Page 22 of Jagged Burn
“You didn’t.”I grab his face, scars and all, forcing him to look at me.“You never will.”
Behind us, the house burns.But in his arms, I’m safe.For the first time, I know it’s not just a dream.It’s forever.
Chapter Thirteen
Through the Fire
Stefan Grey
The flames have been put out, but the house is gone.
Charred wood still smolders behind the caution tape, the stench of smoke clinging to everything.Firefighters move in the background, securing the last hot spots, but my focus never leaves the ambulance parked under the old oak tree.
Anna sits on the bumper, blanket around her shoulders, oxygen mask dangling from her fingers because she keeps pulling it off to argue with the medic.Stubborn as hell even after almost being burned alive.
My heart won’t stop pounding.I keep replaying it—the moment I found her upstairs, choking on smoke, eyes wide with fear.The way her body felt weightless in my arms, too fragile, too breakable.
If I’d been a minute later ...the thought guts me.
I stalk over, ignoring the medic’s glare, and crouch in front of her.“Are you okay?”
She rolls her eyes, but her lips tremble.“I’m fine.Stop hovering.”
“Not a chance.”My voice cracks harder than I mean it to.“I thought I lost you, Anna.”
“You didn’t,” she whispers, reaching out.Her hand cups my scarred cheek without hesitation.“You never will.”
God.She doesn’t know what those words do to me.
Behind us, raised voices catch my attention.Two cops shove Sam into the back of a cruiser, his face twisted with fury, his wrists cuffed behind his back.He thrashes, shouting my name like it’s a curse.
“You think you’ve won, Grey?You can’t keep her!She’ll see what you are!She’ll leave you!”
Anna stiffens, but I cover her hand with mine, keeping her eyes on me.“Don’t listen to him.”
“I’m not,” she says firmly.Then louder, glaring past me at Sam, “You don’t own me anymore.You never did.”
