Page 42 of Too Guarded to Love

He didn’t wait for an answer as he turned from her and ran to the vehicle. The flames on the roof reached the ceiling of the garage as the inferno shoved him back.

“Nic.”

He spun to her voice that sounded like it was a football field away in the distance even though she stood just a few yards back.

But not far enough. She’d moved several feet from the corner he’d left her in.

She pointed to the car. “The baby.” Tears streamed down her face.

The back of his neck burned from abject terror and sparks from the fire, but he didn’t dare take the time to rub it. His earlier fears had been justified in deadly fashion. Almost everyone else in this world that he loved sat in that burning SUV. Every second counted, but slow was smooth, and smooth got the job done. Frantic and rash could lead to death. He wouldn’t let that happen on his watch.

Not again.

“Get back.” Nic ran to the security booth. One guard lay unconscious on the floor. The angle of his leg suggested a nasty break. A chunk of thick bulletproof, but apparently not explosion-proof glass, protruded from the second guard’s neck and pinned him to the wall.

The conscious guard pointed to the security console. “I activated the emergency fire suppression, but I can’t get to⁠—”

Nic spun and raced to the hose coiled a few feet away. “Two injured guards.” He yanked the hose and turned the knob above as he glanced at Olivia. Relief poured through him like the precious water flowing from the wall. She was safe for now, but someone had left a vulnerable gap in the garage.

God knew who might come through it.

Flipping the lever on the hose nozzle, he turned it on the car and dragged it closer. Angry sizzles popped from the inferno as he aimed the water toward the passenger door. The flames cast ghoulish orange and gold shadows on the dark-tinted windows. Nic inched closer, squinting against the heat.

“I can’t see inside the car.” Nic inhaled smoke and coughed.

“I’ve got Hudson on the phone.” Ryan cursed. “The vehicle’s doors are jammed. The stairs and elevators have been compromised. The team is approaching from the street. ETA is three minutes.”

Fuck, they might not have three minutes. The SUV was equipped with new technology invented in VIPER’s labs, but that didn’t mean it was death-proof. He glanced toward where he had left Olivia. He cursed again, fear coursing through him as he took in the vacant spot. Screaming her name, he swiveled his head and spotted her behind him, treating the wounded guard.

“Olivia.” A sickening creak sounded overhead. “Take cover.”

She didn’t turn to look at him. The damn woman stood too close to the flames. The unstable ceiling. The exposed street.

Dammit. He’d told her to stay put, but she’d ignored his order and put herself in danger just like⁠—

Fuck, how was he supposed to keep Kane’s sister out of trouble, let alone safe, if she didn’t listen? With another curse, he fought the past and lunged toward the hole he’d made in the fire. He’d deal with the disobedient sirena later.

Heat seared Olivia’s back as she slid into professional mode and assessed the guard’s condition. Blood pooled around the shard embedded in his neck and seeped into her fingers.

“Stay still…” She glanced at the name on his uniform. “Parker. Stay still.” If he moved, the piece of debris could tear into something vital, and he could bleed out.

Something cracked above her. She looked up and opened her mouth, but her scream caught in her throat.

“Watch out.” Parker grabbed her waist and yanked her toward him.

A metal beam crashed behind her as she slammed against his thick body. Blood spurted onto her shirt as she lost contact with his wound. Panting, sweat dripping down her back, she pressed her hands into his neck and shifted to his side.

Nic stared at her, his body backed by angry flames and dark, dastardly smoke. He shouted something she couldn’t understand, but its meaning didn’t need words. The terror in his eyes said it all.

“I’m fine.” She shot him a thumbs-up.

A corner of his lips curled up in a ferocious snarl as he turned to the burning vehicle. Her throat stung as she yelled at him to get back, but he just stared at the inferno as he held the hose like a weapon and sliced water into the flames.

Sweat dripped from her hairline and into her eyes. She squinted against the burn.

Squinted again, but the sight didn’t change.

Nic remained rooted to the concrete floor and stared at the SUV as if studying the optimal approach to subdue an opponent. An orange haze bellowed from the dark smoke, highlighting his powerful body while shrouding him in a surreal light. He looked two times bigger. A dozen times stronger. The set of his jaw a hundred times harder as he shifted his stance and braced himself for a fight.