Hot as Sin (Hot Shots: Men of Fire 2)

If only she and April had been able to see eye to eye. Then maybe none of this would have happened.

She pushed past Sam to get back outside and he gave her a look that seemed to say, “Everything is going to be okay.”

But she wasn’t sure that it would be, especially not when she saw three men—two so huge they looked like giants flanking the third—waiting for her outside April’s shed.

———

Sam heard Dianna cautiously call his name.

Damn it, he chastised himself as he walked back outside and saw that Dianna was standing in front of three men. What had he been thinking to take his eyes off her for even a second?

Moving quickly to her side, he slid his hand through hers. Touch her and die was the message he wanted to come across loud and clear to their new friends.

“And who are you?” the regular-sized man said to him.

“Sam MacKenzie,” he replied, not bothering to hold out his hand in greeting.

“My name is Peter Cohen.”

The man didn’t bother to introduce his two large friends, whom Sam quickly deduced were the palace guards, which seemed to mean that Peter was the man in charge.

“As I just said to your friend, Dianna, welcome to my Farm.”

Sam knew he and Dianna weren’t the slightest bit welcome. They were intruders. But he’d come here to find April. He wasn’t going to let some smarmy cult leader get in his way.

Cutting any further bullshit off at the pass, he said, “April’s disappeared. Do you know where she’s gone?”

Peter’s expression didn’t change, save for a shifting of his dark eyes, which were too intelligent for Sam’s liking. Sam felt like he’d known men like this before, men who had volunteered to be hotshots for a summer, not to save trees and houses and lives, but simply for the chance to be called a hero.

Sam was going to watch Peter Cohen very carefully. If there was any chance that he had staged April’s kidnapping for his own profit—or to try to get at Dianna, who was both famous and rich—Sam was going to stop the motherfucker before he could make it to the next square on the board.

Without answering Sam’s question, Peter commanded, “Come with me.”

They followed Peter and his guards past the rows of crops, across an open field where children played, and up a set of stairs to the attractive white house that overlooked the commune’s many acres.

Moving silently, a woman in Peter’s house filled three cups with something hot and set the cups before them before backing silently out of the room.

Sam had no intention of drinking whatever it was and he sent a silent signal to Dianna that she shouldn’t either.

“Before I tell you what I know about April, I want to know more about both of you.” He turned to Dianna. “April said you have a TV show and that you are quite famous. Does anyone know you are here and how did you find us?”

Considering how upset she’d been inside April’s shack, she barely blinked an eye as she said, “April told me enough about the Farm for us to locate it on a map.”

Sam’s respect for her—already in full measure after the way she’d come back from a near-drowning to transcend her fear of heights, all in the same day—grew yet again. She’d deftly sidestepped Peter’s first question without giving away Will’s part in getting them to the commune.

Seeming satisfied with her response, the man turned to Sam. “And who are you?”

“I already told you my name,” Sam said.

Peter raised an eyebrow. “We are very careful with regard to who we allow on the Farm. Are you a cop?”

Sam sized up the commune’s leader. Broad-shouldered with cropped hair, he didn’t look weak. And then, there was a question of bodyguards. What the hell were they hovering around for?

Clearly impatient for answers, Dianna leaned forward and pinned the man with her intelligent gaze.

“Sam is a firefighter, not a cop. And now that you’ve got your answers, I want to find out what you know about my sister’s disappearance. Anything about where she might be, her last moves, if she’d ever left the commune before and with whom?”

Clearly surprised by her pointed questions, Peter looked concerned for the first time.

“I’m very sorry to hear that she’s missing. Honestly, I doubt anyone here knows what happened to her. She’s been a constant resident for the past three months. She came with a boyfriend named Kevin, but when he moved on a few weeks later, she remained behind. I believe she hiked down into Vail to see you a few days ago, is that not correct?”

A flash of pain moved across Dianna’s face, so quickly Sam almost missed it.

“Yes, my sister and I met in Vail. Was April hanging around any strangers? Did she have any enemies that you know of?”

Peter shook his head. “As far as I know, she didn’t have any enemies. But I will admit to being concerned about her in the beginning. She wasn’t particularly good in group situations at first. I think getting her involved with the other women who cook helped turn her around.” He licked his lips. “She makes the most marvelous herb bread.”

Sam watched as Dianna struggled with her frustration at Peter’s answers. “I can’t believe my sister would be a part of something like this,” she said, gesturing to the grounds below the house.

Peter cocked his head to the side. “Like what?”

Dianna leveled a hard stare at the man. “You tell me. What the hell are all of you doing hidden up here with no roads and no contact with the outside world?”

For the first time Sam saw the take-no-prisoners-reporter side of Dianna and it impressed the hell out of him.

Strangely, though, Peter didn’t seem the least bit upset by the gauntlet she’d thrown down.

“We find that people often have misconceptions about an intentional community such as ours. We don’t have a group religion. We support ourselves by making furniture and other handmade products, along with animal by-products such as honey and cheese. The people who live here do so because they love it. Your sister, I believe, was growing comfortable in our community.”

Dianna sat back in her seat, clearly digesting Peter’s words.

“Do you swear to me that my sister wasn’t mixed up in anything illegal?”

Peter nodded. “As far as I know, she was simply here trying to find herself.” He bowed his head and took a deep breath. “I can see how worried you are and I will allow you to ask her friends if they know anything more, although, I should warn you, not everyone here trusts outsiders.” After a moment of silence, he added, “I’m also willing to let you set up camp here for the night. There is plenty of room in the meadow for the two of you.”

ly she and April had been able to see eye to eye. Then maybe none of this would have happened.

She pushed past Sam to get back outside and he gave her a look that seemed to say, “Everything is going to be okay.”

But she wasn’t sure that it would be, especially not when she saw three men—two so huge they looked like giants flanking the third—waiting for her outside April’s shed.

———

Sam heard Dianna cautiously call his name.

Damn it, he chastised himself as he walked back outside and saw that Dianna was standing in front of three men. What had he been thinking to take his eyes off her for even a second?

Moving quickly to her side, he slid his hand through hers. Touch her and die was the message he wanted to come across loud and clear to their new friends.

“And who are you?” the regular-sized man said to him.

“Sam MacKenzie,” he replied, not bothering to hold out his hand in greeting.

“My name is Peter Cohen.”

The man didn’t bother to introduce his two large friends, whom Sam quickly deduced were the palace guards, which seemed to mean that Peter was the man in charge.

“As I just said to your friend, Dianna, welcome to my Farm.”

Sam knew he and Dianna weren’t the slightest bit welcome. They were intruders. But he’d come here to find April. He wasn’t going to let some smarmy cult leader get in his way.

Cutting any further bullshit off at the pass, he said, “April’s disappeared. Do you know where she’s gone?”

Peter’s expression didn’t change, save for a shifting of his dark eyes, which were too intelligent for Sam’s liking. Sam felt like he’d known men like this before, men who had volunteered to be hotshots for a summer, not to save trees and houses and lives, but simply for the chance to be called a hero.

Sam was going to watch Peter Cohen very carefully. If there was any chance that he had staged April’s kidnapping for his own profit—or to try to get at Dianna, who was both famous and rich—Sam was going to stop the motherfucker before he could make it to the next square on the board.

Without answering Sam’s question, Peter commanded, “Come with me.”

They followed Peter and his guards past the rows of crops, across an open field where children played, and up a set of stairs to the attractive white house that overlooked the commune’s many acres.

Moving silently, a woman in Peter’s house filled three cups with something hot and set the cups before them before backing silently out of the room.

Sam had no intention of drinking whatever it was and he sent a silent signal to Dianna that she shouldn’t either.

“Before I tell you what I know about April, I want to know more about both of you.” He turned to Dianna. “April said you have a TV show and that you are quite famous. Does anyone know you are here and how did you find us?”

Considering how upset she’d been inside April’s shack, she barely blinked an eye as she said, “April told me enough about the Farm for us to locate it on a map.”

Sam’s respect for her—already in full measure after the way she’d come back from a near-drowning to transcend her fear of heights, all in the same day—grew yet again. She’d deftly sidestepped Peter’s first question without giving away Will’s part in getting them to the commune.

Seeming satisfied with her response, the man turned to Sam. “And who are you?”

“I already told you my name,” Sam said.

Peter raised an eyebrow. “We are very careful with regard to who we allow on the Farm. Are you a cop?”

Sam sized up the commune’s leader. Broad-shouldered with cropped hair, he didn’t look weak. And then, there was a question of bodyguards. What the hell were they hovering around for?

Clearly impatient for answers, Dianna leaned forward and pinned the man with her intelligent gaze.

“Sam is a firefighter, not a cop. And now that you’ve got your answers, I want to find out what you know about my sister’s disappearance. Anything about where she might be, her last moves, if she’d ever left the commune before and with whom?”

Clearly surprised by her pointed questions, Peter looked concerned for the first time.

“I’m very sorry to hear that she’s missing. Honestly, I doubt anyone here knows what happened to her. She’s been a constant resident for the past three months. She came with a boyfriend named Kevin, but when he moved on a few weeks later, she remained behind. I believe she hiked down into Vail to see you a few days ago, is that not correct?”

A flash of pain moved across Dianna’s face, so quickly Sam almost missed it.

“Yes, my sister and I met in Vail. Was April hanging around any strangers? Did she have any enemies that you know of?”

Peter shook his head. “As far as I know, she didn’t have any enemies. But I will admit to being concerned about her in the beginning. She wasn’t particularly good in group situations at first. I think getting her involved with the other women who cook helped turn her around.” He licked his lips. “She makes the most marvelous herb bread.”

Sam watched as Dianna struggled with her frustration at Peter’s answers. “I can’t believe my sister would be a part of something like this,” she said, gesturing to the grounds below the house.

Peter cocked his head to the side. “Like what?”

Dianna leveled a hard stare at the man. “You tell me. What the hell are all of you doing hidden up here with no roads and no contact with the outside world?”

For the first time Sam saw the take-no-prisoners-reporter side of Dianna and it impressed the hell out of him.

Strangely, though, Peter didn’t seem the least bit upset by the gauntlet she’d thrown down.

“We find that people often have misconceptions about an intentional community such as ours. We don’t have a group religion. We support ourselves by making furniture and other handmade products, along with animal by-products such as honey and cheese. The people who live here do so because they love it. Your sister, I believe, was growing comfortable in our community.”

Dianna sat back in her seat, clearly digesting Peter’s words.

“Do you swear to me that my sister wasn’t mixed up in anything illegal?”

Peter nodded. “As far as I know, she was simply here trying to find herself.” He bowed his head and took a deep breath. “I can see how worried you are and I will allow you to ask her friends if they know anything more, although, I should warn you, not everyone here trusts outsiders.” After a moment of silence, he added, “I’m also willing to let you set up camp here for the night. There is plenty of room in the meadow for the two of you.”