Page 49 of Where There’s Smoke (Fire House Omegas #2)

“Reed.” Again, I kept my voice as steady as I could, holding up my hands as he pushed me against the kennel bars behind me. “Maybe you should call Mom and Dad. Maybe they can help. I’m sure that?—”

“Help?! Help?! They’re furious because of your little stunt! I failed to get you home before you did something stupid. Why the fuck do you think I’m out here?!” he growled.

Dammit, that wasn’t good. My eyes burned as I forced myself to stay still. I knew my parents weren’t the best people, but all this? How had I failed to see the truth? I couldn’t stop the tears now, and I shook my head as Reed went for the front of my shirt.

“Reed, you’re not a bad person. Please. Please, don’t do this. I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you. I am. Please let me go.”

“Sorry? Oh, no. You know nothing about being sorry. But you will now. You’ll pay for ruining my career, my deals, my life!” he snarled, holding up a lighter.

At that moment, the smell that had been assaulting my senses finally registered.

It wasn’t acid. It was gas .

“You destroyed my life, and for what? A fucking shelter for some stupid animals? You really think I would allow you to keep it? Allow you to just run off into the sunset with your precious pack?” He shook his head. “No.”

“Reed! Don’t!”

My shouts were useless as he grinned maniacally at me, a victorious look as he dropped the lighter. The room ignited in the blink of an eye. Why hadn’t I realized that Reed had doused the place in it?

“Get in!”

Reed tried to push me into the kennel, but I threw myself to the side, quicker than he expected. Smoke was already billowing around me, and as Reed lumbered toward me, I kicked hard, leveling my heel with his crotch.

He reeled back, stumbling, but then glared at me. “Dumb bitch. You’ll still burn! Just like your precious shelter!”

Reed, cackling like a madman, turned and sprinted for the back door, slamming the thing behind him. I heard something grind just outside it, and I had to imagine that he was blocking it from the outside.

Staggering back, all I could do was watch helplessly as the flames burst into life, spreading across every surface.

I had been in a fire before, though. I was bonded to firefighters. I knew how serious a situation this was and knew that I had to act quickly. Silently, I thanked the gods above that there were no animals in the building.

Only me.

I was standing in a part of the building that had no emergency exits, and the only thing between me and the door that my brother had just run out of was a lot of flames.

The room was rapidly filling with smoke. Glancing around, my eyes landed on the desk where I had a bottle of water. Although the tiny bottle would be useless when it came to dousing the flames, I grabbed a scarf off the nearby chair and soaked it in the water before wrapping it around my face.

Elliot had told me time and time again just how dangerous smoke inhalation was. Crouching low, I did my best to avoid the smoke that was gathering at the ceiling, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get out of here.

Just how much gasoline had my brother doused the building in before I found him?

This is bad. This is very, very bad.

Despite my makeshift mask, my throat started to burn, and I coughed, trying to clear my airway but failing miserably.

Whipping my head around, I frantically scanned for another exit. It was difficult to see through the smoke. There was a fire exit to my left, but it was through a hallway and two more doors, and flames licked up the walls nearby, making that a less than desirable way to go.

I couldn't afford to wait, however. The longer I did, the bigger the fire would grow and the lower my chances would be of getting out unharmed.

There was no other choice than to just go for it.

Running to the door, I did my best to ignore the fact that I was running past flames as I reached out for the handle, throwing my body weight against the door.

The first door only required a simple push, and opened easily. I reached the second in moments, ignoring the smoke and throwing my whole body against it.

What I’d forgotten was that it was a metal handle.

The heat of the fire had already made its scolding hot, so as I started to grip it, I hissed in pain, pulling back.

My hand stung, throbbing, as I looked down at the bright red burn across my palm.

I was wearing a thin sundress and didn't have much covering, so where the length of my forearm had pressed against the metal door, there was another burn making my skin ache with each beat of my heart.

Bad. Very bad. No time, though. I need that door open.

Grabbing a nearby blanket that hadn't been set on fire, I picked it up and used it to wrench open the door, the smell of melting plastic getting thicker in the air. I could still feel the heat through the blanket, but it was bearable.

What was a little pain if the alternative was dying a fiery death, right?

As I staggered out of the building, a strong pair of hands grabbed me. My immediate reaction was to swing, thinking Reed was still there, and I balled up my good hand into a fist, ready to drive it into his face.

“Firecracker!” Fitz’s voice was full of panic. “Holy fuck! What happened?”

I sagged in his grip. It was Fitz. I was with Fitz. Not Reed . I was safe.