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Chapter Twenty-Five
Ellie
Iwokeina panic, the room around me unfamiliar with a distinct, sterile smell that made my stomach churn. I tried to sit up, but my body was sore and didn’t want to move too quickly. My eyes were so dry they physically hurt in my skull. My throat felt like it had been ravaged by Buffy’s claws. Every swallow and breath made me wince.
My pulse spiked as I swiveled my head around the room, trying to figure out where I was and how I got there.
Someone sat in a chair a few feet away. The sight of the familiar, worn cowboy hat had my chest easing. I opened my mouth, but what came out was nothing more than a wheezy, raspy whisper. I clenched my teeth at the pain shooting down my throat.
It was enough to get his attention, though. Knox sprang out of the chair, striding to my bed as fast as he could. He reached for my hand and the look of concern in his expression made the anxiety surge again.
“Hey,” he said softly. “I’m glad you’re awake.”
He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I licked my dry lips, preparing myself to try to speak again. I had too many questions to let the pain stop me.
“What happened?” I whispered, so quietly I wasn’t sure if he heard.
His jaw hardened as he squeezed my hand. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. “There was a fire, Ellie.”
He said each word with every bit of care but they felt like a punch. Memories came flooding back; the heat, the smoke, the flames. My pulse spiked, adrenaline flowed through me at the memories.
I’d gone to the trailer after sleeping for a few hours next to Ty. I’d needed to use the restroom and brush my teeth, but that small amount of time had been enough for the whole trailer to burn.
I swallowed against the lump of emotion clogging my throat. “How?”
“Ellie, maybe you should rest…”
I shook my head, making it swim. Something tugged on my face and I realized there was an oxygen cannula in my nose. I was in the hospital. The hard reality dawned on me.
“Tell me,” I rasped, not backing down. I needed to know.
Knox hung his head, the brim of his hat hiding his eyes as he sighed. “They’re still investigating, but they’re pretty sure an accelerant was used.” He shook his head. “There’s nothing left, El. I’m sorry. The land is fine, for the most part. None of the trees or brush caught fire.”
The world spun as I comprehended that. A tear slipped down my cheek. My home…my father’s home…it was gone. I drew in a shaky breath. At least the land was okay. “And Buffy?” A sudden, awful thought hit me. There was a chance she had been in the trailer when it went up in flames. I couldn’t remember if I’d seen her there at the time.
“I got her. She’s fine.”
Good. My chest eased but only a fraction. God, it was hard to believe my home was gone. “So someone…someone set the fire? On purpose?”
“Probably. Atlas has been on that Hunter guy’s ass ever since. He held him for as long as he could, but didn’t get much out of him. They’re still collecting evidence, though. Don’t worry. Atlas is determined to catch whoever did this.” Knox’s face hardened.
Nausea roiled in my gut. Someone had actually tried to kill me. They’d almost succeeded, too. The thought made my hands numb. My veins buzzed with anxiety and fear. There was something else though, I could see it in Knox’s eyes. There was something I was missing.
Knox shifted on his feet. I stared at him, sensing he was holding something back. “What else is there?”
He let out another long sigh, rubbing his temple with the tips of his fingers. “It’s Ty.” My heart lurched. “He’s missing.”
I let that word sink in, but couldn’t make sense of it. “Missing?” I racked my brain, trying to understand when—all of a sudden—it hit me. I sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, my God.” My hands shook. “Ty was there. He pulled me out of the trailer!”
Knox nodded, his lips thinning. “He called 911. When the fire department showed up they found you lying in the grass, but he wasn’t anywhere around. Atlas and Wren have been trying to get a hold of him, but his phone was there, laying right next to you. No one has seen or heard from him.”
Oh my God.
I squeezed my eyes closed. Overwhelmed, I tried not to throw up as I thought. Part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he had skipped town again—but he couldn’t have. He wouldn’t do that, not after what had happened between us. I covered my face with my hands, trying to recall Ty pulling me out of the fire. It was so hazy, my memory fickle and wavering.
I remembered his voice; he had talked to me, telling me I was going to be okay.
