“I’ve got you,” he said, voice raw. “I’ve got you, solnyshka.”
I tried to help him, but my movements were weak. I wasn’t sure how he was going to get it off of me when Raphael couldn’t even make it move, and he’d inhaled far less smoke than Alek probably had in his search for me.
But Alek rolled up his sleeves, exposing forearms I’d thought about many hours late into the night, and shoved the set piece off of me like it weighed nothing. His arms were around me a second later, crushing me to his chest while I tried to breathe through the pain in my body.
“You’re okay,” he breathed, his body trembling. He whispered the words over and over like he was trying to convince himself more than me. “You’re okay. You’re okay.”
I clutched his shirt as a thick sob escaped me. My body curled into him like he was the only real thing left in this world, the only thing standing between me and death.
“I love you,” I whispered. I cupped his cheek with a soot-covered hand. I wanted to kiss him so badly, but I knew this wasn’t the time, not when the set was collapsing around us and we risked becoming trapped. “I thought I lost you. I thought I ruined everything.”
He pressed his forehead to mine as the smoke swirled around us. “Never,” he said fiercely. “I would burn this world to ash before I let it take you from me. Because I love you, Evangeline. And I will stop at nothing to give you the happily ever after you deserve.”
Alek scooped me up into his arms, holding me tight as he turned toward the exit. He must have been able to see better than I could, or he knew his way around the theatre better from studying the blueprints so much, because his steps were swift and sure as he led me to safety. The flames roared behind us like they were angry he’d stolen me back.
The cold, late winter air hit me like a ton of bricks as we escaped the burning building. We were suddenly rushed by a swarm of people—firefighters, paramedics, other dancers. I spotted Madame Germaine’s stern but worried gaze amongst the crowd, and I even thought I saw the auburn locks and brown eyes that belonged to my brother.
But all of my attention was on the man holding me.
I turned to face him, looking up into his dark blue eyes. They looked like sapphires, only more beautiful.
They were the last thing I saw before everything went black.
March 8th
Nikolai
Hope little Eva is okay, boss. She looked pretty rough when you pulled her out.
Aleksandr
The doctor said she’ll be fine. Bruised ribs and smoke inhalation, but no major injuries and her burns are pretty minor. She’s hooked up to oxygen, and the doctor gave her a sedative to help her sleep so she’s out now.
Nikolai
That’s great!
Is her brother going to let you live?
Aleksandr
I’ll die before he tries to keep me away from her again.
Nikolai
Fuck, dude. That’s intense.
My body wasstiff as I pulled the chair from the side of the room closer to the bed where Eva lay fast asleep, an oxygen mask over her face. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms and hold her close, but I didn’t want to risk hurting her, so I settled for the feeling of her hand in mine.
Fuck. It was so limp.
I was running on fumes at this point, but no part of me wanted to sleep in that uncomfortable hospital chair. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured her frail body pinned beneath a column designed for the set. Her expression had looked so lifeless before I showed up, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly parted.
I never wanted to see that look on her again.
Whenever the visions threatened to stop me in my tracks, I reminded myself of her answering me in a room filled with smoke, her in my arms, her whispering that she loved me, herlooking at me as if I was both her dark horse and the white knight atop it.
My girl. Mine.
