Page 111 of Never and Always
I watched him pull a pocketknife off his belt. Of course he carried a knife. I’d never been happier that he was a mountain man. Maybe I needed to get one to keep in my handbag.
He cut through the zip ties, and I was free.
Then, he slid his arms under me and scooped me up. I held on tight as he rushed out.
The smoke was thick and he coughed.
I couldn’t see a thing. What if we were both trapped in here and died?
Then the smoke started to thin and I saw more shapes. Caden, Enzo, and Alessio.
“I’ve got her,” Everett said.
“Thank fuck,” Caden replied. “The fire department is here.”
We ran out of the burning construction tent and I shoved the flannel down from my face. Cold hit me, but so did fresh air. I dragged it greedily into my lungs.
That’s when I saw a crowd had gathered. There was a group of people, and a firetruck, with firefighters in gear directing hoses at the burning construction.
I spotted Tessa, Allie, Sierra, Jazz, and the others. Ro was with them. I saw relief on their faces.
“I’m okay.” I followed that with an unconvincing coughing attack.
Then I saw Corvo. He was sitting on the ground, handcuffed, with Gunnar standing over him. Mud coated his clothes.
Burning, incandescent rage at all the terror and pain he’d inflicted hit me.
I wriggled. “Everett, put me down.”
“You need to get checked out, Piper.”
“Down.” I wriggled harder.
He set me down. I was only wearing one shoe, but that was all I needed. I limped over to Corvo. He glared up at me. I notedwith some satisfaction that someone had punched him in the face. Then I kicked him with my high heel.
“Ow!” he yelped.
I kicked him again.
“Okay, Wonder Woman, that’s enough.” Everett lifted me back into his arms. Then he swiveled and headed straight toward an ambulance I hadn’t noticed before.
“He deserved far worse than that.” I sucked in a breath. “Please tell me you were the one who punched him?”
“Yeah, I hit him. And it felt good.”
He set me down at the back of the open ambulance.
“I’m okay. I?—”
Everett cupped my face, his gaze hardening. His thumb stroked over my aching cheekbone. “He hit you?”
His tone was menacing as he turned to look at Corvo again.
I yanked his face back to me. “You can’t hit him again.”
“Yes, I can,” he countered.
“I’m okay,” I murmured. I touched the flannel shirt still tied around my neck. “Your flannel shirt saved my life.” My lips quirked. “Those are words I never expected to say in my life.”
