21. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
MIA
The smell of hospitals always made my stomach churn. You would think hospitals would smell fresh and clean, but something about tragedy, illness, and death made it foul. At least it did to me.
Every time someone shifted or moved, I looked up, expectantly hoping we had an update. We’d been sitting for what felt like hours, and still nothing.
In the chair next to me, Zack’s large six-foot-plus frame was bent in half, elbows on his knees with his head in his hands. He was hurting. That was abundantly clear. He’d been quiet and tense during the short ride over to the hospital after he and the guys carried Adam and Lyla out.
Part of me had been relieved when the rest of the guys ran in to help Zack find Adam and Lyla.
But that relief quickly turned to heartache for the women who loved them.
Fear had held me hostage, watching Zach disappear inside, and I barely liked him sometimes.
I could only imagine how the wives and girlfriends of his teammates felt.
They were a family, forged of hard calls together and common worry and concerns. I was just…
I reached over and laid my hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. I wasn’t good at this. I never knew the right thing to say or do to comfort someone. But at least I could let him know I was there.
What I really wanted to do was climb onto his lap and let him hold me. But in a room full of all our friends, especially with the current circumstances, I wasn’t sure that was the best idea.
We still had very few answers about anything.
No one knew how they got trapped inside or who was responsible.
Apparently, while we were dancing, Dylan had tried calling Violet and the other guys who were upstairs, but they didn’t answer.
Something about layers of building material and distance from the nearest cell tower.
He tried Zack, and that call barely made it through.
I’d never been so grateful to be on that stupid dance floor.
“Dylan’s only a few minutes away,” Violet announced, moving back into the waiting room from the hallway.
“Who’s responsible for this?” Zack bit out, his words laced with pain and anger.
Violet hesitated for a moment. “It’s the Taylor kid.”
“I fucking knew it.” Logan pushed up from his chair. “Something about that kid never sat right with me.”
“There’s a lot more to it, and he’s still out there.
” Violet leaned into Seth, letting him tuck her into his side.
“Dylan wants us to stay put until he gets here. He doesn’t want anyone leaving alone.
At least no one with ties to the Half Moon Lake firefighters.
Nicole, Mia, you guys are probably safe—”
“No.” Zack’s tone held no room for argument. “Mia isn’t going anywhere.”
Violet raised an eyebrow in our direction, subtly tracking my hand on his leg. I cleared my throat and slowly removed it.
“I don’t think anyone in our orbit is safe right now,” Zack went on without missing a beat. “If he can’t get to us, there’s no telling if he’ll go after someone even slightly connected to us.”
Dylan stepped up behind Violet. “I agree. No one in this town is safe right now. He’s reckless and desperate. He feels like he has to finish what he set out to do. Making the firefighters who couldn’t save his dad pay.”
“He’s delusional,” Logan scoffed. “His dad died because of his smoking habit, not the fucking fire.”
“And the fact that he isn’t thinking clearly makes him even more dangerous.” Dylan crossed his arms over his chest. “I have patrol cars outside to follow everyone home.”
Multiple voices filled the air as everyone announced their unwillingness to leave until we had more information on Adam and Lyla.
“How’d you know?” Zack asked, quietly at first, then repeating his question louder, pulling everyone’s attention his way.
“The godfather.” Dylan’s jaw locked tight before he spoke again. “He’s been harboring him out of state since he figured out it was him back in December. When we showed him the fire department button.”
“How?” Logan interjected, sounding both confused and frustrated.
“I suspect he already thought it might be the kid. Then we offered evidence he couldn’t really ignore. He’d been giving the kid buttons like that one over the years. Seeing it and knowing it came from a crime scene just confirmed his suspicions.”
“So, what, the godfather suddenly decided to give him up?” Izzy spoke up from her seat.
“Yes.” Dylan’s expression turned harder. “Walked into the station asking for me and told me he couldn’t stop him. And that he was going after you all tonight.”
“And you think he might try again?” Seth brought Violet closer to his body, and I yearned for Zack to do the same.
To wrap in his strong arms again. To find comfort knowing he was there.
Zack shot to his feet, startling me, and I looked up as the doctor stepped into the small room.
Adam’s mom shakily stood from her chair, wringing her hands in front of her small frame.
Lyla had once mentioned that Adam’s dad died in an accident when he was a baby.
I couldn’t imagine what his mom was feeling, getting a call like this after losing someone like that.
Lyla’s parents were still on their way in.
They would likely be another twenty minutes.
The small-town Lyla and I grew up in was forty minutes east, and it had taken us some time to reach them.
“Adam is critical but stable at the moment.” The whole room seemed to let out a relieved breath at the doctor’s words.
“His airways became extremely swollen, and we needed to intubate him. He’s resting, and his vitals are stable.
The cut on his head was superficial, but he sustained a pretty bad concussion. Does anyone know what caused that?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but it looked like it was a piece of wood from a railing that fell on him from overhead,” Zack offered.
The doctor nodded, made a note on a tablet he was holding, and continued. “Lyla has experienced mild smoke inhalation, but otherwise she’s doing fine.” He glanced around our tight-knit group. “Since it’s late and they both need to rest, I’m going to ask that only parents are allowed back tonight.”
The doctor escorted Adam’s mom out of the room, and as soon as she was clear of the hallway, Zack stormed out of the room and turned in the opposite direction. He wasn’t leaving, was he?
I hurried to follow him, likely confirming what everyone in that room suspected.
He strode down the hallway toward the large sliding doors that led outside.
Finding him outside sitting on a bench, it was almost instinctive to go to him.
He was bent forward again, forearms balanced on his thighs, staring at the ground.
I moved in front of him and his head slowly raised until he was looking at me.
My stomach sank. His normally blue eyes, that always held so much light, were a muted gray.
And the look of anguish on his face was so far from the optimistic golden retriever I’d come to know.
Reaching out, I trailed my fingers through his hair, wanting nothing more than to take his pain away.
I stepped forward and pulled him to me, cradling his head against my rib cage. “He’s going to be ok,” I whispered. “They’re both going to be ok.”
“I know.” The words were barely audible. “I just—” His arms came around my waist, holding tight, almost like he was anchoring himself to me. “Finding him lying there, bleeding and unconscious. Not knowing if—”
He didn’t finish that sentence, but instead pulled back to look up at me.
“We all do this job every day knowing the risks, but to have something like this happen when we’re not on shift…
” He visibly swallowed, his expression turning harder.
“When we’re not prepared. I don’t know how to deal with that.
And all for what? Someone’s petty grudge? ”
I mindlessly threaded my fingers through his hair again, trying to find the right words to say. This was not really my wheelhouse, but at that moment, I wanted it to be. His eyes drifted shut and his shoulders relaxed as I continued to comfort him.
“I think you embrace the fact that because of you, they are both alive.”
“It wasn’t just me.”
“You were the one who noticed they weren’t outside with us. If it had been even three minutes later, do you think the outcome would have been the same?”
“Not for Adam.” He sighed as I continued to run my fingers through his hair. “God, that feels so good.”
I smiled. “I’m glad. This I can do. Not sure if I’m good at the other stuff.”
“Other stuff?” For the first time, he smirked. “Like talking?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You’re perfect.” He shifted back onto the bench and brought me down on his lap, resting his head against my chest and wrapping his arms around me.
I couldn’t fathom how on earth he thought I was perfect, but I wasn’t going to argue. Not tonight.
“I can drive you home…unless you want to get your car. But then I’ll follow you to make sure you get to your apartment safely.”
I definitely did not want to do that. I also didn’t want to be alone tonight. Well, not exactly accurate. I didn’t want to be alone without Zack next to me.
“Stay with me tonight,” I whispered, praying he wouldn’t say no.
He lifted his head off my chest with a look I couldn’t discern. Surprise? Longing? Confusion maybe?
“I don’t want to be alone.” But I knew it was more than that, and I knew exactly what I was hoping would happen. The idea of being with him was becoming increasingly harder to ignore.
His expression morphed into understanding. But did he really understand? Did he know I was desperate to be held in his arms? To feel his warm body pressed against mine and his lips on my skin.
Would it be wrong to allow myself one night with him?