Controlled Burn (Scarred Hearts) Read Free

did nothing to get them out of the death trap currently barbequing him.
    Staying conscious drained his energy more quickly by the second, but he had to know if Ashley would be okay. He had to watch her to see if she breathed, because so far he hadn’t seen a hint of movement from her.
    If either of them were going to die it shouldn’t be her. She was pure goodness, despite everything they’d faced. She defined strength and integrity and she’d just gotten engaged. She had a future to plan.
    She had to live. Logan would gladly die for her.
    He called out again, this time making a strangled noise, but at least he got a sound out. The firefighters sounded like they were moving closer. He couldn’t see for sure since the desk blocked his view and movement was impossible.
    “Andy, help me over here,” a feminine voice said.
    Two firefighters moved toward him, one from behind and one stepping around Ashley to reach him. He wanted to tell them to get Ashley out, to leave him, but his voice failed him and only allowed a tiny grunt.
    The firefighter in front of him pulled out an odd-looking tool. Talking to his partner who seemed to have a similar tool, they lifted the beam.
    The relief from the pressing weight was quickly replaced by a rush of agony as air and smoke hit strips of his still-flaming body. He wasn’t even going to think about the smell of burned flesh—his burned flesh—but it was an odor he’d never forget.
    The firefighter who’d called out for help, the woman, moved closer while telling her partner, “Get the woman.”
    “You carry her. She’s smaller.”
    “Get over yourself, Andy.” Their words were hard to make out, but attempting to do so gave him something to focus on. The firefighter stepped over him, her booted feet entered his field of vision first. “You’re closer and I can carry him.
    “Stay with me.” She squatted down and looked at Logan. “We’re going to get you both out of here.”
    Orange, red and yellow glowed behind her, giving her an unnerving aura. Her hazel eyes promised understanding. As if she knew more about what might have driven him into the fire than he did himself. As if she knew the worst side of fire, of life, and accepted it.
    He met her eyes and tried not to cry when she patted the fire out. Each tap of her gloved hands on his body was an agony he couldn’t describe. Her words were the only encouragement he needed.
    When she met his eyes again, everything in her gaze said she was a fighter and that she’d stand up against anyone who tried to get in her way. An instant later she broke the connection and tossed him over her shoulder like he weighed nothing.
    Turning his head, Logan saw the man, Andy, lift Ashley the same way. The flames hadn’t reached her, but she still didn’t seem to be breathing. How long had it been? Wasn’t there a time limit to be without oxygen before there was no hope of recovery?
    As the firefighters moved out of the office, slashes of pain had his vision going dark at the edges. He craved the bliss of unconsciousness, but he wouldn’t give in to the weakness until he knew they were both out.
    He focused on the firefighter’s booted heels moving forward, carrying him away from death and the destruction of the latest chapter in his and Ashley’s lives. The fire grew hungrier, eating paths along the charred floors. The pale gray, almost blue walls and mahogany-stained trim in the lobby were unrecognizable.
    Then they stepped outside. The popping and snapping of the fire that had been almost deafening inside suddenly seemed like hushed whispers. Raised voices shouted over the traffic that rushed along the nearby highway and boots smacked the concrete of the parking lot.
    Logan saw his dropped phone and Starbucks cups as the firefighter carried him farther from the building. It had probably been no more than twenty minutes at most since he’d called 9-1-1. It felt like lifetimes had passed. He’d be okay if he never saw another