Page 86 of Inked Temptation
Archer screamed, and there were more shouts, sirens, Cora barking. But I couldn’t breathe, the smoke getting to be too much. I crawled, trying to take Trevor with me, but he was out cold, either the smoke or part of the roof caving in hit him on the head. But he had to be breathing. He had to be all right. I began to crawl, trying to pull myself out, trying to do anything.
And then Archer was there, pulling on my arms.
“Killian. We have to go.”
There was fear in his gaze, his blue eyes wild, and I nodded tightly.
“Trevor.”
“There are others here. I’ll get him.”
As I let Archer pull me out, I reached around and gripped Trevor by the arm.
“Both of us.”
“Oh, fuck, okay. Hold tight.”
Archer pulled, tugged, then the firemen came, shouting out orders. I had Trevor, and then they took him away from me, and I fell into Archer’s arms.
Blood poured from a wound on my forehead and soot covered us both. Our feet were bleeding, and Cora was barking all around us, but we were holding each other, and people were moving us away, the fire engulfing the house.
As we moved far away enough to be safe, I looked at the place, my eyes wide.
Someone was saying something to me, trying to put an oxygen mask over me, but I could only just stare. Stare at the place that had been the home I was building for my family, the family that wasn’t coming back.
And now it was gone, too.
Archer slid his hand into mine as he breathed into his own oxygen mask. Someone else was taking care of Cora near us, using a pet oxygen mask that they’d pulled out of their truck.
I just stood there.
“It’s gone. All of it’s gone.” I coughed as the paramedic put the oxygen mask back on my face.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Archer whispered.
I just shook my head and leaned into him as I watched the rest of my place burn. The forest around it would be safe, thanks to the firemen protecting the land and the people.
But my home was gone.
And I could only hold on to Archer, and then Cora, and then Penny as she came to us, and knew that a part of my life was over.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.
I looked over to where Trevor was being wheeled into an ambulance, and I had to wonder if that could have been me—if the hate and damage to my heart could have turned me into that.
“Don’t think it. It wasn’t you.”
I looked down at Archer as he sat at the back of another ambulance, glaring at me.
“Stop reading my mind,” I whispered.
“It’s the only thing I can do when you don’t talk to me.”
“Neither one of you should be talking because you’re supposed to have the oxygen masks on your faces,” Penny snapped, as the paramedic gave her a kind smile.
“Now, both of you go get checked out and cleaned up. I will take care of Cora.”
“Penny,” I whispered.
