Burning Ambition by Amy Knupp Read Free Book Online Page A

you—”
    “None of the above, like I told you. You saw the first and only episode and it’s gone now. Can we drop it? Please?”
    “I need to report—”
    “Any injuries that occur on the job. This isn’t an injury and it didn’t happen on this job.”
    “You watch that collarbone. If you have any more problems with it, I want you to see a doctor.”
    “Yes, sir,” she said formally.
    She could almost swear he flinched.
    As she turned away to get back to work, a thought occurred to her. “You’re not going to tell the chief, are you?” He’d flip out and go all protective-daddy on her, which was sweet in theory, but totally unnecessary. And not at all what he needed mental-healthwise, or she needed careerwise.
    Joe looked off into the distance and it was all Faith could do not to beg him.
    “Don’t you think he would want to know?”
    “He’s got too much on his mind,” Faith said. “He doesn’t need to worry about something insignificant like this. If another building falls on me, you can mention it, I promise.”
    Joe didn’t seem to appreciate her attempt at humor. When he said nothing, Faith grasped her thick turnout pants in her fist until her knuckles were likely white. “Equal treatment, Joe. That’s all I’m asking for.”
    “First Nate’s treatment of you and now this. I’m keeping a lot from the head of the department.”
    “But the head of the department wouldn’t really need to know about either if I wasn’t his daughter.”
    He exhaled and pegged her with those eyes again. “I’ll keep your secret, Faith. Again. Just promise me about the doctor if you need it.”
    She nodded, suspecting her definition of needing it might differ from his. “Thank you.”
    She walked away, pretty sure that she could trust Joe’s word—but not at all happy that she had to.





CHAPTER FIVE
    “S URELY YOU BIGWIGS could have found someone in the firm to be your fourth?” Joe asked his stepfather, Jorge Vargas. The black-haired man wasn’t quite as tall as Joe, but stood ramrod-straight, even when he was relaxed on the golf course. It was obvious the man had power and liked to use it.
    The Corpus Christi Country Club golf course was already a brilliant, well-manicured green, and the air wafting over them was warm for early March. Spring break. Hell month for the San Amaro Island Fire Department. The tournament sponsored by his stepfather’s and stepbrothers’ prestigious law firm fell at the worst time of the year for Joe, but he’d made a point of asking for the day off. Everything had worked out, the shift at the department was covered, and here he was. For better or worse. He reminded himself repeatedly that he liked golf and didn’t get on the course enough. And really, these guys weren’t too bad. This was a relatively easy way to make his mom happy.
    “Come on, Joe,” Jorge prodded, “the Vargas men are going to take this tournament. You’re one of us today. You’re the best and you know it.”
    He didn’t want to be a Vargas…but he’d happily take a quarter of their earning power.
    “Joe putts like a woman.” Troy, the older of his two stepbrothers and Mr. GQ, took out his driver at the second hole. He’d been out on the course regularly, as evidenced by his bronzed skin.
    “You wish I putted like a woman,” Joe said. “It’s been weeks since I’ve played, though. Some of us have to work for a living.”
    “Speaking of work, did Maurice get you the info on that possible witness for the Sullivan case?” Jorge asked Troy.
    “Left me a message. I’ll touch base this evening and take care of it.”
    These three—Jorge, Troy and Ryan, the younger, lankier brother, who sported a goatee—weren’t terrible company…until they started talking business. Then it was as if they turned into droning robots that didn’t know when to shut up.
    “You’re up, man,” Joe said to Troy as the group in front of them moved on, successfully ending the shop talk, at least for