“You cannot go in there,” the second cop said. “We won’t allow it.”
“You can’t stop me,” James said, grinding his molars. “I will find her.”
The cops double-teamed him now. James was single-minded and relentless, fighting them off with every ounce of strength he had. When another set of hands grabbed his shoulders, he reared back to deliver a punch.
“It’s me,” Grady hissed. “You need to calm down.”
“I can’t find her,” James said, fighting tears. “I can’t find her.”
“We’ll find her,” Grady said. “I promise. We’ll find her.”
James looked at the fire, the sound of a floor collapsing from inside the building filling his ears. Suddenly, all he could hear was buzzing, and he was teetering on the edge of consciousness.
“I have to find her.”
He was on his feet again, pushing toward the fire.
Grady threw both of his arms around James’ waist, tugging him back to the ground harshly. Finn was there, too, although James had no idea where he’d come from. He was helping Grady wrestle him to the ground.
“You have to think,” Finn said. “She’s probably already outside.”
“What if she’s not?”
“Then … .”
Finn didn’t finish, and James knew what he was thinking. If she wasn’t outside, she was gone. The mere thought sent James into a tailspin.
Suddenly, James was screaming. “Mandy!”
Finn and Grady exchanged helpless looks.
“Mandy!”
Neither brother released James’ waist. They were too worried he would race into the fire after her.
“Mandy!”
Then she was there, standing before him, a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her face was streaked with soot, her eyes glassy from the smoke. “I’m here,” she rasped.
Grady sighed, relieved. He loosened his grip on James.
James shook off Finn and crawled the two feet that separated him from her. Mandy dropped to her knees, exhausted, letting James engulf her in his arms. He showered the side of her head with kisses, not caring how ridiculous he looked. She was here. She wasn’t in the building.
“I’m okay,” Mandy said. “I’m okay.”
She was crying, her tears mingling with the ones James unabashedly shed. His arms were so tight around her she could barely breathe.
“Sir, you have to let us check her out,” a paramedic said, gingerly touching James’ arm to get his attention. “She needs oxygen.”
“I’m okay,” Mandy protested.
“Ma’am, you inhaled a lot of smoke,” the paramedic explained. “Let us give you some oxygen.”
Mandy coughed roughly, finally acquiescing. The paramedic led her to the back of an ambulance, letting her sit on the stairs instead of settling on a gurney when she balked.
James never left her side, petting her head and pulling her in close as he sat beside her. After a few minutes, Ally, Emma, and Sophie joined the group.
“What were you thinking?” Emma asked. “Did you go back inside?”
Mandy shrugged, the oxygen mask secured over her mouth. She mutely reached to the back of her jeans and pulled something out, handing it to Emma.
When the picture frame – the one holding the only photograph Emma had of her mother – landed in her hands, Emma burst into tears. “You went back for the photo?”
Mandy pulled the oxygen mask away for a moment. “It’s all you have of your mother.”
Emma reached in, hugging Mandy as fiercely as she could. After a few seconds, Finn pulled her away so James could have a few moments alone with his girlfriend.
When it was just the two of them, James fixed her with a hard look. “I love you more than life itself. If you ever do something like that again – risking your life for a photo – I’ll kill you myself.”
Mandy rested her head against his shoulder, relishing the feeling of his lips as they settled on her forehead.
She couldn’t help but feel that it had been worth it – although she would never admit anything of the sort to James.
Thirteen
“I don’t have any idea where I’m going to sleep tonight,” Emma admitted when the police were done questioning the group.
After James’ outburst, two members of local law enforcement were threatening to take him into custody for disturbing the peace and interfering with a police investigation – but Sophie jumped in their faces and threatened to publish a story about the police department trying to lock up a worried boyfriend and they backed off.
No one had said it, but everyone was secretly relieved that Sophie managed to manipulate the situation to their advantage.