Page 110 of Derecho

We tried to lift against the handle, but it was no use. The two car door had to weigh upwards of five-hundred pounds, and what little grip we had on it just wasn’t going to work.

I didn’t hesitate. With Beau sprinting in front of me, we both made our way into the house. Flames engulfed the kitchen, thick smoke making it difficult to navigate the space. Thankfully, it seemed to be just a quick right from the living room, and we were at the garage door.

Holy fuck. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest it felt like it might explode.

“Wait outside! I’ll bring them to you!” Beau yelled.

“Fuck that!” I yelled back, following him to the door that led to the garage. It didn’t budge as he tried to open the handle.

“Stand back!” he barked, lining up before driving his foot into it. The door shook, but didn’t open. Another kick, and another. It wasn’t working.

I coughed violently, the heat and smoke overtaking me. I leaned harder on my cane as Beau tried one last time.

I wanted to fall to the ground and cry with relief as I watched the door explode into the garage. The space was smokey, but the fire hadn’t gotten to them.

Lainey’s eyes met mine, her arms wrapped protectively around Reid’s back, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m here. I’m here, baby. Oh, God. I’m here.” I rushed to her, pressing my lips into her hair as she cried. “Put your arm around my neck. I’m going to get you both out of here.”

Just like I’d done before, I scooped her up with my right arm, cradling her as she kept Reid secure, my left hand tight on my cane. “Close your eyes and tuck your face into my chest,” I instructed, following Beau who had Birdie in his arms.

“Danny?” she cried.

“He’s right behind me. Your face, Lain. We gotta go.”

She didn’t waste another second, and neither did I. The smoke and heat of the fire seared my body, but after the longest fifteen seconds of my life, we were outside.

“Are you okay?” I asked after getting them a safe distance away from the inferno, frantically running my hand over her body, trying to get a look at her and our son. “Please tell me you’re okay. Please.”

“I’m fine. I’m okay. Do you think Reid…his lungs are so little and there was so much smoke.”

I let my cane fall to the ground, grabbing him out of the carrier on her chest. Taking him out of his safe place set him off, right like I’d been hoping. His loud, angry cry pierced the air around us, and my knees almost buckled in relief.

“Birdie!” Lainey cried out as her sister embraced her. She turned, holding her hand out to me.

“Let me see him, Lach. I know Beau called 911, but I can check him over.”

Beau grabbed my cane out of the dirt and handed it to me while Lainey pressed into my side.

Birdie handed Reid back to Lainey with a smile. “His color is great and he doesn’t seem to be having any problem letting us know that he just wants to be with his mama.” I turned, sirens hitting my ears. “You guys need to be in the first ambulance.”

“Are they sending more than one? What about Jasmine?” Lainey asked.

“Jasmine?” I turned to the woman talking to my father. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why was she here? Did she start the fire?”

But there wasn’t time for my questions to be answered, because as soon as the first ambulance pulled in behind the fire truck, I ran with Lainey to get Reid checked out.

Daniel

“Here you go,” I said as I gently set the woman who was trying to do nothing but cause pain for Lainey and Lachlan down on the ground outside. Jesus, the house had gone up in flames so quickly… “You got your legs under you?”

“I don’t think I do,” she replied, looking a little too green for my liking. I wasn’t about to let a pregnant woman suffer, even if she was a horrible person, so I helped her sit on the grass, thankful as fuck for the sirens I could hear making their way out to us.

“You just gotta keep it together a little longer. The ambulance is coming. They’ll check on you and the little one.”

She blinked slowly, like I was talking to her from a mile away. “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. Just…thank you.”

“Did you start that fire?” I asked. “Did you put my family in danger?”