Page 31

Dante

For once, Rachel didn’t argue with me as we ran as fast as we could towards the clubhouse. She sucked in a breath as we rounded the corner and saw that the entire back of the club was on fire, and it was quickly licking its way through the rest of the house.

“What the fuck happened?” I yelled at my dad as soon as we saw him.

“We’ve no fucking idea! Vienna is looking into it. No one entered the grounds. We were watching the fucking cameras. Someone must have planted bombs.”

“Is everyone here?”

“Jenny is taking names.”

“Dante,” Rachel gasped. “Your mother and Bee… Katherine!” She yelled when she saw my mother and ran over to her, dragging me with her. “Where is Bee?”

“Bee?” she replied, looking bewildered, holding her chest as she coughed.

“Mother,” I warned, my heart instantly stopping. “Please tell me she’s with you.”

Her eyes grew wide with fear. “I was in the garden. She saw me crying, and I told her I had a headache. She said she was going to look for you two and—”

“Bee!” Rachel screamed, a scream that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

She dropped my hand and raced towards the house.

I was hot on her heels, hearing my dad yell at my mother behind me.

Rachel didn’t hesitate for a second. She pulled her shirt over her head and wrapped it around her hand, using it to rip the door open.

She stumbled backwards as the smoke immediately engulfed her, but not even her coughing fit could slow her down.

The door had been flung open with such force it slammed shut behind her.

I ripped it back open, oblivious to the searing pain that sliced through my palm.

I grabbed a brick and wedged it open, hoping that would help get rid of some of the smoke.

“Crash!” I yelled back at my dad. “Get everyone here. We need water, we need oxygen, we need fucking everything. Smash all the fucking windows and move all the furniture before the fucking flames get it! Make a path for us!”

I didn’t wait for an answer. I ran into the flames, my arm coming up in front of my face as the heat of the fire seared my skin.

“Rachel! Bee!” I screamed, squinting through the thick smoke as I struggled to see them. A beam of wood fell from the ceiling, completely ablaze, narrowly missing me.

“Rachel!” I yelled again, kicking a burning table out of my way.

I headed towards the back of the bar where the arched entrance to the house was.

Smoke filled my lungs, making my eyes water as the coughs took over.

I could feel blisters forming on my arms as the flames licked closer and closer to me, but none of it mattered.

All that mattered was getting to my girls and making sure they were safe.

Bottles shattered with the heat, the alcohol making the flames worse.

I took off my own shirt, quickly dipped it in the water barrel that we kept full for the dogs, and wrapped it around my mouth.

I wouldn’t be able to call for Rachel anymore, but at least I would survive long enough to fucking find her.

I stumbled to the archway, seeing the stairs completely engulfed in flames. My knees almost gave way, as I thought of Rachel and Bee being trapped up there. Just before I could do something stupid like jump into the blaze, a small voice to my left coughed my name.

I ran through the hallway and into the living room, seeing Rachel crouched over a small figure.

I raced over to them, ready to scoop Bee into my arms.

“Don’t!” Rachel snapped, covering Bee’s body with her own. “Don’t,” she repeated, raising her head to look at me so I could see her tear-streaked face. “She’s burnt, Dante. She’s badly burnt. If you move her too roughly, you’re going to peel the skin straight off her back.”

She moved to the side to show me my unconscious daughter .

I fell to my knees, crawling to close the small gap between me and the tiny five-year-old that had relied on me to keep her safe. I sucked in a breath, my chest heaving as the sobs threatened to wrack through me.

“No, Dante,” Rachel said, placing a burnt hand on my arm. “Now is not the time. You shut those emotions down, pick up your daughter, and get us both the fuck out of here.”

I looked down at the hand holding my arm and closed my eyes for the briefest of seconds before nodding.

“We can’t go back that way. Go smash the window. Use whatever you can to pull yourself out as quick as fucking possible. Let me know when you’re on your feet, and I’ll pass Bee through the window to you.”

She nodded and got to her feet without hesitation.

She took off her shoe and threw it at the window with all the strength she possessed, shattering the window in the middle.

She then removed her other shoe and used it to push out the glass around the edges that hadn’t come away from the wooden pane.

I carefully placed my hands on Bee’s shoulder’s and rolled her onto her side.

“It’s okay, baby girl, it’s okay,” I soothed her as she whimpered in pain.

I was conscious that the flames were licking their way through the wooden beams supporting the ceiling, and it wasn’t going to be long before the entire room collapsed in on itself.

I had to be quick, even though it killed me knowing I was going to hurt her further.

“Daddy’s got you, little B. You’re going to be okay,” I murmured, placing one arm under her knees, and the other under her neck.

“Daddy’s going to roll you onto his knees, okay?

And then I’m going to lift you into my arms and hold you against my chest. It’s going to hurt, sweetheart, but can you be a brave girl for me? We’re going to get you somewhere safe.”

I didn’t wait for her to answer. I did exactly as I had described, gently scooting her over until her stomach was resting against my knees on the floor.

Trying to avoid contact with her back, I pulled her further onto her side until her stomach was against my thighs, and then I quickly lifted her up, standing up as I did so.

I positioned her so her stomach was against my chest, still laying on her side.

She screamed a scream that broke my heart as I hauled her up, but I held her tight against me as she thrashed against the pain.

I stroked her hair, and I whispered soothing words to her.

“ You did so good, sweetheart. So, so good. We’re going now, Bee.

We’re getting you out of here, okay? You just close your eyes.

Daddy’s got you. Daddy will make it all better,” I promised her, making my way over to the window where Rachel was waiting for us.

I could hear Rachel screaming something, and then Vienna’s face appeared, his lips tight with determination.

He grabbed Rachel’s waist and lifted her onto the ground and then immediately took her spot, climbing through the window, one leg on either side.

“Pass her to me, boss,” he coughed, his arms outstretched.

I lifted Bee up slightly, flipping her gently until she was laid on her stomach, my arms supporting her chest and her legs.

“Shit,” Vienna hissed, tears coming to his eyes as he noticed her back.

“Keep her on her stomach. Pass her to Rachel, and tell her to take her straight to the nearest fucking car and straight to the hospital. She’s not to wait for me, you hear?” I yelled over the roar of the flames.

Vienna nodded at me as he scooped the child he loved like a daughter into his arms. He gently lowered her out of the window and into the arms of the only mother she had ever known.

A few seconds later, his head popped back through my side of the window. He laid on his stomach, his legs dangling down the outside wall, and extended his hand to me.

“This will be the only time I let you hold my hand. Don’t go getting a crush on me.”