by Leah Holt
“It really is incredible to watch you.” His mouth was half full, chewing a handful of chips. “I don't how you do that. It's already beautiful.”
Looking back at him over my shoulder, I smiled. “Thank you.”
Pushing himself up off the floor, he came to my side, and curled his hands around my forearms. Kissing the top of my head, he placed soft kisses down the side of my face and over my neck. “If you didn't seem so into this painting, I'd probably take you again just like this.”
Giggling, I draped my hand around his neck as he kept kissing my skin. “I'll never get anything done at this rate if you keep touching me the way you do.”
Liam chuckled, pulling away. “You're right.” Grabbing his pants off the floor, he pulled them on. “I'm going to go in the back and make a few business calls. Get as much done as you can, because when I get back, I can't promise I'll keep my hands off you.” Yanking his shirt over his head, he gave me a wink.
Nodding, I watched him walk away, disappearing into the backroom. Moving my eyes back to the painting, I continued working.
It felt great to actually be painting again. I felt like it had been ages since it flowed this easily. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever paint again. A week ago I had written off this life all together, ready to just give up.
I'd never give this up, I can't. It's embedded too deep to ever let it go.
My hand traveled up and down, across and back again. Each layer adding a new dimension to the picture. Life was bleeding into the material from my fingers, and I could actually feel it, as if it was taking its first breath.
CRASH!
My hand skipped across the canvas as the sound of glass breaking echoed through the room. Jerking my body straight, I jumped to my feet and looked over the easel, searching for the source.
What the fuck was that?!
The front window had been blasted open by a flaming bottle. Spurts of flames traveled across the floor, scaling the walls and new paint. I stood in shock, gawking at the fire as it spread so easily, engulfing the room as quickly as it appeared.
“Glory!” Liam yelled.
Snapping my head over my shoulder, our eyes connected as he stood in the doorway. His lids had shot open as the same shock I felt filled his blank and fearful stare. The room flickered in orange and red as the flames moved like water.
“Go! Get out of here!” Holding his hand to his face, he tried to block the heat off the flames as he took a few steps in.
But we were separated by a river, a burning, smoking river that neither one of us could cross. Taking a few steps backwards, he yelled again. “Get out!”
The thought of abandoning this place cut through my heart. I couldn't—no I wouldn't leave without trying to tame the out of control beast before it destroyed everything.
I can't lose this all again!
“No, Liam! We have to put it out!” Glancing around, I looked for anything to battle the fire as it crawled up the walls and over the ceiling.
It was moving so quickly, the sharp tendrils dancing and swaying back and forth as if they were mocking me. The new paint on my picture began to melt as the heat intensified. I watched as the colors bled together, each streak a crushing blow to my insides making me hurt.
“Get out, Glory!” Liam stood in the doorway, but I refused to listen. “Just go!”
“No!” I screamed back, snatching my shirt off the floor and slapping the flames with it. “I won't leave!” My eyes began to fill with tears as the smoke turned from gray to black, causing me to choke as I swallowed air.
Frantically, I flailed the shirt, doing my best to beat the fire out. It did nothing. The fire kept spreading, devouring every inch of wall and ceiling it touched. Coughing, I covered my mouth with the charred piece of cloth and dropped to my knees.
My eyes tried to find Liam in the consuming darkness, but I couldn't see him. Taking in short, slow breaths, I crawled under the smoke, working my way to the front door. It was getting harder and harder to breath as the oxygen was sucked from the air by the fire.
I couldn't fight the fire, I couldn't stop the fire, I couldn't steal it's oxygen and make it grow weaker.
It's time to go! Before it's too late!
A voice inside my head took charge, forcing me to do the only thing I didn't want to. I didn't want to give up.
Struggling to crawl across the floor, the room began to get fuzzy and my head felt light and dizzy. I could see the very bottom of the door, but it was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open.
My chest burned on the inside, my throat was dry and brittle as I gulped for clean air. Nothing was coming, I was suffocating and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Falling onto my face, my knees gave out, releasing my body onto the floor. I had no strength left to carry me along. It didn't matter how much I wanted to fight, I was done.
Tears fell down my cheeks as every inhale felt like I was swallowing sizzling needles. Each breath became more shallow than the last. Closing my eyes, I curled up into a small ball, hoping that I would pass out before the fire engulfed me.
Blackness swooped in, stealing me away, saving me from any pain I might feel.
I was grateful for that. At least death could be painless.
Because this life had stolen everything from me.
Liam didn't believe in luck and I had just lost all hope in happily ever afters.
Chapter Fourteen
Liam
No!
No!
I couldn't see her anymore, the smoke was too thick from where I was standing to see anymore than a few feet in front of me. Running through the back room, I threw open the emergency exit door and darted out into the small alley behind the building.
The second I opened the door, I heard a loud whoosh and felt the heat grow by a million degrees. I didn't stop to see if I had just made the fire worse by feeding it more air, I had to get to Glory.
She was the only thing on my mind. The building could be fixed, but if I lost her, I wasn't sure what I would do. Her life was worth more than any one thing someone could own.
I had no intentions of owning her, I didn't want my brother to own her, and I'd be damned if I let her lose her life because she was allowing this place to own her.
This wasn't all she had anymore, she had me now. There was nothing I couldn't give her, and nothing I wouldn't give her if she asked.
With heavy feet, I ran around to the front and tried to open the door. Grabbing the handle, it was hot as fresh red coals, burning the center of my palm.
“Fuck!” I yelled, shaking my hand to ease the pain. “Glory!” Screaming, I pounded on the door, slamming it with my shoulder to try and break it down.
It hardly budged.
Taking a few steps back, I ran forward and kicked the door at the seam. I heard it crack, but it was still closed tight. Kicking it again and again, I used every last ounce of strength I had to force the door open.
Lifting my foot one last time, I kicked with my heel. Splinters of wood shot inward as the door exploded open. Black smoke billowed out from inside and I could see red and orange bursts between the massive cloud as the flames continued to grow.
Covering my nose and mouth with my arm, I stalked inside, not thinking about my own safety at all. I didn't give a shit about myself. I couldn't feel the burn on my hand, I couldn't feel the smoke as it filled my chest, I couldn't feel the heat as it singed the hair off the back of my neck; all I cared about was finding Glory and getting her out.
My eyes teared as the smoke battered the surface, making it even harder to see in the darkness. There were shadows everywhere. The outline of something large on the ground caught my attention.
Bending over, I grabbed it. It was hard, squared at the edges and soft in the center.
Canvas. . .
Dropping it to the ground, I pushed blindly in further. Taking another step, I hit something soft. Leaning forward, I felt around, tracing a thin curve and running my fingers thr
ough silky fibers.
Glory.
Pulling my arm off my face, I stuffed my hands under her body, and lifted her off the floor. Cradling her in my arms, her body was limp and motionless.
“I've got you, I'm getting you out of here.” Turning back towards the door, I walked carefully with powerful steps. “I'm not letting you die, not today, not ever.”
The cool night air spilled over my face and filled my lungs. Coughing, I placed her down gently on the sidewalk. Coddling her head, I listened closely to see if she was breathing.
I couldn't feel her breath on my skin or see her chest as it lifted in shallow breaths. She was so still, so stoic, like a sleeping doll. My brain was trying to process what to do and how to handle this.
Air! She needs air!
“No, Glory, no no no.” Tipping her head back, I placed my mouth around hers and sent a breath of fresh oxygen into her lungs. “Come on, come back to me.” Releasing a second breath, I watched her chest rise and fall.
Sirens were blaring in the distance, growing louder and louder as I did my best to bring her back to life. Her face was smeared with charcoal dust, her lips a pale shade of blue.
No! Come on!
“Breathe, Baby, come on and breathe.” Rubbing her cheek, I pinched her chin and placed my hand on her forehead, giving her another rush of oxygen to feed her veins. “Breathe, Glory, breathe.” The words came out against her lips as I kissed her softly, dropping my head onto her chest.
“Huuh.” Her chest lifted as she inhaled an audible gasp. It was weak, but I heard it, and it was the best sound I had ever heard in my life.
“There you go, there you go, Baby, breathe.” Pushing my ear against her chest, I listened as the air trickled into her swollen lungs.
Each small breath she took made my heart pump harder and my nerves ignite. She was still with me, she was still alive. Adrenaline purged through my body as I focused on the woman who had stolen my heart.
The lights from the firetrucks flickered off the building as the brakes squealed to a stop. I heard the sound of men as they jumped out of the truck and felt their feet as they slammed against the ground.
“Is she alright? What happened here?” A voice chirped over my shoulder and the presence of someone dropping down to her side pulled my attention off of her and onto them.
“She's breathing, but barely.” Pushing back, I made room for the paramedics so they could look her over.
More people arrived, surrounding Glory and myself. I felt the cold metal of a bell against my chest and heard someone ask me to take in a deep breath.
Everything was happening in slow motion. Their voices were muffled and sounded far away, the men and women moving around me to put out the flames all looked like they were in a freeze frame.
A stretcher was rolled to Glory's side. The sound of the metal rungs as they dropped to her level echoed inside my brain. Police had arrived, along with more paramedics and I felt like Glory was getting pulled further and further away from me.
I watched as she was hoisted onto the stretcher with an airbag on her face. The hand holding it was squeezing it evenly as the voices all blurred into one giant mass of sound.
“I'm going with her,” I said, attempting to rise to my feet.
“Sir, you need to stay seated, we've got another ambulance for you.”
“No!” I snapped, keeping my eyes on her. “I'm going with her.” Her arm had been placed over her chest, so I grabbed her hand. “I'm fine, I'm not leaving her side.” Braiding my fingers into hers, I refused to let her go.
“Sir—”
Jerking my head over my shoulder, I glared at the man who was trying to talk to me. “I said I'm going with her.”
Pursing his lips, he looked from me to her and gave me a nod. I didn't give two fucks what they wanted me to do. I wasn't leaving her, period.
Sitting in the back of the ambulance, I never let her hand go. The paramedic worked around me, hooking her up to an IV and oxygen, checking her vitals and listening to her chest.
As we drove to the hospital, I knew that what I was feeling for this girl was love. It was real, tangible love. I could feel it in my bones, in my muscles, in my heart.
I would have gladly let the building gobble me up as long as she got out. I knew it as I ran into the flames, I knew it as my skin turned red hot and I could feel my flesh as it started to burn.
I loved Glory Daniels.
And I'd run into any burning building to save her.
Chapter Fifteen
Glory
My eyes cracked open. A bright light hovered over my face.
Am I dead?
Blinking rapidly, I tried to look around. A small piece of me expected to see my father's face, with his big toothy grin and rosy red cheeks. But as the fog in my head cleared, I could see the tiles of the ceiling and the bulbs glowing bright.
I'm in the hospital. I didn't die.
Lifting my fists to my eyes, I rubbed them hard, trying to focus. I could feel my chest and it hurt. Each inhale was excruciating, each exhale was just as harsh.
Twisting my head to the right, I could see the machine that measured my heart rate and pulse. Lifting a hand to my face, I felt the tubes that were placed in my nose, feeding me pure oxygen.
Turning to my left, I smiled to myself. Liam was asleep in the chair beside my bed, his chin resting in his palm, eyes closed tight. He had white gauze wrapped around both his hands and more taped across the side of his neck. He was wearing a hospital gown, with his feet stuffed into those dark gray stockings they give you with the grips on the bottom.
I tried to giggle, but the pain was too much. My laugh came out like an injured donkey, going high pitched and falling into a low groan. Clutching my chest, I coughed hard and cleared my throat.
Liam's eyes slowly opened, growing from sleepy to wide in a instant. Shooting to my side, he grabbed my hand and brushed the other across my forehead. “Good morning, beautiful. I've been waiting for you to wake up.”
“What the hell happened?”
“There was a fire at the gallery. . .” His voice trailed off as he watched for a reaction. “Do you remember anything that happened?”
My brain flashed with images. The glass as it broke open, the flames as they washed across the floor and seeped up the walls like demonic water.
Nodding, I could feel the tears as they began to well up in my eyes. “I remember.” Holding his gaze, I tried not to cry. “Is it all gone?” I asked, my words soft and quiet.
Liam looked down at my hand, tracing my knuckles with his thumb. “I'm so sorry, Glory.”
Closing my eyes, I let my head sink into the pillow. “All of it?”
“They tried to put it out, they did.” His fingers tightened around mine as he spoke. “I'm just so happy you're okay. I thought I lost you.” His voice waned, teetering on tears of his own.
Opening my eyes, I lifted my free hand to his face and cupped his cheek. “I'm still here.”
“I don't know what I would have done if I lost you.”
“You didn't lose me, I'm still here.” Liam laid his head on my chest and I ran my fingers through his hair. “Are you okay? Are you hurt bad?”
Tipping his face, he peered up at me. “I'll be fine.” Kissing me gently, he nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck. “We're both going to be fine.”
“How long have I been out?”
Wrapping his arm around my chest, he held me tightly. “Too long.”
“How long?”
“A day. But that was one day too many.”
“Do they know what happened?”
“No, but they're investigating. We probably won't know what happened for a little while.”
“Someone did this, Liam.”
“You don't know that—”
Cutting him off, I coughed slightly as I spoke. “I saw the bottle on fire as it hit the ground. I watched it spill flames across the room and engulf everything in that place.” Closing my eyes, I kne
w I had to tell him the one thing he probably would never want to hear. “I know who did this, I know who's responsible.”
Liam's face fell flat as he stared at me confused. “Who do you think did this?” he asked, his tone husky and coarse.
Taking in a slow breath, I looked away as I spoke. “It was Jacob—your brother—he did this.”
Pushing up quickly, Liam's eyes held disbelief. “I know my brother is an asshole, but to set the building on fire with us inside? He wouldn't do this.”
“It was him. I tried to tell you before, he told me he was going to do this. Jacob came right out and said he would burn it to the ground.”
Liam's eyes bounced between mine as he tried to process the thought. I couldn't blame him if he didn't want to believe it, I didn't know how I'd feel if someone was telling me that someone I had known all my life had done something so horrible. But I knew Jacob was responsible. There was no one else in this world that wanted me out as badly as that man.
“Maybe you heard him wrong, maybe he didn't mean literally.” Snapping his back straight, Liam started to pace the room. “He wouldn't do this, there's no way.” Raking his hand through his hair, he clutched his jaw. “I know my brother; he's a douchbag, he talks shit, but this—” Throwing out his arms, he held up his bandaged hands. “He wouldn't do this.”
Pushing myself up in the bed, my brows arched high. “Are you so sure of that? He sent someone to destroy the place and threaten me. Did you think he would ever do that?”
“I know Jacob doesn't have a huge moral compass, but—”
“He said it, Liam.” My voice crackled out, but I was stern. “You didn't hear him, you didn't see him, the look in his eyes when he said it. . .” Pausing, I lifted my hand to my mouth and plucked my bottom lip. “He meant it, and he did exactly what he said he would. I know he's your brother and you don't want to believe it, but he's behind this.”
Stopping in the center of the room, Liam's eyes were big as saucers. “I. . . I need to go.” Turning towards the door, he opened it with a hard tug.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“If what you're saying is true. . .” Glancing at me over his shoulder, he gave me a weak smile. “Then there's something I need to go do.”