Page 16 of Jerk

The organic cotton from Peru? Toast.

“I have a lot of talent, but putting out a fire isn’t one of them,” Hannah says, her eyes darting around the space. The room gets smokier with the smell of burning paper and fibre around us.

“I need everybody out.” Dashing through the door, I head for the alarm in the front foyer.

“Wait!” she calls, but there’s no chance. Not with that fire growing.

“Whoa, Rowen!” Bumping into Gray, he has a girl on his arm, her tits falling out of her leather tube top. His brows furrow. “Why do you look like you’ve seen your father?”

“Get everybody out.” I signal to the DJ, who immediately cuts the music.

“No way. The party just?—”

“Gray, do it.”

He takes a second before he nods. “Time’s up, buttercups!” he yells, making the girl next to him jump.

And with that, the boys,myboys, step into action.

Moving into the next room, it’s like Mac senses it, already barking orders to the people surrounding us. “Party’s over!”

Krystal and Marisol head towards the foyer, Ember not too far behind. Moving to the back door, I make sure no one’s on the patio or in the pool before turning back inside. The main room empties, and once I’m back in the foyer, Gray continues to herd guests out.

A hand goes to my shoulder. Mac. “What’s going on, Rowen?” he asks. “I smell smoke.”

“Just get everyone out,” I say, glancing back at my mother’s studio. The door is closed, but I didn’t see Hannah leave. “I’m right behind you.”

Rushing to my mother’s studio, a thousand pounds sit on my chest when I touch the warm doorknob. Pushing it open, I pullmy shirt to my face as smoke bellows out of the room, my eyes scanning for Hannah.

The studio looks like an excerpt from hell. Fire climbs up the back wall, smoke covering most of the ceiling. When I take a step in, kicking a melted mannequin to the side, something hits my leg. A slender, tanned hand with sparkling nails.

Crouching to the floor, my heartbeat slows.

She looks peaceful for once, lying there with her head against the floor. Lifting her chin, soot decorates her perfect makeup. My hand goes to her cheek, slapping it against her warm face.

“Get the fuck up, Hannah.” When she doesn’t respond, I slap her face again. “Hannah.” That weight on my chest gets heavier as I wait for a response. “Hannah!” When I slap her face again, a cough follows, her arm coiling in as it presses against the floor.

Her honey eyes widen as she sucks in a big breath of air. Rising from my crouch, flames begin to engulf the room around us. She tries to crawl out of the room, but her body gives out before she makes it.

“Get up,” I say, the alarm blaring. She coughs, but she doesn’t change her position. So I do it for her, flipping her over. She coughs some more as I get on top of her, bringing my head close to her soot-covered face. “You did this.”

“Youdid this,” she says, lifting her hand like it weighs a brick. She reaches for my face.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” I push back on her face and squeeze those cheeks between my fingers. “Look at me.” She attempts to turn her head to the side, but I don’t let her, making her focus those eyes on me. She tries to lift her other hand to my face, but it’s too easy to pin it next to her head.

“You fucking jerk,” she spits.

“Be grateful I came back for you.”

She squirms, those eyes shifting behind me. The fire’s building. Her cheeks still between my fingers, I give her a shake to get her attention.

“Here’s what we’re gonna do.” My hand leaves her wrist, my fingers trailing down her warm arm. “I won’t leave your lifeless body here to burn with the mess you caused.” My fingers trail down her thigh. Balmy, sticky. “But you won’t make it another day as queen of SBU. Understand?”

“Fuck you.”

CRACK!

She jumps when something lands next to us. A flaming mannequin head.