Freed by Fire by Ashley Christine Read Free Book Online Page B

be Ellie. She was standing with a few other people our age, and they all smiled as we moved toward them.
    “This is her, my people! My Em…Em, these are my fellow prisoners at Winston Walker and Waverly.” Maggie hugged Ellie who squealed and all but tackled me after I extended my hand to her.
    “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Emery! Maggie never shuts up about you…And,” Ellie glanced around, lowering her voice. “I’m a huge fan of Toby.” Her wink made me blush.
    Toby was the male lead in my first real novel. He might as well have been the man in the suit from Brew’s. Toby was my claim to “fame”, my success. He was every woman’s hot and wet fantasy. Smiling, I thanked Ellie and told her I would absolutely sign her paperback copy of my book.
    I could smell the beer before my feet passed the threshold of the pub. The homey musk of wood and brass. Something was comforting about the place. Maybe because it was down-to-earth, compared to a club lit with strobe lights, smoke machines and a DJ. This little hole in the wall was somewhere I wouldn’t mind spending an evening.
    There was no line at the bar, no need to push and shove people out of the way in order to find the bathroom or attempt a game of pool. When the WW&W group bee-lined for a large table near the bar, I knew Maggie had definitely been here before, and was probably close to becoming a permanent fixture.
    “Leland! Three pitchers of your finest!” Maggie shouted out to the bulky copper-haired man behind the bar.
    “Good to see ya again, Mags,” Leland rumbled, his deep accent spiking a smile in the corner of my mouth. “Jaysus, this one’s new. Who are ya, lovely lady?”
    I blushed. Not peach, not even pink. I blushed pure crimson. I don’t know what it was, but something about his stature, that accent , and the fact that his eyes were almost so startling green, they were almost aqua, I melted a little. “I’m Em—Emery,” I stammered.
    “Aww, shite, Em…don’t ya go scarlet on me now.” Leland placed the pitchers down and smirked.
    “Leland, be nice. She’s new to the city,” Maggie said melodically while pouring beer into her glass.
    “I’m a good fella.”
    “You are.” Maggie smiled.
    Just as if someone had flipped the switch on the music, Talking Heads' “Burning Down the House” began to play, and a huge group off in the corner near the pool tables began shouting and singing loudly to the music. I hadn’t even noticed there was a small stage until seven or eight of them climbed up on it and started swaying, drunk, still shouting the lyrics.
    “Burke!” I heard one bellow, pointing to one of the men still sitting around the table. “Get your ass up here!”
    The man shook his head and laughed.
    Just as I was about to look up and ask Leland who they were, he was gone. He moved through the space and jumped on the stage with the rest of them. Maybe it was the low-lighting, or the good mood the music put me in—I didn’t even notice what all of them (with the exception of Leland) were wearing. CFD shirts.
    “Em! That’s Chicago’s finest right there. The boys from the fire department by our place. Leland’s brother is one of ‘em,” Maggie shouted over the music and Ellie began to bounce again, this time in her chair.
    “I love men in uniforms.” Ellie giggled and sipped her beer.
    Me too, Ellie, girl. Me too. “Yeah, they’re okay.”
    Ellie gaped. “Okay? Emery, you must be blind…See that blonde one sipping his beer right now, that’s Daniel. We had a little… fun together once or twice.”
    I peered over to the stage and sized Daniel up. Yep, he was pretty delicious. I winked at Ellie. “Nice.”
    Talking Heads faded to Luke Bryan. “Cold Beer Drinker” to be exact. This time Leland hopped off the stage and hauled the guy—the one who declined singing during the previous song—up onto the stage.
    “Burke! Burke! Burke!” the patrons started chanting.
    I nearly fainted.
    This Burke