When my eyes landed on not one, not two, but four sensors picking up smoke or fire in River’s house, my heart skipped a few beats before my body sprang into action. I knew the system was wired to call 9-1-1, but I called from my cell phone anyway as I ran over to her house and started pounding on the front door.
River didn’t open the door, but I knew she was home. I saw her pull into her driveway when she came home from work, and her car was still sitting in the same spot. And I knew she was probably asleep.
I gave the dispatcher the address and told her what was going on before I ended the call and moved around to the back of the house. Luckily, I had just done the security install on the house right before River moved in, so the layout was still fresh in my mind.
After I checked the back door knob and found it cool to the touch, I gave it a turn, but it was locked. Taking a step back, I raised my booted foot and planted it squarely in the center of the door. The wood creaked, but the door didn’t open. It took two more solid kicks before it finally flew open, and thick, white smoke poured out at an alarming rate.
I covered my face with my shirt and ducked down low, following along the wall to what I hoped was the bedroom River was using. Flinging the door open, I rushed inside and closed it behind me. The room was filled with smoke, not as bad as the hallway, but bad enough that I couldn’t see clearly.
“River!” I yelled, followed by a fit of coughing. “River! Are you in here?”
“Jonah?” she croaked and coughed.
“Keep talking,” I ordered.
“Can’t. It hurts.”
I went for the window I could barely make out through the smoke and tripped over something.
“Ow! Fuck, Jonah!” River groaned from below me. I reached down and grabbed for anything I could get my hands on while keeping my eyes focused on the window. When my fingers made contact with cloth, I grabbed and pulled, dragging her along with me as I tried to get us to the window.
My eyes were burning, and it was becoming more and more painful to breathe. I was struggling, and I wasn’t sure we were going to make it out of the house. I knew smoke inhalation was usually the cause of death for victims of fires, and I now fully understood why.
My steps faltered, and I fell against the window as I gasped for breath and tried not to acknowledge the absence of River’s coughing. With the last bit of strength I could muster, I flipped the locks and raised the window. Pressing my face against the screen, I sucked in a huge lungful of air while I pushed it out of the frame.
I squatted down and scooped River’s limp body into my arms. I hated to do it, but there wasn’t time to be gentle. I dangled her as far as I could out the window before I let her fall to the ground below. At least it was a one-story house, so the fall wasn’t too far.
I attempted to land on my feet, but fell on my ass the second my boots touched the ground. I scrambled to grab her and pull her to me, so I could press my lips to hers and breathe what little breath I had into her smoke-filled lungs. And that’s how the fire department found us. Passed out on the ground with my arms around her and my lips pressed to hers.
***
“Judge! Knock this shit off!” Copper ordered from beside me.
I shoved my President as hard as I could and jumped up from the stretcher they were trying to keep me on. “Where is she?” I roared and then damn near collapsed as I gasped for air through a fit of coughing.
I steadied myself, caught my breath, and pushed past the men surrounding me. Or I meant to. I was captured from behind by the big bastard I thought was my best friend. “Let me fucking go, Batta.”
Kennedy suddenly appeared in front of me and placed her hand on my cheek. “Judge, please get back in the bed. River’s in the next room, and we’re trying to help her, but you’re pulling resources from her by not cooperating with us. Sit down, put that oxygen mask back on, and breathe so I can go back in there.”
I nodded and did everything she said without a word. The moment I was settled, Kennedy disappeared and Batta gently squeezed my shoulder. I tilted my head to the sky, closed my eyes, and prayed that I didn’t get to her too late.
The room remained unbearably silent until it was broken long minutes later by a cry I’d only heard a handful of times in my life. The familiar comfort of my mother’s soft hand landed on my cheek as she dropped her head to my chest and sobbed. “Oh, my baby boy. Thank God you’re okay.”
I hugged her with my arm that wasn’t holding the oxygen mask to my face. “Sorry I scared you, Mom. Just a little smoke inhalation,” I rasped and started coughing again.
“You’re not supposed to be talking,” Copper grumbled.
“Right,” I agreed and fell silent, but I couldn’t release the tension from my body, and Mom picked up on it immediately. I wasn’t one to sit back and watch while others handled things, even when I could barely move without hacking up a lung.
Mom pointed an accusatory finger at Copper and Batta. “You two aren’t helping him by sitting there like bumps on a log. What’s happening right now? Did they get the fire under control? Any idea what caused it? Have the police been called? Did somebody let Tiny know so he can start getting the security reports together?”
Copper grinned and shook his head. “Leigh, he’s only been awake for a few minutes, and he was fighting with the staff for half of ‘em.”
Mom whirled around and glared at me. “Jonah, why on earth would you try to fight the staff? Wait, don’t answer that.”
Batta sat forward and answered for me. “He was a little disoriented when he regained consciousness and was demanding to know about the girl he saved.”
“You saved a girl?” Mom asked.
I nodded slowly and waited for one of the guys to fill her in on what they knew. None of them knew how close we came to not making it out of that house, and I hoped none of them ever would.
“Yeah, as soon as he got the alert on his phone, he ran next door and found the girl on her bedroom floor. They were on the ground outside of the house when the trucks got there,” Copper explained.
“I thought you said it was the rental house,” Mom said, her forehead scrunched in confusion.
Understanding washed over Copper’s face and he clarified, “Sorry, Leigh. We recently bought the property next door to the one Judge is renting. It was that house that caught on fire, not his.”
Mom turned back to me with a mix of anger and pride on her face. “Jonah,” she sighed. “I love you, Son, but I think this is the closest you’ve ever come to giving me a heart attack.”
I squeezed her hand in apology. She knew good and well there was no way I wouldn’t help someone in need, even if it meant risking my own life.
After that, the room fell silent as we waited for news about River. And we waited for a long time. I tried my best to keep my eyes from straying to the clock so I wouldn’t know exactly how much time had passed, because the longer we waited, the more worried I became.
Finally, Kennedy came back, looking like she was ready to fall over herself. “They’re keeping her overnight for observation, but she’s awake, and it looks like she’s going to be okay.”
“Can I see her?” I asked.
Kennedy nodded. “They’re discharging you now. As soon as she’s moved to her room, I’ll take you to see her.”
Chapter Eight
River
I was only granted a few minutes of peace once I was transferred to my hospital room before the door opened and a host of people filed in one right after the other. Some I knew, others I’d never seen before, but one I owed my life to.
“Jonah,” I said and my voice cracked with emotion. “Thank you.”
He stepped forward and took my hand. “You doing okay?”
I nodded and swallowed over the lump in my throat. “Yeah, all things considered. How about you?”
“I’m okay,” he said hoarsely, and I automatically kicked into nurse mode.
“Did someone look at your throat?”
&nbs
p; His brows furrowed, and he turned to Kennedy.
“Yes, they did. He had the same workup as you,” she assured me.
“So, uh, who are all these people?” I asked, eyeing the strangers gathered in my room.
“You know Kennedy and Trey. This is my mom, Leigh, and these are my friends, Copper, Bronze, and Tiny,” Jonah said.
“Hello,” I said awkwardly.
“Not sure if you knew, but the club owns the rental property, and we wanted to stop by and make sure you were okay,” Copper said, stepping forward and extending his hand to me.
“Oh, I had no idea,” I said and shook his hand. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“Also, when you’re released from the hospital, we’ll put you up in a hotel until the property is in livable condition again or another property becomes available,” Copper continued.
I hadn’t expected that. To be perfectly honest, where I would live hadn’t even crossed my mind at that point. At least most of my personal belongings were in a storage unit in Baltimore. I never took much with me on assignments because more times than not, the contract would end early, and I would find myself packing up within a week or two of finally getting unpacked and settled.
A throat clearing pulled me out of my thoughts. “We’ll get out of your hair and let you get some rest. Here’s my contact info,” he said, holding up a business card before placing it on the bedside table. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,” I said, even though I wasn’t completely sure about that.
With that, he nodded and left the room. His friends following behind him like dutiful soldiers and left Kennedy and I alone in the room.
She plopped down in the oversized chair in the corner and made herself comfortable. “What are you doing?” I asked curiously.
“Getting comfortable. I’m not letting you stay here by yourself,” she informed me.
Normally, I would have argued and insisted I didn’t need a babysitter, but truthfully, the near-death experience had shaken me, and I was grateful to have the company.
***
After an uneventful night in the hospital, Kennedy drove me to the hotel where Copper had booked a room for me. Correction, he booked a deluxe suite for me. Kennedy squealed in delight, “Oh, I think I need to stay with you for a few more nights.”
“Kennedy, this is too much. I can’t stay here. Really, I just need a place to sleep and shower,” I said as I stared wide-eyed at the lavish room.
Before she could reply, someone knocked on the door. She peeked through the peephole and yanked the door open to reveal Jonah and Trey.
“What are you guys doing here?” I blurted.
Trey chuckled, and Jonah held up a set of keys. “Dropping your car off for you. The house hasn’t been cleared yet, but Splint got one of the firefighters to grab your keys when they were wrapping things up last night.”
“Oh, uh, thanks,” I said and took the keys from him.
An awkward silence fell over the room for several uncomfortable minutes. Finally, Jonah clapped his hands together and said, “Well, I’ve got to get to work. Your car’s downstairs in the front lot. Take care.”
Trey kissed Kennedy on the cheek, “See you later, Kitty.”
Once they were gone, I sat down on the bed and started perusing the room service lunch menu. “So, things are going well with you and Trey, Kitty?”
“Oh, shut it. When I first told him my name, he thought I said Kitty, not Kennedy. But, yeah, things are going okay. We’re taking it slow and getting to know each other. What about you and Jonah?”
I blinked in surprise. “Say what now?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, missy. The way he looks at you. Damn girl, even I got a little wet from the fire in his eyes.”
“Kennedy!” I gasped. “He does not look at me like that.”
“Yes, he does. He also beat the brakes off a guy for bothering you, escorted you home, saved you from a fiery death, and had to be forcefully restrained when he didn’t know where you were at the hospital,” she said, holding up a finger for each point she made.
“That proves nothing other than he’s a nice guy who looks out for other people,” I retorted.
She grinned mischievously. “If that’s so, then why is he staying in the room next door?”
He was what? “Uh, his house was probably damaged by the fire, too. You know how newer neighborhoods are; the houses are built so close together they’re practically touching. Are you hungry? I’m going to order some room service,” I said, hoping she would drop it.
“Yeah, I could eat,” she smiled. “Want me to go next door and see if Jonah wants to have lunch with us?”
“No!” I shrieked causing Kennedy to burst into a fit of giggles. His presence meant nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Chapter Nine
Judge
I dropped into a chair in Copper’s office at the clubhouse. “What’s up, Prez?”
“Fire Marshal called with the preliminary results from the fire. He said it was clearly arson. Whoever did it, didn’t try to make it look like an accident. They went with the classic can of gas and some matches,” Copper told me.
“They got any leads?” I asked.
“Not yet. I know we didn’t have any external cameras at that house, but I need you to check the feeds for the ones at yours. See if they picked up anything.”
“Got it. Anything else?” I asked.
He sighed and rubbed his chin. “I don’t like this. River is a traveling nurse and only in town for a three-month contract, so no one would be targeting her, which means this was likely aimed at the club. I can’t have innocent people being hurt or killed because of the club.”
And that’s when I realized he didn’t know who she was. “Uh, Prez, I forgot to mention something, that at the time didn’t seem important, but now—”
“Spit it out, Judge.”
“River Rain Lawson is Dash’s little sister.”
Silence.
“He knows she’s here, but I guess there’s some bad blood between them. He asked that I keep an eye on her, but to also be respectful of her wishes, which include having nothing to do with him,” I explained.
“What caused the bad blood?” Copper asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. He doesn’t know, and she won’t talk about it.”
“But you do know something,” he observed.
“Harper told me what she could remember from high school, and really, it isn’t my business,” I said.
“You’re right, it isn’t your business. But it is mine if it’s affecting my actual business. I’ll stop by the hotel and have a word with her.”
“Give me a chance to go through the security footage first. Might not need to bother her with all this if the cameras caught something useful,” I suggested. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t like the idea of him, or anyone, prying into a part of River’s life she clearly wanted to forget about.
Copper studied me for a few long moments before nodding in agreement. “Yeah, okay, but I need you to go through the recordings today.”
I left the clubhouse and went back to my office to start sifting through the footage. It didn’t take long since I knew roughly what time the fire started. Within fifteen minutes, I had clear shots of the vehicle, the tag number, and the two occupants. The only thing I didn’t have was a video of them actually pouring the gas and lighting the fire, but I had the next best thing. My cameras had audio recordings.
I downloaded the recordings to three different flash drives and took them over to the clubhouse. “Here’s one for the Fire Marshal, one for the police, and one for the club,” I said and placed the drives on Copper’s desk.
Copper grinned and inserted the flash drive into his computer. We watched as the rusted-out sedan rolled past my house at a snail’s pace, giving us a clear shot of the license plate, which I already had Spazz running. The car passed again headed in the
opposite direction. Moments later, you could hear doors opening and closing followed my muffled voices.
The video cut to the camera mounted on the side of my house that faced the side of River’s house. A man and a woman were each carrying a red jug presumably filled with gasoline. They were only on the screen for a few seconds before they disappeared.
The third part of the video was from the camera mounted at the back of my house. This one didn’t show anything, but it picked up parts of their conversation that were crisp and clear.
“That little bitch always thought she was better’an everybody else….knock her off her high horse....refusin’ to help her momma,” the woman grumbled.
“Will you shut the fuck up and just pour the damn gas? I swear, Spring, if you still had teeth, I’d knock them the fuck outta your mouth right now,” the male said.
“Roy! You’re pouring that shit on my feet!”
“Yeah, ‘cause I might just set your ass on fire too if you don’t get busy,” he spat followed by the sound of a slap and a female yelp of pain. “Gimme those matches and take these jugs to the car.”
Several minutes later, the video became noticeably brighter before smoke started wafting across the screen. Then, you could hear me screaming River’s name before kicking her door three times.
Right on cue, Spazz entered Copper’s office with a paper in his hand. “Here’s the info on the plates you wanted me to run. Plates are registered to a 1992 Toyota Corolla belonging to a Roy Mayfield.”
“I’ll be damned. I would’ve thought for sure the plates were stolen,” I blurted.
Copper laughed. “What a fucking dumbass. Before I call this in, do we know who the woman is?”
I nodded slowly, “Yeah, that’s Spring Lawson, Dash’s and River’s mother.”
Copper’s hand slammed down on his desk, knocking a few pens and papers to the floor. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
Judge (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 2) Page 4