Page 86 of Ryder’s Storm

“But his drink in the living room…”

“It’s all staged.” Ryder ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck! It’s a trap! We’ve gotta go! Now!” He grabbed Scarlet’s hand.

Scarlet didn’t have a chance to ask any more questions, because Ryder was already pulling her away from the bathroom and toward the door to the hallway.

“Shit!” he cursed before they even reached it. “I smell smoke.”

“What? I don’t smell anything.”

Ryder ripped the door open. Finally, Scarlet could smell it too: smoke. It was coming from the first floor.

“Oh my God!” Scarlet cried out.

By the time they reached the landing, flames were already shooting up from the stairs. The old house was burning like tinder. She looked down the flight of stairs, but the smoke was getting thicker, and the flames had already devoured the middle of the staircase, making a descent impossible.

Panic shot through her. “We can’t get out.”

Ryder snatched her hand. “Back to the master bedroom. We’ll have to get out through the back.”

As they ran back into the master bedroom, Ryder pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched a number. Almost immediately a voice answered, “Scanguards, emergency line.”

They rushed into the master bedroom, and Scarlet slammed the door shut.

“Ryder Giles. Emergency protocol foxtrot, send fire and ambulance to 2447 Pacific Avenue, Brandon King’s residence. I’m with a human. Exit route is compromised. I repeat: I’m with a human.”

Ryder was already looking out the windows that overlooked the garden.

“Understood. Emergency protocol foxtrot invoked. Keep your line open,” the woman on the end of the line said.

He placed the phone in his jacket pocket. “Is there a fire escape out of here?”

“No.”

“Okay, get me all the bedsheets you can find in here. I’ll have to lower you down to the ground.”

“And what about you? Who’s gonna lower you down?”

“Don’t worry about me. Immortal, remember?” He squeezed her arm. “Sheets?”

“Okay.” As quickly as she could, she opened the drawers of the antique linen closet and rifled through the stacks of sheet, taking out the largest and thickest ones. “Here.” She turned to Ryder who was trying to pry the window open.

“It’s nailed shut,” he cursed.

“Who would—”

“If I had to take a wild guess, the same person who set the fire. Probably Derek. ” Then he grabbed a pillow from an armchair and held it against the window. “Watch out for the glass. And start knotting the sheets together. Double knots.”

Ryder used his fist to smash in the window, then continued to knock out the jagged edges so there was a large enough opening for a person to get through without cutting themselves.

“How’re you doing on the sheets?” Ryder asked and came to help her.

Together, they knotted half a dozen sheets together. Ryder tested all the knots, pulling hard to make sure they wouldn’t loosen.

“Okay,” he said with a nod at Scarlet. “Lift your arms over your head.”

She did as he asked, and he tied one end of the sheets around her belly, then tested the strength of the knots he’d tied. They held. Scarlet’s gaze was drawn to the door. From the gap between the floor and door, smoke was now coming into the room. Ryder saw it too.

“You have to go, now,” he said and kissed her hard. “I’ll be right behind you. Promise me once you’re in the garden, climb over the fence to the neighbor’s house. You’ll be able to get out with their help. I’ll meet you at the car, okay?”