“Ry!” The kitchen is almost completely engulfed in flames, and I’m aware of them licking at me, but I need to get him out.
“Aspen. Get out of here, now.”
I fall to my knees at his side, assessing his injuries. His head is still bleeding, but he’s struggling to get his feet under him. “I’m not leaving without you.”
“He blew my knee out with a baseball bat before knocking me out. I’ll slow you down.”
“I am not fucking leaving this restaurant without you.” I pull with all my might, getting him into a standing position. I sling his arm around my neck, stabilizing him enough to limp out, but the flames engulf the doorway. We’re trapped.
“Help!”
Ryder limps over to a fire extinguisher, aiming it at the door. If we can dampen the flames long enough to get outside, we’ll be okay. When he’s done, I grab him again, helping him as we navigate around the blazing inferno. Pain radiates up my arm, the heat unbearable, but I’ve got to get us out of here.
I hear sirens as we edge toward the entrance. Just a few more feet and we’ll be safe.He’llbe safe. The door flies open, a firefighter standing in the doorway, and I collapse to my knees. Ryder shouts in pain as he reaches down, hauling me up into his arms.
“Get her out,” Ryder bellows.
The firefighter comes running toward us, supporting Ry as he carries me out into the cool night air. I hear Jude before I see her. “Aspen!” she screams. Another firefighter appears at Ry’s side, scooping me out of his arms.
“Jamie?” Ryder’s brother sets me down on a gurney before moving to his brother.
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine. Make sure Aspen’s okay.”
“You need to be seen too. You’re in bad shape.”
“Help. Her.” I’m already surrounded by paramedics, the adrenaline rush that propelled me in there, draining from my body.
“Ry.” He appears at my side.
“I’m here, baby girl.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead, when an almighty boom shakes the street.
“We need to get you out of here. I’ll come find you when it’s safe.” It’s only then that I realize what Ryder’s brother is saying. He’s going in there.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Jude comes barreling toward me, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Do you have a fucking death wish? Why would you do that? I thought you were dead.” She wraps her arms around me as I sit on the gurney, pain swelling where she made contact.
I scream as my skin protests even the lightest touch.
“Get off her. She’s burned. Badly.”
A paramedic ushers Ryder into the ambulance before getting me in.
“What hospital are you taking them to?”
“Langone.”
“I’ll meet you there.” Jude chokes through tears.
When the ambulance doors close, I breathe a pained sigh of relief at the sight of Ryder. For the longest minutes of my life, I really thought I’d lost him. Our earlier fight is long forgotten. It all seems so stupid now.
Ryder is coughing hard as the paramedic links him up to some oxygen before doing the same for me. The pain is starting to kick in, my body trembling as Ry reaches over, taking my hand in his. “You saved my life.”
“I…” I don’t have the words at this moment.
“What you did was reckless. You could have been killed. I’m as angry as I am grateful right now.”
“I couldn’t let you die.” The paramedic assesses my wounds as we speed through the streets, traffic edging out the way for the blaring sirens.
