Inferno: A Steamy Grumpy Boss Firefighter Romance

Fire Chief Noah Baker and firefighter Erin Hudgens understood they were breaking the rules when they fell in love. They believed that their love could survive anything - except death.

The arsonist has been growing bolder, his every act, more dangerous than the last. He has a major beef with Chief Baker and he's not scared to send a message or three about it. Erin and Noah will be thrust into danger they never imagined, and fate has one final trick up its sleeve for our couple...

When firefighter graduation in interrupted by multiple calls - including an arson, and the Fire Chief is on his own.

Noah ran into his Chief Car and barked into the radio. “The Atlantis Warehouse is on fire from an act of arson. Multiple civilians trapped inside. Immediate escalation to five alarm fire.”

Dispatch made some type of response, while he grabbed Halligan bar 'Baby Yoda' out of the trunk. A sledgehammer or bolt cutters would have worked better. Unfortunately, Halligan Baby Yoda was what he had, so it was what he’d use.

The arsonist had chained the door handles, blocked the ground, and jammed the hinges. It was amazing how effective a simple doorstop could be in this situation. 

There were flames behind the glass door, but no visible people. Noah pried into the hinges, and the heavy door shrugged him off. Full size Halligans had a better lever to shift large objects.

Next, he tried slamming the pointed end into the glass. 

Freaking security glass. His Halligan barely took a chip out of it.

“Chief, get clear!” Jacen Williams called from behind him. Ladder, Engine, and Medic 15 pulled right up into the fire lane.

“The entrances are all blocked. I caught the arsonist… nevermind.” Noah saw the arsonist had high-tailed it during Noah’s attempts to open the door. “How did you get here so fast?”

“Soto,” Williams explained as the team at 15 got out. “43 is right behind us.”

Relief flooded Noah’s chest. Erin had told him about the two former firefighters working at Atlantis together. They’d been alive and coherent enough to contact their old firehouses.
Firehouse 43 had further to drive, so Noah had to make a choice now. He could wait for 43 while 15 established water, or he could send them in without support.

The team of 15, including Erin, would enter a building known sabotaged by an arsonist. 

At another time, this would have torn him apart. It was the fear he and Erin had shared since he'd kissed her the first time.

Time and emotion were not a luxury he had. He ran back to his Chief Car and ripped the blazer of his dress uniform off. His turnout jacket, portable command radio, and white chief’s helmet were needed now. 

And one command.

“15, open these doors. All of you are Ladder team.”

He had no choice. They had to rescue as many civilians as they could, even if they didn't have water support.

The rookie and former doctor, Carver, volunteered, “Let me run Engine's water from the red line while they breach the door.”

“Good idea. We’ll need you on Medic soon,” Noah agreed. There were at least a hundred people inside.

“Hudgens, you have point. Take the irons. Jefferson right behind her,” Williams assigned them roles. “Clarke and Jones, the door.”

With the correct tools, they were able to make short work of the door. The rest of the team stood to the side as Kevin Jones called out, “Everybody clear.”

He pulled the door open, since adding oxygen to the fire could lead to backdrafts. There was a brief flare of fire, which Carver tapped down easily using the water from Engine 15’s tank.

The dark opening of the warehouse spewed smoke toward the open air. The members of 15 adjusted their masks and checked back at him for confirmation before they entered.


Noah let his gaze linger for on Erin an extra second in her spot at the front. She, like the rest of the team, understood what he was asking of them.

Sacrifice.

Noah nodded, “You have your orders.”

Without hesitating, led by his wife, the team walked into the mouth of hell.