Page 123 of Promised Love

She’s in there.

She’ll be there until they can get inside.

My feet hit the floor, and my grip on my helmet tightens as I run toward the parking lot.

“Lukas!”

“Spencer.”

Keith and Connor call out to me, but I can’t bother with them. She’s there, and I have to reach her.

All through the ride, as I snake past traffic to reach Autumn, I can’t stop thinking about what a moron I’ve been over the past few weeks. I’ve finally found the one person who was willing to love me even after knowing my truth, and I was keeping her away.

I always thought my mom was so naive to love someone unconditionally, especially someone who could never return her love, but I’m a bigger fool. In my efforts not to become like my mother, I’d become like that sperm donor.

I was so busy in self-preservation that I became blind to Autumn’s unconditional love. Instead of thanking her and being grateful for the gift life had given me, I chose to reject her.

My hands tighten around the handlebars as I pray for the first time since my mother’s death.

God, please don’t take her away from me.

I stop outside the inn’s main gate, where a fire engine’s parked, before making a run toward the back of the building.

I pass by the kitchen staff and Suzie to reach the flaming entrance. Mr. Big is wiping his forehead with a cotton handkerchief, probably sweating both from heat and fear. Chiara has tears rolling down her cheeks. Unlike the wedding day, her gaze doesn’t throw daggers at me, but the accusation is still there. Jasper is holding Laura close, and she’s hiccuping between sobs.

Without wasting any more time, I walk close to Gavin and the firefighters.

“Why’s no one going inside?” I bellow over the noise of crackling fire and the hoses spraying water and foam.

“With this much fire, it’s impossible,” one of the firefighters replies as Gavin makes another unsuccessful attempt to get in. “We need to bring down the fire first.”

“I’m going in.” I pull the collar of my jacket up.

“It isn’t safe.” Gavin grabs my arm and tilts his head toward the men working. “Let them clear the entrance.”

“She’s inside.” Foreign feelings hit me as my stomach turns rock hard. Fear I’ve never experienced engulfs me as I think about how scared Autumn must be at this moment.

“We’ll get her, okay? I’ve promised Jasper and Laura that their daughter will be safe. But we can’t compromise our safety too.” Gavin’s grip on me tightens, and I see red.

“Are you fucking kidding me? It’s Autumn in there. My wife!”

“Lukas.” Gavin purses his lips and fucking looks at me in exasperation. Me.

“I know you’re feeling guilty right now. You’re thinking you should have talked to her while she was waiting for you. When you still had a chance to—”

“Let go of me!” But that fucker doesn’t. “You think you’ve become some relationship expert? This isn’t me trying to get a chance. This is me saving my wife, the love of my life.”

Before I can get out of Gavin’s iron grip, Jasper’s hand curls around my shoulder. His other arm is still wrapped around Laura.

“Don’t do this, Lukas. If something happens to you too, we won’t be able to forgive ourselves.”

Why the fuck is everyone still talking? She’s inside.

“If I die saving her, it’ll be a death worth having.” I shake myself and Jasper’s hand drops.

“But she wasn’t yours by choice, Lukas. You’ve sent the divorce papers to her.” Laura’s words are accusatory, stopping me from trying to pull out of Gavin’s hold.

“She is my wife, Laura. She hasn’t signed the papers, and we haven’t filed anything. I don’t care how she came into my life. She’s mine, and I’m not going to let anyone or anything take the love of my life away from me.” I shrug out of their grasp and make a run for the door, which is still burning as if the hose is spraying kerosene and not water.

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