Chapter 30
Baddy and Hunter slowed the motorcycles as they neared Jason's street, engines rumbling lower. Hunter pulled them into the shadows, near a hedge, far enough back to stay unseen. Annie's heart hammered as her eyes locked on Leigh, running down the side yard, disappearing into the back of the house.
They arrived too late.
Annie slid off the seat and lurched forward, ready to run after her. But Hunter's hand shot out, pulling her back. He tapped her mouth, then his own, a silent command. His eyes flicked to Baddy, who nodded as Hunter patted the air.
Baddy muttered under his breath, "He wants us to stay quiet."
"I know what he wants." Annie's frustration boiled over. "I'm not going to stand here and watch my sister be held prisoner in that house again," she whispered fiercely.
Hunter's grip tightened, pulling her close to him. His eyes never left the house. Annie held her breath, forcing herself not to distract him, even as her chest ached with helplessness.
The minutes dragged, each one heavier than the last. Annie's nails dug into her palms. She couldn't get enough oxygen. Jason could be hurting her. His patrol car was in the driveway. God, what was Leigh thinking?
She shuddered, knowing what it felt like when Jason hit her. When he kicked her. When he slapped her.
Leigh sustained more abuse for longer. Her injuries still weren't completely healed, even though the bruises were now gone and the scratches were now scars.
Hunter lifted his hand and pointed toward the house.
Annie followed his gaze.
Smoke. Thin at first, curling above the roofline, then thickening as it rose into the sky.
Her stomach dropped. There was no chimney. It was summertime. There should be no fire.
And Leigh was in there.
Her breath caught in her throat as the thin line of smoke curled upward, darkening against the pale sky. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. But Hunter's hand stayed raised, his finger steady, pointing.
It was real.
Smoke.
Annie's heart slammed against her ribs. "Leigh..." she whispered, the plea breaking apart.
She pulled against Hunter's hold. His grip tightened, pulling her back against him. His eyes remained locked on the house, every muscle in his body taut. He didn't speak, only studied the smoke.
Baddy swore under his breath, his gaze darting between the roofline and the yard where Leigh had disappeared.
She fought every instinct to scream, to run, to break free, to get her sister out. But Hunter's arm held her firm, and she forced herself not to fight him, not to distract him. He studied the smoke as if he were reading messages.
The smoke thickened, curling higher, spreading wider.
Annie's stomach twisted. Was Leigh trapped inside? Was Jason in there with her?
The hopelessness she'd felt earlier now surged into panic, raw and all-consuming. She turned in Hunter's grasp, begging him to do something, but her pleas went unheard.
Hunter's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he studied the house. He was calculating, waiting, watching.
Annie pressed her forehead against his shoulder, her voice trembling. "Please... don't let her be in there."
The only answer was the rising smoke, the silent threat that something inside that house was burning.
And Leigh was nowhere to be seen.
The smoke caught the breeze and spread into a bigger cloud, and Baddy's voice cut through the silence. "Flames," he muttered, his eyes locked on the roof. "They're shooting out the top."
Annie's stomach twisted. Her sister was inside.
Across the street, a door opened. A woman stepped out, phone pressed to her ear, her gaze fixed on Jason's house. She paced the sidewalk, her free hand gesturing wildly as she spoke into the receiver.
Baddy hit Hunter's arm, nodding toward the woman. "I'd bet my Harley she's calling nine-one-one."
Annie's pulse raced. Sirens would arrive soon. Neighbors would gather. The street would fill.
And Leigh was still inside that burning house. Nobody was helping her.
Hunter's jaw tightened, his eyes never leaving the flames. Annie pressed her hand against his arm until he looked at her. "We can't wait. She's in there."
The fire was spreading fast, the smoke rolling thicker, swallowing the roofline.
Every second mattered.
The acrid smell burned her throat. Neighbors rushed out of their houses, voices rising in panic, phones held to their ears as sirens wailed faintly in the distance.
Leigh burst out from behind the house, her hair wild, her voice shrill. "Help! My husband is inside!" she screamed, pointing back toward the flames.
Annie froze, horror flooding her veins. My husband? Why would she care about Jason? Why was she even here?
Baddy swore under his breath. "What the fuck?"
Hunter's head snapped toward him, his voice sharp. "What's going on?"
Baddy answered quickly and clearly. "She's saying Jason's inside."
Annie gagged and covered her mouth. Her sister's sobs carried across the yard, desperately pleading for help as if all those years living with a man who enjoyed hitting her, demeaning her, had taken its toll, and she wanted the world to hear her.
A neighbor rushed from across the street, catching Leigh as she stumbled, holding her while she cried.
Annie turned to Hunter, her voice breaking. "Please, let me go to her. She needs me."
Hunter's grip tightened, his eyes locked on the burning house.
Baddy stepped in front of Hunter, gaining his attention. "Let her go, man. Law enforcement and the fire department are gonna be here any minute. You and I can't stay. But she can."
Before Hunter could answer, the ground shook with an explosion. The sound ripped through the air, followed by a series of sharp pops.
Annie looked at Baddy, almost going to her knees. "No. No. No."
Someone, anyone, needed to tell her that those weren't gunshots. That Jason hadn't shot her sister inside a burning house.
Baddy's face paled. "Ammo. That's ammo exploding."
Annie's heart lurched. She pulled against Hunter's hold and broke free.
Hunter frowned, unaware of the explosions around him or the conversation taking place. His only focus was on her, and she didn't have time to explain. Her sister needed her.
She mouthed, "I'm sorry."
Then she sprinted toward the fire, toward her sister, toward the chaos that threatened all their lives.
Leigh turned sharply to Annie, her eyes wide and filled with desperation. "I'm fine. Just go along with whatever I say," she whispered, her voice trembling but urgent.
"Oh, my God. What did you do?" Annie's stomach twisted.
"I did the only thing I could do to stop him." Her sister stared at the house.
The reflection of the flames danced wildly in Leigh's eyes. Annie glanced down the street. Hunter and Baddy edged closer.
Hunter's gaze locked onto her. He wasn't looking around him. He couldn't hear the sirens.
She shook her head firmly, stopping them from coming any closer. This wasn't their problem. It was hers and Leigh's. She'd stand by her sister through whatever happened next.
She whispered, "You're not alone. I'm here with you now."
As much as she loved—yes, she had fallen for Hunter. And since she was used to putting others first, breaking that habit was tough. Family was family. She wouldn't turn her back on her sister.
The sirens grew louder until flashing lights lit up the street. Fire trucks arrived, hoses uncoiled, and firefighters hurried toward the fire. Police cruisers followed, doors swinging open as officers spilled out.
One of them strode toward Leigh, his face tight with concern. "I recognized the address. Are you okay?"
"Oh, God, Phillip. I couldn't stop him. I tried...I couldn't get him to stop." Leigh broke down, tears streaming.
Officer Phillip grabbed Leigh's upper arms and held her still. "Start from the beginning and tell me what happened."
"I was on the back patio," Leigh sobbed, "talking to Jason when he became irate. He was talking nonsense, saying he was going to..." Her voice cracked, her body shaking. "He was going to kill himself."
Phillip's expression hardened, but he let her continue.
"He grabbed a gas can from the shed. Th-The red one by the lawn mower," Leigh cried, "and spilled it all over the entrance into the dining room. Then he threw a match. I tried to go inside, but the flames were too big."
"What about the front door?" Phillip glanced at the house.
Leigh shook her head. "No, the last time he did this—weeks ago, when I finally had to leave him because he was talking about hurting himself and me, he put one of those..." She waved her hand in front of her. "Those locks that can only be unlocked from the inside. I don't know what they're called."
"Deadbolt," said Phillip.
As if to punctuate her words, another explosion ripped through the house, followed by a series of sharp pops. The officers flinched. Firefighters shouted warnings to back away.
Phillip turned to Annie and Leigh, ushering them farther back. "He had ammunition stored inside," he explained quickly. "It's exploding in the fire. You need to stay clear."
"Oh, God." Leigh pressed her hand to her head. "Someone needs to get him out of the house. Why don't they break down the door or a window?"
"They can't go in while the ammo is going off." Phillip rubbed his jaw. "Maybe Jason will walk out."
Annie held her sister tighter. There was no way he was walking out. And if he did, what would he have to say? Would he blame Leigh?
She had a feeling that the story Leigh gave the officer was full of shit. Jason wasn't suicidal. He was an abusive asshole who didn't deserve anyone's concern.
Phillip spoke briefly with another officer, then returned, his tone firm but kind. "Leigh, I need to take you to the station. There has to be a report."
"I can't leave." Leigh pointed toward the house. "My husband is in there."
"We need to let the firefighters do their job."
"You don't understand." Leigh hugged herself. "He didn't mean to say those things. He's confused. H-He needs help, that's all. Can't you get him out?"
Annie stepped forward, her voice steady despite the chaos. "Can I go with her? I'm her sister."
Phillip motioned toward the patrol car. "They'll let us know...well, they'll call as soon as they can get in the house."
They climbed into the back of the cruiser, the doors shutting with a heavy thud. Phillip stood outside, talking with another officer.
Annie stared out the window at the house. It was fully engulfed. There was no way Jason would survive.
Phillip slid into the driver's seat. Annie reached across the seat and grabbed her sister's hand.
As the car pulled forward, Annie's eyes found Hunter standing at the end of the block, Baddy beside him.
She held his gaze as they passed, her heart aching. She hoped he understood why she had to go, why she had to stay with Leigh, even if it meant leaving him behind. She needed to do this alone. He'd already saved her life once.
She swiveled on the seat, putting her hand on the window, not wanting to lose sight of him. Please understand.