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His crew might’ve come to a halt, but West wouldn’t listen, not that he was thinking much. No way could he stop. Harper was in there. He had to find her. What if she was trapped upstairs? God, what if she was hurt? Unconscious? Stuck in a smoke-filled room unable to breathe . . .
West shook the horrific thoughts out of his mind. He couldn’t think like that. It would fuck him up royally when he needed to focus.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he paused, trying to assess the situation despite the panic clawing at his insides. Glancing around, he saw that the lower level looked pretty normal, with the exception of extensive smudges of black smoke on the white walls and the tables and chairs dripping with water. He scanned the room for the stairs, finding them tucked to the right side of the hostess station. West started up them just as Lane finally grabbed hold of his arm and stopped him.
“You can’t go up there.” Lane jerked him closer, gripping him tight. “I won’t let you put your life at risk, damn it. The floor is damaged. If you can even manage to get your ass up there, you could fall right through.”
“Fuck you,” West said through clenched teeth. “I need to find her.” He tried to pull out of Lane’s grip, but it was no use. His fingers were clamped tight like a vise. “Let me go, asshole.”
“No. She’s not up there. No one’s up there.” Lane shook him, his expression determined, eyes serious. “Trust me. They’re not inside.”
“Then I need to find them.” West swallowed hard, ignoring the panic racing through his blood. “Now.”
HARPER HAD STUMBLED out of the restaurant, coughing as the smoke surrounded her, blocking her vision. She’d glanced around, grunting when people pushed past her, nearly knocking her to the ground, and she decided to follow them instead of working against them. She was missing one sandal and her bare foot hurt from when someone had stepped on her toes earlier.
But none of that mattered. She was out of the burning restaurant.
She was alive.
But she still couldn’t find Delilah and Wren, had been wandering around for what felt like hours looking for them. She sniffed, realizing that she’d been crying, and she wiped at her eyes, brushed the tears off her cheeks. Now was not the time to fall apart like a baby. She needed to find her friends and make sure they were safe. Then they needed to get the hell out of here.
Panic filling her, she told herself to remain calm as she jogged around the side of the building, the grass soft and damp against her bare foot. People were everywhere, all of them scared, talking loudly, many of them crying. She heard the wail of sirens, the sound piercing and never seeming to let up. Clapping her hands over her ears, she stopped and glanced around, watching in quiet awe as a group of firefighters stood in a line and aimed a giant hose at one of the upper windows, the hard spray of water putting out the lingering flames. She wondered if West was here. He had to be. But where was he?
And no way could her friends still be up there . . . could they?
Deciding she w
as wasting time, she started running again, her gaze everywhere as she looked for Wren and Delilah. So many people milled about, the panic so thick she could practically see it. She coughed, the smoke still aggravating her lungs, and she stopped to rest, bending over to place her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
“Harper! Oh my God, there you are!”
She turned to find Delilah running toward her, her phone clutched in her hand. Her hair was a wreck, her face dirty, and her shirt was torn at the hem, but Harper had never seen a more beautiful sight.
“I was trying to call you,” Delilah said as she yanked Harper into her arms and hugged her so tight she was afraid Delilah would crush a few bones. “I was so scared,” she mumbled against her hair.
“Where’s Wren? Have you seen her?” Harper asked, clutching Delilah close. The relief that flooded Harper made her bones wobbly. She was so glad to have found her friend.
Delilah pulled away, shaking her head. She grabbed hold of Harper’s hand and started leading her back toward the building. “We need to go look for her. What if she’s still inside?”
Harper glanced at the still-smoldering building. Worry made her stomach cramp, but she needed to stay calm. Wren was fine. She had to be. “We should stay here and watch for her.” It killed her to say that, but she knew it was the right thing. They needed to stay in one place. If they started looking, they might miss their friend. “Did you try calling her?”
“Yes, but she didn’t answer.” Delilah’s lower lip started to tremble and her eyes filled with tears. “She was so pissed at us and I was just as mad. Now I can’t freaking find her. This is—” Delilah took a stuttering breath. “Not the way I wanted our last moments to be.”
“Delilah, stop talking like that! She’s fine.” She couldn’t let Delilah think along those lines. They needed to stay positive. She took in the fire engines and patrol cars in the parking lot, her heart easing just knowing who could possibly be nearby. “Have you seen Lane or West yet?”
“No.” Delilah sniffed, tears sliding down her dirty cheeks and leaving visible tracks. “You’re the first person I’ve found.” She hauled Harper back into her arms, holding her close, and Harper let her.
“We’ll be fine. We’ll find her. Everything’s going to be fine.” She smoothed her hand over Delilah’s hair, trying to soothe her.
Hoping like crazy that she was speaking the truth.
“COME ON, MAN. We’ll find them. There’s a large group of people out back by the dock. Maybe the girls are with them,” Lane suggested, turning West around and leading him out of the building.
Misery settled low in his gut as he tried to put on a brave face and ordered his crew to start mopping up. All he could think about was Harper. What if the girls weren’t there? Christ, he hadn’t seen Harper in days. Hadn’t held her, kissed her . . .
Regret slammed into him like a fist, making his stomach twist and churn. His job kept him away most of the time and he didn’t mind. He usually preferred it because if he was working, at least he was doing something and getting paid. But now, thinking of Harper, how she could be hurt and he hadn’t seen her in so long . . .
Fuck, he didn’t know what he’d do if something had happened to her. He’d never forgive himself.
