Man's Best Friend (The Dogmothers #5) - Roxanne St. Claire Page 0,114

Red hair and glasses.”

“Contacting sheriff’s office immediately, Captain. Same ETA.”

“There’s a dog inside the house. I’m going in.” If he wasn’t visible when the trucks arrived, he wanted them to know he was in there.

“They’ll be there shortly, Captain. I advise you not to go in without gear.”

He snorted into the phone and hung up, already hearing Judah howling as he got to the back door.

“I’m coming, boy!” He ran into the kitchen, the smoke smacking him in the face, then he saw the flames on the drapes next to the broken oil lamp. He knew those freaking things were a hazard.

Flames licked up the wall, already burning one bank of cabinets. He hoped to hell his guys were here in three minutes.

“Judah!” He turned left, following the howl, finding the dog on the flat landing of the back stairs, no doubt trying to get away from the smoke and unable to get any higher with his not-yet-healed spine.

“Come on, come on.” Declan got to the landing and wrapped his arms around Judah, the smoke alarm overhead screaming only a little bit louder than Judah was howling in his ear. “Let’s go.”

But the dog seemed to make himself heavier, pressing down so Declan had to work to get him up. His constant barks, mixed with the shrieking alarm, deafened Declan.

“Come on.” Using all his strength, Declan hoisted him up, and immediately Judah turned and snapped at him, no doubt in fear. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he shouted, sure that the dog couldn’t hear him, either.

He got him down the steps and rushed to the open door to put him outside. But the minute he set him down, Judah bolted right back in, so fast Declan couldn’t snag him. With a stream of freaked-out barking, he tore right back to the stairs.

“What the hell?” Frustration and anger and all the agony of what he’d just learned outside battled with years of training. He knew how to stay cool with flames licking behind him, and he knew how to do the only thing that mattered, which was protect this dog.

But he wanted to howl, too.

Judah flattened himself on the landing, lifting his head to howl and bark, pounding his big paw in fear. Of course, he smelled the smoke, he sensed the danger, and he could be in excruciating pain.

Once more, Declan reached down to get him, and as he lifted the dog, he thought he heard the first siren over the smoke alarm and howling.

“Here they come.” He grunted as he picked up Judah and marched him downstairs. But the pounding he’d thought had come from Judah’s paw continued.

What the hell?

He spun around and stared at the steps, trying to block out all the other sounds to concentrate on one that was coming from…inside the stairs? The hidey-hole? Where Ella had gotten trapped that time?

Judah howled one more time, this time right in Declan’s ear.

Was someone down there?

“That’s what you’re trying to tell me.” He put the dog down and dropped to the ground, smoke already burning his throat and eyes as he flattened his head to the wood to try to hear.

“Help me! Please!”

Holy crap. Evie.

He fumbled around, looking for a handle or a lock or something, just as he heard glass explode in the kitchen.

“Hang on, E! Hang on!” Sliding his hand around the wood, he felt every inch. Where did those damn Victorians hide their secret latches? And what the hell was she doing down there?

Hiding from Bell, no doubt. Had the son of a bitch locked her in there?

Fury and smoke nearly blinded him, but he finally found the metal latch, popped it sideways, and the door flew up, practically hitting him in the face. He reached down and scooped her into his arms, pulling her out of the opening.

“Is Judah okay?” she asked before she took her next breath.

“He is now.”

The dog instantly stopped howling, staring at them both with his tongue out, panting in relief.

Then she gasped as she realized the kitchen was burning.

“No panicking.” He hoisted her into his arms and over his shoulder, grabbing Judah’s fur. “Out! Now!”

“It’s him,” she cried. “It’s Bell. He did this.”

“I know, I know.” He hauled her out of the house through the back door, reaching the driveway just as Chief’s Suburban came screaming up the street. He parked at the bottom of the drive to leave room for the engine and pumper that were scant seconds behind.

As he put her down, Evie clung to him, crying silently