Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | Burn Zone (Hotshots #1) |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | Annabeth Albert |
| Language: | English |
| ISBN/ ASIN: | 1488057044 (ISBN13: 9781488057045) |
| Book Information: | |
Introducing Annabeth Albert’s Hotshots series—the emotions and intensity of Chicago Fire with the raw, natural elements of Man vs. Wild. Danger lurks everywhere for Central Oregon’s fire crews, but the biggest risk of all might be losing their hearts… Smoke jumper Lincoln Reid is speechless to see Jacob Hartman among his squad’s new recruits. Linc had promised his late best friend he’d stay away from his little brother. And yet here Jacob is…and almost instantly, the same temptation Linc has always felt around him is causing way too many problems. Jacob gets everyone’s concerns, but he’s waited years for his shot at joining the elite smoke jumping team, hoping to honor his brother’s memory. He’s ready to tackle any challenge Linc throws his way, and senses the chemistry between them—chemistry Linc insists on ignoring—is still alive and kicking. This time, Jacob’s determined to get what he wants. Close quarters and high stakes make it difficult for Linc to keep his resolve, never mind do so while also making sure the rookie’s safe. But the closer they get, the more Linc’s plan to leave at the end of the season risks him breaking another promise: the one his heart wants to make to Jacob. This book is approximately 90,000 words. One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! | |
| Books in Series: | Hotshots Series by Annabeth Albert |
| Books by Author: | Annabeth Albert |
Chapter One
Six years ago, September
“Fucking wind.” Linc had been shit out of luck plenty of times in all his years fighting wildfires, but being quite literally up a tree, dangling like a puppet, never got any easier to stomach.
“Hang tight, buddy. I’ve got you.” Retrieving the cargo that had dropped along with the members of their smoke-jumping crew, Wyatt prepared to climb up after him.
Linc had been treed, parachute tangled in the branches of a massive pine, when the wind had pushed him off course. Even his years of skilled landings under pressure-filled circumstances hadn’t been enough to keep him out of the tree.
It wasn’t his first time being treed and probably wouldn’t be the last time Wyatt had to save his bacon. That was the nature of their work on the front lines of forest fires—they’d saved each other’s lives so many times, he’d lost track of the number, but never lost sight of this feeling, being helpless, waiting for his best friend to come bail him out again.
“Careful,” Linc called when a branch creaked as Wyatt started his ascent. “No stupid risks. May’s counting on me returning you in one piece.”
The fire season was winding down, lots of equipment checks and inventory for next year, and the occasional jump like this one, checking on reports of some spot fires from lightning strikes. Their job was to do what was necessary to prevent the spread of fire—hand digging lines, clearing brush, felling trees.
“She wasn’t happy, having to take me this morning.” Wyatt’s voice was more strained than usual. Linc couldn’t tell whether it was from the climb or the mention of May, who was pregnant with their first kid and had been full of worries all season long, the stress of being married to a smoke jumper getting to her. “Stupid truck’s acting up again. She’s on me to trade it in, get a four-door that can handle a car seat.”
“Not a bad idea. Get me free from this mess and I’ll come take a look at it tomorrow, see if I can get you running again for the short-term.”
“Appreciated.” Wyatt’s tone was still clipped. Linc couldn’t see him now, and he knew better than to twist too much. One wrong move and he could end up plummeting to the ground, which was enough of a drop to break some bones.
Ordinarily, Linc would be more proactive in getting free, but he’d tangled in a way that he couldn’t get to the knife that was an essential part of their gear. Instead, he had to wait for Wyatt to reach him, trust that Wyatt wouldn’t send him crashing through the branches, and that Wyatt would have enough sense to keep his own self safe. May—and Wyatt’s mother, whom Linc loved almost as much as the memory of his own—would never forgive Linc if Wyatt went home with a broken leg or worse.
Working together this season was like shrugging into his favorite work jacket, worn and familiar, both of them more experienced this go-around. While Wyatt had stayed local after graduation, Linc had been gone as much as he’d been home, gaining experience on fire crews all across the West before finally duty called him back, roots as unavoidable as taxes. That Wyatt and this crew had been waiting was more than a reward for everything else he was dealing with.
Finally, though, he was free enough to grab Wyatt’s hand, then use all his upper body strength to pull himself over the branch. Working together, they freed the chute. It was way too valuable and essential to their work to leave in the tree, so he breathed a little easier when it fluttered to the ground. Then they started their descent, tricky because of the weight of both of them. It was an old, sturdy tree, but Linc’s attention remained on red alert for potential dangers until they were both on the forest floor.
Time to get to work, packing up the chute and rejoining the rest of the crew, digging fireline by hand, the wide dirt trails used to keep back any potential fire spread, until his arm and back muscles burned. This mission at least didn’t involve an overnight in the forest, but it did have a long, arduous pack-out where they had to haul themselves and all their gear several miles to an extraction point.
“Careful!” Wyatt thrust an arm out right when Linc would have tripped over a large tree root. The others were some distance behind them, Wyatt setting a bruising pace as per his usual.
“Damn. You saved me. Again.” Linc shook his head. They had been through hell and back, everything from fiery infernos side by side to pristine mountain mornings. Even in the years when Linc had been away for long stretches, they’d still shared every catastrophe and triumph from wading pools to wedding bells for Wyatt and every major life event in between. “What do I owe you?”