The Billionaire's Practice Kiss - Tamie Dearen Page 0,70

dark smoke toward the screeching woman in the front of the van. Each scream evoked vivid memories, stirring her gag reflex again and again. Crawling turned to creeping, until Ellery reached the point where the collapsed car frame stopped her progress. She could see the flames, feel their heat. Every muscle in her body trembled with fear so intense she could barely think.

Behind her, a prolonged metallic grinding gave way to a loud crunch.

Logan’s voice called out, “Ellery! Where are you?”

“Help me!” the woman shrieked again.

“Ellery!” Logan’s panicked voice came closer. “Where are you?”

“Just a minute,” Ellery croaked as she pointed the extinguisher hose at the flames and squeezed the handle. The flames receded, a cloud of steam in their place.

“Help,” the woman’s voice called, weaker this time.

“I’m here.” Ellery said, panting through her scratchy throat. “I think I put the fire out.”

“Ellery!” Logan’s hand found her foot and gave a tentative tug. “I’m going to try to pull you out, okay?”

To Ellery’s horror, the flames began to rise again, as did the woman’s pitiful wails.

“Wait!” Ellery rasped, kicking his hand away. She sprayed the extinguisher, and once again the flames disappeared in a cloud of steam.

“Ellery, we need to get you out.” Logan’s tone was urgent… panicked.

“I can’t leave.” She choked, her head dizzy, shallow breaths coming faster and faster. “This woman is trapped.”

“They’ll get her out,” Logan said. “They’re going in from the front.”

“But there’s a fire, and I—” She fell into a coughing fit, squeezing her eyes shut against the caustic smoke. “I have an extinguisher.”

As the flames reappeared, she hit the trigger again, holding it for a longer time, hoping she would somehow extinguish the fire at its source. The steamy fog billowed over her, and her head swam.

“Ellery, I’m getting you out.”

Logan’s voice seemed to be coming from a tunnel. His hand tugged on her ankle. Her body slid backwards. She knew she ought to resist him, but she couldn’t remember why. Her head throbbed so hard she couldn’t think.

“Don’t leave me, Logan,” she mumbled.

“Never.”

Reassured by his fierce tone, she relaxed and nodded off.

She dreamed of shouts and sirens… strangers and oxygen masks.

And scorching fires.

Chapter 30

“I’m sorry, Mr. West, but no one is allowed to ride in the back of the ambulance. It’s too crowded.” The paramedic secured the oxygen mask around Ellery’s face.

Logan’s heart wrenched. He couldn’t break his promise. He had to stay with her. What if she woke up in the ambulance?

“Please,” he croaked out. “I swear I won’t get in the way.”

The paramedic shook her head. “You’re not particularly small.”

“I can be,” Logan said, sucking in his gut, before falling into a coughing fit. “You won’t even know I’m there.”

Currently peaceful, Ellery had been periodically thrashing about, which had Logan worried.

“I’m sorry…” The paramedic’s voice trailed off when she looked up. His expression must’ve been pathetic, because she heaved a loud sigh. “Fine. But you’ll have to stay back. You can’t touch her.”

“Of course.” He relinquished his grip on Ellery’s hand, aching at the loss.

As they loaded her stretcher into the back of the ambulance, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“The woman was the only survivor,” said Jake. “She’ll be going to the hospital under FBI guard.”

“Better be a different hospital.” Logan’s blood boiled. “I’m tempted to kill her myself.”

He couldn’t understand why Ellery had put herself in more danger to protect the vile woman. Between heavy smoke inhalation and hypoxia from the carbon dioxide in the fire extinguisher, the paramedics warned she could have irreparable damage. They might not know for days whether she would even survive.

“They’ll take her to the county hospital,” said Jake. “Ellery will be at St. John’s. And Mack’s sending Josiah and Candace over to get checked out.”

“Good.” Logan pushed a hand through his hair, feeling guilty. He’d been so consumed with Ellery he’d hardly spared a thought for Josiah once he’d learned his friend was alive.

“Also…” Jake caught his arm before he could climb into the ambulance. “Dan’s planning to set up a protective detail at St. John’s, since the Krupins are still at large.”

Before he knew what was happening, an animalistic sound erupted from his chest. “Have Mack send Dan over to find me. I have a few things I’d like to say to that—”

“Gotcha!” Jake let out a cough that could’ve been a laugh and clapped him on the shoulder so hard it knocked him off balance. The guy didn’t know his own strength. “I’d love to be there if it happens.”

The