Caged Heat(31)

Every noise became enhanced. She heard the quiet whispers from one to the other. It took great effort to fight the drowsiness taking hold of her.

“That’s it.” The scratchy whisper sounded like a smoker that had a horribly dry throat.

“You’re sure.” The second voice wasn’t right. It sounded as if the person was trying to sound different on purpose.

“Yes. She can’t get out of these binds,” the scratchy voice whispered.

“OK. I’ll go set the fire and meet you in the car. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Shit. They were going to set the house on fire with her inside. She tugged at her arms to no avail. Every pull made her wince. Exhaustion dragged at her, and she blinked inside the covering. She shook her head from side to side until she was able to see light under the dark cloth. When the scent of smoke reached her, her blood turned to ice. Frantic, she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders until the cloth came off her head completely. She could now look around her room. Filling her lungs with air, she let out the loudest scream of her life, hoping someone would hear her.

Panic seized her when she saw flames licking at the doorframe to her bedroom. She was going to die. No! It was wrong. There had to be a way to get out. She tugged at her almost-numb legs and arms, but only chafed her wrists in the process. It took her a moment to realize she was screaming for Riel. Her mind had focused on him, seeking out the one man she knew would do anything to save her, as the room filled with smoke. With every scream she inhaled copious amounts of smoke. She coughed and breathed into her shoulder. Flames crawled into her room. Horror filled her as all the memories from her childhood were destroyed by the hungry blaze. Metal frames melted, photos turned to ash, and her lovely blue wood furniture all turned dark with the force of the fire eating its way through her room.

Smoke made her eyes water and her lungs burn. She couldn’t get air in. Every time she inhaled, her lungs screamed in agony, and she coughed in pain. The drug attempted to pull her to sleep and forget about breathing. White spots danced before her eyes, and her vision swam. The lack of oxygen made her lightheaded. A loud growl made her jerk her gaze to the door. A blurry Riel ran into the room, soaking wet. Determination lined his features, and concern was visible in his eyes. He moved up to her arms and beat at the wood until the rope came loose. She was still bound and trying to get air in. He picked her up and held her in his arms. The last thing she knew was her body flying through the air before darkness consumed her.





Chapter Seven





Riel dropped Sam’s limp body out of the window into Troy’s waiting arms. As soon as he caught her, Riel jumped, landing in a crouch. There had been no way he could have gone back out the door. The house was being consumed by the blazing inferno. He immediately ran over to Sam. They set her on the ground, and he felt for a pulse. She wasn’t breathing. He started CPR, tilting her head back and blowing air into her lungs. Nothing. His entire life narrowed down to getting her to breathe. If he didn’t achieve that, nothing else mattered.

“Breathe, baby.” He pumped her chest and blew into her lungs. “Please, Sam,” he begged and blew into her lungs again. He listened for her to take a breath and repeated the action.

Natalia’s soft cries, along with the crackling of the fire devouring the house, filled the air with rigid tension.

“Breathe, Sam. Breathe. I love you, sweetheart. Please breathe. Please.” He continued to blow and pump her chest without a response. Minute after minute passed without a response from Sam. He growled and roared at the injustice of it all. He’d just gotten her back. How could life be so cruel? He blew into her lungs again.

She coughed, and he almost collapsed in relief. Her pulse was weak, but he heard the faint wheezing of her body trying to get oxygen into her lungs.

Moments later an ambulance, the fire department, Kane, and Zeno arrived. Paramedics rushed over to Sam and placed an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. His gaze never strayed from Sam’s limp body. The two men placed her on a gurney and lifted her into the ambulance.

“To our clinic,” he instructed the shifter paramedics.

“Yes, sir.” They carefully lifted the gurney into the back of the ambulance.

He turned to find Kane and Zeno speaking to a fire department connection, while Troy held Nat. The couple quickly rushed forward.

Riel was not wasting time. “I’m going to the clinic with them.”

Nat’s nodded, tears streaming down her face. “We’ll follow behind you.”

Raven was waiting for them at the entrance when they arrived.

Sam was rushed to the intensive care unit for severe smoke inhalation. She was hooked up to a heart monitor and an oxygen tank. His gut clenched when he heard her cough, a dry, painful sound that broke his heart.