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    Redemption by Fire
    Redemption by Fire
    Redemption by Fire
    Ebook111 pages1 hour

    Redemption by Fire

    By Andrew Grey

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    By Fire Series: Book One

    Dirk Krause is a jerk of the first degree. His life is a hell of his own making, and he makes everyone around him just as miserable. When he’s injured on the job while fighting a fire, he’s nearly unbearable to the hospital staff, and of course no one from his unit cares enough to visit. Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk’s surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn’t take any of his crap. Lee’s determined to get Dirk to stop being nasty just to push everyone away. When they go from enemies to lovers, will the fireworks shine brightly on a possible relationship or leave them with nothing but ashes?

    Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk’s surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn’t take any of his crap. Lee’s determined to get Dirk to stop being nasty just to push everyone away. When they go from enemies to lovers, will the fireworks shine brightly on a possible relationship or leave them with nothing but ashes?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamspinner Press
    Release dateMay 2, 2012
    ISBN9781613724712
    Redemption by Fire
    Author

    Andrew Grey

    Andrew Grey is the author of more than one hundred works of Contemporary Gay Romantic fiction. After twenty-seven years in corporate America, he has now settled down in Central Pennsylvania with his husband of more than twenty-five years, Dominic, and his laptop. An interesting ménage. Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He is a recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and now writes full-time. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Email: andrewgrey@comcast.net Website: www.andrewgreybooks.com

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    Reviews for Redemption by Fire

    3.5/5

    38 ratings3 reviews

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    • 2/5
      The start of the love story was kind of abrupt: MC lies in hospital after rescuing a baby in a fire, other MC is sent to bring over flowers with greetings from the team because nobody likes the guy. Because he is a mean a**hole. But the young, new guy calls him immediately on it. And that's it. Then they start a friendship and start making out. Throw in some dramatic rescue and life and death situation, coming out to the other firemen and there you are. The characters remain shallow and chliched imo.

      I will try another (longer) one by Andrew Grey though - might be that those short novellas are not his forte.

      If you want to read a good story about hot firmen, try "Hothead" by Damon Suede.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      No one would really describe firefighter Dirk Krause as friendly. Which is why the new guy, Lee Stockton, gets to deliver flowers to Dirk in the hospital after an injury. But Lee isn't as easily put off by Dirk's antics as Dirk might prefer, and before either of them may truly realize it, they are both dealing with issues (and an attraction) that neither expected to happen. This is a shorter story, so things move quickly. And when things heat up fast, they tend to be intense, for sure...
    • 4/5
      This review is from a re-read I did in March 2014. Considering the time lapsed since I read this one I thought it best to refresh my memory before continuing the series.

      And I'l admit I'm glad I did. This is a entertaining read. Yes, maybe it's a bit fluffy, but fun and light is just what I wanted. Having said that, the sensitivity in which Andrew Grey handles the issue of a deeply closeted man falling for someone who hasn't seen the inside for quite a few years, was fantastic. And all this is why this author remains my "go-to" author when I'm in need of a bit of a pick-,me-up.

    Book preview

    Redemption by Fire - Andrew Grey

    Chapter 1

    DIRK reached the room with the baby screaming so loudly he could hear it over the roar outside the door. After pushing open the door, Dirk rushed into the room and slammed the door closed behind him, ignoring the cries. Throwing a fire blanket over the child, he scooped it up and turned to head back through the burning Carlisle, Pennsylvania, row house. He would have loved to be able to go out the kid’s window, but he was on the second floor, and no one could reach this portion of the house from the outside. The buildings were too close together. Why anyone would put a baby in a room with only one window that looked out over a brick wall was beyond him, but Dirk didn’t have time to think about it. He yanked open the door. The flames that had just begun to lick up the hallway on his way up were nearly at the door, and the heat was incredible even inside his fire gear. He had to go down the stairs and out the front door; it was his only choice.

    The sound of the fire told Dirk he probably had just enough time to get out, so he moved, the sound of his own breathing echoing in his head. The kid’s screams died away, and Dirk hoped it was from exhaustion, but he didn’t have time to find out. Everything in his brain screamed for him to get out of this death trap of a house and get out now. Sweat soaked Dirk’s clothes and ran down his face as he reached the top of the steps. The walls all the way down were burning steadily, and the roar had increased exponentially. He could barely hear himself think as he picked his way down the stairs, his brain already telling him where he had to go at the bottom. He felt one of the steps give way under him. He managed not to fall and somehow reached the main floor. Dirk took one step and heard a crash as somewhere part of the house collapsed, and the sound of the fire went from revving jet engine to full-on sonic boom in a second.

    All around him, he could see nothing but flame and black rolling smoke. He knew he had only one chance. Remembering the living room from his way in, Dirk dashed across it, dodging incinerated furniture, and he almost made it before part of the floor collapsed under him. He could see water spraying through the open front door. He could also hear the hiss of water as it trickled down through the roof, but this fire was so hot there wasn’t much that would help in the next few seconds. More collapses sounded behind him, wood splitting, beams cracking, the house shifting and groaning, and the fire ramped up to blast furnace. The entire building was coming down around him. He knew it, and he had mere seconds. Taking another step, he was almost at the door when the floor moved under him. He leaped forward and almost made it, but then began to fall forward. He twisted so he wouldn’t crush the baby and thrust the kid toward the doorway. It disappeared from his hands, and the last thing he knew, he was falling into a fiery abyss.

    DIRK figured he was dead. He spent days wandering through mist and smoke, trying to find God, but all he ever found were more and more swirls of gray and black. Maybe he was in hell. It wouldn’t really surprise him because that’s what he figured he deserved, anyway, at least if his father was right. Finally everything went dark, and Dirk figured this was it. Opening his eyes, he blinked through what felt like gravel and saw a tile ceiling. It took a few seconds for him to realize he was in a bed. Then the pain hit. His chest felt like the fucking fire was still burning in his lungs, his arm hurt like hell, and his legs throbbed. He tried to move a foot, and while it hurt, it at least moved, and so did the other one. Dirk did the same thing with a finger and breathed a sigh of relief that he was whole.

    It wasn’t until he tried to breathe in again that the real pain hit him, and Dirk closed his eyes to keep from crying as his lungs protested.

    You’re awake, a perky female voice said.

    Fuck… yes… water. He needed some way to put out the fire inside him. Every breath felt like death. Dirk was aware of her moving through the room, and then something cold slid along his lips. Dirk started and gasped, which sent lightning through his chest, and he nearly bit the nurse. She squeaked and raced from the room. The ice melted, and the cold felt good in his mouth and on his throat, and Dirk relaxed, closing his eyes once again.

    He must have slept, at least he thought he did, but it was hard to tell because when he opened his eyes again, he was still alone in the room and nothing seemed to have changed except there was a fresh cup of ice by his bed. It still hurt to move, but Dirk found a call button near his hand and pressed it. The same nurse from earlier came in and glowered at him. Water, Dirk gasped.

    As long as you don’t bite me again, she said and carefully placed some ice chips in his mouth. He did feel slightly better, but his arm and lungs still hurt like hell. The doctor should be in soon, she explained as she took his temperature and blood pressure before turning to a portable computer.

    Chest hurts, he said carefully.

    You scalded parts of your lungs, she explained and kept typing. Dirk had already figured that out. She continued talking as she worked, and Dirk tuned out her blather, the pain taking most of his concentration. Once she left, he closed his eyes again.

    AFTER a day, he began to feel better. He could breathe more easily even though he was still on oxygen. Once, when he’d woken, he’d found a card from his father, and one from his captain at the station, but other than that, he saw no signs of any visitors. He figured they were waiting until he got better.

    He was wrong. The only person he saw other than the nurses and doctors was his father, and his visits were never pleasant.

    So after this, are you going to give up this fireman thing and get a real job? You have a degree. I could get you a job on my team at the brokerage, his father told him in his usual I know best voice. I’ll start the paperwork for when you get out of here.

    I don’t— Dirk began, but he started to cough, and it got worse and worse. A nurse hurried in and gave him something to calm the spasms, and he collapsed back into the bed, his injured arm aching and his chest hurting like hell. Can’t we just sit and talk? Dirk asked, and his father looked at him like he’d asked for the moon.

    I have to be back in the office in half an hour, his father told him, and Dirk nodded.

    Then his father left the room, and Dirk hadn’t had a visitor since. That had been two days

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