Attraction: (A Temptation Series Stand-alone) (The Temptation Series Book 4) (36 page)

Lib scooted over to where I was sitting and put her arm
around my shoulder. ‘This is what he does for a living. He fights fires. He
saves people, animals and infrastructure. He’s out there being a hero. Heroes
don’t have time to text their girlfriends.’

I rolled my eyes at her. ‘Fine, but can we turn this off and
watch something else. The constant newsflashes are making me crazy.’

Lib stood up and walked over to the DVD cabinet. ‘Hmm ...
how ’bout some Gosling?’ she mused, pulling out
The Notebook
.

‘Do you even need to ask?’ I joked.

***

I woke the next morning and stretched uncomfortably,
realising I had fallen asleep on the couch the night before. Confusion washed
over me: why hadn’t I taken myself to bed? Then I remembered Derek hadn’t
called.

Dread filled my being, and I scrambled to find my phone in
order to check whether he had left a message or tried to call while I was
asleep.

‘Where is it?’ I groaned, wrenching the cushions from the
couch to look underneath them.

‘What are you doing?’ Lib asked while sounding a
simultaneous yawn.

‘Trying to find my phone. Derek may have left a message or
tried to call. And why didn’t you wake me last night?’

‘I did. You said you’d go to bed soon.’

‘Was I even awake when I said that?’ I asked, clearly
annoyed. ‘I slept out here all night.’

‘Oh ... well, you slept and that’s the whole point of
sleeping, right?’

‘Where is it?’ I yelled, grabbing my hair and pulling
frustratedly.

Lib walked up to me and pulled my top open. I was about to
protest when she retrieved my phone from my bra.

‘I don’t know why you keep it there,’ she said, a little
bemused, as she walked into the kitchen.

Swiping my screen to activate it, I answered dismissively.
‘Because pockets have no place in the world of fashion.’

Many emotions ran through my body when I realised Derek had
not made contact: disappointment, fear, anxiety, and an overwhelming sense of
dread that something was wrong.

Without a second thought, I dialled Derek’s station,
impatiently pacing while waiting for the call to connect.

‘MFB Station 10. Can I help you?’ a middle-aged woman
answered.

‘Yes, this is Carly, Officer King’s girlfriend. I’m trying
to get hold of him. I was wondering if he has called into the station?’

There was a pause before she answered. ‘I’m sorry, Carly,
but I’m not at liberty to release any information to anyone other than next of
kin.’

‘Next of kin,’ I shrieked. ‘Why? What’s happened? Where’s
Derek? Is he okay?’

‘I’m sorry, dear, but I cannot say anything further. You
will need to get in contact with his family,’ she said apologetically.

With a shaking hand I ended the call and stared blankly at
my phone.

‘Carly, what’s wrong?’ Lib asked, her voice etched with
concern.

‘Something has happened to Derek,’ I explained, the words
coming out of my mouth as if spoken by a robot.

She touched my shoulder and forced my gaze to hers. ‘How do
you know that?’

‘Because the station receptionist said I should call his
next of kin.’

Tears began to pool in my eyes. I tried blinking them away,
but to no avail.

‘That doesn’t mean something is wrong, Carls. It’s just a
privacy thing. She can’t tell you anything, good or bad.’

‘I know him, Lib. He would’ve sent a text the second he
could’ve. And if everything was okay, he would’ve had that second long before
now,’ I answered with absolute certainty.

As we stared at each other in indecision, the loud shrill of
my ringing phone unexpectedly broke the silence and made me jump. I fumbled
with it, nearly dropping it on the ground. After steadying my hand, Layla’s
name appeared on my screen and seeing it there stopped my heart’s beat.

Frozen in fear, the constricting of my chest, and the
inability to move, had me motionless, not wanting to answer it and be told what
I could not even begin to fathom, yet I was desperate to hear that nothing was
wrong and that he was all right. Never in my life had so much ridden on the
simple touch of a finger to a screen.

Holding my breath, I swiped my phone to answer Layla’s call.
‘Hello,’ I barely voiced.

‘Carly? It’s Layla. Have you heard from Derek?’ she asked,
her voice saturated with desperation.

Painfully — and slowly — I let my breath out. ‘No. Have
you?’

The sound of her masking a sob triggered an ache to develop
in my heart. ‘No ... he’s ... he’s MIA.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I didn’t want to ask but had no power to stop the terrifying
question from leaving my mouth.

‘Yes. From what Sean and I have been told, he was with his
tanker and crew on a property just past Kilmore. The wind changed direction and
then communication was lost. Since then, the pilot of an air-crane who made a
routine pass over the property reported that the house was completely
destroyed, together with the tanker. Apparently the road into the property is
still unsafe, so they cannot send additional crew,’ she explained with
resignation.

‘Oh god, when ... when will the road be safe? They need to
get more crew there. He could be hurt. They need to get someone there now!’ I
cried with desperation.

‘Carly,’ she sobbed. ‘They are doing everything they can.
Sean and I are about to head to a firefighting base camp they’ve set up in
Wallan. Would you like to come with us?’

‘Yes!’ I answered with urgency. ‘Yes, I would. I can’t just
sit here and wait.’

‘Okay, we’ll pick you up on the way. Give us twenty
minutes.’

I disconnected the call and turned to Lib. ‘Derek and his
crew are unaccounted for,’ I explained with a rush of breath as I made my way
out of the room while continuing to talk.

‘Oh no!’ Libby gasped as she followed.

‘Layla and Sean are heading to a base camp set up in Wallan.
I’m going with them.’

‘What can I do?’

‘Nothing. I don’t know. Nothing. Just hope for the best. Or
pray. Or, I don’t know,’ I said, bursting into tears.

She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tight. ‘He’ll
be fine. Everything is going to be okay.’

I hugged her back. ‘I hope so. I don’t want to think of the
alternative.’

***

Roughly twenty minutes later, Layla and Sean arrived. Layla
wasted no time in wrapping her arms around me and quietly stating that she
believed Derek was fine. That he was smart and that he would return unharmed. I
hugged her back in appreciation, finding her offering of reassurance
comfortable. I liked Layla, there was just something about her I could relate
to. I couldn’t put my finger on it at that point in time, but I felt we shared
somewhat of a mutual connection.

Sean was a suited-up, older-looking version of Derek, and
the stresses of his job were clearly visible on his facial features. He had
dark, neatly cut hair, and crow’s feet feathered around the edges of his eyes.
He certainly looked more worn down than his twin brother, and in assessing his
aged appearance, I found myself wondering whether or not to respect and admire
Derek for standing his ground and following his heart to become a firefighter.
The alternative was to curse him for his decision, because if he hadn’t
followed his dream, he wouldn’t be MIA and I wouldn’t be scared fucking
shitless as a result.

When we arrived at the base camp, the surrounding smoke hung
heavy in the air, the thick suffocating by-product of fire reminding me of a
lurking evil. It silently entered the space around you and mystified your
senses, infiltrating your body uninvited and unwanted. Smoke was the perfect
trespasser.

Not long after arriving, we were escorted to a tent, where
Derek’s fellow crew members’ families and next of kin were waiting. The
atmosphere was sombre yet bustling with activity and noise. It was both eerie
and unnerving.

While enduring the maddening wait for information, it didn’t
take me long to figure out that Sean was a man of few words. However, when he
did speak, he meant business. I’d almost go so far as to say he was arrogant
and a little rude.

Since a
brief introduction when I climbed into his Mercedes, he’d not said so much as
five words to me. Well, actually, he’d said eight: ‘Hi. Come on, we don’t have
much time’. He was tense, impatient and appeared to not like people, getting
short-tempered with everyone around him.

‘You’ll have to excuse Sean,’ Layla said quietly while
leaning in my direction. ‘He is extremely concerned about Derek.’

‘Yeah, well we all are, but you don’t see either of us
biting everyone’s heads off now, do you?’ I answered just as quietly,
regretting the words as soon as I had spoken them. ‘Shit! I’m sorry. I understand
he’s worried about his brother. Of course he is.’

‘Carly, I’m not sure what Derek has told you, but he and
Sean have not spoken to one another for years. Their last exchange, shortly
after Richard’s stroke, was highly venomous. Sean said some horrible things to
his brother that he has regretted ever since. Unfortunately, he is too proud a
person to admit it ... and, I dare say, is now worried his time to do so has
passed.’

Looking to where Sean stood staring blankly at the area map
pinned to a noticeboard, I could see the worry and heartbreak behind his tough
facade. It saddened me to think that some families had rifts so deep, they were
perceived as irreparable. I guess it showed that obstinacy thwarted common
sense. But then what would I know? I was an only child. Then again, maybe
that’s why I had the overwhelming desire to try and help resolve the conflict
between the two siblings ... because I didn’t have any.

‘Well, I don’t want to think that way. I don’t want to think
it is too late. Derek is fine. He is just waiting to be rescued. And you know
what?’ I declared, standing up and pulling out my phone. ‘I don’t want him to
have to wait any longer. He has waited long enough.’ I pressed Alexis’ number
and exited the tent, now on a mission of my own.

‘I’m not sure I’m talking to you,’ Lexi said, after
answering her phone.

‘Well, you don’t have a choice —’

‘I do have a choice,’ she interrupted. ‘You stormed out of
Alexander’s birthday party and you never told me why. I —’

‘Lex, can we do this another time, please. I need your help.
Actually, I need Bryce’s help. Actually no, Derek needs Bryce’s help. He’s MIA,
Lex, and I’m terrified —’

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa,’ she exclaimed, her voice growing louder
with each word. ‘What do you mean he’s MIA?’

‘He was working at the Kilmore front last night. The command
centre lost contact with him and his crew shortly after a wind change. Reports
say the property he was at, together with their tanker, was destroyed. Lex,
they can’t get any trucks in due to ground access being unsafe —’

‘Oh my god! Carly, where are you?’

‘I’m waiting at base camp in Wallan, but it’s taking too
long and —’

‘Hang on a minute, the Crow!’ Lexi offered, reading my mind.
‘You want Bryce to fly the chopper to the property with a search and rescue
team, don’t you?’

‘That’s what I was hoping. Can he do it? Can he somehow get
permission to arrange this?’

‘Permission ... Bryce? Are you serious? Derek is his best
friend. He’s not going to give a shit about permission.’

Sighing with a small sense of relief, I whispered, ‘Thank
you.’

***

Just under an hour later, Bryce was landing the Crow on a
nearby football oval. I, along with Sean, Layla and one of the chief ground
officers, were there to greet him as he hurried from the helicopter, together
with Lexi and Lucy.

While Lexi and I embraced, Bryce, Sean and the ground
officer shook hands and then headed off to a nearby tent to prepare the rescue
effort.

‘Carly,’ Lexi said as she pulled away. ‘How are you, are you
okay?’

‘No,’ I answered, wrapping my arms around myself. ‘I just
want him found.’

‘Hey ... they’ll find him. Bryce won’t give up.’

I gave her a nod of acceptance, then turned to Layla.
‘Sorry, Layla ... this is Alexis, my best friend. Lexi, this is Layla, Derek’s
sister-in-law. And this is Lucy,’ I added in a clipped tone. Why she had to
come along was beyond me.

After the quick introductions, we made our way toward the
tent the others had disappeared into, which was a relief as I didn’t like being
outside. The smoke was invisibly choking me and the noise of the water bombers
pierced my body like a deadly sting.

‘Carly,’ Lucy said, snagging my arm before entering. ‘Can I
have a quick word?’

I smiled politely at Layla and Alexis, Alexis furrowing her
brow and giving me an unsure look. I alleviated her concern by nodding for her
to go ahead.

After they entered the tent and we were alone, I turned to
Lucy. ‘What? What are you even doing here?’

‘Back off,’ she answered defensively. ‘I’m here because I’m
worried just as much as you are —’

‘I doubt that,’ I snapped.

‘Carly, please, I just want to bury this rancour. I’m not a
threat. And I’m sorry I asked Derek to keep something from you.’

‘Lucy, now is not the time for this.’

‘I know, I just don’t want you anxious about me being here
on top of everything else —’

‘So why did you come?’ I bit out, glaring at her.

She took a step back. ‘I told you. I’m worried. I care about
him too.’

‘I think it’s more than that,’ I said quietly.

‘You’re wrong,’ she said, lowering her voice. ‘I’ve told you
this before. Derek was just a sperm donor and a friend. That’s all.’

‘A sperm donor who fucked you until you were pregnant.’

Lucy gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes opening wide.
‘He told you?’

‘Yes, he told me.’

Fed up and turning away from her, I went to enter the tent
for a second time when Lucy grabbed my arm and pulled me away. ‘Carly, please,’
she sobbed. ‘You need to understand that what Derek and I share is nothing more
than a deep friendship. I love him, yes, but not like you do. Please understand
that.’