She held onto him, trying to keep her eyes open, trying to say something. He shook his head, not sure if she was able to understand or not and followed Will out of the room, and then to the stairs that had become unstable since they’d gone up.
Two more members of their team had joined them, helping Will to clear each room. He heard through the speaker that another person had been recovered, alive but unconscious, bound and gagged. He was with the paramedics and a police officer was with him, but right now, all Jonny was focused on was getting Rayah out of the building.
Air that should’ve been fresh was tainted with the chemicals that fire produced. The crowd that had gathered had been pushed further back, the police trying to disperse those watching. Rayah’s eyes were flickering open. He held her tightly in his arms, running over to the paramedic who was heading towards him. Scott and Jake were shouting, but he didn’t comprehend what.
The paramedic took the mask off as soon as Rayah was lying down. She started to cough and he saw how blackened her face was, saw cuts and bruises.
“I’m so sorry.” The words were choked so much he could barely make them out. “I didn’t mean…”
He shook his head. “It’s okay. We’re okay. Jesus, Rayah, I don’t think I could stop how I feel about you even if I wanted to, which I don’t.”
She didn’t respond because she couldn’t, the paramedics beginning to make assessments, checking her oxygen levels, looking at her cuts and bruises. In the ambulance, without her shoes on, her ankle looked warped, her jeans torn.
Jonny gripped onto the edge of the seating where he was sitting. She’d been beaten, probably dragged up the stairs and into the room. Whoever had locked her in had intended to kill her in the fire.
There was a knock on the ambulance doors; someone had gotten passed the barriers. The paramedic opened them and Jake’s head popped through.
“I know I shouldn’t be here, but that’s my sister and I needed to see that she was still alive.” He sounded partly his usual self and partly completely bricking it.
“She’s alive. Just.” Jonny saw his expression and instantly felt empathy. “But she’ll be okay.” She hadn’t properly lost consciousness which was a really good sign. The fact that she’d managed to get some oxygen into the room had probably saved her.
“Kayleigh’s okay, Rayah. Gran told me to tell you. And Alex told me to tell you a different inspector’s talking to her.” Jake pushed himself a little more in. “We’ll meet you at the hospital. Will she be okay?”
The paramedic nodded. “Thanks to being rescued when she was.”
“Will said the floor came down a couple of minutes after you got out. And they found another body. Someone who died in the fire. I don’t think I’m meant to know that though.” Jake shrugged. “I’ll see you there. Sorrell’s driving us.”
The doors closed and the ambulance started the drive to the hospital. Jonny reached over and took her hand in his, feeling it’s warmth, revelling in it. Her expression was pained, although he didn’t know if it was because of her injuries or that he’d rescued her again.
“I guess I kind of like saving you.” He smiled and gripped her fingers. “You’re brave, Rayah Maynard and I don’t want to change you. How can I want you to be different from the woman I fell in love with?” He’d forgotten that the paramedic was in there with them.
Her other hand came up and she pulled off the mask. “You can’t tell me that when I’m not meant to speak!” She put it back on as the paramedic began to speak.
“I thought it was probably the best time to tell you. You know, when you couldn’t argue back!”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rayah tried to keep hold of some patience as her brother hovered at the side of the hospital bed, actually trying to plump her pillows. This was out of character and very irritating, as Jake had clearly never plumped a pillow in his life and had no clue how to do it.
“I really am okay. You know I’m going to be discharged tomorrow.” She glared at him, hoping he wouldn’t be too offended as he really had been an attentive brother the last four days.
It turned out that smoke inhalation really wasn’t a good thing, and neither was getting the shit kicked out of you. She’d ended up with a nasty kidney infection, a fractured bone somewhere in her ankle that was just going to have to heal and a set of lungs that felt as if she’d been smoking sixty a day for sixty years. Luckily, she had the healing powers of a Maynard and she was getting better – and less patient – rapidly.
“So that means tomorrow I can go back to making your life a misery.” He gave her his most irritating smile.
“Your pillow plumping skills have already made this part of my life a misery, so let’s pause that if it isn’t your intention.”
He frowned. “You’re such a teacher.” Jake sat down. “How’s Jonny?”
“On pins.”
“What do you mean? If he’s pissing you about you know I’ll happily break both of his legs.” Jake almost looked serious.
Rayah was pretty sure that should she complain about Jonny, Jake would quite happily set a pack of alpacas on him. What damage they would cause, she wasn’t sure, but there would be consequences.
“He isn’t. If anything, it’s me who’s pissed him about. He was worried that my tendency to take risks would put me in a situation like this one.” She gestured down the bed to wear her ankle was strapped up and she had various scrapes and bruises.
“I get that, Ray. You know damn well…” He shook his head. “You did what you needed to do. If you hadn’t have followed the car up there, then Kayleigh might’ve been injured or others. It’s just shit that they got you.”
