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She takes a step forward and screams in pain, her leg giving way beneath her, and I catch her just before she hits the ground. “You’re hurt,” I say rather stupidly.

“He broke my ankle,” she cries.

“You have to get out of here, rainha.”

“I have to get to them!”

“Let me go, I can be in and out much quicker than you. Go wait outside and I’ll bring them out.” I beg her to agree.

She shakes her head. “I told them not to open the door to anyone but me.”

“They’ll answer for me,” I assure her. “Get safe, please Annika.”

She frowns at me and then looks down at her ankle, then to where my hands are still holding her steady with one on her back and one on her stomach. I release her when she glares at me, but she nods. I’d rather get her out of the house myself, but I also want to make sure the girls are safe and well. Waiting to see that she has gone the right way to get out the front, I follow her instructions to find the panic room just beyond the gym, down a flight of stone stairs, and along a narrow corridor.

There’s a large steel door at the end and I slam my fist into it. “Mabel? Keeley? You in there?”

“Harvey?” Mabel’s voice sends a flood of relief through me.

“Yeah, ursa,” I say over a relieved laugh. “It’s me.”

“Where’s Anni?” Mabel asks, not as relieved to hear my voice as I was for hers.

“She hurt her ankle and I told her to wait for us. Open the door and we’ll go to her.”

“Why should we trust you?” An angry voice cuts through.

“Guinevere?”

“Miss Wolfe told us not to open the door for anyone else.” Her tone tells me that she knows of my betrayal and I lean my forehead against the cold door.

“I know,” I sigh. “She’s hurt Guinevere, she wanted to come and get you but the house is on fire and we had to move quickly. I had to get her to safety. And now I want to get you to safety too. Please.”

“You hurt her Harvey,” I hear the tears through her frustration.

“I know that. We always hurt those we love most.”

There’s a silent pause before the door clicks open and swings on creaking hinges. In front of me are three pale and scared faces.

“Harvey,” Keeley sobs, holding her arms up for me and I don’t hesitate in picking her up and wrapping my arms around her back. Her legs and arms cling to me like a little spider monkey. She shakes from crying, her tears wetting my neck.

“Shhh,” I soothe. “It’s okay, princesa. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

Mabel hugs me, too, and I cradle the back of her head, holding her to my chest. I make eye contact with Guinevere, and she gives me a watery smile. “You love her?”

“More than I thought possible,” I answer honestly.

She nods. “Let’s get out of here.”

47

ANNIKA

Imake it out of the house and into the fresh air, coughing and spluttering as smoke tickles the back of my throat. My ankle is radiating pain all the way up my leg, and I end up crawling across the gravel to sit on the grassy verge opposite my burning home.

Thick black smoke is now billowing from the open windows on the first floor, and I can see the glow from the flames as the sun sets. Shouts come from the other side of the house and I raise my gun, staying sat as I’m not sure I can stand anymore. Lee comes running round the corner and makes a beeline for me when he sees me.

“Miss Wolfe!”