My stomach dropped. “No.”
“Yes. Jeffrey and I worked very closely together. I saw you and your sisters once. You came to visit him at his office.”
I wanted to vomit. Doyle. This man had exploded our lives apart. Shattered my family. Changed my childhood forever.
“If not for me, I’m guessing you wouldn’t be a do-gooder PI.” His teeth gleamed. “You’ve spent your entire life trying to make amends for your father’s sins.”
Anger exploded. With a roar, I charged and hit him. We both went down and rolled across the dirty floor. The flames were so close that I felt the heat on my skin.
Doyle rammed a fist into the side of my head, and I saw stars. I rolled again.
“Aspen!” Liam’s agonized roar. “I’m not letting you die in here. I’m not leaving until I find you.”
My pulse went crazy. No. I couldn’t let him stay in here and get hurt.
Coming up on my knees, a moment of clarity hit me. I stared at Doyle. His face was bleeding, but he was grinning madly at me.
But he was the past.
My father had screwed up, but that wasn’t on me.
Shit. I’d been telling Liam that he wasn’t his father, but Doyle was right, I’d been trying to make amends for my father’s crimes all my life.
“Screw you, Doyle.”
I turned. I was getting out of here and finding Liam.
I wanted to live.
There was a huge crash and Doyle screamed.
I spun and saw burning wood hit him.
My gut clenched. He screamed, slapping at his burning hair.
A voice in my head told me to go. Then I shook my head and cursed.
I might be done making amends for my father, but I still had to look at myself in the mirror.
I snatched up the lockbox. Ow. It was hot. I tucked it against my hip. I slid my other arm around Doyle and heaved him up.
“Come on.” I kept my arm locked around him. His face was raw and burned.
I had no idea which way to go. My gut lurched. I couldn’t tell which direction was what. Everything around me was burning.
“Aspen.” Liam in my ear again.
“Liam! I’m trying to find a way out.”
“Can you tell me where you are?”
Panic closed my throat. “No.” The flames were all around, the air thick with smoke. Somewhere in the distance, I thought I heard sirens. “Tell me you’re safe.”
“I’m coming for you.”
“Liam, get out, please.” My chest hitched. “Liam—”
“Don’t say it. I’m going to find you.”
“Being with you… It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Bloody hell, Aspen. I’m not done with you yet. I’m falling in love with you.”
My pulse spiked. “You’re not supposed to do that!” My heart did a wild dance in my chest.
A support pillar collapsed. I screamed and Doyle groaned.
“Aspen!” Liam yelled.
“Everything’s collapsing.” I pulled in a shaky breath. “Liam, I’m falling for you too. Against my better judgment.”
A strangled sound came across the line. “I’m a catch.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “And so modest.”
Another pillar fell.
Something smacked my shoulder and I stumbled. Doyle’s weight knocked me down.
I hit the floor and started coughing, my vision wavering.
I realized I wasn’t going to make it out.
“Liam.” A hoarse whisper.
Liam
Liam leaped over some burning debris.
“Aspen! Aspen!”
He looked around, but all he saw were flames and smoke. His lungs were burning.
“Sorry…Liam.” Aspen’s voice was quiet and raspy through his earpiece. “Be…happy.”
His chest caved in. “Aspen!”
He leaped another burning beam, feeling the heat under him. He landed in a crouch. Ahead, he spotted two bodies sprawled on the ground.
Aspen.
He raced over and spun her. She looked up at him, blinking, her face dazed.
Quickly, Liam glanced over and saw Doyle, his face horribly burned. The man moaned quietly.
The lockbox was clutched in Aspen’s hands.
Liam cupped her cheek. “Hey.”
She blinked slowly. “Are you a golden angel?”
“It’s okay, darling. I’m getting you out of here.”
She blinked again. “Liam?”
He touched his earpiece. “Boone, can you get to me?”
“Where are you?” came the deep-voiced response.
“Dead center of the warehouse. There’s a big pile of debris on the way in, but if you go left, you should be able to get through.”
Liam grabbed the lockbox and then hauled Aspen into his arms. She blinked at him once more and then lost consciousness, her body a dead weight.
Dammit. Be okay, Aspen.
He glanced back at Doyle, wanting to leave him.
Then Liam cursed under his breath. A second later, he heard the crunch of something and spun. Boone leaped over some burning flames and landed nearby.
Liam jerked his head. “Get him.”
With a nod, Boone yanked Doyle to his feet, then tossed the man over his broad shoulders.
Then they started back toward the entrance.
They made their way slowly through the warehouse, battling through the smoke and flames. To Liam, it felt like their pace was glacial. He could hear sirens outside now, and knew help was close by.
He had to get Aspen out.
He wasn’t letting her die here.
He couldn’t live without her.
“This way,” Boone roared.
Liam swiveled, and followed the other man.
A second later, they burst outside.
Thank fuck. Emergency lights strobed through the smoke and darkness, and engines were rumbling. Firefighters in all their gear were springing into action.
Liam stumbled out onto the sidewalk, falling to his knees, cradling Aspen in his arms.
She was unconscious, her face covered in soot.
“Aspen.” He pressed his face to her hair. “Help! She needs help.”
19
My Hero
Aspen
Someone was touching me.
And it hurt.
I came up swinging.
“Easy, there,” a raspy female voice said. Someone caught my hand.
I blinked awake. I registered white light, a bed beneath me, and the smell of antiseptic.
Hospital.
I sagged back on the pillows, and the pleasantly-lined face of a middle-aged nurse came into view.
“You’ve had a hell of a night.” The woman dabbed something on my neck, and I winced from the sting.
“You have a few burns, but nothing too bad. You’re lucky, honey.”
Burns.
Fire.
Warehouse.
I tried to sit up. “The man who came in with me, is he okay?” God, where was Liam? Had he been hurt? I scanned the room, but I was alone with the nurse. Why wasn’t he here?
Suddenly, a coughing fit overtook me, my chest burning.
“Take it easy.” The nurse pressed a mask to my mouth.
I breathed deeply, trying to calm my breathing.