Fire Escape - Book Three: Troubled Heroes Series (An Action Thriller) Read Free

are appreciative of the time you volunteered for them.”
    Michael wasn’t sure how to respond.  He felt his face heat up at the attention, the mood suddenly becoming awkward.  “Thank you, sir.  It’s what I felt I had to do.”
    “I’m glad you made it back safely.  I look forward to seeing you back on the truck Monday morning.”
    Michael felt a sense of pride rush over him.  “Yes sir.”  He closed the door behind him, letting out a deep sigh as he made his way back out to the other guys.  Regardless of his years on the job, his palms were sweaty and his stomach fluttered. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning. 
 
    ***
     
                  “So you’re all clear?” Eva asked as she walked through the door of apartment, setting aside her duffle bag as she walked into the living room.  She looked to have had a busy day. Her hair was pulled back in a loose pony tail and she seemed tired, but still managed to have a smile on her face as she sat by him on the couch. 
                  “Yep.  I get the weekend off and then it’s back at it again.”  He turned the volume down on the TV and looked at her.  “Figured we’d need to tell our families soon.  You know how pissed my mom will be if she hears it from someone other than us.”
                  “I’m off this weekend. We can make all of our stops on Saturday if you want.”
                  Michael nodded, trying to hide his uneasiness.  “Yeah, I guess so.  We’ll just have to call Casey, I guess.”
                  “What’s wrong, Mikey?”  She played with the hair that curled around his ear, causing him to make a mental note that he needed to add a haircut on to his to do list before Monday. 
                  Shrugging, he sat forward on the couch and set the TV remote down on the table.  “Just thinking about your family.  I haven’t really met any of them, and I didn’t exactly ask your dad for permission before I proposed.  That’s kind of a big deal for some men.”
                  Eva smirked and continued to mess with his hair that was shooting out from under his baseball cap.  “He’s traditional, yeah, but I think you’re fine.  He’s heard me talk about you and everything.  Just be yourself.  He’ll love you.”
                  “Just crazy we’ve been together for as long as we have and I’ve never been out to Staten Island to meet them.”
                  Eva pulled her ponytail loose and her long hair fell around her shoulders.  Even after a long day of work, she looked absolutely stunning.  Her reassuring smile calmed his nerves.  “I think you’re excused, with everything that has happened.  Hasn’t exactly been a great time these past few months.  Hell, this past year, if you want to put it into perspective.”
                  “I guess you’re right.”  She had a good point, but he still could see things from her dad’s point of view.  If they ever had a daughter, he would want to make sure that the man pursuing his kid was the right one, was respectful, and knew how to make her happy.  Hopefully, he was all of that for Eva, and with luck, her father would see it in him. 
                  “I’m starving. Let’s go down to that corner pizzeria and get takeout,” Eva said, pulling him from his daydream.  “Then we can celebrate your improving health and your work clearance.”  She arched her eyebrow and leaned in for a kiss.  “Maybe have a repeat of what happened after we got home last night.”
    Her flirtatious grin sent a pang of excitement through him and he held her close for a few seconds.  “Sounds good to me.”

     
     
     
    Chapter Two
     
                  Going to meet Eva’s family wasn’t exactly the restful weekend that Michael had in mind.  Telling his mom and Casey about it had been simple.  They were both