Page 100 of Up In Smoke

I know we have to hurry, but I grab the side of his face and kiss him hard.“You’re,remarkable, Jesse Silverman. Now get down the damn ladder!”

He nods at me, then looks at Klaus, who’s facing the door and growling at the fire, like he could protect us from it.

“You’ll both be right behind me?” he asks anxiously.

“I promise,” I tell him with all my heart.

Jesse nods again, then hugs Katerina’s cat to his chest before climbing hastily out the window and starting to shimmy down to safety.

“It’s just me and you left, buddy,” I tell Klaus. “You ready to blow this Popsicle stand?”

He looks over his shoulder at me, then back at the flames and smoke, barking at it defiantly.

“It’s okay, boy,” I say, crouching down to his level. “Guter Junge. You did such a good job. Thank you for keeping Daddy Jesse safe. Danke. But we have to go now. I promised to takecare of you, and Daddy Rico keeps his promises. Come on, Klaus. Where’s Daddy’s Jesse? Wo ist Jesse?”

He snaps his head around to properly look at me and wags his tail for the first time since I arrived on the scene.

“Ja?” I prompt, standing back up. “Shall we go find Daddy Jesse?”

That gets two loud barks before he runs over to me and circles my legs.

“Okay, big boy,” I say, bracing myself. “Just don’t fight me, all right? I’ve carried grown ass men down this ladder. I can lift you so long as you don’t wriggle.”

Klaus gives me a quizzical sound, but I don’t give him a chance to think too hard on it. I wrap my arms around his legs and scoop him up so he’s sideways against my chest with his head resting on my shoulder.

He manages to turn enough to lick my cheek with his big wet tongue.

“Thanks, buddy,” I say with a grimace.

The fire is growing and we really are out of time, so I awkwardly back out of the window and do my best to hold Klaus steady. But then he shifts, and for a second, my whole world tilts.

Except he climbs over my shoulder, moving his butt into the crook of my arm with his front legs resting over my back. Meaning that so long as I lean forward to keep us balanced, I can use my other hand to guide us down the ladder.

This is a lot better.

“Good boy!” I shout as I begin our decent, putting more distance between us and the damn blaze. “Guter Junge! The best boy!”

I can hear people cheering from below, but I try not to concentrate on anything other than putting one foot behind the other until we’re back on solid ground. At which point, Klaus mercifully jumps off me and my whole body trembles in relief.

Note to self. Rescuing anyone without apposable thumbs is no joke, even if they only weigh eighty pounds.

“Oh, thankfuck,”Jesse cries, throwing his arms around me and kissing my cheek. “You both made it.”

I hug him back and take a second to breathe. I know there are plenty of incredible men and women working the scene right now, so I can allow myself a moment to soak in the victory.

My family made it out unscathed.

I just hope I can say for the rest of the tenants before the night is through.

“I’ve got to get back to work, baby,” I tell Jesse reluctantly. “Please get checked out with Del and Yara, okay?” I can see that Katerina is already with them, Noski safe and sound wrapped in her arms inside her case.

“I will,” he says, then looks down. “But Klaus woke me up before the alarm even went off. I think I’m fine.”

“Seems like you guys really hit it off,” a voice comes from behind us. We turn to find Captain Padilla walking up to where we’re standing by the truck. “Nice to see you again, Jesse. Just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“You got that right,” I say, shaking my head.

Jesse has Klaus’s leash in hand again and is looking anxiously at Padilla. “Have you found him a forever family?” he asks. “Are you here to take him away?”