“What’s going on?” I asked, my brow furrowed.
“Lachlan, the call came from your farm,” he said, and my blood ran cold.
Logan . . .
“Go! We’ll meet you there.” He didn’t have to tell me twice because I was already running.
I didn’t even stop to change out of my gear. My boots pounded against the pavement as I sprinted to my truck, heart punching hard against my ribs. My hands shook as I turned the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life, and I peeled out of the lot.
The pavement blurred.
I took the back roads, as they were faster. I kept calling Logan’s phone, but it just kept going to voicemail. “Fuck . . . FUCK!” I shouted, banging on the wheel as if it would make the truck move faster. Smoke rose on the horizon before I even reached the property.
No. No, no, no.
I slammed on the brakes as I got to the edge of the woods and jumped out before I had even stopped fully, leaving the door hanging open. The trees near the back of the property were glowing, orange flames licking up bark and blackening the edges of everything.
I didn’t think. Iran.
Branches tore at my arms, smoke burned my throat, and every second I didn’t see her felt like a knife twisting further and further into my heart.
“Logan!” I shouted repeatedly.
Nothing.
My foot caught on a root and I stumbled, hands hitting the dirt hard, but I didn’t stop. I scrambled back up, and then I heard barking.
“Tony!” I gasped, turning toward the sound.
He shot toward me from between the trees, his fur dusted with ash, and he didn’t stop. He barreled into my legs, barking frantically, circling, and then taking off the other way. I didn’t even hesitate. I followed after him.
“Take me to her, buddy. Take me to her,” I begged.
We rushed through the woods, Tony weaving through the trees until I saw Logan.
She was crumpled on the forest floor, one hand still clutching at her face. Her other arm was curled around her stomach like she’d fallen trying to shield herself. Her face was smudged with soot, her hair tangled with fallen leaves, and she was too still. I dropped to my knees beside her, nearly slipping in the dirt.
“Logan,” I choked out, pressing two fingers to her neck. The faintest flutter of a pulse under my fingertips nearly broke me in half.
She was alive.
I gathered her into my arms as gently as I could, her head rolling limp against my shoulder. “I’ve got you,” I whispered. “Baby, I’ve got you.”
I didn’t look back. The fire raged behind me, but I held her close and ran like hell through the smoke. I could hear the sirens coming in now, the others arriving, shouting orders, getting boots on the ground, but all I cared about was her.
The second I burst through the tree line, someone yelled my name. People reached out, taking her from me, placing oxygen over her face, checking vitals. I climbed into the back of the ambulance without even thinking. She was on the stretcher, her chest rising and falling with the help of the mask, and I sat beside her, gripping her hand in both of mine like I could anchor her to this world.
Another paramedic wanted to check me over, but I waved him off. “Focus on her, I’m fine,” I growled, and he didn’t try to argue with me, just turned his attention back to Logan. I saw Joey walking past before they closed the ambulance doors to leave.
“Joey!”
He paused. “Yeah? How is she?”
“She’s alive, but I need you to do me a favor. Take Tony to the vet and watch him until I get back. I don’t know how long he was out there, but make sure he’s alright. I don’t care about the cost.” A paramedic was holding Tony by his collar, keeping him from jumping in with us. His tongue was lolling out of his mouth and he looked like he was going to fall over any minute. He needed rest and water, but I had to take care of Logan first.
“Yes, sir.” Joey took Tony, and I could hear Tony barking, tugging against Joey’s hold, but then the paramedic closed the door and we took off to the nearest hospital.
The sirens wailed as we sped toward the hospital, but all I could hear was her shallow breaths and the thunder of my heart as I prayed she’d live to hear the question.
