Firestorm – Kelly Ann Riley

A spindly, fur-covered leg poked out between two logs piled against the concrete block. Max! The cat clawed desperately, trying to free himself. If the house collapsed, he’d be crushed. No one was in earshot to hear her call for help. She glanced back at the wall. If she hurried, she could kick away the logs and be back to the safety zone in a seconds. Ducking low into the cooler air, she raced forward. She’d almost reached the logs when something knocked her sideways. Gloved hands clamped down on her arms, lifting her.

Luke’s steely arms engulfed her, his body blocking her from the worst of the heat. “Are you crazy? You can’t go in,” he yelled, his voice muffled by the face shield. “I know!” Kitty pushed ineffectively against his yellow jacket. His hold tightened. “Let me go. Max is under there.” Ash, like dirty snowflakes, landed on his helmet. He shook his head as if he didn’t understand and hoisted her off her feet, walking her backward toward the engines. She futilely kicked at his shins covered in thick turnout gear.

“Put me down! He’ll die,” she yelled, but he continued to carry her until they were beside the engine. He plopped her on her feet. He lifted his shield. “Are you trying to get killed? You can’t go in there without protective gear.” “I wasn’t trying to get inside. Max is under the house.” “Max?” “My cat! He’s trapped. I need to move those logs.” She pointed to where the white leg reappeared. “Look! There he is. You can’t let him die like that.”

A window exploded, glass and sparks showered down. “Please!” “Stay here—I’ll get him.” He motioned to a group of men Kelly Ann Riley armed with hoses. Two firefighters moved sideways as a unit until the stream hit the roof above the crawl space. Luke ran through the billowing steam and kicked the logs aside. A flash of white streaked past him and bounded into the woods. Kitty sagged against the fire engine as Luke jogged back to her. He lifted his shield, wiping his gloved hand over his glistening face.

“Did he get out?” “Yes!” She impulsively threw her arms around him. The buckles on his coat dug into her cheek, but she didn’t care. He awkwardly patted her back. “Hey, it’s all right. It’s only a building. The cat’s safe.”

Tanner’s steps slowed and then stopped on the narrow trail zigzagging up the hill. He turned to face her. “Look, Miss McGuire, I’m sorry I can’t help you. I understand how hard this must be. I’m sorry for your loss, but for your sake, just go home and leave the investigating to the experts.”

“1-1 can’t.” A knot rose in Kitty’s throat as she struggled to find her footing on the rocky incline. “What you said about me not being around lately for my dad is true. We had…problems, but he was a good man. He doesn’t deserve to be remembered for a crime he didn’t commit. Besides, this isn’t just about me not wanting his memory tarnished. There’s more at stake.” Tanner waited, tall and still against a starlit sky.

She bit her lip. How much should she tell this stranger who might hold the key to clearing her father’s name? KELLY ANN RILEY couldn’t wait until she got into the first grade so she could learn to read. The introduction of Dick and Jane in those early readers started a love affair with books that has lasted her entire life. She started penning stories at an early age, and received special recognition for her short stories.

Later, she became a reporter and the editor for her high school newspaper. After earning a B.S. in clinical nutrition and an MBA, she worked for several years as a registered dietitian and director of nutritional services, but she never gave up her first love of writing. Before she was published, she was a finalist and placed in numerous writing contests, including winning Best Inspirational Romance in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart competition. Kelly Ann is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America and RWA’s Mystery/ Suspense and Inspirational chapters.

She now lives in Alabama, where she writes her novels and enjoys many adventures as a youth leader in her church, wife to an engineer and mother to two wonderful children. You can contact her through her Web site at www.KellyAnnRiley.com. FIRESTORM Steeple Hill® Published by Steeple Hill Books™ If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property.

It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.” STEEPLE HILL BOOKS ISBN-13: 978-0-373-44403-8 FIRESTORM Copyright © 2010 by Kelly Ann Riley All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 2a8508cdd7ba6348
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 12,553,938 bytes (11.972 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9780373444038
• Pages: 223
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 312.34 minutes
• Total Words: 62,468
• Total Characters: 357,734
• Average Words per Page: 280.13
• Average Characters per Page: 1604.19

Most Frequent Words

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