Apparently, some lady posted a video of me getting Violet out of the window and climbing down the ladder with her wrapped around my front. And of course it went viral. The caption readSave a ladder, climb a firefighterfor fuck’s sake.
Comments were ridiculous. Some even crude. Not that it offended me. But I just wanted to be left the fuck alone.
I’d moved here from Charlotte because I hated the limelight. Now I had to deal with it here too? In a big city, and with our house having the first female battalion chief, we were under a microscope. Anything we did, people either wanted to criticize or idolize. The final straw for me was when we saved the life of a famous actor after he’d acted like an idiot and drove his car into a tree. At first, the attention was all positive. Then he started bad-mouthing us. He was pissed we’d told the cops his breath reeked of alcohol. Eventually the full story came out and people stopped attacking us. But those months of dealing with the drama had been frustrating to say the least.
I crossed my arms over my chest and spun to head back upstairs. I swear, if one more woman showed up, I was going to lose my damn mind.
“Another one?” Jay snickered, stopping me before I could climb to the safety of the second level. He was standing with Owen and Logan while they were doing an equipment check.
“Yeah.” At least I was able to turn away her tray of brownies with a made-up nut allergy. I tilted my head. I'd been here four months and never saw any of these guys dealing with this kind of shit. “How come they don't bother you guys?”
“What?” Logan's brows pulled together. “You mean the women?”
“Yeah. Do you guys not do heroic shit? Are youthatuseless or something?”
Jay scoffed. “No, we're justthattaken.”
“Taken?”
“Yeah.” Jay held up his left hand and Owen followed suit, both showing their wedding bands. “We're married. And everyone in town knows it.”
“And I don't have a wedding band yet, but everyone knows I'm dating his sister.” Logan hitched his thumb toward Jay.
Jay rolled his eyes. “Don't remind me.”
“So if I was taken, they would leave me alone?”
It couldn't possibly be that easy. Maybe I could show everyone a picture of Lucy and me and tell them she was my girlfriend from back home. It was close enough to the truth. They didn’t have to know she was myex-girlfriend.
But all of that would require me to talk to these women. I didn't want to talk to anyone.
Maybe I could hire someone.
“I don't want her to look like a prostitute,” I pondered, bringing my hand up and running it down my jaw.
“What?” Owen asked with one brow raised. “Why are we talking about hookers now?”
“We aren't. That's the point. No hookers. That wouldn't work.”
Jay shook his head with a scoff. “I think we're missing part of this conversation you're having with yourself.”
I shook my head. “Don't worry about it.”
“Oh, look. Here comes the damsel herself.” Logan chuckled as he tipped his chin over my shoulder.
I spun to find Violet approaching. What the fuck was she wearing now? Fishnets, a pink and black plaid skirt, and some type of tank top that laced up in the front and made her tits look like they were going to spill out at any minute.
My feet were moving toward her before I even realized what I was doing.
As I stopped in front of her, she held up a Tupperware container. “I made you cookies.”
“Jesus, not you too.” I groaned. “I don't need cookies.” Or anything else for that matter. I was just doing my fucking job.
She shrugged, a smile still plastered on her face. “I wanted to do something to thank you.”
“Thank me?”
“Yeah, you know, for saving my life and everything.”
