Page 29 of Quadruplets for the Vipers (Never Just One #3)

Axel

T he fire is already raging by the time I reach the clubhouse.

The sound of the explosion woke me, and I rushed to help as quickly as I could.

Rider was emerging from his room at the same time as me and I shouted to him to wake Jace as I ran down the stairs.

Knox was just seconds ahead of me, running down the road.

Spotting his bare feet, I decided to throw on my leathers and boots.

Already planning to go inside and brave the flames to try to get people out.

Knox seems to realize his mistake when I arrive.

Dressed only in sweats, he’s helpless to go inside and try to save our friends who we can hear crying out for help from within.

He’s busy helping the ones outside who were lucky enough to have escaped.

Vic is badly burned, and his old lady, Betsy, is unharmed but sobbing uncontrollably.

A short distance away there’s a burned body lying face down, I can’t see who it is, but I know from my military days that they’re beyond help.

A couple of club bunnies and some guys I don’t recognize stand coughing, staring at the flames in horror.

“Call the fire brigade!” I shout to them, and they nod, pulling out their phones in a daze.

“Who else is inside? How many are trapped?” I frantically ask, turning my attention to Betsy.

“I don’t know… I… um… there’s Shelly on the bar, and then I think there was Tank, Brewer, and a couple of prospects and a few of the club girls…” she says, dazed.

“Are those the prospects and club girls over there?” I ask, pointing to the ones that made it out.

She nods uncertainly, “I think so. Maybe there was one or two more. I dunno, they weren’t with us.”

“Alright, Betsy, you did good. Help is on the way.”

After speaking with the others, they confirm that no one is missing from their group. They inform me that they escaped through the emergency exit, which means the others left inside must be trapped, unconscious, or it’s blocked off now.

Knox looks at me. “We can’t wait for the fire brigade. The rate that fire is burning it will be too late…”

“I know. That’s why I’m going in.”

“Me too,” Jace says, coming over with Rider beside him. Like me, they thought to put on their clothing for protection. They also had the added idea of bringing some soaking wet towels with them.

I nod, turning my attention to Rider and Knox. “You two stay out here and help everyone who made it out.”

“No. I’m coming in too,” Rider insists.

“No, you’re not. I’m sorry, brother. I know you mean well, but if you freak out on us in there, we’re all dead.”

I feel like shit for saying it. But Rider is no longer warzone-ready, and this is a warzone. He doesn’t argue with me. He knows I’m right. Knox starts to argue that he can come, he just needs to change.

“There’s no time,” I say, cutting him off. ‘Let’s go,” I bark at Jace who follows me into hell.

Covering my mouth with one of the wet towels, I head inside with Jace close by my side. “Shelly, Tank, Brewer!” we shout in unison.

“Over here!” I hear Tank call out from behind a wall of flames, his voice hoarse from coughing.

I brace myself for the intense heat that licks at me as I brave the flames. When we come through the other side, only a second later but it feels like forever, we’re unharmed.

Immediately my eyes land on Tank who’s pinned under a large wooden beam that’s fallen on his leg. “Fucking thing’s trapped me good. I can’t lift it myself,” he says, almost ashamed.

As his name suggests, Tank is a giant of a man, but he’s getting on in years, and isn’t the formidable strong man he once was.

“It’s alright brother, we’ve got you,” Jace says, clapping Tank on the shoulder.

With great difficulty, the two of us manage to lift the beam off Tank’s leg.

I’m grateful that Jace is here, I don’t think I could have done it alone.

Tank’s leg is badly wounded, the white bone sticking out from below the knee, and below it, his calf is a mess.

He’ll probably lose it. There’s no way he’s leaving here on his own without help.

“Thanks, my leg’s fucked but at least I ain’t dying today,” he grunts, trying to make light and hide his fear and pain as we help him to his feet.

“Where’s Shelly and Brewer?” I ask, knowing we don’t have much time as the bar collapses around us.

“Went for some one-on-one time in the toilet,” he coughs, his eyes closing as the shock and blood loss kick in.

“Jace, get him outside, I’ll find the others.”

I can tell he wants to argue that I should go with them, but we don’t have time and Tank needs help urgently. He doesn’t want to leave our friends behind either and he knows I have to at least try to save them. He nods and heads out with Tank while I forge ahead.

More debris has fallen in front of the toilet door, blocking the people inside.

Feeling light-headed from the smoke inhalation I work quickly to remove it until I’m finally able to get inside.

Both Brewer and Shelly are lying on the floor unconscious.

I quickly move to check their pulse. Shelly’s is there, but weaker than I’d like.

I can tell before I check that Brewer is gone.

He was a heavy drinker and smoker, despite being asthmatic, it’s clear that he’s dead.

The smoke inhalation no doubt triggered an asthma attack which killed him.

There’s nothing I can do for my friend now, and I can’t even take his body out with me. I can only pray the firemen can put out the fire before it gets to his body. Without a moment to waste, I throw Shelly’s unconscious body over my shoulder and once more head out into the bar.

The fire is raging strong now, fueled by the spirits behind the bar, I can barely see in front of my face, and I know I don’t have long before I succumb to the thick, dark smoke that engulfs the room.

Coughing and spluttering, I fumble my way across the room where the fire isn’t as bad.

My lungs feel like they’re on fire and I struggle to walk under Shelly’s deadweight.

I begin to worry we won’t make it, the wall of flames seems never-ending.

What if I’m going in circles? My first thought is of Leah, and how if I die here, I’ll never see her again.

I’ll never be able to tell her that I love her.

I know it’s too soon, but I can’t lie to myself, not now when I’m about to die.

I love her. I want to raise this child with her as a family, as more than just co-parents, but as her life partner.

All of a sudden, the flames part and we’re outside, being pulled into the arms of our friends. I hear the sound of Leah screaming my name. Shelly is taken from me, and Knox administers CPR. In the distance, I can hear the wail of sirens.

I stumble forward, my vision clouded as I fall to my knees and cough up my guts. I fall back onto the floor, chest heaving as I try to catch my breath.

Then she’s there, wrapping me in her arms, crying my name, her hands soft on my face. Through bleary eyes, I see her, a vision in a white nightgown, like an angel.

“Leah.”

“Shh, don’t speak, it’s okay, an ambulance is on the way. Axel, I was so scared, I thought we’d lost you…”

She covers me in gentle kisses, her tear-stained face coming away smudged with soot.

“I love you, Leah,” are the last words I utter before the inky black pull of oblivion drags me under.