Page 36 of Revived (Lucky Ones #1)

Chapter twenty-six

Sullivan Byrne

T he tones startle me awake from the amazing dream that I was just having about my girl straddling me and riding my– “Sul, you up? Structure fire. Let’s go!

” Steel shakes my bed frame as he runs past. I hop off the bunk and run through the house to the bay.

My body moves of its own accord as my feet hop (literally) into my boots.

Grabbing my pants, I pull them up over my shorts and throw my suspender straps on my shoulders.

I toss my hood on right before shrugging my jacket on and tossing my SCBA onto my back.

I throw myself into the front seat of the truck, and after making sure everyone’s dressed and ready to go, Steel pulls out of the bay.

Grabbing the radio, my hand brings it up to my mouth automatically. “Rescue eight responding. ETA five minutes.”

“Hey, Lieu?” Sadie calls from the back seat.

“Isn’t that your address?” She points to the GPS and my eyes dart to the address.

Vomit burns the back of my throat, and I can feel the color drain from my face.

The address that’s staring back at me isn’t mine, but it is Elena’s.

My hands begin to pat my pockets for my phone in a panic, but too slowly I remember that I left it at the firehouse.

Goddamnit!

Okay. It’s going to be okay. She’s at my house.

There is no logical reason that she shouldn’t be at my house.

Steel turns onto our street, and her entire house is up in flames.

There’s no saving that. Now the goal is to make sure no one is inside and keep it from spreading to Flynn’s house or her neighbor on the other side.

I feel like I can’t breathe deep enough. Her fucking house is on fire. I don’t have any solid proof that she’s safe, and I have to turn it all off and focus on my job.

My first instinct is to go in search of Elle and make sure she’s fine, but I have to turn that part of my brain off.

Careless mistakes get men killed. We pull up along with our station's aerial truck, engine, and tanker. My fingers work deftly to make sure everything is strapped and where it’s supposed to be.

I slide my hood in place before tossing my helmet and gloves on and pushing out the truck.

I’m met with our chief as soon as my feet hit the asphalt.

“Byrne, you’re sitting this one out.” His voice brokering no room for argument.

“That’s my girls’ house, Chief. Respectfully, I can’t sit this one out.”

He must see something in my expression because he nods before telling me, “you can be on the radio. But you will not take one step inside of that house. That’s a direct order, Lieutenant.”

I want to argue with him. To tell him I’m a motherfucking Byrne, and I won’t be told what to do when it comes to my woman. I can’t though. So instead I bite my tongue and nod. “Yes, Chief.”

“Sul!” I hear someone yell from behind me. I turn around to see Knox running towards me. The cops on scene try to stop him, but I meet them at the barricade.

“Where’s Elena? Do you have Elle?” My voice cracks with fear. I’ve been holding it together, but in the presence of one of my brothers, my resolve cracks.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing. I went to your house, and she isn’t there.” He rushes out.

Before I can spiral completely out of control, I see her and Flynn run across his yard.

She runs straight to me and I engulf her in my arms. Looking over her head, my eyes clash with Flynn’s.

He nods silently, like he knows that all I can think about is how grateful I am that they were here before I could be.

“Knox said he went to the house and you weren’t there. You scared the hell out of me, baby girl.” I mumble into her hair while holding on just a little tighter.

“I’m sorry. I knew Flynn was home and when I smelled the smoke and saw the fire, I had to go get him.”

Flynn can handle himself, and if I were a betting man, I’d bet he was already halfway out the door by the time she came running.

Still, her heart has always been my favorite part of her.

Her need and desire to make sure everyone around her is safe and okay calls to the large part of me who is exactly the same.

The radio at my chest crackles before my Captain’s voice booms down the line, “Byrne! You planning on joining us today, or should I call in a different Lieutenant to handle this?” My head drops to my chest as I step back from Elle and look to Knox and Flynn.

“Make sure she’s taken care of. I’ll be home as soon as I can.

” They both voice their agreement, and I turn my attention quickly to Elle.

“Go to my house and try to go to sleep, baby girl. We can rebuild the house. I’ll replace everything inside of it.

It’s just stuff. As long as you’re safe, I can go do my job.

” I kiss her nose gently. “I love you so much, Elena.”

“I love you too. Go save what’s left of my house.” She gives me a sad smile.

Without another word, I turn on my heels and make my way back to my crew.

When no one is in danger in these situations, we typically back up whoever needs it.

With everyone else helping other crews, I go in search of Ward to see where he needs me.

It’s going to be a long night, and the more hands helping means the quicker we can get out of here.

I can’t let my fears and worries overtake me right now. Wet stuff on the hot stuff; that’s what I have to focus on until I get home to her.

***

It took us three hours to get the house fully extinguished. Then another two to get all of our gear, equipment, and tools scrubbed clean. By the time shift change comes, I’m dead on my feet. I’m walking out of the station when Steel jogs up beside me.

“Hey, Lieu. You okay?” He asks with concern in his tone.

“Yeah, why?” I ask, confused at what he’s talking about.

“Lieutenant Byrne, with all due respect, we just put a fire out across the street from your own home? At your girl's house? How are you okay right now?” His brow furrows as he tries to figure out how I’m processing all of this.

I decide to be honest with him. He’s curious, and he’s man enough to ask, so why not? “I have to be. I can let it all out in about ten minutes when I’m at home and with her. Until then, that shit stays locked up.”

He’s taken aback by the honesty in my response. “How though? How do you do that so efficiently? I was torn up for you, and you seemed strictly business.”

I clap my hand on his shoulder. “Man, where were you when I was too wrapped up in seeing her to do the job? She’s safe. She’s in my bed and waiting for me. Everything else is just stuff. As long as I have her, I could lose it all and still be okay.”

He nods as he thinks it over. “That makes sense. You’re one strong motherfucker, Lieu.”

“Thanks. Now, I’m going to go home to my girl. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

With that we part ways, and I make the short drive home.

Once I’m in my driveway and out of my vehicle, my eyes automatically linger across the street.

Where just twenty-four hours ago Elle’s house stood.

The thought that she could have been inside the house has my chest aching and a paralyzing fear coating my blood.

I can’t take being away from her a second longer.

She has to go to the gym today, so we already can’t spend the entire day together.

Moving as quickly and quietly as I can, my feet move through the house and into my bedroom.

I can hear her sniffling before I even make it across the room.

Stripping out of my clothes as I go, I’m down to just my boxer briefs by the time I’m climbing in bed behind her.

One of my arms circles her middle while the other wedges under her pillows.

“Shhhh… It’s okay, Boo. I’m here.” I nuzzle my face into the back of her neck as she tries her hardest to sniffle without me noticing. Yeah, that’s not going to happen.

I’m not going to ask questions that I already know the answer to. I know what’s wrong. She just lost her damn house, and I almost lost her. I shudder just thinking about what would have happened if I pulled up and she was inside. She spins in my arms and her watery eyes meet mine.

“Everything’s gone. I had pictures of my mom in there, Sully.” She hiccups as she buries her head into my bare chest.

My chest feels hollow as I hold the woman I love while she grieves the physical mementos of her Mama that she lost today.

I’ll hold her as long as she needs me to.

She can soak up every ounce of strength that I have if it’ll make this easier on her.

I make a mental note to call Rowan later and make sure our keepsakes of our parents are in fireproof lockboxes.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl. I wish I could make this better for you.”

I press my face into the top of her head and breathe her in until I can feel her down to the tips of my toes.

Elle loves when I do this. I can always tell by the way she snuggles in closer.

Little does she know that yes, I do this because I love the way that she smells, but I also do this to make sure she doesn’t smell like syrup.

That’s how I know her sugar is sky high.

The dexcom is cool and all, but I don’t trust it fully. Machines malfunction all the time.

She smells like coconut and a walk on the beach, just like her shampoo and body wash. She smells like the safest place in the world. She smells like the only girl I’ve ever loved.

“It’s okay.” She sniffles once more before sitting up. “I’ve got a lot of stuff to do today. I should probably get moving.”

Elle maneuvers just out of my reach before she stands up. “Come on, Elle. We can handle it all together. Just come finish talking to me. Please.” My voice comes out as a plea.

“I can’t. You go to sleep. You were up all night.

I’ve got to call my Papa. Then I have to talk to someone who can tell me how this started in the first place.

Finally, I have to call insurance and stuff.

I’m going to have to figure out how to work out between all of that.

I’ve just got a lot going on. So you get some sleep, and I’ll talk to you when you get up. ”

Before I can answer, she’s out of the room, and before I get to the front door, she’s pulling down the street.

What the fuck.