Sinner's Passion: Fallen Souls MC

by April Lust

  But he had to keep going. Had to save Daniel. Help was on its way.

  He turned around and slid his knee back until he felt the floor disappear. He moved his knee down carefully, crawling down the steps backward. Going face first had seemed far more dangerous than going backward.

  Jace tried to see down the stairs, but the smoke was coming up too thick and fast. He went as quickly as he could, keeping his throbbing head down as much as possible to get it out of the worst of the smoke. His helmet felt like it weighed fifty pounds, but he didn’t dare take it off.

  “Daniel!” No response again. If he’d been in this house the whole time, he was likely passed out already. Maybe he was even dead. No. He couldn’t think of that. He would save him. Had to. He could not die here like this.

  Finally, his knee hit the harder basement floor. There was a small layer of air that was less smoky and he lay flat on his belly for a moment to breathe. Maybe he could just take a quick nap right here. That would give him more energy to move forward. To find Daniel.

  He closed his eyes. He was so tired. But then he heard shouting. Not in the house. Outside. It brought him back to awareness and he got to his knees. Had to find Daniel.

  “Daniel!”

  But he was turned around. Which way were the stairs? Which way was the bathroom? He felt around, but it was all the same carpet and empty space. No Daniel, no items in the room at all. Where were his couches? Where was the table?

  He crawled along the wall. If he kept going, he’d make it around the whole perimeter. That would take him to the bathroom and then the stairs if he just kept following the line of the wall.

  His hand reached to the wall again, and he almost fell when it landed on empty space. He’d found the door. The bathroom was so black, he didn’t want to go in, but he slid along the ground, feeling. The toilet, hot to the touch, the wooden vanity that almost burned his skin. He circled the room, but no Daniel.

  He kept following the line of the wall. It was the only way to stay on the right path. If he got turned around, it was all over. He crawled back out into the big room. He kept crawling and feeling around him. Now the sirens were getting louder. Definitely help was coming. Good thing because he didn’t think he could keep this up much longer. How long had it been? Felt like hours he’d been down here, breathing in the smoke and coughing and crawling along, but it was probably only a few minutes. A person couldn’t last very long in this smoke, so if he was still alive, it couldn’t have been as long as it felt.

  Then his hand hit something that wasn’t floor or wall. He felt in a circle. A leg. Definitely a leg.

  “Daniel?”

  No response. The leg didn’t move.

  Jace crawled up the body to his head. It was Daniel, he was pretty sure. A brief thought ran through his mind—what if one of Lionel’s guys who started the fire had gotten stuck and he was about to rescue him? But no, that was stupid, irrational thinking. His guys said Daniel was in here. Said he had gone to the bathroom and this body was very close to the bathroom. He wished he could see better just to be sure, but there was no time to worry about that now. If he rescued the wrong guy, then he’d just choke him when they got outside. No problem.

  Jace tugged on Daniel’s body and managed to drag him to the wall. Beside the bathroom was a small room that held the water softener and furnace. Also some random boxes of old things that he was storing. But in the room there was a window. A small one, but a window all the same, and it was big enough that they could fit out of it with some help.

  He crawled a foot, then tugged and slid Daniel’s body along behind him. It was slow progress, but they were moving. He found the door. Something about feeling the door in a fire before opening it came back to him. Probably learned it ages ago in high school. This door didn’t feel hot. In fact, it felt somewhat cool in comparison to the heat of the room. So this room should be safe.

  He reached up the door, and found the knob. He turned it quickly, but not quickly enough. He yanked his hand back, but it throbbed in pain. He couldn’t see it clearly, but it must be burned, the way it was hurting so badly. He had no choice but to press it against the floor to use as traction to pull Daniel into the room.

  Pain tore through his hand and up his arm. His head buzzed and he couldn’t tell if the black spots were smoke or he was about to pass out. He couldn’t hear anything now over the ringing in his ears.

  Some warning bell in the back of his mind said this was bad. He was about to pass out and they would die down here.

  But then Daniel’s body cleared the door. This room didn’t have carpet. It was still bare cement. Which made it easier to slide the body along. It also made it cooler by the tiniest fraction.

  Jace stuck his foot out and kicked the door closed. Smoke still crept in under the door, but there was less in here than there had been in the main room. He collapsed to the ground for a moment, letting the slight cool seep into his body. He was so close now. But the window seemed so far away. Miles away from him.

  He had to stand. It was the only way to reach the window, and even then, it was still high. He pulled himself up, using his storage shelves. He inched his way along the shelves, his hand burning bright with pain every time he moved it. He stopped and pulled Daniel behind him every few steps. Was he getting heavier?

  The shelves ended and Jace felt the brick wall. It was the coolest thing he’d felt in ages. This was the wall at the edge of the house, not an interior wall. On the other side of these bricks was dirt and cold earth, not flames and smoke.

  He reached up, but the spinning in his head made him stumble back. He fell on top of Daniel. And that was it. He couldn’t get back up. He wouldn’t be able to reach the window. All he could do now was lie here with his friend, his club member, and hope that the firemen got to them before the flames and smoke did.

  He closed his eyes and let images of Isabella flood him. His mouth pulled into a smile. Isabella. Where was she now? Was she home or at work still? Was she sitting in her apartment with Sara? Were they doing something fun like coloring or playing with Sara’s stuffed animals while he was lying here, dying? He’d never see her again. Would she cry for him? Would she come to his funeral?

  That ass Lionel had ruined everything. Had almost killed him. Though that led him to Isabella, so maybe that had been okay. But now it seemed his angel had only saved him to give him a few more days. A few days to be with her and to see what love might be like. To know what it felt like to be cared for. He could love her. He could have loved her forever. But he was going to die because of Lionel. If only she would appear again and save him.

  Maybe they would just take turns saving each other. She had saved him when he was dying on the road from stab wounds, he had saved her when the gunman showed up and threatened her. Well, okay, he’d protected her. She’d gotten away herself that time. But he had been there in case they came back.

  His eyes flew open. If Lionel had sent guys to come for him again, why wouldn’t he send guys to go after Isabella again? He found the energy to sit up. But the movement was too much. His head whirled and he leaned away, raising his helmet just in time to get it over his head before he threw up. Luckily, he’d not thrown up all over Daniel.

  He heaved and coughed and when he was done, wiped his mouth. The air felt cooler with his helmet off. It had protected him, but it had made things darker and his head heavier. Now he felt like maybe he could stand again. Maybe he could get them out.

  He forced himself to his knees, avoiding his puddle of puke, and crawled to the wall. The edge of the shelves was there. He reached out and grabbed them with both hands, forgetting all about his burned hand until the sharp agony shot through him. He cried out in pain and pressed the hand to the cooler wall. It did little to help.

  The window. It was close. He shuffled along the wall until he saw a square where the smoke was lighter. This had to be it.

  He reached up to the window and pushed. It didn’t move. Right. There was a lock. He couldn’t rea
ch it, though.

  He had to turn around and get a box from the shelves. One on the floor would have to do. He couldn’t pick a box up in his current condition. He shoved one with his foot until it was under the window. Then he stepped onto it, his feet weighing a ton each as he forced his legs to move them.

  He stood and almost fell again. The room was spinning around him and the smoke was thicker up here. He hadn’t put his shirt back over his mouth and started coughing and could not get himself to stop. He fumbled and felt the lock. He barely had the strength to turn it, but he heard the click.

  Then the window popped open. He hadn’t even had to do anything. It just fell open. Was that right? He knew the glass tilted outward, but it’d never been that easy. He had to push it.

  “Jace! Jace!”

  He realized someone was calling his name. He blinked through the smoke and could make out figures. Now that the window was open, the smoke was swooshing past him, going for the new hole. But it also gave him some fresh air. He coughed again, but could breathe now.

  Someone grabbed his hand. There was another hand on his other arm and he was being lifted. He landed on wet grass and lay on his back, a coughing fit taking over him. He coughed so hard he threw up again, turning his head just in time to avoid puking all over himself.

  He blinked through the smoke. He couldn’t see or hear anything.

  Someone grabbed him and pulled him. His back touched gravel and he stopped moving.

  The smoke had gone. He could see, but his eyes burned. He rubbed them and kept coughing. Cool water. Someone poured it on him. The cold was so shocking after the heat, he shivered.

  “Jace?”

  He blinked at the voice. Who was there?

  “Daniel,” he coughed out. “Get him out.”

  “We got him. He’s right here.”

  Jace couldn’t see.

  “It’s okay, man. Everyone is out.”

  Jace fell back to the ground, the wet gravel sticking to his face. He closed his eyes. His work was done.

  Chapter Ten

  Isabella’s heart stopped. She had to grab the edge of the counter to keep from falling. “What do you mean she’s gone?”

  Jeanine was sobbing. She could barely speak and Isabella was having a hard time understanding her.

  “Slow down, Jeanine. What happened?”

  Isabella realized she was getting looks from the two customers in the store. She hurried to the back and found her purse.

  “She was…backyard,” Jeanine choked out. “Then. Gone.”

  “Did you hear her scream or anything? You looked for her?”

  “No scream. Looked everywhere.” Jeanine was hysterical and Isabella could feel her own panic approaching that point. She had to think.

  “You’re home?” Isabella asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Isabella hung up and dashed into the office where Sue was doing paperwork. She looked up, startled. But the look in Isabella’s eyes must’ve told her something because her own eyes went wide.

  “What is it?” Sue asked.

  “Sara…” She choked on the words. Somehow, if she said them they would be more real. She wanted this all to be a nightmare. Maybe she’d sat down on her lunch break and fallen asleep and this wall all just a dream. “Sara’s missing,” she finally said.

  Sue gasped in shock. “Oh my gosh. What?”

  “I have to go.”

  “Yes, go.” Sue got to her feet, walking with Isabella to the door, both of them hurrying along.

  “I’ll call you,” Isabella said as she reached the door and pushed it open.

  Sue stood in the door way, watching her, shock still etched in her face.

  Isabella didn’t know how she managed to get to Jeanine’s. She didn’t remember getting into her car, pulling out of the gift shop parking lot, or making several turns. She fumbled for her phone. It took three tries to enter the passcode. When she finally did, she scrolled to Jace’s name with shaking hands, trying to drive and not hit anything.

  She called him and his voice mail picked up. She hung up and immediately called back. Nothing. She didn’t want to leave a message, so she let her phone fall to the seat beside her.

  It had to be the same men that had put a gun to her head. The men looking for Jace. The men after Jace, who’d nearly killed him. Oh God. What if they had Jace, too? What if that was why he wasn’t answering? The thought made her cold.

  She tried to think about what was happening right now, but her mind kept jumping. What were they doing with her daughter? She pictured Sara’s little face, how it must be terrified, and the tears flooded her vision. Did she have Cuddles with her? Was she clutching her little friend close for comfort? Was she wondering where her mommy was and why she wasn’t there to save her?

  She had to stop the sobs so she could drive, but she couldn’t breathe anymore. Her chest hitched and when she saw Jeanine’s house, she was so grateful that she’d made it.

  She slammed her car into park and ran from the car to find Jeanine. She was in the backyard, looking and calling out for Sara through her tears.

  “Jeanine!”

  She turned and ran toward Isabella. They met in a hard embrace.

  “I’m so sorry, Isabella. I thought she was fine. She plays outside all the time and she’s fine. I just…I just…”

  “No, it’s not your fault.” Isabella rested her hand on Jeanine’s shoulder. “Did you call the police?”

  Jeanine nodded. “They’re on their way.”

  Isabella looked around the yard. There was no clear sign of struggle, but she didn’t really know what to look for. Trampled bushes? Damaged trees? Jeanine’s yard was lined with thin trees on one side, bushes on the two others. Through the line of bushes were her neighbors and through the trees was a creek and then the backyards of other houses.

  “Which way did they go?” she asked.

  “They?”

  “The people who took her.”

  Jeanine blinked at her. “You think someone took her?”

  “Don’t you?”

  “I…I thought she just wandered off. Took her?”

  Could Isabella be wrong? Maybe Sara had been playing and saw a butterfly or something and chased it? Could it be so simple? Maybe no one had her daughter at all. Maybe Jace wasn’t answering his phone because he was busy. Or didn’t want to talk to her. Could life be so wonderful?

  “What happened exactly?” Isabella asked.

  “I don’t know. Sara was out here playing. I went inside to get my phone and when I came back out, she was gone. I called for her. I thought she just wandered off.”

  “Maybe she did.”

  She was sure Jeanine had checked, but just to be certain, Isabella went to the trees and looked at the creek, up and down to make sure she didn’t see any sign of her. What had she been wearing that day? Think. Think.

  That morning they had cereal for breakfast. Sara still had on her pajamas and she spilled milk on them when she tipped the bowl to drink the leftover milk. Her pink kitty cat pajamas. They’d gone into her room to change, put the pajamas in the hamper and picked up…

  Her mint green shirt with a glittery heart on the front. That was what she was wearing. And black leggings. With her silver sparkly flats. She loved those shoes and Isabella could barely manage to get her to take them off. “But they sparkle, Mommy!” she’d protested one night when Isabella was trying to get her to take them off to get in the bathtub. “They don’t need to be cleaned,” she’d protested, which didn’t make any sense. Isabella had pointed out that if they were sparkly and didn’t need to be cleaned, then she better leave them out of the tub, or the glitter might get cleaned off. That had been enough to make Sara immediately kick them off. She’d let nothing take away her sparkle.

  Isabella looked up and down the creek again, making sure there wasn’t one of those sparkly shoes sitting on the shore. She walked back up the bank and crossed through into each neighboring
yard. No sign of her anywhere.

  “I did look everywhere,” Jeanine said.

  “I know you did.” Isabella patted her shoulder. “When did the police say they were going to get here?”

  “They said right away, but it’s been several minutes.”

  Of course. To them, it was probably just a kid who wandered off. Not an extreme emergency. They’d be here soon, but likely wouldn’t come with sirens wailing, flying down the street.