Hate at First Shift

Lieutenant Elias Cruz has one rule: no distractions. After a devastating loss on the job five years ago, Elias relies on strict routine and professional distance to keep his crew alive and his heart locked away. The last thing he needs is a twenty-four-year-old rookie with a famous uncle, a reckless smile, and something to prove.

Ryan Parker is tired of being treated like a legacy hire. He is determined to earn his place at Station 14, even if it means working under the hardest, grumpiest lieutenant in the city. Ryan is ready to follow every order flawlessly to prove his worth, but he isn't prepared for the way Elias's deep, commanding voice sends heat straight to his core. Or the way Elias's dark eyes watch him when he thinks no one is looking.

When a high-stakes call pushes them together, the professional boundaries they've built go up in smoke. What starts as a fierce clash of wills ignites into a secret, scorching-hot arrangement behind closed doors. But in a firehouse where everyone is watching, secrets this explosive can't stay hidden forever. When the ultimate test comes, Elias and Ryan will have to decide if they are brave enough to risk their careers for the one thing they can't live without.