Page 157 of Sweet Hate
The throbbing in my head intensifies as his command forces me to my feet, my sides screaming in agony.
I suck in oxygen, eyes straining as I focus on the layout. Collapsed beams and debris already changing it wildly from before.
Straight ahead I spot a doorway with rails through it.
The shop.Its still intact—for now.
There was a shop on the ground floor leading to the street. If I can drag myself out there, I might just stand a chance.
My feet crunch on the broken wood as I make my waythrough a step at a time. Smoke fills the room, but so far the fire hasn’t broken through here.
“Help! Help!”
Dammit. No.
I spin, pain searing through me as I try to locate the voice.
Come on, kid. Where are you?
“Fire department, call out.” I use all my strength to project my voice as far as I can.
“Over here.” A shrill, panicked voice cries out.
When I reach his location, I find a teen with his leg trapped beneath a collapsed shelving unit.
Shit. This is gonna hurt.
Bracing myself for the agony to come, I force myself through the pain. “I’m going to move it. As soon as you feel the pressure lift, you pull yourself out. Got it?”
“Yes Sir.” He nods frantically as I crouch, ignoring the screaming in my chest, and grip the metal railings.
I roar, using every last ounce of strength on lifting the shelves off the kid. Thank fuck, the minute the pressure eases, he scrambles free.
Black seeps into my vision and the room tilts. Shooting an arm out I brace myself on the wall, dragging in small, shallow breaths.
If I don’t get out of here now?—
I picture my girl's face again, her beautiful eyes staring up at me, teeth biting into her plush bottom lip. I remember the feel of her wrapped around me on the back of my Harley.
My nirvana.
Need to get out.
To prove I’ve changed by fixing what I broke this morning. I should have talked to her about the letter and my feelings like a grown ass man.
Now I might never get that chance. If I survive I’m never running from her again. Not now I know the pain of leavinganything unsaid. The pain tearing through my heart right now, hurts most of all.
The kid scrambles to his feet with a definite limp. He must see my pain because he wraps an arm around me.
“Thank you, sir. I’m so sorry. Let me help.”
Nodding I brace an arm around his shoulders, and he does the same to me.
As we stagger toward the doors my squad's shouts reach us. Seconds later, they’re running in our direction.
The blue sky above fills me with crushing relief as I stagger forward. My entire body screams, every single part of me in torturous pain.
Max grabs me, braces me against his body, and steers me toward Beckett, carrying the bulk of my body weight. Just as we manage to clear the immediate area, an almighty crash tears through the air as the building behind us collapses entirely.
