Twenty-three
Devlin
The sound of my cellphone ringing penetrates my sleep, and I shift and squint at the alarm clock. It’s well after two in the morning, which means there’s an emergency of some sort. I grab my phone from the nightstand, noting Carter’s name on the caller ID. “What’s happened?” I ask as I reach for the lamp, turning it on.
“There’s been an explosion at the apartment building.”
Everything within me goes still. “Charli’s building?”
“I thought you’d want to know.”
“Have a vehicle ready in two,” I order as I disconnect the call and launch myself from the bed. An explosion? What the fuck? I’d personally chosen the building for Charli because it would be safe.
In the walk-in closet, I snatch the nearest item and yank on a long-sleeved shirt, buttoning it. After slipping on a pair of pants, I shove my bare feet into dress shoes and retrieve a suit jacket before exiting the closet. I’m concerned about Charli and anxious to verify that she’s unharmed. I’m not one to panic though, so even as my thoughts race a mile a minute, my actions are calm.
Once I have my phone in hand, I stride out of the room and make my way down the curving stairwell. As I leave the penthouse and step into the elevator, I send a quick text to Charli. Are you okay? Instead of waiting for her to respond, I dial Keagan’s number. I want answers, and I want them now. My call is forwarded to voicemail, and I mutter a curse. Charli’s not responding to my text, either.
If there was an explosion, they’re probably outside as the emergency crews take control of the situation. They’d likely left their phones in the apartment in the rush to exit the building.
When the elevator doors slide open in the basement, I step out to find the limo waiting. Carter is patiently standing beside it. I nod to him, and he promptly opens the limo door. I climb in and try calling Keagan once more as the vehicle begins to pull forward.
Still no answer but voicemail.
I toss the phone onto the seat and drag a hand through my hair. I’d assured her that I’d keep my distance, but I need to see for myself that she’s okay.
The drive is excruciatingly slow, and when we approach the block that the building is located on, it’s cordoned off by police cruisers. I lean forward to slide open the partition and tell Carter to pull over. When he does as I ask, I climb out of the limo and immediately smell the smoke in the air.
People are milling around, and I stare in shock at the apartment building in the distance. From here, I can see flames engulfing the upper floors that face the street.
I quickly brush past bystanders as I begin counting the floors of the building, concluding that the fire seems to have engulfed the eleventh, twelfth, and the thirteenth floors.
Fuck!
Charli’s place is burning to a crisp. I move through the crowd, anxious to confirm that Keagan had gotten her out safely.
There are several firetrucks trying to put out the blaze, and police are struggling to keep the onlookers at bay. All around me, people are clad in what they’d gone to bed in. Some are crying, and others are simply staring up at the flames with shock.
I’m not seeing Charli or Keagan anywhere.
“Hey, you’re too close. Go back to the cordoned area,” an officer orders, stepping in front of me.
I cut him a cold look. “I’m looking for family,” I say curtly before moving around him, daring him to stop me. When he doesn’t, I continue striding towards the ambulances parked on the opposite end of the street. There are numerous people sitting on stretchers with oxygen masks, but they all look to be okay.
At last, I spy Charli and Keagan.
They’re sitting on a stretcher near an ambulance, and a blanket is wrapped around their shoulders as they huddle together. Keagan’s wearing an oxygen mask and watching the flames eat away the building while Charli’s head rests on his shoulder. Her eyes are focused on the crowd as if dazed while she holds an oxygen mask to her face.
As I approach, even in the flashing lights, I can see the soot in her blonde hair and the black grime that covers her face. This tells me that they’d been close to the flames, and inside my chest, my heart constricts.
Charli happens to notice me, and she blinks a few times before bursting into action. She yanks off the mask and hops off the stretcher, rushing towards me.
Thank God!
As soon as she’s within reaching distance, I pull her to my chest, holding her tightly as I kiss the crown of her head. Her slim arms wrap around my waist, and she clutches me as if she’s never going to let me go. Her body reeks of smoke and charred material, but from what I’d seen, she seems unhurt.
Charli’s showing no signs of releasing me as she presses her cheek over my heart, and I’m fine with that. I run a hand through her soft hair and look at Keagan expectantly. “What happened?”
“From what I gather, there was an explosion in the apartment above ours. It was close, but we made it out.” He begins to slip off the blanket, frowning towards Charli.
It dawns on me that she’s wearing next to nothing. I carefully ease her back and slide off my suit jacket, slipping it over her shoulders. Her face tilts upwards so she can look up at me, and in the flashing lights, I can see dark smudges beneath her nose from where she’d inhaled smoke. She gives me a grateful smile, slipping her arms in the jacket and pulling it close, hugging it to her body.
“Are you both cleared to leave the scene?” I ask Keagan.
He shrugs, and his eyes begin to water. “Haven’t asked,” he grits out as he’s momentarily wracked by coughs.
I reach over and place a hand on his shoulder. “Go sit with the oxygen while I find out. You can stay with us at the penthouse,” I invite.
He shakes his head, his voice hoarse as he says, “I’m going to stay with Lance for the night. He’s already on his way.”
I nod, and as he walks back to the stretcher to retrieve the discarded oxygen mask, I flag down a female paramedic nearby. “Does she need to be checked at the hospital?”
“She already declined treatment. I had her friend explain to her what to watch for in case complications arise. At this point, it’s just minor smoke inhalation. She should make a full recovery,” she informs.
“Does she need to speak with anyone or can I take her with me?”
“She can leave.”
After the paramedic returns to Keagan to check on him, I peer down at Charli. I’m not certain if she’ll be able to read my lips, so I simply ask, “Penthouse?”
She studies my lips for a moment and then nods in agreement.
I wrap my arm around her, and as we begin to make our way through the crowd, I realize that she’s barefoot. I quickly sweep her up into my arms, and instead of protesting, she sinks into my chest, her face pressing against my neck. A small cough shakes her slim body, but then she settles comfortably, her arms wrapping loosely around my neck.
It takes a few minutes to make our way through the crowd, and when I approach the limo, Carter quickly opens the back door.
I’m careful as I ease her inside the vehicle and climb in next to her, drawing her back into my arms. She nestles onto my lap, her eyelashes drifting closed as she rests her head on my shoulder.
As the limo pulls away from the curb, I close my eyes and inhale deeply as I sort out what comes next. There must be a way to make this work.
I need her in my life.