Rugged Guard - Jason Collins Page 0,23

then, if you can, I’m going to need you to roll out to the lawn, okay? That’s all you have to do. Just roll. Got it?”

“I got it.”

“Okay. Good.” I took in a deep breath and backed up as far as I could on the remaining set of steps. And then, I launched myself, with as much force as I could muster, down the empty set of not-there stairs. It was strange, feeling my legs move through the air, feeling myself falling into nothingness, no contact made with anything until my boots hit the lobby ground.

As we made it to the front area of the lobby, I bent my knees toward the floor, getting ready to roll across its tile, getting ready to fight for my life.

But just when I began to turn over on my side, I felt a pair of hands gripping onto me tightly, pulling me away from the flames. Those same hands then pulled the smoke mask away from my face, my vision finally clear as I looked around the lawn.

The last thing I saw was Parker, his own mask being removed, as he took in steady breaths a few feet away from me, an EMT looking over him. I smiled at the sight of him, alive, alive, alive.

And then, my world faded into the dark.

7

Parker

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Derek and I had just walked through the front door of the B&B, our footsteps heading up the nearest staircase that led to our private living area. I’d wanted to wait until we were alone to talk to him, but I just wasn’t able to hold back anymore.

If I didn’t say something, I was worried I was going to explode.

I doubled down on my line of questioning as we both took the next corner. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Derek?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You could’ve died,” I said as I pulled open the door to the living room. “You could’ve died. Why the hell would you even do something like that?”

Derek closed the door behind me before he replied, “Because it’s part of my job? I’m supposed to protect you, Parker. That’s what you’re paying me for anyway.”

“Not like that.” I shook my head. “You’re supposed to be my security, sure, but not like that. Not when I’m begging you to leave. Not when I’m telling you that I’m a goner.” I paused for a moment, just to gather my thoughts before I continued the conversation. “You’re not even trained as a firefighter, Derek. And before you talk to me about being in the army, don’t even start. Even if the training’s intense, you and I both know it’s not the same. We were trained for different things—”

“Wait. Are you seriously upset with me?” Derek scoffed in disbelief. “Seriously, Parker? I saved your life!”

“Yeah, right after I told you not to! Right after I told you to save yourself instead!” I scoffed right back. “You have no idea what could’ve happened if the team wasn’t able to bring your oxygen levels back up. Fuck, I don’t even know what would’ve happened to me if the team hadn’t—”

“If I hadn’t gone back in to save you?” Derek interrupted me again. “The team was taking too long, Parker. They were out there trying to draw up fucking blueprints of the place, but I was the one who went in and got you out. Don’t I get a little credit for that at least?”

“What was I supposed to do if you had died, Derek?”

“Well, if I had died, you’d probably be dead, too,” Derek mused. “So, I guess, I would’ve seen you in the afterlife? If you wanted to keep in touch, that is.”

“That’s not funny, Derek.” I was fuming, my anger simmering right below my tone. “None of this is funny.”

“It’s a little funny.” Derek shrugged. “That you’re giving me this big lecture on not trying to save you, even though I know that if the roles were reversed, you would’ve done the same damn thing. It’s like, you’re mad at someone else for acting the same way you always do.”

“Would you have done that for any of your other clients?”

“What? Try to save their life?”

“Would you?” I pressed. “Tell me the truth.”

“Why are you being like this right now, Parker?” Derek murmured. “Is this really what you want to do right now? You want to be mad at me?”

“I’m just trying to understand your system,” I answered. “I’m trying to