Page 66 of Forced Innocent Bratva Bride

There was not enough time to save them both. I had no idea who the man was, and I wasn't going to risk the lives of my wife and our unborn child in an attempt to play hero.

The flames were catching up fast, and the air was growing thicker with more smoke, making it almost impossible to breathe. She shouldn't be here a minute longer. I had no idea how much smoke was already in her lungs.

My heart stopped for a moment as my eyes darted to the kitchen, where flames danced toward a gas cylinder. “Shit,” I muttered, my voice laced with urgency as I lifted my wife into my strong arms.

That cylinder was highly flammable, meaning an explosion was inevitable.

“Sorry, but I can't save your friend,” I whispered to her, panic fueling my sprint toward the door.

With Lorena cradled in my arms, I ran through the blazing fire, the intense heat searing my skin. With the surge of adrenaline rushing through my blood, I jumped over burning obstacles, weaving through falling bricks and splintering wood.

The exit was engulfed in flames, but it was our only way out, and I wasn't slowing down. Lorena wrapped her arms around my neck and shut her eyes as we approached the door on fire.

With a swift move, we burst through the flaming doorway mere seconds before a deafening explosion shook the ground. The shock wave from the blast knocked us off balance, catapulting us through the air.

It was as though time slowed down as we soared. A split second later, we crashed onto the pavement. I landed on my back with my wife on top of me. The wicked impact nearly crushed my spine, but none of that mattered, considering my wife was safe from the crash.

She raised her head, her wavy brown hair cascading down her face as she stared at me, her wide eyes tracing my entire body. “Are you okay?” she muttered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I threw my hand into her hair, pushing a handful to the back of her ear to reveal her face—stained with smoke, glistening with sweat. My lips curled into a smile, and my thumb wiped her tears. “I'll live,” I whispered, groaning at my aching back.

“Thank you,” she whimpered, her tone dripping with sincerity.

I slipped my hand to the back of her neck and pulled her head down, resting it on my chest.

The fire raged on a few paces away, eventually pulling the building to the ground.

Chapter 26 – Lorena

I sat on the hospital bed, my face cupped in my palms. My shoulders shook as quiet sobs tore through me.

The acrid tang of smoke wafted from my hair and clothes, mingling with the subtle scent of antiseptic. Soot stains smeared my pale skin, a pungent reminder of the inferno that had nearly claimed my life.

The fact that both the baby and I were unharmed despite the amount of smoke I inhaled was a miracle. The doctor said that I was fine and that the baby was in perfect condition—that was good news.

But as much as I was grateful to have narrowly escaped that fire, I couldn't stop blaming myself that Bryce didn't. He died in that explosion, and it was all my fault.

Tears streamed down my soot-smudged face, mingling with the ashes of my despair. I sniffled, a hand on my heaving chest as if to prevent my heart from jumping out.

Maybe I was too harsh on Bryce the last time he took me against my will. I'd said some mean and awful things to him, and maybe if I'd handled the situation better that day, he wouldn't have been depressed enough to have harbored suicidal thoughts.

I never thought that he had it in him to want to take his own life for any reason at all. Yes, he wasn't one to bluff. Yes, he was obsessed with me. But I didn't think I mattered so much to him that he actually thought he wouldn't be able to live without me in his life.

He killed himself because of me—because I failed to handle a situation maturely. I let my emotions get the better of me, and in that moment of anger, I was so blinded by my rage that I couldn't see the bigger picture. I was only thinking aboutthat moment and how furious I was that I didn't stop to think about how my words could and would eventually affect him.

I was so mad and just wanted to get rid of him forever. Well, the joke was on me. I'd finally gotten what I wanted. I’d gotten rid of him forever.

My heart shattered into a million tiny pieces, and my body shook violently, my sobs convulsing with intensity.

Bryce's favorite song used to be Sia's “House on Fire.” How ironic that that was how he’d died…burning in a house on fire.

This is so messed up.

I lowered my head, chin resting on my chest as each sob racked my fragile body. It was as if grief itself was suffocating me.

“I'm so sorry, Bryce. I’m so sorry,” I whispered, weeping as my trembling fingers clutched the sheets.

My heart was heavy with guilt and sadness, this burden of his death threatening to drown me in sorrow.

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