Devil May Care: Boxed Set (11 page)

“Yeah. I hope so.”

Sue moved another shirt to her rack. “Let’s move this shirt design to the front. People seem to like it.” She held up a green shirt with an image of a tree on the front. They started moving the shirts.

“I’m sure they were from your guy. What’s his name?”

“Jasper.”

Sue smiled. “Maybe you should call him. You’re saying it was kind of your fault? The fight?”

“No, it was definitely my fault. You’re right. I have to call him. Unless I want to let him go forever.”

“Doesn’t sound like that’s what you want.”

“No. It’s just so hard for me to trust people. What if he turns out to be like Sam?”

Sue put her hand on Fiona’s shoulder for a moment. “Of course you have trouble trusting people. That’s to be expected. And I’m sure that you know what signs to look for.”

Signs. Like being in a motorcycle club? She reminded herself that Jasper hadn’t actually acted like Sam at all, and just because they did the same things didn’t mean they were the same type of person. What if they had both been accountants? She wouldn’t be having these thoughts then.

Maybe Sue was right. Did she know the signs, though? Sam had been so charming and nice in the beginning. Kind of like Jasper was now. Though Sam had often lied and made big promises that he didn’t come through on. He’d make plans to take her out, then cancel at the last minute or not bother to show at all and swoop in the next day with an apology and a sparkly bracelet or some other romantic gesture to make up for it.

Jasper had already made good on the one thing he’d said he would do—paying for the damages—and he’d been reliable, though there wasn’t much to go on. It was just so new. She didn’t have much to compare and time usually revealed things. Well, if time would reveal it, then she’d watch for it. She would know what to look for. Anything that felt or sounded like Sam would be a warning. Enough warnings and she’d end it. But so far, the only thing on that list was that they both happened to be MC leaders and have similar interests. Bikes, crime, fighting.

Thinking of all that again made her stomach ache. Even if he was different, he did have a dangerous lifestyle. The gunman, the crime. Would she have to bail Jasper out of jail a bunch of times like she did for Sam? Did Jasper keep wads of cash hidden all over his house in case he was arrested? That way, she could pay to get him out on bond by just going in and grabbing a wad or two.

Even if Jasper was different, did she want to be part of that life again? How much of that could affect Sophia? And the real question, if they got together and stayed together, would he ever give up that life? She’d tried to get Sam to, many times. Find a straight job and live on the up and up. He’d refused. Said he never wanted a normal job. Too little money, too much time, too exhausting. She couldn’t blame him. When she’d considered the ways their lives would change if he did, the money thing was significant. But wasn’t it worth it? How much money had they spent on bonds and lawyer fees and bribes over the years? They’d have none of that if he wasn’t running around breaking the law constantly.

But if Jasper was so different, maybe he had other plans and aspirations. Maybe he already wanted to get out of the life of crime. It wasn’t something you could really talk someone into. Not really. He might do it. Leave and give up his club and everything if she begged him to. But then he’d hate her for it someday. That was never a good plan. Either he’d have to want to leave on his own, or she’d have to assume that he never would. And was she okay with that?

None of these things could be decided here on her own. She’d need to talk to him first. If he wouldn’t talk to her, then there was no sense in worrying about anything else. So that was it. She would call him. She would talk to him. Apologize and hope he’d forgive her. Then they could go from there. She could get to know him better and see what he was really like. How hard was his life really? And could she be part of it for the long-term?

Though even at that thought, she had some hesitation. What if she got to know him, fell in love with him, and then discovered he would never give up his life of crime? She’d have to be okay with it. Or she better not fall in the first place if she wasn’t.

Throughout the rest of her day, she changed her mind at least a dozen times.
Yes, definitely call him and work things out. No, don’t call him because you aren’t going to be okay with his lifestyle.

She finally settled on sending him a simple text.
Hey. Can we talk about the other day?

She held her phone in her hands for several minutes, hoping he’d respond quickly. But after five minutes, she put her phone back in her pocket. After thirty, she figured he was either busy and couldn’t answer, or the answer was no.

She tried to focus on work and think about what she’d make for Sophia for dinner that night. She had some chicken and vegetables. Probably there was still some rice in the pantry. That would work. She had laundry to do, and Sophia’s room could stand a vacuuming. She made a mental list of everything she’d fill her time with. Hopefully it would be enough.

Toward the end of her shift, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It wasn’t a text; it was a call. Her heart leapt. Maybe he’d decided to respond to her text by calling her. She pulled her phone from her pocket and her heart sank when she saw Jeanine’s name on the screen. Jasper still hadn’t responded.

“Hi, Jeanine,” she said, making sure her voice still sounded cheerful. It wasn’t Jeanine’s fault that she hadn’t been who Fiona was hoping had called.

“Fiona? Are you at work?” Her voice sounded frantic and panicked in a way Fiona had never heard before. Her whole body tensed instantly.

“Yes. What’s wrong?”

“It’s Sophia. She’s gone.”

Jasper approached his house, his mind already spinning. Had any of his guys gotten there? Was anyone inside? How bad was the fire, and would his house be damaged beyond repair? Too many things to think about right now. This was a time for action, not thought.

He sped up and raced to his house. When he was a few hundred away feet away, he saw the flames. Angry red and orange licked out of the windows. It was bad. The fire looked like an inferno already. The smoke turned black and even thicker.

He stopped his bike at a safe distance away and ran toward the house. His helmet was still on, making the scene even darker. He yanked it off and carried it under his arm. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he ran, but the screen was dark and it wouldn’t turn on. Damn it. It must’ve died. Great timing on that. Hopefully a neighbor or someone would call the fire department. His house might already be destroyed, but someone would need to put out these flames.

As he ran to the house, he saw a man standing out front. The smoke was thick enough on the ground to disguise his face, but he thought maybe it was Aaron. Another man was on the ground, on all fours.

“Hey!” Jasper shouted.

Their heads turned. The man on the ground coughed and tried to wave the smoke from in front of his face. The man standing had a bandana over his nose and mouth, but said, “Jazz? That you, man?”

It was Aaron’s voice. Jasper reached them and clapped Aaron on the back. The roar of flames and crackling wood was so loud they had to shout to each other to be heard.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Jasper said. “There’s too much smoke.”

“Can’t.” Derrick, on the ground, broke into a coughing fit.

Then he saw Alex run out the door. “I can’t find him!”

Jasper’s heart sunk. Someone was inside still? In this blaze and heat and smoke? “Who?”

“Daniel’s in there,” Aaron shouted, leaning close to Jasper to be heard. “Derrick and I made it out, but Alex was trying to find him. He was in the bathroom when we smelled the smoke. But by that time, smoke was already coming in the room and there were flames everywhere when we opened the door.” He coughed several times and bent over, his hand on his stomach.

“All three of you, get across the street and make sure the fire department is on their way.” Jasper pointed and reached down to clasp Derrick’s hand. He pulled him to his feet and Aaron and Alex helped him walk. “Is anyone else here?” Jasper shouted after them.

Aaron turned back. “Just Daniel!”

Jasper pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth. He wished more than ever he had his Crimson Hawks leather jacket. It’d be much better protection than his riding jacket. He zipped the jacket up as he bent over to avoid the smoke as much as possible. He popped his helmet back on for protection, even if it made things darker. Better to keep his head safe.

The front door was open and thick black smoke poured out. He dropped to his knees and crawled through the living room. It was hard to see anything. He didn’t have to worry about his face shield making things too dark. There was already too much smoke to see through. He felt his way around, careful not to put his hands on anything hot or burning. He listened carefully, too. If it sounded like the roof was going to collapse or the walls were going to fall in, he’d have to get out fast. It wouldn’t help anyone if he got trapped, too.

He felt the opening that was the doorway from the kitchen down to the basement. They always met in the basement. He’d finished it off years ago to make it nice down there. Carpet, couches, the whole deal. He’d even had a bathroom put in. That was where Daniel was now, or nearby. Alex had known he was in the bathroom and couldn’t find him, so maybe he’d come out and got trapped trying to get out.

He coughed, and his chest burned. The shirt covering his mouth and nose wasn’t doing much at all. His head spun already with dizziness.
Just keep going, Jasper. Got to find Daniel and get him out.
He couldn’t let one of his guys die in there. Especially not like this.

He thought he heard the faint wail of sirens. Good. Help was on the way. He hoped.

He felt the first step with his hand. “Daniel!” He listened for any sound of movement or a voice. But it was so loud with the flames. Who knew fire could make so much noise. And the heat was getting to him. He felt sick to his stomach. His head was spinning worse than before. And he was wet with sweat.

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.

Jasper 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.

Jasper 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 Leo’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.

Jasper 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.

Jasper 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 Jasper 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 Fiona flood him. His mouth pulled into a smile. Fiona. Where was she now? Was she home or at work still? Was she sitting in her apartment with Sophia? Were they doing something fun like coloring or playing with Sophia’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 Leo had ruined everything. Had almost killed him. Though that led him to Fiona, 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 Leo. 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 Leo had sent guys to come for him again, why wouldn’t he send guys to go after Fiona 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.