When I got to Cheyenne’s door, I understood what the old man was saying. It wasn’t just blocked. There was a chain wrapped around her door handle, over to the pipe on the wall, effectively locking her in.
I slammed my boot into the side of the door by the hinges, knowing that even if I were to get the other side open, it would still be locked by the damn chain. I needed a damn saw to cut the door in half, but it wasn’t like I had one of those lying around.
“Cheyenne!” I shouted, my voice choked as another swarm of smoke filtered into the hallway.
I slammed my boot into the door over and over again, until finally, the door cracked. I was so close. With my leg throbbing, I resorted to flinging my entire body at the door, using my shoulder as a wrecking ball. When I finally fell through the splintered door, it took me a moment of searching the hazy interior to realize she wasn’t in the main room.
I crawled on all fours, searching desperately for her. When I got to her room, I found her lying on the floor, passed out. My fingers slid over her skin for a pulse, and while it was there, it was thready. There was no way I could get her downstairs. Not with the staircase missing.
That left the window.
But as I staggered over to them, I realized why she hadn’t tried to escape. Bars covered the window, leaving no chance to get out. I had no choice but to carry her downstairs and pray someone could help me get her out.
A fit of coughing overtook me as I grabbed a thick shirt from her dresser and draped it over her face, keeping most of the smoke away. Tying it around the back of her head, I hoisted her over my shoulder and made my way to the door.
The fire had reached the inside of the apartment now, and the flames were hotter the closer I got. I hissed in pain as my skin singed under their heat, but I pushed through.
If I didn’t get us out now, we would both die in this fire.
I only made it down one flight before my energy was sapped. I could barely stay on my feet, and my vision swam as I stumbled on the steps.
But the sound of voices calling outside made me push to my feet and fight for every last scrap of air. Grasping the railing, I held tight as I kept my other arm wrapped around the back of Cheyenne’s thighs.
I never prayed for anything in my life. Not when my old man kicked me out of the house. Not when I was living on the streets, and not after my first kill. But right now, I prayed that Cheyenne was still alive.
With every step I took, I remembered the saucy looks she shot my way, her incessant flirting, and every time I turned her down and had to see the sad look in her eyes. All of it pushed me forward, kept me going when I felt like I would fall.
Until finally, I was at the last set of stairs. We were too high for me to drop her down. There was a good chance she’d break her neck, or something would cleave her in two.
I lowered her to the ground, hovering over her as I whispered her name.
“Cheyenne. I need you to wake up.” My throat scratched painfully as I forced the words out, and then there was no point in talking because I could barely get a word out without choking.
I sat on the top step and pulled her into my arms, holding her close to me. If we were going to die here, she would die in my arms, with me protecting her until the very end.
Smoke clouded my vision as I leaned back against the wall, fighting for every last drop of air. I knew I would pass out soon, and I hoped that it would be quick, that Cheyenne wouldn’t feel a thing as the fire consumed us.
“Archer!”
I rolled my head to the side, sure I saw someone standing below us.
“Archer!”
He waved at me, his arms motioning for something, but things were growing dim in my sight.
“You have to lower her down!”
Lower her down.
My eyes drifted to the woman in my lap. Lower her down. Get her to the man down there. I fought the urge to go to sleep, to close my eyes and let the fire take me. With every last ounce of strength inside me, I grabbed Cheyenne by the wrists and held on tight as I slid her over the edge of the stairs.
I caught myself on the banister just as I was about to topple over, holding on with only one hand. The pressure suddenly released in my shoulder as the man below caught her, then rushed with her out the front door.
With no energy left, I fell forward into the inferno. I closed my eyes and prayed for it to swallow me whole.
30
MAVERICK
