Page 102 of Asher

“Sounds like a plan.” Neither of us wanted to stay any later. As it was, Nix was probably already asleep.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I grabbed the keys off my desk and headed to the parking lot. Jumping in my truck, I decided to swing by Dairy Queen to surprise Hales with a blizzard.

Maybe she’d let me lick it off her.

I slammed on the brakes when I turned onto our street. Firetrucks and Police cruisers lined the curb, blocking the way to my house. Black smoke filled the air. My stomach dropped as I grabbed my phone to call Haley.

Hitting dial, I placed the phone to my ear. “Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.” I muttered stepping out of the truck and jogging towards our house, the smoke getting more prominent as I closed in.

The phone vibrated in my hand, and I relaxed slightly a Haley’s picture staring up at me. “Haley. What the hell is going on?”

“Asher.” A voice came over the phone making me stop in my tracks, my chest cracking from how fast my heart was beating before I started sprinting.

“Who is this? Why do you have Haley’s phone.”

“It’s Stella.”

“Stella?” The hair on my arms stood. “What the fuck? Why do you have Haley’s phone.”

“I can explain, but where are you? You need to get home.”

“I’m here,” I said, hitting a police barricade. Officers and firefighters swarmed my house which was almost fully engulfed in flames. “No!” I screamed and moved around the barricade. An officer held me back. “No! I live there. My daughter. Fuck!” I barreled a hand through my hair, pulling it as my knees felt like they were going to give out. “My wife.” A scream tore through my throat as I looked around frantically searching for them.

They were okay.

They had to be fucking okay.

“Asher,” my brother said, taking over for the other officer.

I gripped his arm tightly, using him as an anchor. “Mason. Where is Nix? Haley?”

“Calm down.” He was using his cop voice which pissed me the fuck off.

“Mason!” I yelled as I tried to break from his hold. I needed to get to them. “Where are they?”

“Nix is an ambulance.” He pulled me through the chaos. “Stella is with her.”

“Asher,” Stella said hoping down from the rig at the same time Nix spotted me.

I pointed in Stella’s direction, stopping her in her tracks. “I’ll get to you in a minute.” I couldn’t even look at her. I jumped into the ambulance wrapping my arms around my daughter, crushing her tiny body against mine, the smell of smoke soaked into her hair. I pulled back, cupping her jaw. “Are you okay?” I asked, searching every inch of her soot covered face looking for any sign she might be hurt.

“I’m scared, Daddy.” Her beautiful brown eyes glistened with tears that streamed down her cheeks before she buried her face in my chest.Thank God she was unharmed.

“I know, baby. I’m here.” My hand combed down her curls. “I’m here.” I promised, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Where’s Haley?” I looked at my brother and Stella who still stood outside of the ambulance.

“I tried to stop her.” Stella’s voice shook. “I told her to wait for the fire department, but she ran back in.”

“What do you mean, she ran back in?” I tried to keep the anger out of my voice as I scowled at her.

“She saved me, daddy.” Phoenix’s little voice cut through the anger.

My heart stuttered in my chest as I looked at my daughter. “What?”

“She helped me get out the window to Grayson.”

“Where is she?” I looked at Mason directly before turning to Stella. “What the hell happened, Stella? Did you light my house on fire?” Her entire body flinched from the verbal blow.

“No. Of course not.” She shook her head, voice trembling. “I-I came to apologize. We were talking outside when something exploded. Haley shoved her phone at me, told me to call 911 and then ran back in the house to save Nix. I tried to stop her.” I wanted to scream. She tried to stop Haley from going back in? From saving Nix?Are you fucking kidding me?

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