“Hm.” Brock looked back over to the smoldering ruins.
The Hazmat team emerged from the structure. Uncrossing his arms, Brock stepped through the grass to see if they had more information or needed any help.
Cumberland, the Hazmat lead made his way to the Chief, still in his blue cover ups and holding air quality measuring equipment under one arm. Brock got there just in time to hear him confirm his men had neutralized or contained the hazardous chemicals enough for the B-shift skeleton team to return inside. Brock’s team was relieved from their posts as they were on shift tomorrow. Gathering up their equipment, they made their way to their truck to return to the fire house.
Back in the truck, Brock rubbed the aching spot between his eyebrows. The last two hours felt like he had been at the scene all day. The details Thomas and Warner gave him still weighed on his mind. There was a suspected crime boss running meth operations around the Reno-Sparks area. It was the first Brock had heard about it, and now it sent his anger through the roof. At a time like this, he had to do something constructive to keep from losing his shit. He needed to get this pent up frustration dealt with. Going out into the woods and releasing his bear for a long run was an option, but it wouldn’t calm his mind as much as getting to the bottom of his uneasiness.
On the ride back to the firehouse he had Toby stop at the hospital so they could check in on Doug. Tess, the woman who Nash was practically obsessed over, was the first nurse on duty they bumped into.
“Tess, any word on Winston?”
“Hi guys. They’re still working on him. He’s in surgery for the worst of his burns. He’s not out of the woods yet, but everyone’s cautiously optimistic.”
“What about the others?”
“Terry and Perez should be released before morning.”
“Good.” Brock furrowed his brows and ran a hand through his hair, paying little mind to Nash beside him, hanging on Tess’s every word. “Are Winston’s wife and kids here?”
“No, they’re on the way over.”
“I’ll wait for them. They’ll need someone to stay with them until he’s out of surgery.”
“Are you all on shift tomorrow? You really should go get some rest. Look, I’ll give you a call when there’s an update. I promise.”
Brock saw the insistence in her eyes, and backed down. “Okay, but be sure to call me.”
“I will. Have a good night, men.” Tess headed back to the nurses’ station and the men turned and left.
There was no update that would help Brock have a good night except for news that Doug would make a full recovery. As they drove back to the fire house, the mood was somber. Toby kept glancing over at Brock from behind the wheel, and Jax pressed a hand on his shoulder for moral support. Knowing some of their own had been injured badly enough to warrant a hospital visit always left them on edge.
Brock picked the phone up one more time and stared at it. Only one person could help him feel better at a time like this.
6
Sky sat on the couch, nursing her tea. When her phone buzzed, she paused mid-sip to look down at it. She stared at where it rested on the coffee table. It was almost midnight. Her first thought was that maybe Lily had another change of heart and wanted to go out for drinks after all. The name on the screen told her that was not the case.
Brock.
He was the only other person who would send her a text this late at night, and that made her heart race as she reached for the phone. She didn't want to get worked up. She had already learned not to expect too much from him. Just because he had kissed her outside of the bar and probably was calling to have another few hours in her bed didn't mean he was ready to take things a step further.
Sky swiped open the phone and looked at the message.
Are you up? Can I come over?
She had no reason to say no. Not really. Her father was away all week. It wasn’t a big deal even when Dad was around. Their house in the suburbs was large enough for two people to have plenty of their own space. Sky's spacious unit sat above the garage, accessible both from inside and the outer stairs beside the house. Even when Joleen had stayed with her, there was plenty of room for each of them to have their privacy. The fact that Sky's own area was its own studio space made the idea of living with her dad at twenty-four much more bearable.
Quickly, she typed a reply telling him to come anytime. She could never say no to Brock. After hitting send, she hurried to her bedroom to change. The long flannel pants and oversized t-shirt she had on just weren't going to cut it. Rifling through her top wardrobe drawer, she found a tank top and a pair of soft short shorts. Brock was coming over. Any exhaustion she might have felt earlier had evaporated.