Internal Memo: Jefferson Avenue Firehouse, Courage Bay

From: Chief Dan Egan

To: Captain Joe Ripani

Re: Madison Avenue parking garage collapse

Joe,

I’ve just finished reading the reports on the collapse of the Madison Avenue parking garage. You and your squad have done it again.

I should have your head for going in there alone the way you did, except I would have done the same myself. Lisa Malloy is alive today because of you, but just think twice before putting your life on the line like that. This job comes with risks on a daily basis, and I can’t afford to lose any of my team.

We’ll be having a procedural review sometime down the road, when we’re not so damn busy with all these follow-up calls. I want all the guys who were on duty for the Madison Avenue collapse to be present. I also want to make sure they know I’m aware of what a great job they’ve done.

I know you’re not one to rest on your laurels, Joe, but a lot of people owe you and your squad a heap of gratitude, and it was your dedicated rescue of Lisa Malloy that stands above the rest.

I may not say it often enough, Joe, but you’re one of the best.

About the Author

DEBRA WEBB

was born in Scottsboro, Alabama, to parents who taught her that anything is possible if you want it badly enough. She began writing at age nine. Eventually she met and married the man of her dreams, and tried some other occupations, including selling vacuum cleaners and working in a factory, a day-care center, a hospital and a department store. When her husband joined the military, they moved to Berlin, Germany, and Debra became a secretary in the commanding general’s office. By 1985 they were back in the States, and finally moved to Tennessee, to a small town where everyone knows everyone else. With the support of her husband and two beautiful daughters, Debra took up writing again, looking to mysteries and movies for inspiration. In 1998 her dream of writing for Harlequin Books came true. You can write to Debra with your comments at P.O. Box 64, Huntland, Tennessee 37345, or visit her Web site at www.debrawebb.com to find out exciting news about her next book.

Tremors
Debra Webb

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

The Code Red world is certainly an exciting one! I’m thrilled to be a part of it. I sure hope you’ll enjoy Joe and Lisa’s story.

Joe Ripani is my favorite kind of hero. A man who will plunge headlong into danger to save a life. A man who stares death in the face and defies the odds. There is only one thing that can strike pure terror in the heart of such a man, and that is love.

Lisa Malloy is a hero, too. She lives a quiet life and devotes her time to healing animals. Safe is all she has ever known. Can she possibly hope to hold her ground where a man like Joe Ripani is concerned?

Follow along on this bumpy road to true love. I think you’ll find the ride heartwarming.

Best,

Debra

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER ONE

THE GROUND TREMBLED.

Captain Joe Ripani of the Courage Bay Fire Department would recall later that it hadn’t felt like such a big deal. More like a Magic Fingers bed he remembered from a cheap motel on a family vacation when he’d been a kid. Just a little shimmy as the ancient plates far beneath the Earth’s surface groaned and complained and rubbed against each other.

Joe glanced from one member of his squad to the next. Everyone had stopped in the middle of his or her task and taken note of the slight vibration. But no one really looked worried. It was California, after all. A little earthly movement was expected from time to time.

Still, Joe had a bad feeling in his gut. That little tremble telegraphed a tension that crept up his spine, setting off a too-familiar flare of anticipation with each vertebra it climbed. Not good. Salvage, the firehouse’s big, black Labrador mascot, apparently had the same feeling. He went still, then whined fretfully.

A full fifteen minutes passed before the true disaster struck.

Jefferson Avenue Firehouse shook as the ground rumbled for an endless thirty seconds. Joe and his crew were already jumping into the necessary gear when the alarm sounded. By the time central dispatch passed on the location, the trucks were rolling out onto the street, sirens wailing.

Traffic on the streets of Courage Bay had come to an abrupt halt, with vehicles sitting haphazardly in the middle of intersections. Pedestrians were still running for cover, though the initial tremor had passed. They all knew that aftershocks could be every bit as lethal as the quake itself. And there would be aftershocks. For days, possibly even weeks, causing nothing more than minor distress, but all the while holding out potential for much, much more.

Joe’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel of the firehouse truck. So far, there didn’t appear to be too much physical damage. At least not that he could determine from the brief glances he afforded as he cut through the stalled traffic. No reports of fallen buildings, collapsed freeways or overpasses had rattled across the airwaves yet. But that assessment changed when he reached his destination.

The Madison Avenue parking garage had partially collapsed. Joe told himself that at two o’clock in the afternoon, most folks were likely safely tucked away in offices or the various shops that lined the downtown area. Lunch was long over. If he was lucky, the owners of the vehicles parked in the garage wouldn’t be anywhere near the collapsed structure.

The instant he skidded to a stop outside the damaged garage, he knew the situation wasn’t going to be that simple.

Dozens of pedestrians, co-workers and family members were crying out for help—loved ones or associates were trapped inside the building. A young woman, clearly pregnant, gripped several shopping bags as she frantically tried to explain to a police officer that her mother had gone for the car while she waited in a nearby boutique. Everyone seemed to be talking at once.

Blue lights throbbed and yellow tape fluttered in the breeze as a couple of cops worked to cordon off the area while half a dozen others struggled to hold back the panicked crowd of onlookers.

In the few minutes that had elapsed since the ground shook, Joe knew that a number of things had happened that the average person would not be aware of but would later be grateful for. Rescue resources had been dispatched in response to incoming calls. The first on the scene, whether paramedics, cops or firefighters, had assessed the situation and called for the additional resources needed. With this kind of disaster, the Incident Command System, or ICS, an emergency-management system used to coordinate personnel and equipment resources from multiple agencies, would be put in place.

But Joe had only one concern now. He tuned out the chaos and shouted instructions to his crew. “We’ll cover one level at a time.”

The parking garage stood four stories, the first of which was completely leveled. Dread pooled in his gut. Anyone on that level would likely be beyond his help. He said a quick prayer for them and headed into the garage.

“Cap’n, you know we can’t go in there until the engineers assess structural integrity.” Shannon O’Shea’s anticipatory tone belied her warning. “It’s not safe.”

Joe paused long enough to meet her gaze. “Is it your recommendation that we wait for that resource to arrive?” he demanded. He didn’t really need to hear her answer. Shannon, like any good firefighter, was every bit as determined to go in now as he was, but someone had to say the words…had to accept the responsibility for what could happen.

“No, sir,” she retorted without hesitation. “I’m prepared to go in now.” The other firefighters crowding behind her chimed in with their agreement.

“Let’s roll.” Joe gave the final authorization.

Conscious of the risk he’d given his squad permission to take, Joe led the way, climbing over the rubble to reach the second level. Slabs of concrete lay upended where T-bars had detached from the outside wall, allowing it to slowly collapse. Time would not be on their side.

“Looks like two and three could go at any minute,” O’Shea noted, reaching the same conclusion that he had.

“Yep.” Joe didn’t slow in his upward movement. There was no time to stop and think. The right side of the second level had dropped several feet, while the entire third floor canted to one side, threatening to give at any second. “Guess that means we’ll have to work fast,” he said to her with a dim smile. Shannon was good. One of his best. He’d never needed her more than right now.

“And pray,” she added, her own movements not slowing.

Dust from the settling debris filtered into his nostrils as he cautiously entered the second level and analyzed the situation. The sound of groaning metal echoed from somewhere. Damaged electrical system, he noted as he moved farther inside. The garage’s interior lights would have been helpful, since rubble pretty much blocked the sun. Flashlights clicked on as his team pushed forward, spreading out and cautiously beginning the search for victims trapped in automobiles and beneath fallen debris.

Structural engineers would arrive eventually. What he would give right now for a couple of theodolites to monitor any movement of the building. That very equipment was on order. His team already had the proper training. Without the equipment—he knew the rules—he should wait for approval to enter the structure. But if he waited, people would die. Like that pregnant lady’s mother. He couldn’t sleep at night with something like that on his conscience.

But what about his squad?

“Damn.” The muttered curse echoed across the wireless communications link that kept the squad connected and proved every bit as vital as an umbilical cord. It was the voice of Monte Meyers, known as Bull. “This garage isn’t that old. It should have held up better than this.”

Joe didn’t divert his focus long enough to respond to the remark but he already had his suspicions. California had long ago set into place stringent codes to prevent this very sort of disaster. Even old buildings and garages were supposed to be retrofitted to meet the new guidelines. It was the law. And still this kind of devastation could occur. Though it was only conjecture, he would bet his next paycheck that the garage had, in fact, been retrofitted. The problem would likely lie in the fact it had originally been built on a site requiring lots of fill.

He shook his head. The fill would create a base for construction, but that base would remain soft for many years, decades maybe. A part of his brain attempted the math but he couldn’t quite recall when the garage had gone up. The intense shaking caused by the quake as it spread out from its epicenter had shifted the foundation, sending concrete pillars and T-bars off center and bringing down tons of concrete atop aluminum and steel vehicles that couldn’t possibly support the weight.

“Got one over here!”

The shout came from the other side of the garage. While two crew members stayed to rescue the victim, the rest swarmed out like bees searching for a new place to form a hive. Car after car was visually searched. Inside, underneath. Any void created by fallen rubble could be protecting trapped victims. In a matter of minutes more than a dozen survivors were found and led from the unstable site. Others, less fortunate, would be extracted later.

Joe pointed upward to let those working with him know that he wanted to head up to level three. It wasn’t necessary to discuss the issue. Their somber expressions said all there was to say. Moving up would add another layer of peril to the search. Though every man and woman on his crew was physically fit, the combined weight of two or three people could trigger another collapse in such a precarious environment.

But it was a chance they’d have to take.

Judging by the number of victims trapped on level two, there could be that many or more on three. With luck, there would be less. But Joe wouldn’t stake anyone’s life but his own on luck.

With that in mind, he turned back to his squad. “Let me take it from here.” He looked at O’Shea. “You stand ready to bring down anyone I find.”

“No way, Cap’n,” she said. “I’m going with you.”

As much as he’d like to recite all the reasons he felt compelled to do this alone, there was no time. He, better than anyone, knew how stubborn O’Shea could be when it came to her job. Joe heaved a sigh and climbed the last few feet to the next level, O’Shea right on his heels.

Thankfully there weren’t as many cars up here as there had been on two. By the time they’d covered one side of the garage, Joe felt fairly confident that this level was clear. And that suddenly looked like the only good luck he would get this day.

He had only half a second’s warning.

The screech of strained steel and concrete pierced the air a split second before the far side of level three started to fall.

“Go back!”

Joe shouted the order and hoped everyone heard it over the collapsing tonnage. His frantic gestures to O’Shea left no question as to his command. She reluctantly retreated, as would the rest of his team on the level below, clambering and sliding down to the safety of the ground amid shattering concrete and flying debris.

By the time he reached the second level there was no place to go except over the side of the structure. He took a moment to ensure that every member of his squad had made it down to the sidewalk before lunging over the side railing himself.

He picked himself up from the ground and dusted off his backside, then winced at the ache in his right side and considered himself lucky that it wasn’t worse.

“You okay, Cap’n?” Spike—Sylvester Hilborn—hovered around him like a mother bear. The guy was plenty broad enough to play the part.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He surveyed the group of pedestrians. “Anyone else unaccounted for?”

The Bull shook his head. “Got about a dozen reunions going on over there but no other claims of missing friends or family.”

“Good.” Joe was thankful for that much, but he couldn’t walk away until he knew for certain. Every car that wasn’t flattened under rubble had to be inspected. Now. “We’ll have to go back in.”

Spike nodded. “Crew’s standing by. Structural engineers are here.” He grimaced. “They’re pretty pissed that you went in before they got here.”

“I guess they’ll just have to get over it.” Joe headed toward the two guys in question and didn’t bother trying to make nice. They wouldn’t be surprised. His reputation usually preceded him. Those who knew him didn’t call him the Iceman for nothing. When it came to his job, he always set emotion aside.

It took a full hour to survey the remaining levels. Not a single victim was found. The second level had been cleared before the last collapse, but the third level was questionable. Level four, thankfully, had been deserted. Joe’s concern at this point was ensuring that no one on that level had survived and was trapped beneath rubble in a void they hadn’t discovered. Sometimes equipment failed. What they needed were the dogs.

That there were no survivors on the first level was pretty much a given; anyone who’d had the misfortune of being in that area was likely dead. Still, they could bring in the dogs and search for remains. It wasn’t completely impossible that someone had survived.

“Let’s call in the canines and see what we can find.” So far, his unit hadn’t been asked to respond to any other scene.

“We’ll have to wait our turn,” Spike informed him. “Apparently there was significant damage on the other side of town. A couple of buildings fell and a church. I heard on the radio that every trained canine in the area has been called in to sniff through the rubble.”

Joe shook his head and huffed out a weary breath. Damn, he hated to hear that. He’d hoped, based on what he’d seen and heard en route, that the quake hadn’t done that much damage. He should have known better. He’d lived through his share of rumbles.

“Hell,” Spike went on, “they said it was so bad on Poppy Avenue that the church bells actually rang right before the church collapsed.”

Courage Bay was not a large city, and Joe’s thoughts immediately went to all the people he knew who lived and worked on that side of town.

“Tell ’em we need a dog over here as soon as one is freed up,” he said somberly. “Meanwhile, I’m going back in there to see what I can find.”

“Cap’n, I think maybe you’d better rethink that strategy,” O’Shea said as she walked over. “One of the engineers said the whole backside of level three is down. I doubt there’s anything you can do for anyone there now.”

“O’Shea, I think I know my job,” he said pointedly. She knew the drill. Once the interior of the garage was inspected as fully as possible, the surrounding area was to be rechecked and victims attended to. A command post had already been set up across the street. The EMTs on Joe’s crew were taking care of victims. “All I need from you—” he looked from O’Shea to Spike “—is a canine as soon as one comes available.”

“With all due respect, sir,” O’Shea retorted, not missing a beat, “I’d prefer to join you in the search. Spike here can take care of that call.”

She wouldn’t like his decision, but Joe wasn’t about to risk another life when chances were good that anyone left in the parking garage was already dead.

He would do this alone.

SHE WAS DREAMING of him again.

She knew better…but she dreamed anyway.

Dreamed of making slow, sweet love.

Dreamed of all the fantasies that he’d instilled deep within her heart during their short time together.

Dreamed of picket fences and the pitter-patter of little feet.

Lisa Malloy stirred…the hard facts of reality prodding her from the dreams she so wanted to believe could come true.

But Joe Ripani wasn’t a forever kind of guy. He wasn’t even a real relationship guy. He was more about instant gratification—grab all you could get before it was too late.

And he definitely wasn’t the marrying type…much less the fatherly type.

Lisa moaned softly and tried to surface from what had turned quickly into an unpleasant nightmare.

She wanted to cling to the hope that Joe would somehow morph into the kind of man she longed to spend forever with, but deep inside she knew the truth. Their short affair—and that’s the only thing she could call it, since their time together had been spent mainly in his bed—had been all they would ever have. End of subject.

Her head hurt.

Or maybe it was her heart…or both.

She had to wake up. There was a very good reason she shouldn’t be sleeping right now.

Something was very, very wrong.

Wake up.

Another groan seeped past her lips. Why couldn’t she wake up? Why did her head hurt so badly?

Wake up!

She had to take the first step…had to open her eyes.

“Mmm,” she murmured softly. God, what was that pounding in her skull?

Lisa’s eyes fluttered open, seemingly of their own accord, since she didn’t appear to possess the necessary strength to lift those incredibly heavy lids.

She never took afternoon naps.

What was wrong with her?

Surely this wasn’t another symptom of…

Her gaze focused on something in front of her, drawing her full attention in that direction.

Steering wheel.

Windshield.

Cracked glass.

What the…?

The memory of her SUV shuddering beneath her…the odd up-and-down motion that felt as if she’d been driving over a bumpy road when she hadn’t even started the engine…zoomed into her head with a sensory detonation that made her groan even louder. She’d gotten into the vehicle after her visit to her tax accountant’s office. She remembered closing the door. And then the sudden vibrations…

The distinct whine of metal made her breath catch.

Lisa’s gaze jerked upward.

It took a full five seconds for her brain to absorb and comprehend what her eyes saw.

The roof of her SUV was dented…jutting downward…only inches from her head.

How was that possible?

Her vision blurred and she squeezed her eyes shut to slow the spinning inside her head.

Pull it together, she ordered her mind, which instantly tried to go fuzzy on her again.

Had she been in an accident?

Earthquake. The word surfaced through her confusion, and she knew without further examination that one had occurred. That’s why she’d felt the vehicle moving even before she started the engine.

But she was safe…inside the parking garage.

Something that sounded like an explosion rent the air. The SUV creaked and groaned, the sounds nearly deafening.

“Think, Lisa,” she muttered. “Pull it together.” She sat up a little straighter, careful not to bump her head against the roof of the vehicle. Taking a deep breath for good measure, she focused on her surroundings.

Her heart rushed into her throat when she realized that the garage had collapsed around her. She could barely see between the piles of rubble. She couldn’t make out any other vehicles. But there had to be others. She remembered clearly noting several cars when she’d emerged from the stairwell onto the third level.

The response was automatic. A woman, whether it was daylight or dark, never entered a parking garage without taking stock of her surroundings. It was just common sense.

The pounding in her chest brought her attention back to the immediate problem. How to get out…

She tried the driver’s door. Grunting, she pushed with all her might. The door didn’t budge. She didn’t even bother with the passenger side. A huge concrete pillar had blocked that side of the vehicle. She shivered. A few more inches to the left and it would have completely crushed her car.

“Think!” She had to get out of here. Chunks of broken concrete had smashed the car’s hood inward. No doubt the engine was damaged beyond repair. The windshield had cracked. She surveyed the roof of the SUV again. It had caved inward, which meant there had to be more rubble on top. She felt certain that every second she remained in the vehicle put her in more danger.

The weary echo of the fatigued structure that had only hours ago been a four-story parking garage punctuated the thought. She had no doubt that whatever remained intact would soon collapse completely. She had to get out!

Ignoring the throb in her skull, she scrambled over the seat and tried the door behind the driver’s. It opened, but only a few inches. Not far enough for her to squeeze out.

“Damn it!”

The power windows wouldn’t work. No surprise there, considering the condition of the hood.

The rear hatch.

Clambering over the seat and into the cargo compartment, she shoved against the hatch door. No luck.

Panic slid through her, making it nearly impossible to think clearly. She had to concentrate!

She kicked at the window in the hatch. It opened separately from the door. That might be her only chance of escape. The latch was on the outside. From what she could tell in the dim lighting, there was enough space for the window part to lift up. All she had to do was get it open. She kicked at it again. It didn’t budge.

She needed something to break the glass.

Lisa tamped down the rising panic and fumbled with the carpet beneath her feet. The spare-tire compartment would have a jack. She could use that. Her fingers felt numb and wouldn’t work properly.

“Hurry…hurry,” she urged, knowing that she was quickly losing the battle with her fear.

A sound like thunder rumbling in over the ocean jerked her attention upward. The whole parking garage shuddered.

She had to get out of here.

She needed help.

Her cell phone.

Lisa scrambled back to the front seat and found her purse. By the time she found her phone, her fingers were trembling and her throat had gone so dry she wasn’t sure speech would be possible. She had to let someone know she was in here before she did anything else.

Closing her eyes, she held the phone a moment and took a deep, halting breath. She had to calm down. Time was running out; she had to make herself clear. She couldn’t screw up what might be her last chance at rescue.

Focusing on the small keys, she entered the three most significant numbers known to any American alive.

911.

A new knot of panic tightened in her throat as ring after ring shrilled in her ear.

Why wasn’t the operator answering?

Was the whole city damaged so badly that even emergency services were out of commission?

Dear God, she hadn’t thought of that.

What about her family…the clinic?

The animals?

Greg?

What about…Joe?

He would be in the middle of the devastation, attempting to rescue victims like her.

“911. What is the nature of your emergency?”

Tears stung Lisa’s eyes.

“I’m trapped,” she managed to say past the lump in her throat. “I need help.”

“Give me your location, ma’am,” the operator said with amazing calm.

“I’m…I’m…” For just one moment her mind went blank. Lisa clamped down on her lower lip and stemmed the tears that tried to flow. Calm. She had to be calm. “I’m in the parking garage.” She gave the address.

“Yes, ma’am. We already have a rescue team there. Can you tell me which level you parked on when you entered the garage?”

“I parked on the…” Another moment of uncertainty. “The third level,” she said quickly. “The rubble is all around my car. I can’t get out. It…” More creaking and groaning tugged at her attention. “It sounds like the whole thing is going to collapse. Please.” She couldn’t hold back the emotion from her voice this time. “Help me.”

CHAPTER TWO

“CAP’N!”

Joe turned as Spike double-timed it over to his position. “What’s up?” If this was another attempt to talk him out of going in again, Spike might as well save his breath. Every instinct warned Joe that there were more victims trapped. Victims still breathing. He had to do all he could to see that everyone got out safely.

It was more than just his job…it was the right thing to do.

“Dispatch’s got a vic on the horn,” Spike explained. “She called in on her cell phone. Says she’s trapped on level three, far side.” His gaze focused solemnly on Joe’s. “There’s rubble all around her vehicle, a gray SUV. The power windows have been disabled and she hasn’t been able to kick her way out.”

Damn. Joe shook his head. Women should always carry a brick in their cars for that reason. If the power windows failed, they could break the glass.

“All right,” he told Spike. “That’s where I’m headed.”

“Cap’n.” O’Shea pushed her way into the discussion. “Going back in there now would be suicide.”

Leave it to O’Shea to state the obvious so plainly. “And if I don’t, the lady dies,” he countered.

His loyal firefighter glanced away. “I know.” Her gaze swung back to his, renewed determination there. “Then we’ll both go in. You’ll need backup.”

He was shaking his head before the answer had time to form on his tongue. “No way. I’m not taking anyone in there with me.” Quickly he checked his gear. Getting back out might not be easy. With O’Shea shadowing his step, he headed back to the truck for a rappelling rope. “Get a canine over here and find out how soon we can have some heavy equipment on-site. Just in case,” he added over his shoulder as he checked his communications mike.

A few other members of his squad had gathered around him by then. All knew exactly what his last comment meant. The heavy equipment was in case he didn’t make it out and they had to start searching for bodies, including his own, rather than survivors. Backhoes and the like were the least desirable method for uncovering survivors.

“I think we should check with the ICS commander before we—” Spike began.

“In case you haven’t noticed,” Joe challenged, “we’re in the middle of a crisis here. There’s a lot more damage than just this parking garage. Those in charge have their hands full. We’ll do this my way. The situation is far too unstable to risk any more lives than absolutely necessary. No one follows me in unless I call for help. No one.” He looked from O’Shea to the others, making eye contact with each one, leaving nothing to speculation. “Is that understood?”

A rumble of reluctant Yes, Cap’n’s went through the group.

“All right. Get dispatch to patch into my com link. I need direct contact with the lady if I’m going to find her.”

“Yes, sir.”

The members of Joe’s squad dispersed. Some left to task work with the engineers, surveying the damage to check for possible passages in which to search for trapped victims once a canine unit was on-site. Others would help tend injuries and route patients to the hospital as necessary. But Joe knew that every single member of his team would be on high alert, fully prepared to come in after him if need be.

He surveyed the garage once more.

The stairwell and elevator shaft leading to the upper levels were damaged beyond use, even if he’d been inclined to take the risk. Not much remained in the way of structural support. Joe had a bad feeling that the entire garage could go anytime now. Whoever this lady was, she was definitely living on borrowed time. He hoped like hell he could get to her in time.

The climb around and over massive piles of concrete and twisted metal took longer this time. There was no easy access to what remained of the third deck.

Joe paused to swipe the grimy sweat from his forehead. “Any luck on that patch?” he asked, knowing his question would be carried via his communications link to his squad. He needed more specific directions. The garage was pretty damn big and could accommodate a number of cars. The “far side” didn’t narrow things down much.

“Working on it, Cap’n,” came O’Shea’s voice.

He had to move with extreme caution now. The slightest shift in weight could cause a concrete avalanche. He let out an uneasy breath when he visually assessed the extent of the damage on level three. Getting to the opposite side wouldn’t be a simple thing.

Clenching his jaw, he started the perilous journey. His gaze narrowed as he scanned the piles of broken concrete and twisted iron for any sign of the SUV. The victim had said it was gray. Thank God for cell phones. If he was able to get her out, she would owe her life to that sometimes annoying device.

He reached for a piece of protruding rebar to pull himself up. The rubble shifted. Joe froze, not daring to breathe. A low growl filled the air half a second before the pile of rocks beneath him shuddered then dropped a good three feet. Joe held on to the support as best he could.

The grinding sound of concrete and steel was almost deafening as the rubble settled once more, flinging Joe forward. He struggled to regain his footing.

“Cap’n, you there?”

The worried voice echoed in Joe’s ear. “I’m here. Level three is in bad shape. I’m attempting to make my way across to the other side.”

“Stand by for the patch,” O’Shea said. “I’ve been giving dispatch down the road for taking their sweet time.”

“Standing by.” Joe reached up for a better handhold in the rock pile. One step forward, two back. The knot in his gut tightened a little more, reminding him that this was not good. He told himself he’d been in dire straits before. This wasn’t the first time he’d put his life on the line to save a vic.

But things were different now.

He frowned. Where the hell had that thought come from? Nothing in his life had changed. He still enjoyed being single, loved the hell out of his work. His life was perfect. He had no one to answer to except himself. No strings, no hassles.

An image of Lisa Malloy suddenly loomed large inside his head. Now, why the hell would he think of her at a time like this?

He swallowed hard and tried to focus on the goal, moving across this treacherous rock pile that had once been the third floor of the parking garage.

She’d changed something inside him. There was no denying that, no matter how hard he tried. She’d gotten to him in a way that no one ever had. He couldn’t figure it out. She was cute as hell, that was true. Had a great personality and was as dedicated to her work as he was to his, which gave them something in common.

But that’s where the common ground ended. She had marriage and kids on her mind—something Joe had no interest in whatsoever. Not that he didn’t expect to marry at some point in his life. But not right now. After all, he was only thirty-three. It wasn’t as if time was running out.

Just then his foot slipped and it took all his strength to prevent himself from falling. Joe glanced down at the jagged slope that dropped all the way to the lowest level. Ugly. And there was no way to determine where the rubble was stable and where it wasn’t. Falling or ending up being buried alive were two very real possibilities in a situation like this.

Maybe time was a little shorter than he’d thought.

This was definitely no time for distractions.

Not even desirable ones like Lisa.

His body instantly hardened at the memory of the last time they had made love. She got to him so easily, made him weak…made him need her. She was the first and only woman who had ever made him think beyond the moment…beyond the physical aspect of the relationship.

He almost laughed at himself. Relationships? He didn’t do relationships. Not Joe Ripani. Even the definition of relationship was too definite for him.

And yet, on some level, his and Lisa’s time together had felt exactly like that. Definite.

Though they’d parted ways a full three weeks ago, a twinge of something like hurt sliced through him even now. It was crazy. He shouldn’t be thinking of her anymore. He should have moved on without a second thought.

But no matter how hard he tried, he would wake up in the middle of the night with images of her haunting his dreams. With the taste of her lingering on his lips, and the need for her touch a palpable longing in his loins.

His heart constricted in his chest. He hoped like hell she was safe at the clinic. If she’d been trapped at home or on the street somewhere, she would worry herself silly over those animals. He’d never known a more dedicated veterinarian. He thought of Salvage and realized that it was that damn dog that had thrown him and Lisa together. O’Shea had rescued the injured mutt from a burning building, but Joe was the one who’d taken over routine care after the animal became the firehouse mascot—not that he minded. That’s what had put him in regular contact with Lisa.

If it hadn’t been for Salvage, Joe might never have ended up with his heart turning traitor against him. He was fully accustomed to waltzing on the edge of survival in his line of work, but this dancing on the fringes of emotional commitment was foreign to him.

What would a guy like him do with a wife and family? Later, when he was chief or something, it would be okay. But what kind of life could he offer a woman right now? He dived into dangerous situations for a living. It wouldn’t be fair to any woman, and certainly not to children. He didn’t want to leave a wife and kids behind if he suffered an untimely death. And unfortunately, that possibility came with the territory in his occupation.

Like now, a little voice taunted.

Adrenaline burned through him as his boot sent pebbles clattering down the slope. Nope, this was definitely not the kind of job for a man with a family. He was better off staying unattached.

No matter how much he would love to make Lisa a permanent part of his off-duty routine, it would never work. No-strings-attached sex was not her style. She would never be satisfied with an uncommitted relationship. He knew it. She knew it. Enough said.

The moment she’d asked that dreaded question, he’d known it was over. Those seven seemingly innocuous words had filled his usually brave heart with dread.

Where do you see our relationship going?

Wedding bells had clanged in his head, and dread had pooled in his gut. He’d had to break it off then and there. She’d been hurt, but it was far less painful than it would have been had they pursued the kind of relationship she wanted.

He’d done the right thing.

He hoped again that she was safe at home or at the clinic. Though he might not want to make anything permanent with her, he still cared…a lot.

“Cap’n.”

O’Shea. Joe hesitated, something in the tone of her voice giving him pause. “I’m here. Got that patch for me?” He needed to be speaking directly with the victim—needed any details she could give him to direct him to her position.

“I got it, Cap’n, but there’s something you should know before I put her through.” O’Shea’s voice trembled on the last words.

“Time’s wasting, O’Shea.”

A beat of silence passed before she said two words that would impact Joe as nothing else could. “It’s Lisa.”

A moment of pure panic slammed into his brain. “Lisa Malloy?” he demanded, as if there was any other Lisa in his life or O’Shea’s.

“She says it’s bad, Cap’n. Real bad. I’m patching her through now.”

“Joe?”

Joe’s heart stumbled at the sound of Lisa’s voice. He blinked rapidly. At the dust, he told himself. “Yeah, I’m here,” he said with as much nonchalance as he could muster. “Tell me where you’re at so I can come rescue you.”

“I’m…I’m on the side of the garage opposite the Welton Building.”

At least he was headed in the right direction. The Welton Building, which housed a number of offices, was at his back.

“Be a little more specific if you can,” he prodded gently. He’d heard the fear in her voice. Fear, hell. She had to be scared to death. His gaze searched frantically for any sign of her car. He should have known when he’d heard gray SUV. Lisa drove an SUV and it was what he’d call silver. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d acknowledged the possibility. But denial was a strong ally at times.

“I parked in the middle…you know, not all the way at the end, but not very close to the stairwell, either. I…I don’t know. Is that specific enough?”

“Sure…I’ll be right there,” he lied for her benefit. He couldn’t see a damn thing. Nothing but monochromatic heaps of rubble.

“It’s bad, Joe,” she murmured so softly he scarcely heard her.

“I’ve seen worse.” Another flat-out lie, he thought, moving as quickly as he dared. “Tell me what you see out your windows.”

His heart pounded so hard during the silence that followed that his head filled with the roar of blood rushing there, pushing against his eardrums.

“Piles of broken concrete,” she said, her voice not shaking quite so badly now. “There’s a support pillar lying against the hood of my car. Maybe another one on top, since the roof over the front seat is bashed in.”

A new surge of fear hit like a fist to his already tense gut. “You got plenty of room to move around in there?” he asked carefully, not wanting to give away how much that part concerned him.

“Yes…sort of. I moved to the cargo area in hopes of getting out through the rear hatch, but I didn’t have any luck kicking out the glass.”

“Is the hatch clear of debris?” That would be a stroke of fiercely needed luck.

“Partially.”

“Good. That’s the way we’ll get you out then.” He made the statement as if it were a given, but the farther he moved into this level, the dimmer that prospect looked.

The structure still moaned, and Joe knew there was a real risk of total collapse. Time was running out.

“Lisa, do me a favor, would you?” He had to pinpoint her location. Now.

“Be careful, Ripani,” she said softly, almost laughingly. “The last time I did you a favor, it turned out badly.”

She was remembering Salvage’s injuries…the way she’d healed the animal that was now part of the firehouse team. No, it wasn’t Salvage or his injuries on her mind. She was likely recalling his callousness, his ability to walk away as if nothing had happened between them. She didn’t have to say it; he understood. And he had walked away, just like that. The decision had been mutual once he’d made his position clear. He’d had his reasons. But he knew she hadn’t understood, though she’d claimed to. He wasn’t even sure he could explain it. Now definitely wasn’t the time to try.

“No strings attached, babe,” he teased, infusing the words with a chuckle. “Try the horn or radio.” He doubted the radio worked since the power windows didn’t, but it was worth a shot. And though it could be dangerous to sound a horn in such an unstable structure, Joe had to take the risk. “I need to know exactly where you are.”

“Okay.”

He held his position while he waited for her to attempt to signal him. He sweated out every single second before the sound of the horn cut through the silence. “Once more,” he told her. He homed in on the direction of the sound. “Gotcha.”

“Hurry, Joe,” she urged, the fear back in her voice now. “I don’t know how much longer the roof is going to hold out.”

Did that mean the weight of the rubble was pressing in on her? Joe swore under his breath and moved faster. He had to get her out of there. Every instinct warned him that total collapse was imminent.

“Give us a status, Cap’n.”

O’Shea’s voice cut into his thoughts. Her connection would override the patch with Lisa.

“Stay off the link,” he growled. He wanted nothing between him and Lisa.

“We need a status on your situation,” she repeated. “I’ve got a canine standing by. Do you need backup?”

O’Shea was prepared to come in. Joe imagined it had more to do with saving her best friend than with supporting her captain, but he’d give her that. He wanted to save Lisa, as well. Though Shannon O’Shea was professional to the bone, even the best-trained rescue workers couldn’t completely set aside emotion when someone close was in danger.

“Stand down, O’Shea,” he ordered. “I’ve got the situation under control. Now clear the link.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Joe, are you still there?”

Lisa’s voice. He wondered now why he’d never noticed how pleasant it was. It touched him as gently as a butterfly’s wing and with a sweetness that took his breath. How could any man have known this woman intimately and not be affected, even if he had walked away?

How could a guy walk away from a woman like Lisa?

What was wrong with him? What idiot would pass on a future with a woman like her? O’Shea had pointed that out to him the day after he’d split with Lisa. Up until then, Shannon had never once given him any grief on the job. And then only that one time. She’d said her piece and hadn’t spoken of it since. Still, he knew she was disappointed in him where Lisa was concerned. O’Shea carefully kept her feelings out of their professional relationship, but Joe knew where she stood on the issue of Lisa. And like Lisa, O’Shea just didn’t understand that he’d done the only thing he could.

He had those old reliable reasons for the decision he’d made. The ones that had kept him single when his friends, as well as his squad members, had gotten married one by one. But he knew what was right for him. A permanent relationship had no place in his life.

Any fool could see that.

He just couldn’t figure why it felt so damn wrong right now.

Truth be told, it had felt wrong way before now. He’d missed Lisa. Thought about her more than he would admit even to himself. Wanted her desperately.

But having her would be…a mistake.

He’d told himself that three weeks ago.

Jesus, he prayed, don’t let this be the Almighty’s way of showing him what a mistake he’d made.

“Joe?”

The desperate plea in her voice tugged hard on Joe’s heartstrings. Strings he hadn’t realized he possessed. But then, he’d realized a lot of things in the past four or five minutes.

“I’m almost there,” he assured her.

“Joe, I want you to know that—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said, cutting her off. He wasn’t sure he could deal with true confessions right now. Good, bad or indifferent.

“You always were a stubborn male chauvinist pig,” she snapped.

His eyebrows shot upward. “I guess I can’t deny that,” he allowed humbly. At least if she was pissed at him she wouldn’t have time to focus on her fear.

“Deny it?” she said hotly. “Please. The only person you ever think of in a relationship is you. You just pretend no one counts except you, then when you walk away, it doesn’t ping your conscience because you’ve convinced yourself you didn’t do anything wrong or hurt anyone.”

“Okay,” he relented. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have slept with you then walked away.”

He could almost see her stewing on the other end of the communications link. Without a word, she telegraphed her fury with a quiet that thickened between them.

“That’s all it was to you, wasn’t it?” she said. “Plain old physical gratification. Not making love, just sex.”

His frown deepened. Maybe he did deserve a good tongue-lashing, but she’d enjoyed the sex just as much as he had. To pretend otherwise was a flat-out denial of the truth.

“We were both over twenty-one, honey,” he retorted, his own irritation surfacing now. “It’s not like I talked you into anything you didn’t want to do.”

The silence was different this time, and he muttered a self-deprecating curse. Talk about inserting foot in mouth. Good thing they were on this line alone.

“Look, I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s just focus here.” He glanced around at the destruction and then shook himself. What the hell was he doing, letting his attention stray? Only Lisa had ever been able to do that to him.

She sighed. “Sorry. You’re right. Just get me out of here, please.”

“Almost there.” He zeroed in on the spot where he’d determined her SUV to be. A grin slid across his face. He could see the rear hatch. “Gotcha in my sights, babe.”

“Thank God.”

Ditto, he mused.

They would talk about this later. When they were both safe. And when the city was back to normal again. When he finished up here, chances were there would be other missions related to Mother Nature’s handiwork waiting for him.

Getting Lisa to safety was about all he and his squad could accomplish at this site. The canines and heavy equipment would have to take it from here.

Lisa gasped. “I see you!”

He smiled for her benefit, though he couldn’t quite make her out just yet. The lightly tinted rear window prevented him from seeing inside the vehicle, but he was almost there.

The entire structure suddenly shook.

Not just a slight shift.

Not a mere reaction to mounting stress on the compromised support beams.

Aftershock.

Joe bit back a heated curse and pushed forward.

He had to get to Lisa.

The rubble beneath him shifted.

A loud boom thundered above him. Debris fell around him, the low-pitched roar sounding like the enthusiastic clapping of hands.

Joe curled into a ball and shielded his head.

Chunks of glass and concrete rained down on him, followed by clouds of dust.

The shaking stopped as suddenly as it had started, and an eerie quiet fell.

Lisa.

Freeing himself from the rubble, he strained to see her car.

A distant rumble drew his gaze upward in time to see another section of the upper level falling.

He scrambled for cover but he couldn’t get a footing.

Then it was silent again…

…and dark.

CHAPTER THREE

LISA CURLED into the smallest ball possible and wrapped her arms over her head as she hunkered in the cargo compartment of the SUV.

The whole world seemed to tremble with fear.

Was this it?

The end?

Dear God, what about Joe?

She unfurled herself even before the vehicle stopped groaning beneath the weight of more rubble.

She had to know if he was all right.

Had to see.

To get out.

She couldn’t help him from in here.

“Joe!”

The silence that reverberated across the airwaves and into her ear sent her heart plummeting to her feet.

“Joe! Please, answer me! Joe, are you all right?”

“Lisa!”

Shannon’s voice.

“Lisa, where’s Joe?” Her voice warbled slightly.

Lisa’s pulse throbbed in her brain. It had to be bad if Shannon was worried. She was always so strong. Please, please, God, don’t let Joe be dying out there.

“Lisa, we’ve lost contact with Joe. Are you all right?”

“I can’t see him,” she murmured, her own voice stumbling. “I can’t—”

“Lisa, listen to me,” Shannon commanded. “Are you all right?”

She tried to calm down, forcing herself to look around the car and size up the situation. Okay. She was okay.

Just then a vicious creak split the air and the roof buckled in, pressing down on her.

Glass shattered.

“The roof is caving in,” Lisa cried. She edged closer to the rear hatch. The middle of the SUV was crushed so far down that the interior ceiling light was now flattened against the console.

She couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

She was going to die.

“Lisa, I heard glass shattering. Are you still with me?”

She nodded mutely, then struggled to respond audibly. “Yes.” She couldn’t move…could scarcely breathe.

Joe. God, where was Joe?

“Can you climb out? Maybe through one of the windows?”

Lisa started shaking her head before her friend completed the question. All the windows were shattered, flattened into triangular slits only a few inches high.

No way could she get out.

“I can’t…”

She tried to see behind her. Where was Joe?

“Joe!” she shouted. Please, please, don’t let him be dead. “Joe! Can you hear me?”

“Lisa, stay with me,” Shannon urged. “Is the window in the rear hatch still intact?”

Lisa turned her head as best she could. “Yes.”

“Can you maneuver around and kick it out?”

“I tried that already.” Her heart had leaped into her throat. “I couldn’t do it. I…I can’t turn around. I’m stuck.”

“Try, Lisa! You’ve got to try. You might be able to kick out the glass now with the added pressure.”

“Where’s Joe?” Lisa repeated, tears stinging her eyes. She tried to see but the car seemed buried in rubble. There was still some dim light coming through the hatch, which gave her hope, but what about Joe? She stretched, tried to move.

Turn around. She had to turn around. Something sharp jabbed her shoulder. She winced but kept working at freeing herself.

“Bull’s trying to get him now. Let’s concentrate on getting you out of that vehicle.”

Shannon said something to one of the others…

“No!” Lisa shouted. “Don’t you try to come in here, Shannon. It’s too late. Just…” There was no way anyone could get to her. Defeat twisted like barbwire in her stomach. She was certain of it now. Joe was likely dead and soon she would be, too.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to hold back the tears. Damn it. Who would take care of her animals? What about her family? They would be devastated.

And what about Joe?

The tears flowed now as she remembered the last time she’d seen him. He’d dropped by the clinic to break a date with her. She had to give him that. He had been man enough to let her down in person.

She had pretended indifference. As if it didn’t matter either way. But she’d known what had sent him running.

Where do you see our relationship going?

She’d asked the impossible of him.

Joe Ripani just wasn’t the marrying kind.

It certainly didn’t matter now.

Nothing mattered now…

“Lisa?”

Her breath caught.

“I’m here, babe.”

Joe.

The sound of his voice sent her heart into a frantic rhythm.

He was alive.

“Joe!” She bit down on her lower lip to stem the new rush of tears. “You scared the hell out of me, Ripani.”

“Scared myself,” he admitted with a chuckle. “Had to dig my way back to the surface.”

Fear stabbed deep into her chest. “Are you all right?” She could imagine broken bones and hemorrhaging. Men never liked to admit when they were injured. He probably needed medical attention. The dead last thing he should do was crawl deeper into this hellhole.

“’Course I’m all right. You think a little something like a few thousand pounds of concrete is going to stop me?”

This wasn’t the time for jokes. He could save that iceman persona for someone who didn’t know him better.

“Joe, I—”

The whole structure shook again. The metal SUV screeched beneath the weight bearing down on it.

Dear God, this whole place was going to collapse.

“You should get out of here, Joe,” she said. Her voice had gone flat, emotionless. It was over. No point in both of them ending up dead. “Don’t come any closer. You’ll never be able to get me out.”

“I’m almost there.”

She shook her head. “No. Don’t do this.” She managed to squeeze to one side as the hatch was compressed even further. She was trapped completely now. Couldn’t even turn her head.

“Just go,” she urged him. “The whole place is going to fall in. You can’t get me out of here. The car is squashed down around me.”

Defeat sucked the oxygen right out of her lungs.

Shannon. “Shannon said she was coming in, too,” Lisa blurted. “You have to stop her, Joe. Go back. Don’t let anyone else come in here. Please don’t play the hero. It’s…” She took stock of the situation again and surrendered to the inevitable. “It’s too late.”

Something bumped against the glass behind her. She couldn’t turn around.

“It’s me,” he said, only this time his voice came through the glass instead of over her cell phone.

She wanted to turn around…to see him one last time and tell him how sorry she was that things hadn’t worked out between them…but she couldn’t move.

“Can you slide down just a little? Get beneath the glass.”

The urgency in his voice prodded at her. It was too late. Why didn’t he just go? Why risk his life, as well? Because that’s what he did, she answered herself. That’s who he was.

Joe Ripani was a real hero. He liked the part, no matter the risk. It was who he was.

“I’ll try.” She slid downward, forcing her body against the damaged metal and tattered headliner that had once been the roof of her SUV. Sharp edges snagged her blouse, scraping at her skin, but she kept squirming to do as Joe asked.

“Close your eyes and protect your face if you can.”

She released her cell phone and shielded her face with the one hand she could move.

He pried at the window…she could hear him grunting with the effort.

The glass shattered.

Suddenly his hands were pulling at her.

With the glass gone, she squeezed out through the opening as he tucked the crowbar he’d been using into his gear belt.

And then she was in his arms.

The tears flowed like a river. She couldn’t have stopped them if she’d bothered trying.

He was okay.

He was really okay.

His arms felt so strong around her.

“We have to get out of here,” he murmured softly against her ear. “The whole place is going to cave in.”

She nodded and reluctantly drew back from his embrace.

Damn, he looked good.

She wanted to stare at him, to take in every last detail of that handsome face. But they had to move.

He clambered over and around the heaps of rubble, dragging her behind him.

Barely recognizable parts of vehicles pierced through the mounds of fallen concrete and steel but Lisa kept her gaze steady on Joe. If she stopped to look—to think—she’d lose it. She had to keep moving. For both their sakes.

Another rumble…another vibration.

“Aftershocks?” she asked.

“Probably the underlying structure…it’s going to give way completely,” he said.

She remembered thinking that only moments ago. Her heart hammered viciously. What if they couldn’t get out after all?

Joe swore. The heat of it seared through her.

They were trapped.

The path they’d followed was now fully blocked by the collapse of the level above.

“We’ll have to try another egress route,” he suggested as he started in a different direction.

Joe spoke quietly via his communications link to his team, who were standing by to assist in any way possible. But there was nothing they could do.

It was all up to him now.

An odd kind of calm settled over Lisa. Joe knew what he was doing. If anyone could get them out of here, he could.

He pulled her after him, weaving over and between slabs of concrete. The place looked like a war zone. The destruction was unbelievable…overwhelming. She prayed again that no one had died in what must be dozens of crushed automobiles.

“Things are going to get a little tricky here,” he said as he came to a stop.

Lisa tried to focus, but her cognitive processes were pretty much on automatic now.

“We’ve got to snake our way through here to get to the other side.”

She considered the mountain of broken construction material before them. No way over it or around it. That much was true. Then she stared at the narrow, tunnel-like hole he indicated.

This void went down…under the debris.

That could be a death sentence.

“I can’t…” She shook her head to emphasize her words. No way could she crawl into that hole.

He took her by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “It’s the only way, babe. It might be nothing but a dead end, but we can’t just stand here and wait for the inevitable. I’ll go first.”

For three beats she could only stare into those dark eyes. His face was dusty and grimy, as were his clothes. He looked nothing like the spit-and-polish, suave guy who had a reputation with the ladies. She had a sudden, nearly overwhelming urge to laugh. Hysteria. She knew the symptoms. As funny and out of character as he looked, he was dead serious.

She forced her head in an up-and-down motion. “Okay.”

He knew what he was doing. This wasn’t her area of expertise. If he thought they needed to crawl under the rocks, then by God, she’d follow him into that hole.

He was, after all, that kind of hero.

Again, she had to stifle the urge to laugh. Hysteria had taken root. Focus, she ordered her dizzy brain. She had to do just what he told her…she had to keep it together. Had to listen carefully to his instructions.

JOE SQUEEZED through the opening to the tunnel, tilting his shoulders at odd angles to manage the feat. Lisa stayed right behind him. She was scared. The fear in those blue eyes had been palpable. He’d wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be all right, but there was no time for that. Every second they stayed in this garage pushed them closer to the edge of no return.

If this passage turned out to be a dead end…well, he’d just deal with it.

He stalled at the next turn. Damn, the pathway narrowed here. Maybe he should have let Lisa go first. She was tiny enough to slip through without much effort. He still couldn’t be sure that this would take them where they needed to go. But he was banking on the light. The tunnel would be pitch-dark if the other end was closed.

The dim light gave him hope. He prayed it would be enough.

Grunting with the brutal effort it took, Joe twisted sideways and forced his big body through the passage-way. Thankfully, the end of the tunnel seemed just beyond this turn. The light was much brighter there. Good sign.

They’d almost made it.

Thank God.

He almost shouted with relief when he reached the narrow exit. A short scramble over the rocks and they’d be out of this hole.

“Give me your hand.” He reached for Lisa, and the two of them climbed up and out of the makeshift passage. “You okay?”

She nodded stiffly. Her clothes were covered in dust, but he saw no sign of injury. No blood.

They were close now.

The location of the stairwell and elevator shaft was only a few feet away. They wouldn’t be able to use either of those routes, of course, but he’d figure out something. The knots of tension in his gut tightened, ratcheting up his anxiety. They had to get out of here. Right now. Every instinct was screaming a warning at him.

Joe zigzagged his way through the fallen rubble until he reached the far half wall on the outside of the garage. Relief surged through him as he stared down into a narrow opening next to where the stairwell had once stood. He could actually see all the way to the ground below.

He reached over his shoulder and retrieved his rappelling line. “Spike, O’Shea, you still with me?”

O’Shea’s relieved voice came across the communications link. He quickly related their approximate location and the intended egress. The team would assemble on the ground below in case he needed assistance. Getting Lisa out of here was top priority.

He eased back from the wall and turned to her. She looked terrified. “I’m going to lower you down to Shannon.” Maybe it would comfort Lisa to know her friend waited below. He glanced back outside and saw that O’Shea, along with four others, were ready and waiting to assist.

“What about you?”

The uncertainty that glittered in her eyes almost undid him. Why did she care? He knew he’d hurt her when he’d backed off their…relationship. And yet she still cared what happened to him.

Basic human compassion, he told himself.

Nothing more. She’d likely gotten over him already. She took in stray dogs and cats all the time with every bit as much compassion. Her concern for him was nothing outside the norm for Lisa Malloy. Nothing he wouldn’t expect…and yet it touched him somehow.

“I’ll climb down as soon as you’re on the ground,” he explained.

She blinked rapidly, a frown drawing her sweet face into a scowl. “But how will you—”

He snaked the line around her waist. “Don’t worry about me, babe. I know what I’m doing.” He gave her a few quick instructions on how to pull the line down around her hips and then how to hold on so she didn’t slip. She paid close attention though he sensed that his every touch disturbed her almost as much as their current predicament. He imagined that she didn’t feel comfortable being touched by him since he’d walked away so easily from what they’d shared.

If she only knew.

Easy had not been the way of it.

She stepped into the narrow opening that would take her to freedom as he tugged on his gloves.

“Now, swing your legs over the edge of the wall and I’ll lower you down,” he said as casually as if she did this sort of thing every day.

Her gaze locked with his. “You…you won’t drop me?”

It took all his strength not to kiss the hell out of her. That pouty bottom lip trembled, tempting him almost beyond endurance.

“Not a chance.”

She nodded, then did as he’d instructed.

He heard her gasp as she dropped free of the shelf the remaining wall formed, but he had her. Slowly, but surely, he lowered her through the narrow crevasse to safety. Cheers went up as O’Shea tugged the line free from Lisa and gave Joe a nod. As he hoisted up the line, he watched the two women embrace and couldn’t help feeling a little jealous that it wasn’t him holding Lisa like that.

“Idiot,” he muttered. He’d had his chance. He’d walked away. He couldn’t go down that road with her or anyone else. Staying single was the right thing to do. No matter how wrong it felt at the moment.

LISA WATCHED as Joe rappelled downward as easily as he would walk across a room. When his feet touched the ground, the whole squad flocked to him, thankful their leader had survived.

As she stared up at the collapsed parking garage that she had used so many times, Lisa swallowed hard. It just didn’t seem possible that a building could crumble like that. As if it were made of sand and fragile sticks rather than concrete and steel. But it had.

She closed her eyes and thanked God yet again that she and Joe had made it out safely. It was an absolute miracle that neither of them had been killed.

A wave of dizziness washed over her and she swayed on her feet.

Strong arms went immediately around her. “Whoa.” Joe’s deep, husky voice rumbled in her ear.

“I’m okay,” she assured him as she pulled free of his embrace. “Really.”

He didn’t look convinced.

Shannon started to say something and Joe cut her a look. “Take it from here, O’Shea, I need to run Ms. Malloy by the hospital to be checked out.”

Lisa looked from Joe to Shannon and back. “I’m fine.”

Shannon seemed a little taken aback but didn’t buck her captain’s orders. “Yes, sir, Captain Ripani,” she said sharply, and did an about-face without a word to Lisa.

Joe glared after her.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Lisa said, drawing his attention back to her. “I’m fine. Really, Joe.”

He studied her face and she suddenly felt embarrassed about how she must look. A mess, she felt certain.

What was wrong with her? She’d just survived an earthquake. Her car was a crushed metal pancake on what used to be the third level of that parking garage. She wasn’t supposed to look good. And she owed her life to the guy who’d recently broken her heart.

“You’re pretty shaken up, Lisa,” he said in that soft, pleading tone that likely got him laid anytime he wanted.

Lisa tamped down a rush of jealousy. Her fling with Joe was over. She wasn’t supposed to be jealous. Besides, he’d just saved her life. She should be grateful. She was! She just couldn’t get past that other thing. The hurt.

“A little shocky, I’d guess,” he went on, clearly oblivious to her mental tirade. “You need to be checked out and the paramedics here have their hands full.” He shrugged those massive shoulders that would no doubt be bruised tomorrow from squeezing through that narrow passage. “Besides, you need a ride home anyway. We’d have to go right by the hospital to get to your place. Might as well stop by emergency just to be sure.”

He had an answer for everything. And she was completely at his mercy.

That was the way with men like Joe Ripani. Women were putty in their hands.

Maybe he was right. Maybe she was a little shocky.

It might take her a few minutes, but one way or another, she promised herself, she would get her anti-Ripani defenses back into place. And when she did, he could just take his sweet-talking ways somewhere else. As much as she appreciated what he’d done for her, she couldn’t risk letting herself fall into that trap again. Not if she hoped to survive.

She had his number and it added up to only one thing…heartbreak.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE UNEASY SILENCE in his truck unsettled Joe even more as he turned from Fifth Street onto Washington to head toward Courage Bay Hospital. He’d insisted that Lisa ride with him back to the firehouse where he could pick up his own truck. The search-and-rescue canines and heavy equipment had arrived at the parking garage just as Joe was leaving.

In an emergency like this, local jurisdiction resources would be somewhat overwhelmed with rescue and treatment. Assistance would be called in from surrounding communities. Joe and his squad had done the same many times. Just as soon as he was sure Lisa was good to go, he had every intention of getting back out in the field. This wasn’t the sort of situation that would be resolved in a few hours. He let go a heavy breath. It would be a while before Courage Bay was back to normal. But the city was no stranger to disaster, and its emergency-services personnel had earned a reputation for excellence.

Lisa hadn’t argued when he’d urged her toward his own vehicle. In fact, she hadn’t said a word since they left the parking garage. At first he’d worried about shock, but he now had a feeling that she was simply annoyed at him.

She wasn’t the kind of woman who cared for heroic tactics, and she would see his rescue of her as exactly that.

His fingers clenched the steering wheel. Funny thing, if he’d been trapped in that SUV, he would have been damn happy to have someone help him out. But not Lisa. No, she would consider any rescue attempt as the foolish act of an adrenaline junkie. She would rather have sacrificed herself than risk anyone else. That was something else they had in common, he realized abruptly.

Besides, he had to admit he’d been called far worse than an adrenaline junkie. The thing was, it usually didn’t bother him. Somehow her rebuff did. He thought he’d gotten over his inability to impress a particular woman. Obviously that wasn’t the case.

What was it about quiet, sensitive and highly intelligent Lisa Malloy that made him want to revert to adolescent tendencies?

He flicked a glance in her direction. Sure, she was pretty. Long, chestnut-colored hair that she wore up more often than not. Blue eyes the color of the Pacific when the sun hit the water just right. Her compact frame carried more visual punch than most petite women could possibly hope for. Lush curves and yet an athleticism that spoke of strength.

Damn. His entire body hardened. What was wrong with him? He didn’t usually go gaga over any dame. Not this kind of gaga anyway. He didn’t mind a serious case of lust—hell, he appreciated the hot, tingly feelings. The searing release that good, hot sex brought could only be called incredible. But this case of lust had stuck with him far longer than it should have. Lust was supposed to wear off after a few thorough sessions in the sack.

What the hell was the problem here?

He refused to consider the other four-letter word that tried to pop into his mind. The only L word he liked being acquainted with was l-u-s-t. Fast and furious and red-hot. That’s the way he liked his short-term relationships, if he could call them relationships.

It was best for all concerned.

Plenty of physical pleasure without the emotional entanglements.

Lisa should be glad. He’d done her a favor.

Joe pulled into the emergency entrance of the hospital. As he’d anticipated, the place was buzzing with activity. He parked in the only remaining slot, which thankfully put them within a few feet of the entrance.

“This isn’t necessary,” Lisa insisted, breaking her long silence. “The doctors and nurses will be busy with real emergencies.” She turned to him with a plea in those baby blues that twisted his gut all over again. “Just take me to the clinic. I need to check on the animals.”

“I’m sure your pal Greg has everything under control.” He made the statement with a little more sarcasm than he’d intended. There was something about Greg Seaborn that irked the hell out of Joe.

Climbing out of the truck, he hurried to the passenger side. Lisa didn’t waste time arguing further. The man was completely hardheaded. She slid out when he opened her door, noting achy muscles for the first time. The little wave of dizziness had also set off a throbbing in her skull.

Maybe Joe was right. As he led the way through the chaos of the waiting area, she gently kneaded the right side of her head. She had herself a dandy lump. Made sense, now that she thought about it. She’d obviously been unconscious for a time after the earthquake hit. Considering the dizziness and the downright awful feeling in her stomach, a concussion was quite possible.

She wasn’t sure how Joe managed the feat, but the next thing she knew, she was being hustled into a treatment room. The nurse promptly told Joe he would have to wait in the lobby.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Joe said, smoothly countering the nurse’s instructions, his charming voice as silky as ever. “You see, this patient is my responsibility.”

Lisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, especially considering that her entire skull was now pulsing on the verge of one hell of a headache.

The nurse looked from Joe to Lisa and back. “Well, in that case, you can wait in the corridor outside the room.”

Joe smiled widely for the flustered nurse. “Yes, ma’am.”

The smile he directed at Lisa before slipping out the door melted every ounce of irritation she’d managed to dredge up on the way here. How did he do that?

“You just relax, Ms. Malloy. The doctor will be in shortly.” The nurse moved on to her next patient. How many others were there? Lisa didn’t want to consider how many lives might be lost…how many injuries there were.

She reclined on the treatment table, thankful that she could lie still and close her eyes. She didn’t want to think about the damage the earthquake had done to Courage Bay, or how many of the animals at her clinic had been injured. She didn’t want to think at all right now.

As the nurse said, the doctor came in quickly and put her through a typical screening. He, too, worried there might be a mild concussion.

“Let’s send you up to radiology,” Dr. Winslow concluded. “Just to make sure there are no surprises.”

Lisa tensed, chewing her lower lip. She couldn’t ignore the possibility—not now. The risk was too great. “This may be a false alarm…” Her heart all but halted in her chest as she blurted in a near whisper, “There’s a chance I could be pregnant.”

For the space of two beats she held her breath, wanting desperately to snatch back the words. But there was no going back now. The idea that Joe stood right outside that door made her pulse skip.

The doctor smiled. “Let’s get some blood work, then.”

Lisa relaxed marginally. Okay. She would soon know. She needed to know. She’d put off finding out for too long.

Dr. Winslow moved on to other patients, and within moments of his departure, a lab tech arrived to take the necessary sample. To keep her mind off her own reality, she asked about other patients. According to the tech, the E.R. had been filled with people involved in automobile accidents related to the quake and others who’d been rescued from office buildings and homes. Lisa took some solace in the fact that there had been no fatalities reported as yet. She silently thanked God for looking out for Courage Bay’s citizens.

The lab tech assured her that results would be back stat, but Lisa waited what passed like a lifetime for Dr. Winslow to return to the treatment room with the final word. Joe still waited in the corridor. Suddenly Lisa felt very tired. The nurse had popped back in with something for her headache. She had assured Lisa that it was safe to take the pain medication. Lisa understood what she meant. Safe, regardless of the test results.

Oh, God. If she was…

The clues had been there for the past two weeks. But Lisa felt certain she’d been in deep denial.

“Well, Ms. Malloy,” Dr. Winslow said as the door closed behind him when he entered the treatment room at last, “I’ve got your results.”

“Lisa,” she insisted. Though she and Brad Winslow didn’t know each other well, they’d met once or twice. His wife, Emily, had been thrilled when he’d brought her by the clinic to pick out a dog from among the ones Lisa had up for adoption. Every child needed a pet, and Emily and Brad wanted their baby to grow up with a dog.

He managed a half smile. “Lisa.” A slight blush rose from his crisp white collar. “Based on your screening, I’m certain there’s a mild concussion, but unless your symptoms worsen, we’ll forgo an X ray or scan for now. However, I would prefer that someone stay the night with you to monitor symptoms. If there is even the slightest change for the worse, I need you back here ASAP. I don’t have to tell you that any kind of skull fracture is very serious business.”

Lisa nodded. She knew very well what he meant.

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