Chapter 36 #2
Backing up my claim, my brother shoves his way past me, going straight to where Mariah’s friend is. He all but scoops her small body up in one arm and turns to me. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Trevor stays hunched over but is moving quickly, and I hope it means he’s got a better path out than the one we took in.
When he hefts Maren against his chest and straightens, I do the same with Mariah, pulling in the last bit of decent air I can find before pushing back into the cloud of smoke and flame.
This time, we go up the other side of the shelving and angle in the direction of the hall instead of the server room.
I hear the slap of plastic against glass as Trevor smacks his key card on the sensor.
There’s a heavy sound of the metal handle twisting and then a sudden gust of cooler air as the door opens.
I rush out behind him, sputtering and coughing as I drop to my knees.
Trevor slams the door closed behind us and goes down himself, gently laying Maren on the floor before bending at the waist and catching himself on his hands.
A group of security guards come racing toward us, each armed with a fire extinguisher.
They take the same path we did, entering through the server room one after the other.
The last one props the heavy metal entry open.
I keep Mariah in my arms as I roll to my ass, slumping against the wall at my back as I gasp out, “Why the fuck aren’t there any sprinklers in there?”
Trevor hacks out a ragged sounding cough before lifting his head. “Seriously? That’s what you’re worried about right now?”
His skin is darkened with soot and I think a little of his hair is singed. His suit is definitely ruined, and his reputation is going to take another hit when people find out he rescued a woman from a burning building. But he’s alive, and I’ve never been happier to give my brother shit in my life.
“You really want a bunch of water pouring on your servers every time someone pulls a fire alarm?” He crawls toward me, plopping onto his ass as he continues dragging in air.
“And technically, the storage room doesn’t require sprinklers because of the square footage, plus the construction makes it nearly impossible for an accidental fire to start. ”
Maren scoots in beside me, looking more pissed than scared as she takes Mariah’s hand. “Well that wasn’t an accidental fire.” She leans to glare around me, pointing an accusing finger at Trevor. “Your fucking assistant started it.”
In all the chaos and my rush to get to Mariah, I’d all but forgotten about Trevor’s assistant coming back here. “Where is he?” I might not be in the best of conditions right now, but I still feel pretty fucking confident I can beat that guy’s ass.
Maren and Mariah exchange an odd look.
Trevor looks between them. “What?”
One of the security guards comes out of the server room, the set of his mouth grim. “We’ve got a dead body in here, boss. At least I think that’s what it is.”
Trevor’s brows climb his forehead as he stares at Maren. “You killed him?”
Maren scoffs. “Why are you looking at me?” Her pointing finger comes Mariah’s way. “She’s the one who dropped a fifty-pound box of paper on his head.”
“We don’t know that’s what killed him.” Mariah coughs, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. “I might have just knocked him down and he was exploded by his own bomb.”
Trevor’s eyes snap to my face. “Bomb?”
Mariah nods as a group of firefighters comes rushing toward us. “He had some little explosive thing he set against the wall. That’s what started the fire.”
“I don’t get it. Why the hell would he blow up the supply room?” Maren rubs her eyes. “Like, who cares about paper and pens?”
My gaze lifts to the open door leading into the server room. “I don’t think he was trying to take out the paper and pens.”
A few firefighters circle around us, crouching down as they start asking questions and checking us over. The rest of their team goes into the server room even though the smoke coming out through the door has lessened considerably since the security guards went in with fire extinguishers.
When the arrival of EMTs adds yet more people to the hall, I push to my feet, taking Mariah along with me. Carrying her to where they’re set up, I make sure someone checks her out.
I turn and look behind us at what could have been the second tragedy of my life. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t gotten to Mariah in time.
If I’d lost my family once again.
“Hey.” Mariah’s hand grips mine as she tugs me closer, smiling behind the oxygen mask now strapped to her face. “It’s okay.”
I pull her against me, closing my eyes as I try to stay calm. “I could have lost you and the babies.”
“But you didn’t.” Mariah squeezes me tighter. “We’re all safe and healthy.” Her hand comes to my face, fingers stroking over the ridges of my skin. “Just breathe.”
Am I breathing? I don’t think I am.
Mariah’s eyes widen. “I think I need someone to help me catch him.”
The hall around me starts to narrow and spin. The last thing I hear before it all goes black is Trevor saying, “At least I don’t have to fire another assistant.”