Chapter 25
ASPEN
By the time Rooftop is closed for the night, I’m overcome with a weariness that reaches bone deep. I didn’t want this—to have Ryder leave. The moment the words left my lips, I wanted to take them back.
His dictating my decision to be an escort for one last night is unreasonable, but I didn’t handle it well.
I’d already decided to stop. In truth, I felt the weight of it the last time I worked while seeing Ryder.
That was before we entered into our contract, and I knew it felt wrong, but I’ve already made so many accommodations for this man.
I became a submissive for him. I moved my life into his apartment.
What more do I have to do to convince him that I love him?
One night shouldn’t be the end of the world.
I’m so close to reaching my financial goal, and I’m proud that I’ve done it under my own steam. But at the same time, I don’t want to lose Ryder. Even if he weren’t instrumental in me becoming a sous chef, I’d still want him. Love him.
I already told Jude I’d be staying the night. I need some space. I don’t want to fight with Ryder, and I don’t want to lose him. I hail a cab, knowing Ryder would be pissed at me for walking alone at this time of night. I want to please him, even when I’m pissed at him.
The ride is short, but by the time I step inside the lobby, I’m about ready to hightail it over to Dulip. Knowing Ryder, he’ll be holed up there rather than back at our apartment.
Our apartment.
The lobby is quiet at this time of night, save for the ping of the elevator doors. As I step inside, my heart is heavy as I press for my floor. They begin to shut by the time I notice John barreling toward the elevator. “Hold the door.”
I quickly press the button for the doors to close. The last thing I need is to share space with that pathetic excuse of a man. They shut right as he’s about to reach me, and he curses me.
“I hear your favorite flowers are Dulips… Danielle.” My heart stutters to a stop.
I immediately reach for my cell, pulling up Ryder’s number, but it rings out. The moment I get to the apartment, I call Flex. He has access to the security cameras for the restaurant.
“Hey, Aspen.”
“Flex, can you check the cameras for Dulip?”
“What’s going on?” His voice goes from playful to serious in a heartbeat.
“I’ll explain later.”
“Pulling them up now.” The silence is deafening. “Fuck.”
“What is it?”
“It looks like a fire.”
“Flex, I don’t know if Ryder is still in the building.”
“What? He was supposed to be at Venom tonight.”
“We had a fight, and he decided to go to Dulip. His phone is just ringing out.”
“I’m going to call the fire department. Keep trying Ryder and call me if you manage to get a hold of him.”
Jude pads down the hallway, half asleep as she realizes I’m not okay. “Hey, bestie.”
“I have to go. Ryder is in trouble.”
“Wait. What kind of trouble?”
“There’s a fire at Dulip. I don’t know if he’s in there, and I can’t get him on his cell. I have to go.”
“I’ll come with you.” I frantically try to get a hold of Ryder, praying to the universe that he isn’t in there. With nothing but my cell and keys, I run out of the apartment, the elevator taking forever to arrive. I need to get to Dulip.
He’s not in there. He can’t be in there. We have so much left unsaid.
I’m on edge as the elevator doors finally ping.
I take off running the moment we hit the lobby, Jude at my back.
I only live ten minutes from Dulip, but the endless sea of people on the sidewalk is slowing me down.
I try his cell again, but it just rings out.
Even if he’s pissed at me, he wouldn’t ignore my repeated calls. He’s too protective for that.
A sob escapes my chest as I round the corner to Dulip, only to see it burning, fire licking up the windows.
Please don’t be in there.
My phone starts ringing, and for a split second, relief washes over me, but it isn’t him.
“Flex. Tell me you’ve spoken to him.”
“No. I just had one of my team check his apartment. He’s not there, Aspen. My guys are on their way to Dulip now, as is the fire department. I’m jumping on my motorbike right now. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Keep trying him.”
Jude rests her hand on my shoulder, her tone bleak. “Any word on Ryder?”
“He’s not at the apartment. He’s in there, Jude. I have to go in.”
“The fire department will be here any minute.”
“He might not have a few minutes, Jude.” My words are a strangled cry, my eyes welling with tears, my entire body shaking. “I have to go in. He’s in there.”
“You don’t know that a hundred percent. It’s not safe.” She grabs my shoulders. “I’m not letting you go in there.”
“I’m sorry, Jude.” I shove her to the ground and take off running across the street as a crowd starts to build, Dulip lighting up the night sky.
Please be alive.
The heat is intense, the fire a cacophony of terror as I put one foot in front of the other. Onlookers start screaming as I fling open the front doors and run inside.
There’s smoke everywhere, so thick I can barely see through it.
“Ryder!”
The dining room is unrecognizable as the picture of opulence. Instead, the tables and chairs are ablaze—a living, breathing hell on earth.
“Ryder! Are you in here? Ryder!” I struggle to breathe, pulling my jacket off and holding it against my face. The heat is edging closer to me as I run through the dining room, checking every corner before heading toward the kitchen. He’s lying prostrate on the floor.
“Ry! Please, Ry!”
I drop to his side, but he’s out cold, his head bleeding.
“Wake up, Ry. We have to get out of here.” I shake him. “Please, Ryder. You have to wake up, Sir. You don’t get to make me love you and then leave me. Wake. Up.”
“Aspen.” Relief floods my body at the rasping sound of my name on his lips.
“Ry!” The kitchen is almost completely engulfed in flames, and I’m aware of them licking at me, but I need to get him out.
“Aspen. Get out of here, now.”
I fall to my knees at his side, assessing his injuries. His head is still bleeding, but he’s struggling to get his feet under him. “I’m not leaving without you.”
“He blew my knee out with a baseball bat before knocking me out. I’ll slow you down.”
“I am not fucking leaving this restaurant without you.” I pull with all my might, getting him into a standing position. I sling his arm around my neck, stabilizing him enough to limp out, but the flames engulf the doorway. We’re trapped.
“Help!”
Ryder limps over to a fire extinguisher, aiming it at the door.
If we can dampen the flames long enough to get outside, we’ll be okay.
When he’s done, I grab him again, helping him as we navigate around the blazing inferno.
Pain radiates up my arm, the heat unbearable, but I’ve got to get us out of here.
I hear sirens as we edge toward the entrance. Just a few more feet and we’ll be safe. He’ll be safe. The door flies open, a firefighter standing in the doorway, and I collapse to my knees. Ryder shouts in pain as he reaches down, hauling me up into his arms.
“Get her out,” Ryder bellows.
The firefighter comes running toward us, supporting Ry as he carries me out into the cool night air. I hear Jude before I see her. “Aspen!” she screams. Another firefighter appears at Ry’s side, scooping me out of his arms.
“Jamie?” Ryder’s brother sets me down on a gurney before moving to his brother.
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine. Make sure Aspen’s okay.”
“You need to be seen too. You’re in bad shape.”
“Help. Her.” I’m already surrounded by paramedics, the adrenaline rush that propelled me in there, draining from my body.
“Ry.” He appears at my side.
“I’m here, baby girl.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead, when an almighty boom shakes the street.
“We need to get you out of here. I’ll come find you when it’s safe.” It’s only then that I realize what Ryder’s brother is saying. He’s going in there.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Jude comes barreling toward me, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Do you have a fucking death wish? Why would you do that? I thought you were dead.” She wraps her arms around me as I sit on the gurney, pain swelling where she made contact.
I scream as my skin protests even the lightest touch.
“Get off her. She’s burned. Badly.”
A paramedic ushers Ryder into the ambulance before getting me in.
“What hospital are you taking them to?”
“Langone.”
“I’ll meet you there.” Jude chokes through tears.
When the ambulance doors close, I breathe a pained sigh of relief at the sight of Ryder. For the longest minutes of my life, I really thought I’d lost him. Our earlier fight is long forgotten. It all seems so stupid now.
Ryder is coughing hard as the paramedic links him up to some oxygen before doing the same for me. The pain is starting to kick in, my body trembling as Ry reaches over, taking my hand in his. “You saved my life.”
“I…” I don’t have the words at this moment.
“What you did was reckless. You could have been killed. I’m as angry as I am grateful right now.”
“I couldn’t let you die.” The paramedic assesses my wounds as we speed through the streets, traffic edging out the way for the blaring sirens.
“We’re both going to be fine. Don’t worry about me, baby girl.” There’s so much blood smeared down his face, from a blow I know came from that fucker, John.
“Did you see who hit you?”
“Yes, but we don’t need to think about that right now. All you have to focus on is getting better.”
I’m dipping in and out of consciousness, only catching every other word. “John.” It’s all I manage before the darkness takes me.
“He’s been arrested.”
Agony pulses in my left arm, and it’s so stiff I can’t move it.
“Dulip is gone.”
I try to open my eyes, but it’s as if they are weighed down with lead. I can hear Ryder talking with someone. I think it’s Flex.
“Bro, we need to stop meeting like this. Our friend group attracts way too much crazy.”