nothing to do with me.

Unfortunately, he recognized me and hugged me. Somehow this made me momentarily forget what a jerk he was, as I was caught up in a moment I wanted as a kid. He had longish blond hair pushed back in a wavy fashion, wearing a polo shirt and khakis. We had the same color hair, but his eyes were brown and mine green. The watch on his arm looked awfully expensive, and he actually looked well, except he looked like a 20-year-old frat boy instead of an almost 40-year-old man.

Ah, Kris, you look great. How about we grab dinner soon? We can catch up. It is so good to see you. I will be here all week.

I have no idea why, but I actually agreed to this monstrosity and gave him my number. He actually took me to a nice Italian restaurant showing up in a suit accompanied by another well-dressed man called Allen, a week later. Together they talked about their timeshare business and how well it was going. Both pulled out photos of the beautiful timeshares they rented and sold. The pictures were gorgeous. They had beachfront properties, lakefront properties, and several others in tropical locations.

Timeshares, if you don’t know, are like a property where you share ownership and rights with others for the same place. There’s a huge yearly fee that you pay, or you can buy it, but you have allotted times you can use the property, I think. I mean, I have no idea, but it’s what I got out of their conversation.

All the places they showed me were incredibly beautiful, and some were condos and some houses. Many of them were private properties, and I actually was sitting trying to figure out if I could afford to buy one. I mean, I could use a beach property I could visit several times a year. The beach was the one place on earth that just soothed my soul, and I rarely got to go. It was a place that held fond memories of my parents and Ms. Mayhew.

But what Allen said next threw me, Kristen, we have been looking for an office manager. Starting pay is $60,000 a year plus bonuses. Monday through Friday, eight to four, and weekends off, of course.

My mouth hung open because I could really use that kind of job. I was making way less than that right now. But I was hesitating because I didn’t know this man at all. I don’t know.

Allen had a bright smile that seemed friendly, but it put me a bit on edge. Look, think about it. You’re Jim’s sister, so it could be a great family business, and if not, you could always just invest.

I looked at Jim, who was also smiling brightly at me. Could I trust this man? It had been so long, and I didn’t know him at all anymore. He practically abandoned me in childhood, yet he seemed to have his head on straight now. I’ll think about it, I told him.

All in all, it was a nice dinner, and I felt better about seeing Jim again like it was closure. As we parted ways in the parking lot, he spoke, Kris, look, I know I wasn’t the best brother, but I want the opportunity to make it up to you. So even if you don’t want to work at Carleo and Smith Associates, let’s stay in touch. I really want a chance to be a better brother to you. Jim said no more and hugged me, walking away to a silver Jaguar.

I opened the door to my 1982 Mercedes, which I loved even though it was old and a money pit. The outside was shiny and clean, but the interior had seen much better days. A friend at the auction had helped me get it for $2000, and the car had been going strong for five years. But I felt envy watching Jim drive away in what had to be the latest model Jaguar. It looked very fancy.

I had dinner with Jim a few more times over the next month, and I was feeling good about our renewed relationship. Maybe he was just a foolish kid that needed time to grow up, and didn’t everyone deserve a second chance? Ms. Mayhew always told me it was okay to make mistakes as long as you made them right. Jim was giving me the impression that was all he was trying to do.

Besides, my job at the auction was getting turbulent at best. The owner was firing people at the drop of a hat and publicly shaming employees whenever the mood struck him. I once asked about a manager that went missing one day, and I was shushed while my elderly coworker said, Shhh, we can’t talk about that.

I was baffled, What do you mean? He worked here twenty years.

Look, he got fired, and it was possibly a setup, she whispered.

And turns out from inside gossip it was just that, which absolutely turned my stomach. It wasn’t long before I became a target there, and I was constantly brought into my manager’s office for things I hadn’t even done. I worked extremely hard, always trying to be absolutely perfect and keep to myself like my boss suggested as she knew I was innocent. She was too scared for her job to even back me up. Hence, I was definitely ready for a change in life. The next time Jim offered me a job, I accepted, because you know, what’s the worst that could happen?

Well, it turns out everything could go to hell in a big sparkly handbasket. My first month at Carleo and Smith was great; it was a job I loved. I talked to customers, booked appointments, set up meetings, filed, and did some accounts payable. The customers were awesome because we were selling paradise, and I found myself just as excited as they were.

I had a huge receptionist desk with a big plush comfy chair and a grand beach painting on the wall behind me. The people I met were lovely, and I was happy getting up to go to work each day. I was able to quit both jobs and just work there since the pay was so good.

The second month I decided this place was everything I could have dreamed of, so I invested the $50,000 I had saved up. Within a month, I had my $50,000 back plus $10,000 in profit, so I upgraded my car first thing. It was a Cadillac SUV that I loved and could afford due to my fabulous new job. I got another $10,000 my third month, plus my money back, so I started dreaming big. That house I dreamed of was on the horizon, so I was beyond thrilled.

The third month in, everything went to shit because on my way out one night, the building exploded. Yes, it exploded. I was the last one out that night because we had five meetings set for the next morning, and I wanted to be ready. All the hours I put in went up in smoke, literally. The lock on the front door was being testy, so I was struggling to lock up when the building blew. I could hear sirens in the distance as I laid in a pile of rubble, watching a huge metal beam land on my new car.

The building was gray and three stories tall, with windows adorning every wall. It was set back off an industrial road with its own parking lot, not near any other building. I saw the windows literally blow out of every floor. So, in the explosion, glass flew everywhere, piercing me in so many places I was scared to move, but small explosions started going off, scaring me more.

I got my butt up with glass stuck to me everywhere and ran to hide behind a tree for cover. The building was now in huge flames, and I could hear sirens getting closer, so I knew they had to be headed here. To be sure, I dialed 911, and the operator assured me help was on the way. I stayed on the line with her until police cars and fire trucks started pulling in.

As the firemen worked, I kept calling Jim and Allen, with both going directly to voicemail. There were only five other full-time employees, so I called them too. Only Georgie, a friendly guy who handled promotions and marketing for us, answered.

Hey there, Kristen, what’s up?

Georgie, I breathed out.