Page 135 of Road to Redemption

Smoke poured out of the roof, windows beginning to crack under the heat of the flames.

The whole house is coming down.

I stared on, in awe as I tried to catch my breath. Where would we go?

But there wasn’t long to consider it before hands grabbed my shoulders from the darkness, a bag thrown over my head and face as I was dragged into the endless night.

74

DOM

It was impossible to see through the smoke and flames now. The entire first floor of my house had been completely swallowed by heat and fire.

As I hunted for the living room, walking the house from memory, I tried to suck in air. But I knew every breath I took would heighten the odds that I didn’t make it out of the burning building.

Crouching down to avoid the thick smoke that rose over the flames, I kept my shoulder pressed to the wainscoting. Flames burst from every room now, making me jump every time I heard a loud crash.

Lady had to be in the living room. It was the last place I saw her, and I knew she was a scaredy cat. More than likely, she would have found somewhere in there to hide.

I rounded the corner, smoke filling my lungs as I squinted. Searching through the haze, I moved toward the couches.

“Lady!” Screaming over the flames, I hoped I could hear something. But there was only the sound of my home crumbling.

I ran my hands over the fabric, warmth sewn into the fibers from the surrounding heat. My eyes moved to the fire that licked up the wall by the mantel, flames traveling up the curtains by the windows. It didn’t matter how fast the fire department got here, the whole place would have come down by then.

Once I cleared the couch, no sign of the dog, I turned to the coffee table. Putting my hand underneath, I met warm fur.

I lowered my head, enough to catch a glimpse of her orange eyes. The brown spots of her eyebrows were furrowed together, fear written all over her face.

“Come on, girl. I’m here.” Holding my hand out, I waited for her to crawl toward me.

She used her elbows to get closer, flinching as a loud crack sounded across the room.

As soon as she was within reach, I scooped the dog into my arms.

I had no choice but to stand upright, unable to hide from the smoke any longer. We needed to get out of here, fast.

As I ran, trying to stumble through the cloud hanging over the room, Lady shook in my arms, a light whimper rumbling from her chest.

The orange glow of the fire filled the entire house. There was no escaping the suffocating heat. If the smoke wasn’t enough to pull every last drop of oxygen from my lungs, the heat would expel whatever remained.

Sweat dripped down my face as we pushed down the hallway toward the stairs.

“Go, go!” Through the roar of the flames, I heard Leo’s voice barking orders.

Squinting, I made out her hulking figure pointing to the front door at the base of the stairs. Caleb ran past, moving as quickly as he could while dodging burning cabinets and tapestries. Spencer was slower with Abi in her arms. She cradled the girl's head as she sprinted forward.

All I could do was nod to Leo, not willing to waste my breath.

We both knew what we had to do.

Run.

With Caleb, Spencer, and Abi ahead of us, Leo flanked me. She wouldn’t let anyone get left behind. It was against her training — and every fiber of her being.

Overhead, wood beams crackled and snapped. They hurtled down, slamming into the floor just ahead of Spencer and Caleb.

“Fuck!” Spencer shouted, skidding to a halt.