Midnight Kiss (Men of Midnight #7) - Lisa Marie Rice Page 0,97

billowed in her face, acrid and oily, coating her throat. She and Luke immediately started coughing. Beyond the smoke were dark yellow flames reaching out with greedy fingers to the curtains. Her vision grew cloudy, it was hard to think. Lack of oxygen.

You were supposed to go low in a fire, below the rising smoke, but Hope couldn’t get Luke to crouch. He’d fall over and she’d never get him back up again. They had to run. Now.

Luke was swaying. The only way for him to move was basically pulling him. “Luke!” she yelled. “We have to get out!”

He blinked, visibly groggy, then bent over coughing. Her arm was around him and she tried to push him forward. He looked at her, frowning and coughing. “Hope? Are you ok?”

She had a flash of genius. “No, I’m hurt Luke! We have to get out! Black’s men are waiting for us outside!”

“Hurt? You’re hurt? Where?”

Where was she hurt? Somewhere he couldn’t see. “My back. I’m bleeding. We have to get out now!”

Luke’s face hardened, the tendons in his neck stuck out with effort. “Hold on to me, honey.”

She nodded. She was holding on to him to keep him standing. But if he thought he was leading her to safety that might make a difference, allow him to stay on his feet long enough to make it out.

A snazzy modern corrugated-paper floor lamp went up with a whoosh, the flames crackling so hard they couldn’t hear each other any more.

In the distance were sirens. The fire brigade. Come to save them, only it was too late. They had to save themselves.

She pushed forward with her arm across his back, using the strength of her entire body. He came with her, stumbling and unsteady. His labored breathing rose above the noise of the fire and he was leaning heavily on her.

Hope’s lungs were on fire and it was hard to think, hard to see. Everything hurt — her lungs, her throat, her eyes. Straight ahead should be the door to the garage but she couldn’t see it for the smoke. They were slowing down when they should be speeding up. A lone spark flew in the air and caught on her bare skin. Biting pain but she couldn’t pay any attention. Then another spark and another, burning her skin.

Luke stumbled over a rug and almost fell. His entire weight rested on her for a moment and she nearly crumpled. She stopped and pushed against him until he stood upright again. Her knees and legs were trembling with the strain. She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, could barely move …

They bumped straight into a wall, Hope’s head bouncing off it. They were trapped! Nowhere to go! Her hand reached out wildly and she felt hinges, the door. The handle was brass and hot but she pushed down, opened and there was blessed air! Sweet and smokeless and life-giving.

She bent a moment and wheezed in and out but she’d been propping Luke up and he fell. Hope caught him, struggling to keep him upright.

Hands reached for them and she recoiled in horror. “No!” she screamed. They’d found them and were going to kill them! She fought the hands wildly, kicking and screaming. Luke fell out of her grasp and slid to the concrete floor of the garage and she fell over him, shielding him. The idea of men wanting to hurt him when he was already so grievously injured burned in her chest. She’d die before she let that happen.

Hands reached for her again and she kicked out wildly, body splayed over Luke’s.

His trembling hand came up with the gun. “Stay away from her, you fuckers!” he rasped, voice broken from the smoke.

They were surrounded by men, there was no hope. They all looked like insects, with hard carapaces, ski masks and goggles. One man took off the ski mask and the goggles and smiled.

The son of a bitch was smiling! In rage, Hope aimed a vicious kick that barely touched his shin which was covered by a sturdy boot anyway.

The man took her hand. “Ms. Ellis. Hope. We’re here to save you and Luke, not hurt you. Jacob Black sent us. You’re safe now. No one will hurt you.”

She panted, searching his eyes. They were brown, cool and assessing. Then he smiled and they turned warm. “You’re safe,” he repeated.

His words finally penetrated. “Safe?” she whispered.

He nodded. “Yes you’re safe, both of you. But we have to go now.”

She glanced over. Luke was unconscious, face sweaty