Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
RIGGS
T he atmosphere in The Boot was buzzing. Austin was a little sour, but after we managed to get a beer or two into him, he loosened up ever so slightly. He was grieving, he had a lot going on and I get that. But he needed an escape, even if just for a night.
This is the first time we have been in The Boot since Harlow died, and to say it was bittersweet is an understatement. We all know she is missing, but we all feel her here and I hope that means she is with us, sitting beside each of us in her eternal peace.
Hate that Tripp isn't here.
But I get it.
He is wounded.
Dixie will come back, I have every faith.
I needed to debrief my brothers on my findings, but all work talk stops tonight. We were here to celebrate, and I didn't want to be the one to bring the evening down with work shit.
World On Fire - Nate Smith begins to play, a few of our group up dancing, Austin sits nursing his beer, eyes just watching what's going on. Conrad sits next to him, Aspen the other side, closest to the floor.
My smirk pulls and I stroll across to her.
“Wildflower,” I rasp, leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips.
She smiles, cheeks pinching pink underneath her freckles.
“Dance with me?”
“How can I say no to the Riggs Rivera,” she playfully winks, standing as I wrap my arm around her back and pull her close to me.
“You can't,” my lips brush against her ear as I sway with her across the dusty sawdust floor.
“God, I love you,” she smiles against my mouth as I kiss her, and I've missed her. Our life has been a hundred miles an hour since Dixie crashed into town. Mixed with Austin and Harlow, our lives have somehow frozen in time, but we've been existing in these strange few weeks. We would have just started the first leg of Aspen's book tour, but she couldn't leave, neither of us could. The only thing I refused to push back was our wedding.
I've waited over ten years to marry this woman, there is no damn way in hell I am waiting any longer.
“Not as much as I love you Wildflower,” her arms loosen around my neck, mine around her waist.
“Not possible,” she whispers between our kisses.
My eyes lift from my beautiful fiancée when I see Dixie push through the door, flustered, eyes wide as she scans the room. She seeks me out, nearly tripping over her own feet as she approaches me and Aspen.
“Where is Tripp?” she asks, breathless, sadness creeping onto her face.
“He didn't come,” I roll my lips and softly push Aspen to my side, arms hung around her back, thumb looped into the pocket of her jeans.
“What?” her voice cracks, her lips pull into a smile, but her eyes tell me everything.
“Is everything okay hon?” Aspen asks, her eyes moving from me to Aspen.
“Why did no one tell me? Why did no one say anything about Lucian and Wallen?”
“I thought you knew,” my voice is gruff as the music lowers.
“How would I know? I left him. Left a note, broke my own heart and his in doing so. I was protecting you,” she chokes on a sob.
“That's the first mistake, you could never protect us kid. If someone wanted bullets between our eyes, they would do it,” and Aspen shivers beside me. Harsh but true.
“I need to go to him,” she turns to walk away, and I grab the top of her arm pulling her back.
“We'll take you,” I give a soft nod, “I need to round these guys up anyway. Work doesn't stop for cowboys.” I wink and Aspen's hand rests on my steady heart.
“Okay,” she nods, looking at the floor.
I turn my face, pressing a kiss into Aspen's hair.
“Go sort Austin out, I'll get the cowboys sorted.”
“I'll meet you outside,” Dixie says softly, before disappearing into the restroom.
Within ten minutes, I have them outside and one by one, load them into the back of our trucks like I am herding cattle.
Aspen helps Austin in and gives him a soft smile.
“You doing okay?” she asks as I place my hand on the top of the passenger door, eyes bouncing between her and The Boot.
“Yeah… I think,” he looks up at us through his long lashes and dirty blonde mop of hair. He needs a haircut. “Thanks for dragging my sorry ass out,” and I know he is aiming that at me.
“Not a problem,” I wink when the smell of smoke has me turning towards The Boot.
Black smoke comes thick and fast bellowing out the back of the bar, fire spreading through the timber framed building and my heart drops. People come scuttering out, mouths covered with hats. Tabitha collapses as she reaches the parking lot. Pacey is already on the phone to 911.
Running towards the building, Aspen is screaming out my name.
I stop, turning and looking as I try and count up the heads I can see.
“Dixie!” I scream, Aspen begins rushing to open the truck doors shouting, 'No' as she does. “Fuck!” I can’t get in. The fire is too wild.
Slipping my phone from my pocket as I stand back from the ablaze building, I dial Tripp's number.
“Yeah,” his voice is low, quiet but I can hear the low hum of the truck. Is he driving?
“It's Dixie,” and just as my words slip from my mouth, I hear the sound of his tyres crunching down the driveway and across the parking lot.
Cutting it off, he falls out of the truck and I am running to him, trying to lift him to his feet.
“I need to get in there,” he shouts, fear etched into his face.
“No,” I shake my head.
Before I can even volunteer, I hear Aspen scream out to my dad.
“The fuck,” I drag Tripp over to Austin, perching him against the seat. “Don’t move.”
Running after my dad, I try to stop him, but it's no use, I can’t. He disappears into the building that is slowly crumbling in front of me, The Boot sign falling from the front of the bar and screams echo around the empty parking lot. I feel the grip of a hand on my shoulder and when I look, it's Tripp. He has hobbled himself over towards me and I feel helpless.
There is nothing I can do.
TRIPP
Dark black smoke bellowing, fire ablaze and getting wilder as the seconds pass. The sound of sirens in the distance wailing feel like a million miles away. Each heavy beat of my heart, is one beat closer to me losing the only one I have ever loved.
Another hand clasps my shoulder and I know it's Pacey.
“I need to get in there,” I whimper but we all know if I go in, I'm not coming back out. Dropping my head against Riggs' shoulder blade, I sob into his white shirt, already grieving for my dad and Dixie.
“Tripp,” Riggs’ voice vibrates through his body and when my red rimmed eyes lift, I see my dad stumbling out with Dixie in his arms just as the fire truck pulls into the parking lot. They file out in a group as two rush towards my dad and Dixie, the rest of the group rush into the burning building whilst the other group stands guard and waits for orders with their hoses.
Riggs begins moving, trying to drag me with him, Pacey hooks himself under my arm when suddenly I feel another arm wrap around us. Looking over my shoulder I see Austin. My three best friends lifting me across to where my dad lays Dixie down before he himself collapses in a heap on the floor next to her, his fingers brushing over hers before he goes still.
“Dad!” Riggs screams as they place me next to Dixie and lay me down as softly as they can a dead weight of a man.
“We need help!” Pacey shouts, his voice cracking as the emergency services arrive, paramedics running across and rolling my dad onto his back as they press for a pulse.
“Dixie,” I whisper, brushing my trembling fingers across her smoke covered cheek.
Laying my head on her chest, I try and listen for her heartbeat.
“Don't leave me baby, please...” I beg as I hear the paramedics calling for oxygen.
“We need you to move away,” they call, their voices floating over from where they’re trying to get to my dad.
“I'm not moving,” I hear Riggs' voice, it’s broken and gravelly. My eyes lift as I look at my dad on the floor, Riggs palming his cheeks and I realize he is crying.
“You need to, I have to start chest compressions,” and the pain that sears through my heart is unbearable.
Closing my eyes as the tears roll down my cheeks, I press my ear back onto her cheat and try to listen, try to hear a slither of her heart beating when I am gently lifted from her body.
“No, no, no, no,” I beg as another group of paramedics try and move me but I cling onto her lifeless body. I don’t want to let go.
“We can't save her if you don't move,” but I am frozen. I don't want to leave her. I can’t.
I feel arms wrap around my upper body and lift me as I start screaming.
“No, I can't leave her, please, no,” I am full on sobbing through screams, tears burning my cheeks and when I look, it's Conrad.
“I've got you; she is going to be okay,” and I watch as they begin pumping on her chest, trying to kick start her heart and all I can do is watch as two of the most important people in my life lay on the dusty floor whilst paramedics try and bring them back to life.
Everything after that slows down, the greedy flames consuming The Boot, the way the smoke tarnishes the clear night sky, the way we all stand helpless as we watch. Riggs, Pacey and Austin standing over my dad as we watch as they work on him before my eyes finally drag across to Dixie. She's all alone.
Press.
Breathe.
Press.
Please Dixie.
Press.
Don't leave me.
Press.
Come on. If not for me, for Lainey.
Press.
I love you.
“We've got a pulse, get her in the ambulance,” the medic screams as they help slide her onto the bed and lift her into the ambulance and my eyes follow as she gets taken away. Slowly, ever so painfully slowly my eyes skate across to my dad.
I watch as they still work on him, and with each press, comes a new stroke of fear.
And I know when they lift their heads and give the look, that we've lost him.