Page 67 of Royal Desire

He says nothing.

The ash continues to fall around us. The heat is nothing like I’ve experienced. I can’t shake the feeling that it smells like more than just a fire.

This smells like death.

That’s when I hear Blake.

His voice rings above everything—the flames, the sirens, the orders being thrown left and right from the firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect our little town.

Blake’s voice is shrill, cutting through the night. “Grandma!”

My body jerks.

But Payne is stronger.

He doesn’t allow me to move.

No.

No, no, no...

CHAPTER TWENTY

PULSE

Payne

Afirefighter emerges from the back of Alice’s house ... holding a body.

It feels like the world stops spinning on a dime. Ruby feels it too. She tenses in my arms as her sobs rack against my chest. I hold her tight. If this is the worst-case scenario, there’s no way I’ll allow her to see it.

And here I thought my life was hell. Watching the scene unfold before us gives that place a whole new definition.

The crew member yells something and waves, but it’s muffled through his helmet and mask.

Two men rush a stretcher and meet them at the side of the yard. He lays Alice down like a limp ragdoll. My hold on Ruby tightens.

Alice’s face is gray, covered in soot, and her hair is singed. She looks so small, so fragile. Nothing like the woman who gave me piano lessons and definitely not the woman who gave me shit last week when I told her not to eat too much sugar. That woman was a force and chastised me when she knew I didn’t practice. I think, even back then, she knew I was only there to be close to Ruby.

Ruby’s body trembles against mine. “Is she...”

I don’t answer and don’t take my eyes off the men working on her. They have an oxygen mask on her face and are checking her over from head to toe. Blake runs to her and falls to his knees at the end of the stretcher.

He repeats what his sister just asked, but he finishes the ominous statement. “Is she dead?”’

“I’ve got a pulse.” My fellow volunteers move into action, even though I haven’t seen Alice lift a finger. “Let’s move. We need to transport her.”

I finally let go of Ruby enough to claim her face. I bend to look into her stormy blue eyes. “She’s alive, baby. They’re taking her to the hospital. I’ll take you and Blake.”

She nods without letting go of her grip on my jacket. “She can’t die, Payne. She can’t.”

“No, she can’t.”

Brand turns to me. “I’ll stay here. Not that you can’t get an update from your people, but I want to know how this happened.”

I lift my chin and tuck Ruby to my side. Blake is on his way to us. “Let’s go. I’ll take you both to the hospital.”

No one argues.