Page 108 of Pressure

“Come on kitten. Hang in there.”

Simon’s hands were bloody, so he started checking her for injuries.

“Fuck, someone hit her on the head,” he bit.

Sirens wailed in the distance and he prayed they got there in time.

Behind him, he heard gravel flying. His head swiveled and he spotted Patrick, Dakota, and Samuel sprinting toward them. Patrick gripped a fire extinguisher, but the flames had grown far beyond that, so he chucked it to the side as Samuel made a beeline for the water spigot at the back of the building. There was no hose though so it wouldn’t do any good.

On the ground at his feet, Marissa groaned.

“Riss, baby, hang in there.” He cupped her pale face and willed her to stay alive as he simultaneously willed the fire department to hurry.

“What the fuck happened?” Patrick barked.

“No clue,” Simon said. Lance was grateful to have someone with him.

“Master Lance and I were in an alcove when we smelled smoke. I hoped the rail and ran in the direction of the flames and found Marissa unconscious on the porch. Looks like the fire started inside the cabin though and I got her off the porch just in time.”

Samuel dropped to his knees next to Lance and began checking Marissa over.

“She’s breathing good. Doesn’t look like any smoke damage. You got to her in time.”

He didn’t know all of the man’s background, but he likely knew what he was talking about.

“Ambulance and fire trucks are at the gate,” Dakota said, phone in her hand.

He nodded as Samuel scooped Marissa up.

“We’ll meet them in the parking lot,” the brawny man said as he hurried down the path back toward the club. Everyone fell in behind him, not caring that the cabin still burned.

In the parking lot, Samuel handed Marissa to the EMT’s who jumped out of their vehicle and rolled a stretcher forward.

Lance was focused on Marissa, but he didn’t miss the fact that Samuel slipped into his car and drove away. What was that about? Would they see him again?

Lance had a grim feeling, but he had to focus on Marissa right now. He hopped into the ambulance despite EMT objections and watched out the window as the firetruck moved down the road to the cabin.

An hour later, he paced the ER waiting room because they wouldn’t let him back with her.

All he knew was she needed stitches. They told him to contact family if he could, but he wasn’t sure how she would feel if he called her mother, so he’d refrained.

The doors slid open and Eli, Holly, Austin, Patrick, Garrett, and Hunter rushed in.

“How is she?” Austin asked.

Lance shook his head as they surrounded him.

“Not sure. They won’t let me see her.”

Austin pulled away. “Be right back.”

Everyone watched as she rushed to the counter.

“Excuse me. My sister was just brought in by ambulance.”

Lance lifted an eyebrow, half expecting the receptionist to question her.

Instead, she just asked for the patient’s name and buzzed her through the security door.

---