Page 140 of Knox Unleashed
Fire licks the ceiling above us. The middle beam could fall, at any moment. I glance to Maren, to see if she’s awake, and relief fills me when I see her push herself up, one hand braced on a crate, the other to her throat. There are soot and tears on her face.
And something in me gives at the sight of her.
“You should have left her the hell alone,” I say. This time, I punch him so hard, I swear I break his face and my knuckles. He staggers backwards, hitting the desk, and slumps down.
I hear another crack in the ceiling, and this time, I don’t waste any time. I run for Maren and drag her to her feet before catching her up into my arms.
“He’s lost…his mind,” Maren manages to say between her tears.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
I turn toward the door. The path I came in is already consumed with flames, and the air is getting thinner. It’s harder to breathe. The fumes of everything that is burning is overwhelming.
So, I run. There’s nothing calculated about it. I try to angle my body as best I can, taking the worst of the heat on my back. And we’re just through the door when the middle beam collapses.
I keep running away from the store until the air cools. Then, I fall to my knees, the gravel unforgiving. Once down, I place Maren gently to the ground as we both cough and splutter.
“Are you…okay, sweetheart?” I say, brushing her hair back off her face and taking a minute to inspect her properly.
She nods. Her eyes are streaming and glassy, and she keeps looking over my shoulder to the burning building as she sucks in air.
“My father. He said…he killed my mother, and…he should have killed me with her.”
The sobs come hard and fast, and I hold her tight as other bikes arrive in the lot.
“The window for me going back in there and getting him out is tight.” The words eat at a part of me. The part that wants the asshole to burn to death in there.
But for Maren, I’d do it. Because I don’t want her to ever have to bear the guilt of being there when her father died or her holding me responsible for not doing more to save the man.
Her breath stutters, and for a second, I think she might ask me to go. But then, she shakes her head. “He made his choice when he killed my mother. Leave him.”
I nod and pull her to my chest even tighter. “God, I thought I’d lost you. When I saw all the smoke...”
“Anyone else in there, Prez?” Havoc asks.
“We can trust them,” I say to Maren, and she nods. “Her father. But no one is to bring him out,” I say.
“No shit,” North says, looking at the building as it burns.
Sunny shields his eyes. “Anyone call the cops?”
Ridge shoulder checks him. “Think about that, for a second…you’ll get there.”
“What?” Sunny says.
“Who’s her father?” Lock asks.
“Oh,” Sunny says. Then, “Ohhh. Right. Cops are already in there.”
“I’ll call the fire department,” Havoc says as he rolls his eyes.
I can’t help the twitch of a smile that breeches the corner of my mouth. “I said we could trust them. Didn’t say they were smart.”
“There are two hoses on the side of the building,” Maren says. “If there’s any way to help save the building before the fire service gets here…”
“On it,” North says. “Let’s go, Reaper.”
Her hand comes up to my cheek, and I lower my mouth to hers. I hate the taste of salt from her tears. “Fuck, Maren,” I say, holding her tight. “I almost lost you.”
