Page 28 of Playing With Fire
Patel leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. “And if this doesn’t work? If the donors back out or the delays cause more problems than they solve?”
“Then we reassess,” Evelyn said firmly. “But at least we’ll have done everything possible to avoid irreversible damage to one of the city’s most vital services.”
The council members exchanged glances, their expressions skeptical but contemplative. Finally, Graham sighed, setting his pen down. “We’ll consider it. But you’ll need to justify every aspect of this plan and be prepared for pushback.”
Evelyn’s jaw tightened, but she nodded. “I understand. And I’m ready.”
As the meeting adjourned, Evelyn gathered her papers and walked out of the chamber, her heart pounding. She had stood her ground, but she knew the fight wasn’t over. Still, for the first time in weeks, she felt like she had taken a step in the right direction.
Now, she just had to see if Cass would believe in her too.
Evelyn stood outside the firehouse, her heart pounding like it hadn’t in years. The building loomed before her, all brick and grit, a testament to the lives it protected and the people who gave everything to serve the community. She had spent the past few days pulling off what felt like a miracle—hours of negotiation, phone calls, and favors called in from old allies. Against all odds, she had done it. The department wouldn’t face the cuts, at least not the devastating ones initially planned.
But now, standing here, on the threshold of making things right with Cass, she felt the weight of a very different kind of risk.
Taking a steadying breath, she smoothed her blazer, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and pushed open the door. The familiar scent of smoke and leather greeted her, mingled with the faint hum of activity in the background. She spotted a few firefighters in the bay, but her eyes immediately searched for the one person she was here to see.
13
CASS
Cass rubbed her temples, the tension in her head threatening to bloom into a full-blown migraine. The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly, reminding her of all the time she’d spent hunched over reports, budgets, and endless proposals for alternative funding. She was running on fumes, her meals replaced by cups of stale coffee and whatever snacks the crew left lying around the station. Sleep was an afterthought, snatched in fleeting moments between strategy sessions and restless nights filled with too many regrets. Her body protested every movement, muscles sore from the constant grind, but she couldn’t stop—not when her team was counting on her.
Her desk was a mess: stacks of papers with scribbled notes, emails she’d printed out in desperation, and crumpled drafts of pleas she’d considered sending to the city council. Cass was determined to find a solution, anything to avoid the devastating cuts Evelyn had warned about. Yet the harder she fought, the more it felt like she was swimming against a relentless current. She couldn’t shake the hollowness that had settled in her chest, a gnawing grief that had nothing to do with the department and everything to do with Evelyn. It was as if the fight for her teamand the fight for her heart had merged into one unbearable battle. She was staring blankly at the paperwork in front of her. The words blurred together, her mind too weighed down by the steady ache in her chest. She’d barely slept the past few nights, her dreams haunted by Evelyn’s face, her sharp words from their last conversation echoing like a cruel refrain. Evelyn was the last person she expected—or wanted—to see, and yet she was the only one Cass couldn’t stop thinking about.
A knock at the door broke through her haze.
“Yeah?” she called, not bothering to look up.
The door opened, and she froze when Evelyn’s voice followed. “Cass, can we talk?”
Cass’s head snapped up, her heart doing an uncomfortable lurch in her chest. Evelyn stood there, a stack of papers in her hand, her expression guarded but earnest. She wore one of her crisp blazers, her usual armor of professionalism, but her eyes gave her away. There was something vulnerable in them, a hesitation Cass wasn’t used to seeing.
“What are you doing here?” Cass asked, her voice sharper than she intended. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “I thought we said everything we needed to say.”
Evelyn stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. “I know. But I needed to tell you something—something I should’ve told you sooner.”
Cass raised an eyebrow, waiting. Her defenses were already up, her walls built high. But Evelyn didn’t flinch under her scrutiny. Instead, she crossed the room, setting the papers down on Cass’s desk.
“I fought back,” Evelyn said quietly. “Against the cuts. I refused to make the changes they wanted.”
Cass blinked, her arms uncrossing slightly. “What?”
Evelyn straightened her shoulders, her voice steady. “The city council wanted me to gut the department, to slash resourcesin ways that would have left you and your team vulnerable. I said no. I found an alternative. It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to keep you operational—more than operational.”
Cass stared at her, the words not fully registering at first. “You…what?”
“I found private donors willing to invest in the department,” Evelyn explained. “And I convinced the council to redirect funds from other areas. It took some convincing, but I wouldn’t leave until they agreed. The cuts are off the table, Cass.”
The weight of those words sank in, but Cass didn’t feel the immediate relief she thought she would. Instead, she felt an overwhelming mixture of emotions—shock, gratitude, confusion, and a lingering anger she didn’t know how to shake.
“Why?” she asked, her voice low. “Why would you do that?”
Evelyn’s gaze faltered for the first time. She hesitated, as if weighing whether or not to say what was truly on her mind. “Because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t. Because you were right, Cass. About everything. And because… I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.”
Cass’s breath caught in her throat. Evelyn looked so different now, her usual cool composure cracking at the edges. Her vulnerability was like a spotlight, illuminating every unspoken truth between them.
“You didn’t lose me,” Cass said softly, though her voice was thick with emotion. “I’m still here. But you, Evelyn, you broke my trust. I don’t know if I can forget that.”