The Rookie (manxmen)**Hothouse Book 1**

Chapter 6

I could feel Nate's eyes boring into my back as I climbed up onto the truck, but I ignored him and nodded at Chuck as he grabbed onto the rung of the ladder and began his ascent with me shadowing behind him all the way up. Once Chuck was safely connected to the other guys we bumped fists, and I began my slow but careful descent to the spot in the middle of the ladder where I was supposed to stay to help anyone they managed to rescue down to the ground. Sending a silent prayer to the heavens, I watched as the guys disappeared over the lip of builing and onto the roof and I took a minute to calm my racing pulse. I looked down and it struck me just how far up I was perched and shit, it hit me all at once and I felt like I could flipping fly. Opening my eyes, I looked down again and the chief and Xavier both gave me the thumbs up sign like they were sending me strength and encouraging me, showing me that I was doing what I was supposed to do.

It wasn't long before Dave came back helping a nearly hysterical young girl over to the fire escape ladder that she had to climb down first before the reached the rigs ladder. The way she clung to his slender shoulders told me the poor thing was scared out of her wits. Soon enough there was a small gathering of people and then I heard Tom's voice over our radios calling an all clear floor by floor. The cheif's disembodied voice was next on the line telling us to get the people down asap, he had a line of men waiting to piggyback people down if necessary, so I hustled into position. The girl was still causing a scene and wailing holding up the process. So I made the decision to just hoist the girl up and over the railing. She stopped blubbering almost instantly and I told her to hold on as I eased her into my back. It took me no time to get her to firm ground and with all the other crews, it took very little time at all to get everyone back on the pavement.

The fire was finally extinguished and the Marshall deemed the building unsafe. The Red Cross was brought in to help the multiple families that were now homeless. It was a sad scene, but we were happy that at least there was any loss of life. I was slowly coming off my endorphin rush and my hands began shaking as I tried to remove my helmet.

"What, little brother is scared? You can't handle big boy stuff? " Nate's cruel voice sneered. I could see the derision on his face, but it was his eyes that told the true story of just how jealous he was. It was killing him that I made the elite team straight out of the academy when he can't even get them to look at his applications after five years with his assigned company.

I was about to open my mouth and tell him to fuck off, something I have wanted to do for a long time. But I have refrained for my mother's sake. And Nate took full advantage of that, especially after I had came out and explained to them that I was gay. It's like it was his life work was to belittle me for fact that I liked men. He didn't see me as a man, and treated me accordingly. Now here I was in a position he would all but kill for, and I was some kind of girly man to him. It secretly satisfied me to no end that I for once had the upper hand. I just shook my head and went to turn away from him  when he grabbed my shoulder and spun me back around to face him. "Don't turn you back on me, just because you made it on Ladder 29  doesn't mean you are going to last with them. You are probably sucking them all off to get them to let you stay."

"We should be the ones sucking him off in gratitude as good as he is at his job." I heard Xavier say as he stepped up behind me. "Do we have a problem here?" My captain asked as he glared menacingly at my brother who had  paled down and took a step back. Yeah, Xavier can be bad ass scary when he chooses, and with his impressive height and muscles, he can be very intimidating, and I was glad I wasn't on the receiving end of that displeasure. "Run along grunt, my crew has things to do before we clear the site." Xavier dismissed Nathan like he was nothing and my brother shot me a hateful glare before stomping off towards his crew. I knew he was going to go running to our mom complaining of how I embarrassed him, but I was rapidly learning that he was a bitter piece of shit that isn't worthy my time or my emotions.

Xavier shoved a sport drink into my hand and I immediately popped the cap and guzzled it, it helped a bit with the shaking, and when the chief made his appearance after talking with the Fire Marshall he motioned for us to pack it up and get back to the house. The guys patted me on my back all telling me that I did a good job, they shuffled me along with them, and they were like little kids pushing and jostling each other. It wasn't until I went to climb up into the truck that I felt a big hand snag the back of my neck and hold me in place. "You did me proud tonight." The chief whispered in my ear and I turned into a puddle as the cadence of his deep voice shivered down my spine. Yep, I melted right there at his feet and I could only stand there and stupidly blink up at him. He gave me a sexy smirk, like he knew just how I was feeling and he walked away leaving me completely dazed and confused.

I heard a low chuckle, and I looked up to see Xavier grinning at me from the interior of the rig. He reached down and grabbed me by the front of my jacket and hauled me into the truck. He plopped me down into the seat next to his and strapped me into the safety harness. "Well, I'll have to get the word out to the boys that you are off limits, gorgeous." He muttered and my head snapped up and I sputtered at a complete loss for what to say. What the hell was he talking about?

"Don't look t me like that, you must know that you have caught Lance's eye, although the stubborn fool is fighting the attraction tooth and nail. But chin up, I have known him since our academy days. Don't get discouraged kid, give him hell." He winked at me and I tried not to blush, I really did. And Xavier took pity on me and asked me about Nate instead and I took a big sigh and started telling him about the troubled past between me and my homophobic brother.  All the guys had fell silent and listened to my story. By the time I was done, they were all pissed off on my behalf and I tried to tell them not to be. I almost teared up when Robbie said that if someone messed with one they messed with the all of them. He told me that my brother was just jealous prick, and he wasn't worth my time and they were my real brothers. Gawd, how the hell did I get so damn lucky.

I had to laugh when Tom cut the sappiness that fell on tour little group by blurting out. "Man, the food better still be good because I ain't cooking ya'll nuthin after all of that, ya'll better eat cereal." And everyone roared with laughter.

When we finally sobered up, we were pulling into the station's garage bay, and I had to give it to Chuck, he drove this behemoth like a boss. We wearily hopped down and wrestled out of or PPE's (Personal Protective Gear). I checked the time and I was shocked to see we were out for a little nearly six hours. It was just after midnight and I brought up the rear as I slowly made my way towards the dining hall. I heard a shuffling sound and I looked up right into the heated gaze of my chief. He just stood there and stared at me. I quickly broke eye contact, too tired, and to be honest too much of a coward to get into anything with the man right now. So, I quickly scurried into the dining hall, and now that all the adrenaline had leaked away, I was tired as hell. But I needed to eat before I collapsed. So I broke etiquette by leaning heavily on my elbows while inhaling cold pizza and luke warm garlic bread into my mouth before collapsing onto my bunk, dead dog tired.