Page 77 of Captivated By Him

I look around the room; there has to be something I can use against him.

“Get away from her!” Joseph grumbles from the corner, sending himself into another coughing fit.

Henry stumbles forward, pointing his gun at Joseph.

“Shut the fuck up, old man!” He’s unsteady on his feet but catches himself just before tumbling forward on to his face. But he’s not done with Joseph.

I hear the click of the hammer being pulled back and react. No time for thinking or worrying. I grab hold of the first thing I can, a piece of wood on the floor and swing it full throttle at Henry’s head.

It strikes him, throwing him to the ground. The gun goes off, hitting the pile of blankets I pulled off Joseph when I first found him.

It all probably takes a second, but in my head, before my eyes, everything moves as though time crawls. By the time my brain catches up with reality, I’m staring down at Henry, unconscious on the floor. The gun spun away when it hit the floor and I grab for it before Henry comes to.

“Nicole,” Joseph rasps. “Gasoline.” He points with a shaky finger behind me.

Henry’s cigarette has been flung to the ground, landing in what was probably a patch of gasoline. Flames burst into the room, then follow a trail out into the rest of the building we’re in.

We have to get out. Smoke is already filling the room.

“Joseph, we have to go.” Flipping the safety, I tuck the gun into my jeans, and squat down beside hm. “Can you stand?”

“Yes. Yes.” He nods, but as I wrap my arm around his middle to help him, he calls out in pain. I shove away more of the blankets. His leg is broken.

“Fuck!” I bite my lip. I can’t leave him here. We have to get outside, away from this building. Who the hell knows what else is in here.

“Okay, okay!” I say, but I’m talking to myself. My mind is spinning with ideas and worries. “Push up on your good leg, we’ll get you out.” I take his arm and wrap it around my shoulders, hugging him around his torso. “Put your weight on me,” I order him.

“I’m too heavy.”

“Do it!” I yell into his face.

His eyes go wide. I’m not sure if anyone’s ever yelled at him like that before and lived to tell the tale. But he nods. “Yes. Let’s go.”

I count to three, and we’re on the move. Joseph screams as he gets up to his feet. He’s taller than me, and bigger, but I take on as much of his weight as I can stand while maneuvering him out the room. The flames are licking up the wood door that’s wide open, leaving the doorway safe. If we waited much longer, we’d be fighting the blaze while trapped inside.

The open space of the warehouse is filled with black smoke and flames. Boxes and pallets act as kindling around us. The path to the door is clear, but we have to hurry.

“Almost there,” I say, taking a deep breath. Instantly I break out coughing and Joseph tries to stop us. “No! Keep going,” I say, mostly dragging him to the door. My muscles rage at me, but I’m running on enough adrenaline to keep going.

My shoulders hurt from his weight, my ribs are killing me with every breath I take, and my lungs burn from the hot air I’m breathing, but when we get to the door, I’m able to get it open and yank us outside.

Fresh air greets us as we stumble forward.

A pair of headlights blinds me as a car pulls into the gravel lot before us.

“A little more,” I tell Joseph. “We have to get away from the building.” And maybe away from the car. If it’s Piotr coming to finish the job Henry fucked up, we’re screwed. I’m out of energy, and Joseph’s too weak.

“Nicole!” Jakub’s voice comes from the car as the door flings open.

“Fuck! Dad!” Another voice, deeper than Jakub’s comes next and then the two of them rush at us. Another car pulls in behind them, but I’m focused on Jakub.

“He’s hurt,” I tell him, helping Joseph to the ground.

“Dad, where are you hurt?” Dominik is the second voice, and he goes straight for Joseph.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Check her. She’s hurt too,” Joseph says, but I’m already being grabbed by Jakub.

“What hurts?”

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