can’t breathe. I definitely can’t take my eyes off him as he continues forward.
But he doesn’t go inside. He’s only standing close to get the water to shoot into the flames.
And then, to my utter shock and horror, something inside the house explodes, sending Sam and several others flying backwards.
“Oh, God.”
Kelsey screams. Kevin latches onto my leg.
Now, the houses surrounding the original building are on fire, as well. It’s a fucking mess, and Sam is still lying on the ground. Not moving.
“I need to get to him.”
“No.” Aspen grips my arm. “You can’t help him if you get hurt, too. Stay here, Tash.”
“No.” No one is rushing to his side to see if he’s okay. Why isn’t anyone helping him? “I have to go.”
She grabs onto the kids, and I slip around the barricade and run as fast as my feet will carry me toward where Sam’s lying on the ground.
But before I can reach him, I’m flung up off my feet and swung around.
“Let me go!” I scream in terror. “Let go of me!”
Chapter 10
~Sam~
Jesus, what started this motherfucker? My guys and I are like a hive of bees, organized chaos as we hurry about, getting hoses connected, ladders pulled, and all of the other equipment we’ll need for this massive fire.
The worst part is, the houses in this neighborhood aren’t far apart, and given how fast this fire is spreading, the neighbors could be in danger, as well.
“Make sure those houses are evacuated! Do we know if anyone was inside?” I yell to one of my teammates.
“No one inside. They’re at work,” he replies. “I have guys knocking on doors as we speak.”
“Good.”
I’d like to punch the asshole who parked his car in front of the damn hydrant. It’s a good thing I have strong men.
I grab a hose, sling it over my shoulder, and go for the front of the house to shoot water into the heart of the fire and hopefully dampen it.
Less than twenty seconds later, there’s a sudden explosion, and I’m knocked back, flat on the ground.
Damn it!
I can’t breathe. I can feel the heat coming from the house, but I can’t move. Knocked the damn air out of me.
And the back of my head hit the concrete hard enough for me to see stars.
“Let go of me!”
Tash? Is that Natasha’s voice, or is the head injury just that bad?
I turn my head, cringing at the pain that sings through my brain. Sure enough, there she is, being held back by one of my guys. She’s kicking and screaming, reaching out for me.
I roll to my side and manage to sit up but have to swallow the sudden wave of nausea.
“Let her go,” I call out, and Tash immediately sprints to me, launching herself into my arms.
“Oh, my God, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She pats me down and kisses my face, and I have to take her by the shoulders and set her back.
“You can’t be here,” I say firmly. “Where are the kids?”
“With Aspen.” Her eyes roam over me as she pats me down some more. “Jesus, you flew. How many fingers am I holding up?”
I stand and make her stand, too. The fresh wave of nausea makes me want to lean on her, but I don’t.
“You can’t be here,” I say again. “Tash, listen to me.”
I move us both away from the heat of the fire.
“You can’t leave me,” she says. She’s hysterical now.
“Tash.” I give her shoulders a shake, and she looks up at me. “I can’t have you here. Listen to me. This is too dangerous, and I have to do my job.”
“You’re hurt.”
“No, I’m not.” The lie falls off my tongue easier than it probably should, but I need to get her the fuck out of here. “I need you to get the kids and go. I’ll see you at your house later.”
Her face registers hurt, but then she steps away. “Okay. See you.”
She turns and hurries back to the crowd she came from, and I get back to work.
“You need an EMT,” Jess, one of my coworkers, says. “You hit hard.”
“I’m fine. Let’s get this under control before we lose more.”
It’s a fucking brutal few hours, but we move fast and efficiently, and with only minimal damage to the two homes on either side, the fire calms to a smolder.
Some of the guys agree to stay through the night to keep an eye on things and work on any hot spots, making sure that it doesn’t get