Page 83 of Risky Passion

They better be worth it.

The fire roared louder, growing more ferocious with every passing second. The searing heat clawed at my skin, relentless and alive.

“I’ll get him out!” I yelled at Tory, my voice hoarse and raw. “Grab whatever you can! I’ll be back in a sec.”

“Okay!” she shouted, disappearing into the smoke without hesitation.

“Onyx, heel!” I called.

As she brushed against my leg, I hoisted Whitney up and over my shoulder.

He let out a sharp, pained grunt.

“I’ve got you, buddy,” I muttered as the fire raged around us. “Just hang in there.”

“She killed a cop, Jax.” Whitney wheezed.

She.Ice shot through my chest even as the flames licked at my bare skin.

B.It had to be her.

Anger blazed through me. “Yeah, I saw Cooper Heathcote’s body out the front.”

As I dodged flaming debris in my bare feet, the fucking fire whooshed in and out like a goddammed monster was breathing flames.

“And she took the body you found,” Whitney rasped.

“Fucking hell.” Anger and dread fought for dominance inside me, but I didn’t have time to process either.

The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly as the smoke grew thicker, heavier, choking the life out of the air. My lungs screamed for relief, and each breath felt like razor blades slicing through me. My vision blurred as sweat and smoke stung my eyes.

Finally, I burst through the doorway. The night air slammed into me like a bitch slap. It was still thick with smoke, but it was better than the suffocating furnace inside.

Onyx bounded ahead of me, her sharp barks slicing through the popping and roaring fire. She circled Cooper’s lifeless body, sniffing at his bloodied uniform and brushing her nose over the dirt as if trying to piece together what had happened.

I staggered away from the steps and lowered Whitney to the ground. “Okay, buddy. Just breathe,” I said, dropping to one knee beside him, yet watching the front door for Tory.

Come on, Tory, where are you?

Whitney groaned and his hand weakly clutched my arm. “The files . . .”

“I know,” I snapped, shoving myself upright. “I’m getting them now. Don’t you dare pass out on me.”

Behind me, the fire roared louder and its heat seared through my sweat-soaked shirt.

Tory burst through the entrance like a force of nature, her arms loaded with two archiving boxes. Flames licked at the doorway behind her, casting flickering light across her soot-streaked face.

“Tory!” I shouted, my voice cracking as I raced toward her. “Here, let me.” I reached for the boxes.

“I’m fine!” she yelled, her voice raw and breaking as tears carved streaks through the grime on her face. “Get more!”

She didn’t wait for me to argue, shoving past me toward Whitney and the Tesla.

Damn it.

I pointed at my dog. “Onyx. Stay.”

Her ears pressed back against her head, showing she was not happy with that command.

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