“Stay out here and watch for Frank!” I yell. “I’ll get Mercy.”
James nods and so does Perry. As one we all move into position and I follow the water’s path inside the house, swearing at the flames and the heat.
It’s so dark that I can’t see a damn thing and I holler, “Mercy! Are you in here?”
A whimper in the middle of the living room sends me that way and I wilt when I reach down and feel her on the floor.
“Oh god! Mercy?” I whisper, tugging at her and growling when she doesn’t move.
“I’m taped to the damn couch,” she whispers, coughing. Just the sound of her voice.
Closing my eyes, I fight the need to wail and gnash my teeth. Bitter and angry. I was trying to protect her and once again, I fucked up.
Now we’re both going to die.
“Reed, come on, focus. Get me out of here. I know you can. I trust you, Reed. I love you.”
My whole body freezes. “You love me?”
“I do,” she laughs. “But it’s not going to mean much if we’re both barbecued!”
Pulling a knife out, I hack at where the tape is tied around the leg but the flames are hotter, the smoke thicker and it’s not budging.
“Dammit!” I growl in frustration.
“Get your ax!” She hollers.
Yanking it out, she stays still as I lift the couch straight up. “Can you hold it upright?” I ask her and I see her nod faintly, coughing.
The couch leg is long and she’s taped to the bottom of it so I lift the ax and bring it down on the leg, smashing it until I can finally pull it free and her with it.
“Go, go!” I holler, but she bends over coughing and I swear. With a quick move I throw her over my shoulder and run for the door.
We burst through the water falling over us and I charge for the fire truck, letting her down carefully and pulling my mask off. Her pretty blue eyes are red and watery with smoke. Her face is dirty, her hair a tangle mass of curls but she’s never looked more beautiful to me.
Reaching up, I tuck her curls behind her left ear and smile. “You’re alive.”
“Not for long.”
The voice behind me whips me around and I growl, pushing Mercy behind me.
“Frank.”
He’s even worse than I remember. His scars on the left side of his face, marring what used to be a handsome face that drew women in like bees to honey.
His lips curl and he spits at me, “You thought you’d actually beat me, Reed? Not again, old buddy. This time you’re gonna be the one that loses everything.” He glares behind me. “Especially her.”
He grins coldly. “And as soon as I take care of all of you, I’m gonna kill your mother too. I will not rest until there’s not one damn branch left on your family tree.”
“Why?” I snap.
He lifts a hand to his face. “Because you did this to me!” He screams, spittle at the corner of his mouth.
“You did that to you. Not me. You started all the fires and you ran into one because you got caught. Your choice.”
“There was no choice,” he growls, bitterness in his words.
“There was. Just like there is now. Turn around and go back to jail and nothing will happen to you. Keep on going on like this and you’re going to get hurt…again.”
