Page 128 of Steel

She didn’t hesitate, yanking it from my bag. “Here. Be careful.”

“I’m going to try. I’ll get him.” With that, I threw the blanket over my head and shoulders and moved toward the fire, debating the best angle once again. Finding the weakest spot, I backed away and gave her one last look.

Then I rushed forward, taking a giant leap through the flames.

CHAPTER 28

Violet

Don’t let them follow me.

Steel didn’t want anyone else to die.

In the few memories I had of my mother, one being the single time I could remember being in Missoula as a child, something she’d told me while reading a book came into my mind.

As I waited.

As I worried.

As the sirens of help on their way, possibly too late, filtered into parts of my brain.

She’d told me there were no such things as heroes except in books and movies. Maybe that’s one reason I’d never truly trusted anyone, especially a man. Maybe that’s also why as soon as Kenneth’s betrayal had come to light, I’d shut my emotions down completely. I’d been too young to ask her the reason or to be curious as to what she’d gone through.

I’m simply known that what she’d told me was important and something I should carry with me for the rest of my life. However, in the last two weeks, I’d learned one very important aspect about life in general.

Things weren’t always as they seemed. People couldn’t necessarily be read easily and making immediate judgments wasn’t a good idea. Why? Now, that was an easy answer to come by.

Steel.

Yes, he was grumpy and carried demons of his own, although the closeness I’d sensed he had with his family and the way he reacted when anything remotely disturbing occurred was a clear indication that he was a good man. A decent man.

Someone who would come to a person’s defense when necessary.

Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to grab a sword or a gun for protection.

And someone who could turn a simple event into something… special.

In other words, he was the perfect candidate for being labeled a hero.

Especially right now.

Beads of sweat tickled both sides of my face as I paced the ground, cognizant the fire was growing, flames already spreading as far as I could see. With smoke billowing in the air, seeing much of anything through the beam of my flashlight was closing in on impossible.

My heart continued to thud against my chest, burning a hole in my skin as the anxiety increased every few seconds.

“Damon,” I whispered, coughing as soon as I opened my mouth. In being unable to fight my need to protect my child, I inched closer only to be driven back as embers sparked the sky in bright orange, glistening jewels of timber.

Tumbling back, I covered my mouth with my sleeve, tears mixing with stinging beads of sweat.

“Violet. Where is he?” Hearing Axe’s voice startled me.

The sirens were closer, noise everywhere. The crackle of the fire. The beating of my heart.

The rush of wind. The screaming of the trees.

Gasping, I fought the tears, fought the anger. Fought the hatred I had for myself.

“He’s in… there. He ran through the flames.” I pointed toward the line of trees that were stilted creatures, monsters screaming toward the sky, begging to be set free. Every limb was covered in flames, every leaf charred.