Fire and Ice: Rekindled (The Fire and Ice Series Book 2) (21 page)

"No, that's Dennis," I explained.

"Who's Doug?" her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Doug's my landlord. Dennis would never hurt a flea. He
looks like a creep, but he's actually a really nice guy...and he tips
well," I added cheerfully.

Janine cocked her hip and waved her finger in the air, as
she exclaimed with authority, "Uh, uh...no way, sister. If my landlord was
tryin' to grab all up on me, I'd have my fist in his teeth. You can believe
that."

I just chuckled and shook my head. Janine cracked me up when
she got animated about whatever pissed her off or got her excited about
something. She could probably have her own show on TV. I know I'd watch it.

I don't think punching my landlord would be the best idea,
considering I'm living in one of the cheapest, yet ultimately well sought after
condos on the beach, which I took over when my parents died. It wasn't
penthouse living, but it made a great vacation home for our family. Luckily,
for me, Doug had let me just transfer the lease into my name, and didn't
increase the rent. My parents had been getting a great deal all those years. I
don't know how my dad managed to keep Doug from upping the rent, but whatever
the case, I wasn't about to screw it up for myself by assaulting him,
especially when he'd never touched me. There were times his voice became an
octave lower and a bit suggestive when he'd assure me he'd take of a broken
pipe, or if the air conditioner went out, things of that nature, but he'd never
made a blatant pass at me. I'd have to make a note to call Janine off his scent
before he came in again, lest she pummel him in my defense.

"So, what's going on, then? You look...off," she
said with a questioning look on her face. I shrugged noncommittally, averting
my eyes, as if I were concentrating on counting my tips. I knew she wasn't
about to let me off that easy, but it was worth a try. "Trin, just spill
it, already. You know I'll just badger you until you give in anyway, so you
might as well save us both the time."
Great, now she
has ESP
.

I sighed as I realized there was no use putting up a fight,
and said, "It's been almost a year. Next week is the anniversary."

"Awe, shit, Trin. I wasn't even thinking. I'm sorry,
honey. Why didn't you say something?"

"Because of this..." I ushered my hand between us.
"This is
exactly
why I didn't
want to say anything. I don't want pity. I just want to move on. It's been a
hard year, ya know? And Tommy..." my voice trailed off.

"Say no more," Janine interrupted. "He hasn't
been there for you like he should've. It's not right, Trin."

I held up my hand to silence her oncoming rant. "We all
grieve in our own way, Janine. I'm sure he's doing the best he can," I
said, sticking up for my younger brother.

"Bullshit, Trin. He's drowning his sorrows in cheap
whiskey, whores, and the blackjack tables, and you know it," she
admonished.

"Look, Janine, I...I've been down this road with him
before. He's technically a grown man. There's not a whole lot I can do about
it," I said, my voice laced with regret for not trying hard enough to pull
him out of the hole he'd dug for himself the last few years, beginning in his
late teens. By the ripe old age of 19 he was drinking to excess nearly every
day, and God knows what else; he didn't have a job, but he sure as hell had
money to spend- and spend it he did. I felt partially to blame- I thought
covering for his dumb ass would somehow protect my parents from having to
witness their son become a vagrant. To my knowledge, they were oblivious.

I'm only a couple of years older than him, but I should have
known better. And when I'd gotten married on a whim at 23, I soon became
absorbed in my whirlwind relationship that quickly spiraled within a year. Though
I'm just barely 25, I've had to endure a failed marriage, the suffering of my
parent's death, and witnessing my own brother walk a thin line that more often
than not leads to jail, or worse.

As soon as Tommy turned 21, he may as well have taken up
permanent residency in Atlantic City. He played the part of a high roller with
ease, I'll give him that, but I was smart enough to know the shiners and split
lips he'd end up with every couple of months said otherwise. Tears began to
prick the backs of my eyes at the thought of the road he was going down. Hell,
maybe he'd already met his fate, for all I knew.
 

Janine gave me a solemn look before asking in a soft tone,
"Is he coming in?"

I shook my head back and forth in resignation. "I have no
idea. I haven't heard from him in months. I doubt it." Then again, with
Tommy, I never knew. He was like a stray cat. He'd disappear without so much as
a 'goodbye', and show up on my doorstep, randomly, at one in the morning,
months later. I would honestly be shocked if he showed up for the anniversary
of Mom and Dad's death.

Chapter Two

Trinity

It was generous of Max and Pauline to let me park my old,
run down, Ford Taurus in their parking lot across the street from The Ale and
Pail, especially since we were technically competition. But Janine put in a
good word for me with Max and Pauline, since we had hit it off as friends on
day one when I started working at the bar. It's a small, tight-knit community
here, and everyone knows everyone, so if someone vouches for you, it's pretty
much a done deal. At any rate, I was grateful, as it was a real bitch finding
parking on the street, and our bar didn't have off street parking. There was a
parking lot behind us, but the city had bought it from the previous owner (no
doubt for a pretty penny) to use as public parking for beach goers. Luckily,
the lack of parking didn't deter customers from coming into the bar.

Most of our customers were looking for refuge from the
scorching rays during the day, and humid sticky air at night; not to mention
our famous lineup of imported beers and pails of crab. Upon entering the bar,
they'd be met with a fresh air-conditioned blast, immediately relieving them
from the heat. The vibe of the bar was a mixture of dim, sultry lighting, the
look of an upscale sports bar, infused with beach memorabilia adorning the
walls, and an eclectic mix of bass thumping music, ranging from hip hop, to
country, and any genre between the '70's and today; all set to trance
background mash-up style. It was quite the departure from the norm, and our
customers seemed to eat it up.

Every night, the bouncer at our door, Dave, offered to walk
me to my car, which was literally across the street, and every night I shooed
him away. Tonight was no different.

"Heading home Trinity?" Dave asked in a chipper
voice. I always got the feeling he secretly had a small crush on me. He was
every girl's fantasy. Muscled from head to toe, a clean-cut head of blond hair,
light green eyes, and a hint of stubble on his chin. Unfortunately, I didn't
feel a connection between us. I sighed at the thought. He was probably a great
guy, too. Why didn't I fall for guys like Dave? Apparently, I was a glutton for
punishment. I had a track record in highschool for dating 'bad boys', which
always
left me heartbroken. And my last
relationship...well, let's just say it was a sinking ship from the beginning.
But when you're being lavished with flowers and jewelry after every fight, I
guess love really is blind. I suppose in the end, it taught me a hard lesson,
and really opened my eyes. It'll be a long time before I trust another man,
that's for sure. Maybe that's why I just can't seem to give Dave a chance. He
may be the perfect package, but I'm just not ready, yet.

I nodded my head, held up my hand, and shook my keys.
"See ya tomorrow, Dave." I knew he wouldn't let it go at that. He
never does. So, I prepared myself to have to turn down his offer of an escort
to my car, as I did every shift.

"Can I walk you to your car?"

"Um...no thanks, Dave," I said timidly as my eyes
darted back and forth. "I, uh...gotta go. But I'll talk to you later,
ok?" His face fell in defeat. This felt awkward, and I needed to get out
of there as soon as possible. I usually thought of it as just gracefully
turning down his polite offer, but tonight, it felt like I just insulted the
poor man. I sure hope he didn't take it that way. I would never want to
jeopardize our friendship over a slip of the tongue.

I made off for the door, but was abruptly stopped, as Dave
wrapped his strong fingers around my wrist, catching me before I had a chance
to escape. I turned to face him with trepidation in my eyes, as he said,
"Trinity, I just don't want to see anything happen to you." Damnit!
This was just getting way too uncomfortable, and it was obvious he wasn't
trying to hide his affection for me. I needed to distance myself from him. The
last thing I wanted to do was lead this gentle giant on.

I lowered my gaze from his and nodded my assent, as he
gently released his grip on me. I caught sight of Janine staring at our
exchange with a questioning look on her face. She placed her hand up to her
face, indicating for me to call her. I turned abruptly, exiting the bar as
quickly as I could before this night got any stranger.

******

Blake

Jesus, I was tired. I could pull a three-day shift easy on
the job, but I was emotionally exhausted right now. The focus, the op- it's an
adrenaline rush. It's ingrained into me to keep pushing me further. I don't
know anything else.
This
? I can't
shake this restlessness. I'm amped up and drained at the same time. I feel a
sense of dread. It's not like I haven't been on R and R before. Usually a
couple of the guys and I will head back to one of their homes and visit their
family. I tag along and feel safe knowing I have a couple of my brothers
surrounding me. I haven't been back home since I joined the Navy straight out
of highschool, and I never looked back. Why I thought it would bring me solace
to return to my old haunts, after all these years, I have no idea.

As I fished my keys out of my pocket, and with lazy steps, I
slowly meandered towards my 2002 Mustang GT. It was still in the same pristine
condition it had been in since the day my dad bought it for me new off the lot.
I knew he couldn't afford it on his salary at the loading dock, but I never got
the guts to come right out and ask him how he was making his side money. If I
had to guess, it was south of legal. Maybe I would've eventually gotten the
chance, and the balls, if he hadn't bailed on my mom and me a year later. I was
barely 18- still a kid looking back. Fucking asshole. I've never heard from the
prick since. He's probably dead or in jail. Either way, good for the
sonofabitch- saves me the trouble of having to do the dirty work myself

My mom went off a bridge doing nearly twice the speed limit
a couple of years later. When they pulled her body from the water and did the
autopsy, the coroner's report determined she had taken enough Valium to off two
grown men. Sometimes I wonder if she was trying to get to the hospital. Then I
think to myself, 'Why wouldn't she have just called 9-1-1?' I got the news in
the middle of a mission and I didn't even come home for the funeral. I stopped
beating myself up over it long ago.

Being with the SEAL's has taught me what I like to refer to
as 'controlled chaos'. There is a certain amount of order in this world, and
then there is a layer of chaos that must be controlled by those that are in a
position to keep order. Of course, things don't always go as planned...that's
where the chaos comes into play. And when things don't go according to plan,
that's where I come in, to restore order. It's a fine line, and it's never
black and white.

******

Trinity

Walking out into the breezy ocean air, I pulled the long,
wayward strands of hair away from my face as I came to the intersection and
waited for the crosswalk light to turn. Once the intersection was clear, I
crossed over to the sidewalk and made my way to Max's parking lot, spotting my
heap of junk amidst the plethora of patron vehicles. They had a full house
tonight, and I could hear the noise and country music spilling onto the street
from the open entrance. I smiled to myself. Good for them. They were good
people and they certainly deserved the business.

Approaching my car, I noticed a man walking towards me,
scanning the lot, with his hands in his pockets. I began to scan the lot as
well, trying to see if anyone else was around, but he and I were the only two
people in the lot, and the streets had suddenly become deserted. My heart rate
spiked and I clutched my purse closer to my body as I began to walk as fast as
I could to get to my car, fumbling to find my key.
Dammit!
Why don't I have one of those key fob things? Oh, yeah...they didn't make those
when this dinosaur was engineered.

I continued to fumble nervously, while at the same time
glancing back and forth between my lock and the stranger.
Shit-
he's spotted me.
His eyes locked onto mine, and a nervous energy began
to build inside of me. He was getting closer, and just as I almost had the key
in the lock, he came to a halt just a couple of feet away from me. My hands
were shaking so badly, I dropped the keys to the ground and froze in fear,
staring at the man with pleading eyes. His gaze was penetrating me, the sparkle
of his sky blue eyes visible in the backdrop of the moonlit night, and if we
were in any other situation, this handsome stranger would have me lightheaded.
I was, in fact, becoming lightheaded from the shock, I presume, not his strong,
chiseled features, and windblown dark locks whipping in the night air.