Burn for You (19 page)

He nodded and jogged over to the people gathered outside the hotel’s front entrance. He opened his badge wallet and held it high. “I need everybody as far away from the building as possible.”

If those tanks got hot enough…

Few things were more flammable than pure oxygen. The explosion would be epic.

And not in a good way.

Obeying his badge, the crowd started moving further away from the building and far into the parking lot. The firefighters rolled out their hoses, and amongst the chaos Jason registered the fact that the first trucks to arrive were from none other than Evanston’s Fire Station Three. He scanned the crowd for Victoria but didn’t see her among the men rushing about to tame the crackling flames.

The blast came out of nowhere—a circular burst of flames plumed from the sixth floor and startled screams sounded from the displaced hotel guests. Guests who only moments before where close enough to be hit by the falling debris.

God, he hoped Sophie had made it out of the hotel. He scanned the crowd again, searching for Sophie and Victoria.

The need to lay eyes on Victoria was overwhelming. He needed to see her, needed to know she was okay. She’d said she was going to alert the firefighters, and they were much closer to the building than the hotel guests, but they had protective helmets. When the blast happened, they were probably safe with their gear on. But Victoria? If she’d been out by the trucks, she could’ve been seriously injured.

Heart racing, he weighed the risks of moving closer. “Victoria!” He called her name a second time and headed toward the trucks. Where the hell was she?

The second blast was even louder than the first, the sound so intense it was a physical force that moved through his body, like being hit by a wall of sound. Unable to get closer with the intense heat radiating from the building, Jason turned and searched the swarm of people again. Panic clawed at his chest.

Victoria was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 15

“I’m sorry, miss. You can’t go any further.” The young firefighter motioned for Victoria to turn around, but she held her ground. Aunt Sophie leaned heavily on her arm, her breathing labored.

“Andy, come on. It’s me, Russo.” She held tighter to Sophie who was beginning to sag. “I need to get my aunt out to the ambulance.”

“Vic? Geez, sorry. I didn’t even recognize you.” Andy’s appreciative gaze traveled the length of her body and her clinging, soaking wet bridesmaid’s dress. “Looking good, girl.”

“Andy. Focus.”

“Right. Sorry.” Andy glanced away sheepishly, ostensibly searching for the ambulance. “I can radio rescue and tell them they’re needed back here.”

“Please do.”

After she’d alerted the first firefighter she saw about the oxygen tanks, she’d run to the back of the hotel, careful to keep her distance from the building. She knew people would be coming out all available exits and she’d prayed that Sophie had come out one of the back doors.

The relief she’d felt upon seeing the old woman, shuffling slowly away from the building, had brought the air back into her lungs, allowing her to breathe easy for the first time since she’d smelled the smoke. She’d laid eyes on almost everyone in her family and knew that they’d all likely gotten out safely. Thank the Virgin Mary.

However, it quickly became apparent that Sophie was struggling without her oxygen.

The ambulance arrived quickly—a good sign that there probably weren’t any injuries. Otherwise, they would’ve had to wait for another unit to arrive.

She’d never been so happy to see Mike Flaherty in her life. “She needs oxygen,” she said without preamble.

Flaherty nodded, looking only slightly perturbed that she was giving orders and taking over. Slightly perturbed was a vast improvement from his usual attitude toward her, so she’d take it. “She’s got COPD and emphysema.”

“Got it.” He handed her the mask, and Victoria placed it gently over Sophie’s face.

“Here you go,” she said. “Let’s have a seat.”

Flaherty pulled the gurney out, and Victoria helped her aunt get situated.

“Victoria!” Jason’s voice rang out across the parking lot as he came jogging toward her. “What the hell are you doing back here?”

“I found Soph—”

“Are you kidding me? What the fuck were you thinking? You told
me
not to go back inside, but then you risk your life—”

“Hold on a second.” Victoria stepped away from Aunt Sophie and put her hand on Jason’s chest, intending to stop his angry advance and calm him at the same time. “I didn’t go back inside. I ran around the building, hoping that she’d come out the back exit and she had.”

His chest deflated slightly beneath her hand. “I couldn’t find you,” he said, his voice gentler than before. “Those tanks on the sixth floor exploded…and I couldn’t find you.”

Hand still against his chest, she felt his racing heartbeat begin to slow down. “I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He placed his hand over hers, holding it over his heart. “You’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

His gaze searched her face intently for a moment, making her throat tighten. He’d obviously been beside himself with worry for her—which was the only reason she’d forgiven the what-the-fuck-were-you-thinking comment—and she’d be lying if she said it didn’t warm her from the inside out to have someone looking out for her like that.

He glanced at Sophie. “How’s she doing?”

Sophie pulled the mask away from her face, stretching the strap and holding it a few inches out. “
She
can answer for herself and she’s just fine, thank you very much.” She let the mask snap back into place over her mouth.

A small smile cracked through Jason’s intense expression. “Glad to hear it.”

Victoria started to pull her hand back, but Jason gave it a little squeeze and held fast. “I saw your mom and dad out front. Looks like they got out just fine.”

“Yes, I think everyone in my family’s accounted for now that we’ve found Sophie.”

“That’s good.”

Chaos ensued around them. Flaherty was taking Sophie’s vitals. Hotel guests were reuniting with one another. Staff were scurrying around reassuring people as best they could. But all of that faded to the background for Victoria. All she could see were Jason’s eyes—those eyes that could take her to the peacefulness of the lakeshore in seconds—and all she could feel was the soothing pressure of his thumb idly rubbing the back of her hand while he held it to his chest.

“Don’t disappear like that again, okay?” he said, his voice low and gruff. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“I—” Words stuck in her throat, and the panic from earlier that evening returned to wreak havoc on her insides. She got that free-fall feeling in her stomach and could do nothing more than lose herself in the depths of his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her protectively, and she melted. Insides turning to mush, she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder.

In her line of work, she was used to being regarded as capable—by all but Flaherty anyway. People didn’t worry about her. And that was great. It meant she was seen as responsible, smart, strong.

But Jason…Jason seemed to respect her competence—following her out of the building when he’d wanted to go back for Sophie—while worrying about her anyway.

If she didn’t know better, she might’ve let herself believe he actually cared for her.

She closed her eyes against the realization that she wanted him to care. She wanted it so badly, because every minute she was with him, she fell just a little bit further. Which proved definitively that she was the same stupid girl who’d wasted too many years on Graham, who’d been too blind to see the writing on the wall.

She opened her eyes and pulled back from his embrace. “I should go see if they need my help.”

Yes, she should go. She should go and remind herself she didn’t have to be that stupid love-struck girl anymore. She didn’t have to keep handing her heart over to men who didn’t want it in the first place.

* * *

It would be quite a while before Jason could go any further with his investigation. He’d done what he could for the last few hours—interviewed guests and staff, talked to a few firefighters, taken photographs, sifted through what he could among the steaming embers. Now, there was nothing left to do until the last of the flames on the sixth floor were extinguished, and even then, it wasn’t likely he’d be able to get to the room where the fire had started without special equipment. That part of the sixth floor was no longer structurally sound.

The sun started to peek over the horizon, painting the skies in blues and oranges that were eerily reminiscent of last night’s fire. With most of the guests relocated and the parking lot fairly clear, the dawn brought a peaceful silence. If he closed his eyes, he might be able to imagine the sound of the fire hose was just that of a waterfall. But he didn’t close his eyes, because if he did, he’d probably pass the fuck out.

Victoria, on the other hand, had no such lack of energy. He walked toward the ambulance where she was assisting a woman who’d only just realized she’d twisted her ankle running down the stairs to escape the burning hotel. The adrenaline had likely kept her pain at bay through the crisis, but not long ago, she’d hobbled up to the ambulance and asked for help.

He leaned against one of the parking lot lamps and watched Victoria wrap the woman’s ankle with swift, accurate movements. She was still wearing her bridesmaid’s dress but had jumped in to help wherever she could. She smiled at the woman, offering words of comfort that didn’t quite reach his ears. The woman smiled back, visibly relaxing in Victoria’s care. And who wouldn’t? She had a way of putting everyone at ease, of taking charge and making people feel like everything was going to be all right. He’d seen it in action several times throughout the night after he’d found her and Sophie behind the hotel.

He fought against the memory of that moment. He didn’t want to think about the sheer terror he’d felt when he’d thought she’d run back into the building for Sophie. It was an irrational thought. He knew Victoria would never do something like that. She was far too practical. Too smart to risk the lives of her fellow rescuers. But rational thought hadn’t really played into it for him in that moment. All he’d been able to register was a horrible feeling of helplessness that he hadn’t been with her, that he hadn’t been there to protect her.

“I think it’s just a bad sprain,” she said to the woman. “But it probably wouldn’t hurt to have it x-rayed.” They spoke for a few more moments, but the woman didn’t need transport as her injury wasn’t urgent and her husband was able to drive her to the hospital. When she hobbled away with her husband’s help, Victoria jumped back on the rig and started straightening up.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you went home and got some sleep?” he asked her.

“There are still things to do.”

“Who’s manning this rig? Let them do it. You’re not on shift now.”

She didn’t glance up from her work but continued returning equipment to the proper places in the truck. “You’re still here.”

“Not for long. There’s really nothing I can do here for a few more hours. Let me take you home so you can get some shut-eye.”

“My car’s here. I can drive myself.”

Jason pushed off the light pole, not liking the coldness in Victoria’s tone. “Victoria, what’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“Why won’t you look at me?”

She closed one of the storage bins and looked up. “I’m busy.”

More like trying to distract herself. Again. Someone else should be cleaning this shit up. She wasn’t even on shift. But she wanted the diversion. He already knew her well enough to know that.

“I don’t want you falling asleep behind the wheel,” he said sternly.

“Well, I don’t want
you
falling asleep behind the wheel. You’re just as sleep deprived as I am.”

“All the more reason for us to ride together. That way you can talk to me on the drive and make sure I stay awake.”

She tilted her head. “Fine. But I drive and you talk.”

Oh, hell no. “I’ll drive. I’m not much of a talker.”

“You’ll think of something.”

“Fine.” Too tired to argue and too anxious to see her off her feet and resting, he decided not to prolong the discussion. “Whatever you say, Toria.”

He didn’t like this awkwardness between them. Didn’t like that she walked to her car without once looking at him, without even just one of her signature warm smiles.

She had regrets about last night. There was no other explanation.

So, where did they go from here?

He slid into the passenger seat of her small compact car. “Listen, Victoria—”

His cell phone rang, interrupting whatever he might’ve said. And honestly, he had no clue what he’d been about to say. He only knew that he wanted to turn things around between them. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

Pulling out his phone, he saw Preston’s number on the caller ID. “Yeah, Preston. What’s up?”

“Jason, I need your help.” The urgency in Preston’s voice wiped away Jason’s exhaustion.

“What’s wrong, man?”

“What isn’t wrong? How soon can you be here?”

“I can be there in twenty. Preston, talk to me. What’s going on?” Jason glanced at Victoria, who was finally making eye contact again, her brows raised in concern and her hand frozen on the key in the ignition.

“I don’t have time to explain. Just get here as quick as you can.”

“Preston—Fuck, he hung up.”

“Who’s Preston?” she asked.

“My brother. Foster brother. Former foster brother actually. Never mind. It’s a long story. I should get my car. I need to go to his house. Can you hitch a ride with someone else? I still don’t want you driving alone.”

She waved him off. “I’m fine. I work twenty-four hour shifts. This is nothing.”

She’d been on her feet all night, tending to minor injuries, assessing victims for smoke inhalation, helping wherever she could. It was far past time for her to go home and get some sleep. “Victoria, please don’t argue with me about this.”