Alex was usually awake before me, but he’d been up late last night and it was still fairly early. We’d all piled into our rooms after being ushered to the motel, tired and disoriented. They’d only been able to spare four rooms, moving a few of the firefighters around to accommodate us.

Ryder, Grace and Cherry took one, we took one, and Riot, Lacey, Frankie, Wreck and Slade decided to make a slumber party out of it.

“I’ll take the floor,” Slade had offered. “As long as you guys don’t try to get freaky while I’m sleeping in the same room with you. You know I’m not into that wild stuff now that I’m settled down with Diana.”

“You’re a buzz kill, dude, how would that ever happen?” Riot teased back.

I was amazed at how nice everyone was being to us.

The Gods were taking it all in stride, not fazed at all about having to stay somewhere else. I know they were worried about their property, but Ryder seemed confident the firefighters would do their best to save it. When they asked Jason to come help them, I was glad we could do something to repay their kindness.

The shower was hot, there was a restaurant just across the way…

We were safe.

I had nothing to complain about.

I finished up my shower with a smile on my face, my anxiety about the future weighing a little lighter on my shoulders today.

Whatever happened, I could handle it.

I’d gone through the worst things a woman should have to endure, and somehow, I’d made it to the other side. Sure, maybe having a new identity would present its own set of challenges, but if there was one thing my past taught me, it was that I was strong enough to get through anything.

As long as I had Alex, as long as I had Jason, no matter how long I had to wait for him, then I knew I could endure whatever life decided to throw at me.

I dried off in the bathroom, the door half open so I could hear Alex in case he woke up. Jason had left my skin raw and sensitive from his kisses, the rough scouring of his beard soft and scratchy, all at the same time.

I shuddered with desire, my body remembering the caress of that beard between my legs, his mouth pulling every ounce of pleasure from my quivering body…

Last night, and the night before that, had been life changing, instilling something inside of me that had been missing for so long. He’d opened my heart, my body…my soul.

I’d broken right open. That wall in my heart that had merely cracked a little before, now gaped wide open, the darkness inside of me now bathing in the pouring light of Jason’s love.

I’d submitted to it, accepted it, welcomed it…and now that the sun has risen outside, the dawn of another day beginning with a soft whisper — I was changed by him forever.

He’d taught me what love truly felt like.

I didn’t care that it was sudden. I didn’t care that the timing sucked.

I didn’t even care anymore that we were such strikingly different people.

All the pain of the past had led me here. And if someone told me today that if I could change the past, make everything I’d survived never happen, but I had to give up Jason to do it — I’d turn them down.

I was here.

How I got here didn’t matter.

What mattered, after the terrible journey I’d experienced, was my final destination — Jason’s arms.

I heard the click of the front door sound and wrapped a towel around my body before walking out of the bathroom.

“Hey babe, is that you?” I asked, rounding the corner as I called out. “How’s the broken leg?”

I stopped cold when I saw the room was empty, sure I’d heard the door close. I turned my head, my heart dropping when I saw the empty crib.

“Alex!” I cried, turning back to the room, scanning it as quickly as possible. Maybe he crawled out of his crib, I thought. He’d never done that before, but it was possible, he was doing new stuff every day.

“Alex!” I cried again, looking under the bed and dresser. My eye caught a red t-shirt on the bed and I froze. Slowly, I lifted it from the bed, my blood running cold as I saw the face staring back at me.

I threw it down and ran out of the room as fast as I could.

“Help!” I screamed. “Alex! Jason! Help!”

I scanned the parking lot, terror gripping my heart just as I saw an old beat up Chevy drive by right in front of me.

Luke’s creepy smile chilled me to the bone.

“No!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, racing after the truck as he sped out of the parking lot, turning right and heading away from the motel. I ran after him, my hands outstretched as I tried to get a grip on the tailgate but he was too fast. I ran out of the parking lot behind him and onto the empty highway, the sound of Alex’s cries pouring out of the open window as I watched the truck speed away and head right towards the fiery flames that devoured the pines on both sides of the road ahead.

“No! Alex! Alex!” I screamed, falling to my knees, the thick smoke stealing my view of the truck as it disappeared down the road.

A second later, Jason was lifting me to my feet, his face aghast as I explained what happened.

“Stay here,” he said, after he’d rushed me back to the parking lot where the rest of the Gods and the ladies were waiting.

“Let’s go,” Jason barked. “Ryder get in the truck with me. The three of you get on your bikes. He’s got the baby!”

The men hopped into action, Riot, Slade and Wreck quickly starting up their bikes and rolling out of the parking lot without a word. Ryder jumped into Jason’s truck and I followed behind.

“I’m going with you,” I insisted.

“You should stay here,” Jason growled. “It’s not safe.”

“He’s got my son, I don’t give a shit about being safe!” I shouted, ignoring the fact that I was only wearing a towel.

Grace grabbed my arm, pulling me back gently.

“We can help from here,” she said, her whisper firm and urgent. “Let them go. We can call for more help. I have friends on the police force. We’ll find them.”

I took a step back, my eyes searching Jason’s.

“Go!” I said. “Go get him, please!”

“I promise, babe,” he said, his eyes peering deeply into mine. “I promise.”

“Go, go…” I nodded, tears falling down my face.

He threw the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking space, his tires squealing as he turned the corner and sped down the street.

I turned away and collapsed in Grace’s arms.