Danny stared at the burning house, unrecognisable from the family home where they’d enjoyed so many celebrations, and which held so many wonderful memories.
If only they’d realised Lucky Vega’s plans ten minutes sooner. If only they’d thought to leave the house protected before rushing off to help Gregor defend himself.
He closed his eyes, seeing Hannah’s face in front of him. Five feet nothing, one hundred and five pounds of the most beautiful, craziest, most loving, loyal wife a man ever had. She was the steel in his spine, and the most courageous Queen of Badass that had ever walked the earth.
Danny doubted whether they’d gone more than two waking hours in the more than ten years he’d known Hannah, without one or both of them saying ‘I love you’.
She wasn’t just the love of his life, though. She was his best friend, his partner, and the best god-damned mother his children could ever have had.
Danny heard a sniff, and glanced to his side, to see Charlie sitting on the floor not ten feet from him.
Joel! Danny closed his eyes, the extra layer of pain washing over him.
The most beautiful, sweet, and gentle boy you could ever meet had been in the house with Hannah, Candy, Sara, and the Mazur sisters. He could see why Charlie’s heart was breaking every bit as much as Danny’s.
“Danny?” He recognised Cole Arthurs’ voice. “Are you Ok, son?”
Danny glanced up at him, not knowing what to say.
“I mean, can you walk, Danny?” Cole blushed. “The fire department are here, but they can’t get close unless we can clear all the vehicles out of the way.”
For the first time, Danny heard the sirens in the distance.
Almost on autopilot, Danny climbed to his feet, his legs barely carrying his weight. He took the few steps over to Charlie and reached down, grabbing him by the arms.
“C’mon Charlie, we gotta get out of the way.” He pulled the younger man to his feet, and led him towards JT, who was sitting off to one side on the grass, only a few feet away from Tuck.
He turned and spotted Tony and Brandon sitting close by, right in the middle of the drive. He walked over to them and pointed to the gate.
“Fire trucks need to get in.” He said quietly. “They need us all to get out of their way.”
One by one, he gathered up his team-mates, and helped Zach pick Marcus up off the floor. They made their way to where he’d left Charlie with JT and Tuck, and flopped down onto the grass, unable to make it a step further.
He watched Cole get the vehicles moved, and the fire trucks make their way closer to the house. There didn’t seem to be much point in putting the flames out, as the house was virtually burned to the ground, but he supposed they had a job to do.
As he sat quietly, trying to get his thoughts together, Danny was disturbed by an annoying buzzing in his ears. He tried to shake the noise away, but it just wouldn’t go.
After a few seconds, he realised that the noise wasn’t in his ears at all, but was coming from Charlie’s pocket instead. The guy was sitting staring into the distance and didn’t even seem to have noticed it was ringing.
“Charlie?” He nudged his friend. “Your phone, buddy.”
Charlie shook his head.
“It’ll be my mom.” He whispered. “I don’t know what to tell her.”
“She’ll worry if you don’t pick up.” JT pointed out.
Charlie sniffed loudly, before reaching into his pocket for his phone. He pulled it out and tapped the answer icon.
“Hullo?” He said quietly.
Danny watched as Charlie started to frown.
“I’m sorry, I can barely hear you.” He started to stand. “Can you speak up?”
Charlie took a few steps away from the team before stopping and spinning around.
“Say that again.” He yelled into the phone, immediately getting everyone’s attention.
When the caller had finished speaking, Charlie glanced around to find Tuck staring at him.
“It’s Joel!” He said pointing at the phone. “He said something about being stuck because the tree won’t open. Does that make any sense to you?”
Danny glanced at Tuck as they both came to the same conclusion.
“The fake tree!” Danny yelled, pointing to where Lucky Vega’s burnt out helicopter was balanced on the edge of the treeline.
“What fake tree?” Charlie yelled, but his words got lost as the rest of the men scrambled to their feet and started running as though Satan himself were nipping at their ankles!
Charlie obviously didn’t know why they were running, but like Gregor, he sure as hell wasn’t being left behind.
Once they were beyond the chopper, Danny followed Tuck to the third tree along the line. It was only when they got close that you could even tell it wasn’t real.
He glanced beyond it to see several branches had been brought down by the helicopter’s rotors.
“Look!” He pointed. “They’re jammed against the tree.”
He grabbed a branch and pulled, feeling it give way when Zach and Marcus joined in.
It only took a minute to clear the rest of the branches, but it was probably the longest minute of his life.
Eventually it was clear, and Tuck slid a false panel of bark to one side to reveal a handle. He pulled it, and miraculously, the door creaked and then flew open to reveal a steep flight of steps.
Danny poked his head through and was amazed to see Joel sitting patiently on the bottom step.
“Hey Danny!” Joel stood up and grinned at him. “I’m sure glad you got the door open. Miss Candy reckons we need to get Miss Sara to the hospital soon, or her baby is gonna arrive in a tree stump!”
Danny stared down in shock.
“Are all the ladies with you, Joel?” He asked hesitantly. “Are they all Ok?”
“Yes sir, they’re all down here, but Miss Hannah has a bump on her head. She’s still asleep.”
Danny turned to Brandon and started issuing orders.
“We need ambulances! At least two!”
With that he climbed into the tree and scrambled down the steps, quickly followed by Marcus, Tuck, and the others.
As soon as he reached the bottom, it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the low lighting, but only a few seconds more before he saw the half a dozen women hiding in the tunnel that led from the house.
All but his Hannah were staring at him.
He rushed forward and grabbed her out of Tulli’s arms into his own.
“She’s had a nasty bump on the head, which knocked her unconscious, but her breathing is good, and her pulse is strong.” Tulli reassured him.
Danny didn’t hear a word. He wrapped his wife up in his arms, buried his face in the crook of her neck and just breathed in her scent.
She was alive. Hannah was alive! She was fucking alive!
He felt Marcus rush past him rather than saw him, but knew when the man reached his wife, because the cry of relief was so understandable.
“About time you showed up.” Sara grumbled. “There’s only so long a woman can keep her legs crossed when a baby tries to put in an appearance!”
Tuck and Candy were only slightly more restrained, because Candy was immediately trying to help Sara through what sounded like another labour pain.
“We’ve got to get everyone out of here.” Tuck said quietly. “Tony, can you and JT help Lara and Mischa out? Charlie, you take Joel, and Zach can help Marcus get Sara out of here.”
Danny rearranged his arms around Hannah and lifted her gently. As soon as the way was clear, he carried her up the stairs.
Once everyone was clear of the tree, Danny noticed what looked like paramedics running towards them.
Gregor and Tulli were standing to one side, and Danny almost smiled, wondering if the Russian realised he was holding his woman tight enough to snap her spine.
They managed to find their way to the ambulances, where despite the protests of the paramedics, Danny climbed aboard with Hannah still in his arms.
When they tried to insist that he put her down, Danny just smiled.
“You take care of her head, and I’ll hold onto the rest of her.” He said quietly. “Non-negotiable!”
Tuck leaned in to let him know that they’d meet up at the hospital.
Danny glanced at his long-time friend and met his eyes.
They’d both been to hell and back in the last hour, and it was an experience he didn’t think either of them would ever forget.
“Go and see to your wife, Major.” He nodded reassuringly. “My girl and I will be right behind you. I just need to give her a bit of a talking to for putting me through all this shit.”
Tuck grinned at him.
“Don’t be too tough on her. I think she’s had a rough morning.”
Danny shrugged.
“If I don’t get it all off my chest now while she’s unconscious, I’ll never get the chance.” He pointed out. “Because you just know that when she wakes up, I won’t ever get a word in edgeways!”
Tuck stepped back, and the driver slammed the door shut, ready to get them to the hospital.
Danny stared down at Hannah’s sleeping form.
“Now! Where shall I start?” He growled.