“She’s off-limits,” I growl.
Not because I don’t want her.
Because I want her too damn much, and she’s been hurt enough.
They both howl with laughter, but the sound is cut sharply by the alarm blaring through the station.
Everything inside me goes still.
We sprint toward the trucks. Dispatch crackles through the radio.
Then the address hits.
Summer’s address.
A cold jolt punches straight through my chest.
Asher’s climbing in beside me.“Bro, you’ve gone pale.”
“It’s Summer’s place,” I manage, already shoving on my gear.“And Mia’s with her.”
The truck tears through the streets, sirens shredding the night, and I swear every second feels like a lifetime. By the time we pull up, flames are already ripping through the cabin, smoke curling into the freezing Wyoming air.
“Jesus,” Asher mutters.
I don’t wait for orders. I run.
Through the smoke, I catch movement upstairs, Summer, hair wild, face streaked in soot, pounding on the glass.
“Mia!” she screams.“She’s still in her room!”
“Summer!” I shout, but she shakes her head violently.
“Get her! Please, get my baby!”
That’s all I need.
“Asher, get her away from the window!” I yell, then sprint around the back. Heat slams against me, flames crawling up the siding. The smoke burns down my throat as I break through the back door and duck low.
“Mia!” I shout.
A faint cry answers.
I push toward it, coughing, heat pressing against my gear, and reach the bedroom. She’s curled on the bed, tiny body shaking, coughing, eyes red from the smoke.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper, scooping her into my arms and wrapping my jacket around her.“I’ve got you, sweetheart.”
I crash back down the stairs, wood cracking beneath my boots.
“Got her!” I shout into my radio, pushing through the door and into the cold night.
Paramedics rush forward. One takes Mia from me, checking her airway as she coughs hard but steady.
“My baby, please, save my baby!” Summer’s voice tears through the noise. She tries to lunge toward the paramedics, stumbling, and I grab her before she collapses.
“She’s okay,” I tell her, gripping her arms gently but firmly.“Summer, look at me, she’s breathing. She’s okay.”
Her eyes flick to Mia, then back to me, watery and desperate. Her knees buckle, and I steady her into the ambulance.
