Page 56 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

Rigor and Rodion lean closer to the map.

“Let’s take three streets from the school and then return to the original route after that,” Rigor says.

Rodion nods. “Yeah, we can do that. That’ll work.”

My phone rings on the table. It’s the warehouse.

I answer it and my floor manager is speaking so loudly everyone can hear and I need to hold the phone away from my ear.

“Sir, there’s a fire. They tipped over the fuel tank and the forklift ran over the spill. Its inside the whole fucking place. You need to come back—”

“Fuck!” I yell, turning to run from the room.

“We’ll follow!” Rigor shouts, but I hardly pay any attention because I’m thinking about Jade and how I should never have left her alone and now she’s in danger.

She might be trapped upstairs in the office and my workers might not even realize she’s still there.

Driving like a maniac, I skid around corners and shoot through traffic lights. I don’t care about the risk to myself, which is stupid, because if I am hurt—I can’t help her. Still, the panic flooding me is so intense I can barely breathe.

The thought of losing Jade is too much to process. I push it aside and focus on the task at hand. Get to the warehouse. Step one. Nothing else matters. Stop panicking. Focus.

Once I’m in the harbor area, any remaining caution I had goes out of the window and I drive even faster.

My car come skidding to a halt right outside the burning warehouse. I can’t see flames, but I can see thick, black smoke pouring from the high doors.

I practically fall out of my car getting out too fast and running towards the stream of workers flooding out of the suffocating air inside.

And right there, in the doorway, is Jade.

She is covered in soot but gently guiding workers to safety. She is speaking to them, reassuring them and telling them where to go to get out of the way of the smoke and flames.

If someone is hurt, she pulls them to the side and guides them towards the doctor we have on sight.

I stand in the middle of the hustling chaos and stare at her for a moment before I snap back into myself. She is looks so in control, so confident and full of courage.

I rush towards her and grab her in my arms.

She lets out a little woosh of air and a squeal of fright.

“Oh. My goodness, Rad. You’re back. Thank goodness,” she mutters, hugging me back. “Those people over there got burnt and that guy got stuck under one of the crates when it fell and—“

I grab her face. “Are you ok, little starfish?” My eyes are tight on her, filled with concern.

She reaches up and gently touches my hands on her cheeks. A soft smile on her lips when she answers. “I’m completely fine,” she says calmly.

I pull her close to me and kiss her. Then let her go. “I’m going to check who is still inside,” I nod, then run into the building while Jade continues to help the workers find their way to safety.

For hours, Jade and I work with my brothers, who arrive a little after me, to clean up the mess and make sure thateveryone is alright. We are lucky that no one was seriously injured, but a few people did go for treatment for smoke inhalation and Jethro managed to break his arm when the crate landed on him. Other than that, people are just dirty, tired, coughing and wanting to go home.

I send everyone on their way after making sure they don’t need additional treatment, until it’s just Jade and I left at the warehouse.

The sky is already dark above us and there is enough smoke still wafting from the warehouse, even though the fire is out, to block out any view we might have had of the stars.

“So, how hungry are you now?” Jade asks, grinning at me and looking utterly exhausted.

“I’m thinking pizza and burgers. It seems like the perfect combo right now.”

“No pineapple, though? Right?” she asks, narrowing her gaze at me.

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