Page 35 of Gentleman Wanted
Were they dead?
The thought made me sag. The fight went out of me.
Wicked loosened his grip just enough for me to bend over. I threw up over my boots.
“Just breathe.” I had never heard Wicked sound like that before. Like he was comforting a child. And somehow, that made it worse.
I could have handled him raving and being a jerk to me because that meant everything would be ok. What I couldn’t handle was that soft voice. It matched perfectly the utter despair on his face.
He thought they were dead. I could see it on his face.
“Just let the fire department do their job, Gent. Let them bring them out. You kicking off will just get in their way.”
“There’s someone in there?” The firefighter nearest to us turned sharply. His black smudged face lined with worry.
My heart fell. Why did he say it like that? “My…. my wife.” Ok, she wasn’t technically my wife. Not yet. But I couldn’t think of another word to describe her. “My wife and baby.”
The man in front of me didn’t even pause. Patting me on the arm. “If they are in there, we will get them out.” He jogged away without another word.
“What does he mean IF they are in there?” My legs buckled. I sat down in a heap in the middle of the road. What did he mean if they were in there? Where else would they be?
The whole street was bustling with people. The noise was deafening, but somehow it seemed silent. Like I was looking at a TV show that was on mute. I knew there was noise, that people were talking and shouting but I couldn’t hear any of it.
I knew most of the Black Aces had arrived, their women and children too, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around and greet them.
I could do nothing but stare at the smoke and the flames, the strobing lights from the emergency services flashing across my face.
If Gem and Bobby were inside, they were dead. I couldn’t imagine anyone surviving the flames that continued to lick at the busted out windows.
“Oh my god!” Avery’s voice was a screech, breaking through the weird silence that had wrapped around me.
“Fuck, hold on to him!”
Dimly I became aware of Ruin. He sounded rough, but I couldn’t turn to him to ask why he sounded like he did.
I couldn’t tear my eyes from the firefighter who had stepped from the building. All I could see was the baby blue blanket in his arms. The one with the teddy bears all over it.
The one I had bought Bobby the day he had been born.
I stumbled to my feet, tearing my arm out of Wickeds grasp. “Leave me the fuck alone.” I wanted to go over there. To see for myself what was in that blue blanket. But I couldn’t move.
It was like the world had opened up and swallowed me down.
My whole world was gone.
Gemma had been in my life for years, but I had had so little time with her.
I needed more time.
Taking a step forward, I almost went down. I would have gone down if Wicked and Truth hadn’t caught me under the arms.
Was my son in that blue blanket? Bobby might not be my blood, but he was my son. He would always be my son.
I watched numbly as Ruin stepped around me. Heading towards the man in his smoke-stained uniform. The one holding that blue blanket.
Bobby’s blue blanket.
That damn blanket was going to haunt me forever.
