Chapter 28
Violet
Don’t let them follow me.
Steel didn’t want anyone else to die.
In the few memories I had of my mother, one being the single time I could remember being in Missoula as a child, something she’d told me while reading a book came into my mind.
As I waited.
As I worried.
As the sirens of help on their way, possibly too late, filtered into parts of my brain.
She’d told me there were no such things as heroes except in books and movies.
Maybe that’s one reason I’d never truly trusted anyone, especially a man.
Maybe that’s also why as soon as Kenneth’s betrayal had come to light, I’d shut my emotions down completely.
I’d been too young to ask her the reason or to be curious as to what she’d gone through.
I’m simply known that what she’d told me was important and something I should carry with me for the rest of my life. However, in the last two weeks, I’d learned one very important aspect about life in general.
Things weren’t always as they seemed. People couldn’t necessarily be read easily and making immediate judgments wasn’t a good idea. Why? Now, that was an easy answer to come by.
Steel.
Yes, he was grumpy and carried demons of his own, although the closeness I’d sensed he had with his family and the way he reacted when anything remotely disturbing occurred was a clear indication that he was a good man. A decent man.
Someone who would come to a person’s defense when necessary.
Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to grab a sword or a gun for protection.
And someone who could turn a simple event into something… special.
In other words, he was the perfect candidate for being labeled a hero.
Especially right now.
Beads of sweat tickled both sides of my face as I paced the ground, cognizant the fire was growing, flames already spreading as far as I could see. With smoke billowing in the air, seeing much of anything through the beam of my flashlight was closing in on impossible.
My heart continued to thud against my chest, burning a hole in my skin as the anxiety increased every few seconds.
“Damon,” I whispered, coughing as soon as I opened my mouth. In being unable to fight my need to protect my child, I inched closer only to be driven back as embers sparked the sky in bright orange, glistening jewels of timber.
Tumbling back, I covered my mouth with my sleeve, tears mixing with stinging beads of sweat.
“Violet. Where is he?” Hearing Axe’s voice startled me.
The sirens were closer, noise everywhere. The crackle of the fire. The beating of my heart.
The rush of wind. The screaming of the trees.
Gasping, I fought the tears, fought the anger. Fought the hatred I had for myself.
“He’s in… there. He ran through the flames.” I pointed toward the line of trees that were stilted creatures, monsters screaming toward the sky, begging to be set free. Every limb was covered in flames, every leaf charred.
“Fuck. I’m going after him.”
“Axe, no. The firefighters are almost here.” Viper grabbed his arm.
“That’s my brother in there. I am not going to allow another member of my family to die because of me.”
“No,” I managed. “He doesn’t want you to follow him.” The shock of what I said was evident by the look on Axe’s face.
“What do you mean?” His demand was filled with regret already.
“That’s what he wants.”
“I don’t care. No more family dies.” Axe jerked his arm free, but Viper refused to allow him to go, able to control him.
The two men glared at each other. “Think, Axe. Stop and think. Look at those flames. It’s too hot. You won’t make it through. Just be ready because you know Steel. He will not allow that child to die. Just get ready for when he appears. And he is going to appear.”
Axe hissed, yanking free once again. “He better or I’m going to kick his ass.”
“South end of the river near route five twenty-two. We need an ambulance for two possible victims.” Viper spewed directions into the communications radio, but I wasn’t listening. Not closely anyway.
My mind was processing everything from the last two weeks. The meeting. The look on Steel’s face. The controlling manner in how he’d reacted to me.
The gash on his forehead.
His split lip.
The way his eyes became hooded anytime the hunger dragged him from one moment into another.
I pressed my fingers across my lips, shifting my thoughts to my little man. My sweet boy. The kid was a rock, eager and adventurous, but he hadn’t started this fire.
But whoever had I would beat to death with my own hands.
More voices sounded off in the distance.
“Get her out of here!” Viper called.
“No,” I yelled back, coughing as soon as I did. “I’m not… going anywhere.”
“Violet. Please. You’re not safe,” Viper continued.
A noise. A crackle. Several booms as trees fell.
A yelp as I twisted my body toward the flames. Movement.
“What’s that?” I pointed toward a group of trees, black smoke rolling from the location.
Viper and Axe moved closer. “Stay back,” Axe commanded just as others popped through the trees.
The sirens were closer. So close. Echoing.
My mind spinning.
“Wait. There!” Axe lurched into action, preventing me from seeing anything. He bolted toward the forest with others following.
Yelling.
Another boom.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.
I couldn’t…
“Mommy!”
The shock was almost too much, my son’s voice ringing loud and clear over the yelling of the men, the screaming of the alarms, and the roar of the fire.
I could hear him.
As with my heart still thudding, I finally saw my little boy breaking through the fog and racing toward me. My miracle. My perfect child. Hysteria threatened to take control, tears falling, stinging my eyes.
“Damon!” As I gathered him into my arms, managing to lift him off the ground, out of the corner of my eye I looked for Steel.
The man who’d risked his life to save my beautiful boy.
The man who’d acted as if he was nothing special, incensed when anyone said otherwise.
“Oh, baby. Are you okay? You’re not burned, are you?
Oh, baby. Let me see your face.” I pulled him back, cupping his little face, squeezing.
The man who’d saved my world not once but twice was nowhere.
Someone special that I would forever call my hero.
My eyes darted from the flames back to my son, still trying to catch my breath from the sweep of adrenaline.
“Get back. Let’s go.” Firefighters were directing, coordinating. There were too many people to see anything.
Smoke was everywhere, sliding through the air like a thick, disgusting fog.
I pulled Damon close once again, feeling my thudding heart beating with his.
“Mom. I’m fine. Did you see Steel save me? He put this cool blanket over me. He said the fire wouldn’t get through it and he was right.” His little hands pushed me again, his face totally animated. He wasn’t bothered by what he’d been through. Not in the least.
“Yes, I saw.” I searched for Steel, squinting and blinking, the haze of smoke making it impossible to see anything. Firefighters had arrived, several running with hoses toward the flames.
The smokejumpers grabbed axes and shovels, fighting alongside them. Where was Steel?
“He jumped through the fire and everything to save me. He’s my hero.”
Hero. Steel was a hero and while he would never admit it, I’d be there to remind him.
I spun in a circle, searching. Hoping. “I know, honey. He risked his life for you. For my insane little man who ran away from home. Why would you do that? You scared me.”
Where was my personal hero, the man willing to risk his life for two people he barely knew?
“I didn’t mean to, Mom. I just…”
“You just what?” The brat had learned that from me. I could see Steel’s face when he’d chided me about never finishing the sentence.
Why had he run back to the fire?
“Steel. Where are you?” I half whispered, scanning the perimeter. I noticed Axe running toward the fire, a shovel in his hand. Yelling. What was he yelling at?
Oh, God. Oh, God.
“Ma’am. I’m with emergency services. I understand your son was in a fire. We should check to make certain he’s unharmed.”
“Wait. I need to find someone.” I held my son’s face close to me, still searching. “Yes, I…” I held Damon so tightly.
“Mom. You can let me down,” he insisted.
“Ma’am, your son could very well need oxygen.” The EMT was insistent. “So could you.”
“Yes,” I told the girl. “Okay. It’s okay, baby. Let’s get you checked out. I’m fine. I’m just… fine.”
“Mom. Where is he? Where did Steel go?”
“I don’t know, honey.” My heart couldn’t take much more.
I followed the EMT toward an awaiting ambulance far enough away from the chaos that I could take a deep breath.
As I eased him down onto the gurney, I studied his face in the stream of constant spinning lights.
There were red ones, blue ones. The beams from flashlights were everywhere.
An officer arrived, one nodding to the other then toward where we were positioned. They’d want to talk to Damon and find out about the box of accelerants.
I moved beside my son, uncertain how to broach the subject. “Baby. I gotta ask you a question.”
“I’m not a baby. Remember?” He was kicking his legs, staring at the fire as if still fascinated. Did he even have any idea how close he’d come to dying?
“No, you are not. You’re right. You are a young man. Just about to turn eight and that means you can no longer tell fibs.”
Where was Steel? I needed him as much as my son needed me. Or maybe I just also needed my son. My kid was growing up so fast. He was getting bigger every day. I stroked his hair, brushing my fingertips down his face. What if I’d lost him? What if I couldn’t see my son’s sweet face again?
Steel was a hero. Where was he?
The way he looked at me was as if his mother had just gone off her rocker. “Mom. I don’t lie. You did say that was a mortal sin.”
“Yes, I did.” The EMT was eying me like I was nuts.
“Did you start the fire? I know you’re upset, honey, about what you overheard, but I love you and if you weren’t in my life, I would be so sad I couldn’t go on.
And we’ll get another puppy. One that will be your best friend for years and years.
Okay? Just don’t go running off again. But I won’t be angry with you as long as you tell the truth. ”
Hot tears ran down my face. Damn it. Why was my vision so cloudy?
His little face scrunched up. “No, Mom. I’m sorry I ran away. I just thought… I thought you’d be better off without me. I thought Dad hated you because of me.”
Damn that man. Damn him for not caring about the sweetest little boy in the entire world. “I couldn’t care less. All that matters is you. You’re my entire world. Don’t you know that? Just tell me the truth.”
More people arrived. Water and steam were everywhere.
“I didn’t start the fire, Mom. But I saw the people who did. They ran when they saw me and knocked over something that smelled icky. I found stuff in my room. Bad stuff. The smell was terrible. Then poof. A big fire started.”
“Like gasoline. Was the smell like when you go to the gas station and sometimes there are drips?”
A crackle of electricity chilled the air while warming my blood while I slowly lifted my head, fearful what I was seeing was an apparition.
Steel.
“Aaahhh. Yes!” Damon jumped up, clapping his little hands.
“Damon didn’t start that fire. In fact, I think he stopped it from being much worse.”
Steel stood barely two feet away, wearing a grin and soot, his hair as disheveled as when we enjoyed our moments of passion. His shirt was torn, his pants were filthy, but he was alive.
And he looked so handsome, so incredible.
Without thinking, I lunged forward, flinging my arms around Steel’s neck. “You’re here. You’re safe. I thought…”
“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, Violet.”
He wrapped his huge arms around me, pressing me tightly against his heated body. The intense, deep, and insane vibrations of having him in my arms was everything I needed, everything I’d worried I would never feel again.
He was right here. And he was safe.
After nuzzling into his neck, I pushed him away, brushing my hand across his stubbled cheek. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.” With Damon giggling behind us, Steel lowered his head. “I’ll always keep you both safe.” As he captured my mouth, I no longer cared if anyone witnessed our passion.
With the chaos continuing, I was able to block out all sounds but the little chuckles offered by my son and the rapid beating of my own heart.