Page 136

He stumbled through, and I followed, hauling us both into the open air.
The second we cleared the threshold, Hunt grabbed Ben, half-carrying him away from the smoke.
I staggered, sucking in the cool night air, my whole body shaking.
"Jesus Christ, Elena," Duke ground out, his hands grabbing my face, blue eyes blazing with something raw and furious.
I opened my mouth—to say what, I didn’t know—but he just pulled me in, holding on like he’d never let go. The world tilted, and I began to crash. Strong arms wrapped around me, hauling me back. He carried me as my head lolled.
“You keep this up, I’m gonna wrap you in Goddamn bubble wrap.”
I managed a weak, soot-stained smirk. “Gotta catch me first.”
His face hardened as he set me down to stand on wobbly legs. "You almost died."
I swallowed. "Ben almost died."
Duke pressed his forehead against mine, his whole body still trembling.
"You’re killing me, baby," he whispered.
“I love you, too,” I breathed right before I blacked out.
CHAPTER 41
duke
The barn and stables still smoldered, and smoke curled into the night air.
The scent of burnt wood and fear thickened in my lungs. Firefighters were hosing down the last embers. The fire chief stood near the fence line, hands on his hips, expression grim.
“This wasn’t an accident,” he declared flatly. “From what I can see, and I can’t see much, the fire started in three places at once. Someone meant for this place to burn.”
I clenched my jaw, my body a live wire of rage and unease.
Sheriff Dillon rubbed a hand over his face, looking just as pissed as I felt. “I’ll call in an arson investigator.”
I turned, eyes locking on Elena, sitting on the bed of an EMT truck, her face streaked with soot. She was stubborn as ever, barely wincing despite the burns on herhands, despite the bruises already forming from where she’d thrown herself at Ben to save him.
The sight of her wrecked me.
It was morning by the time everyone settled back. I told Hunt to let the hands take some time. The horses were safe, and thankfully, the cattle were up in the north pasture with some of the crew, well away from the fire.
This time of year, we kept them rotated on fresh grazing land, pushing them toward higher ground where the grass was still good. The fire hadn’t gotten anywhere near them, but if the wind had shifted just right, we could’ve been in a hell of a mess trying to move that many heads in a panic.
Hunt had already checked in—no injuries, no stampedes—just another thing to be grateful for.
I managed to get Elena into the ranch house and to Itzel.
It took me another few hours to get my ass to the house. Not wanting to wake up Elena, I took a shower in one of the guest bedroom bathrooms.
I carefully opened the door to our bedroom and saw her lying on her side.
“Duke,” she murmured.
“You awake, baby.”
“Hmm. Waiting for you.”