Page 134 of Tangled in Vows

My hands tremble violently at the horrifying scene in front of me. Lyndsay’s clothes are on fire now, as well as the entire wall behind her, including the door leading to the hallway and most of the closed door of the en suite.

She thought of everything, didn’t she?

The temperature continues to rise, and sweat trickles down my nape. It’s suffocating and intense. The smoke reaches me, or maybe I only notice it now, and I cough. My lungs are begging for clean air, and my coughs turn into gags as the sickening smell of burnt hair reaches my nose. It’s almost enough to bring me to my knees.

Fear, revulsion, and pity collide in a dizzying spiral, and I feel the fracture in my mind amidst the chaos. It’s too much. It’s all just too much.

A loud noise filters through my debilitating shock.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Olivia, get out of here. Do something. Now. Move. Move. Move.

I yank my shirt over my mouth and drop to the floor the way they drilled it into us at school.

Think. You can get out of here.

I’m not going to die today.

I’m not going to die today.

I’m not going to fucking die today.

I scan the room. The bedroom door is a total no-go. Not only is it entirely engulfed in flames, but Lyndsay is also blocking it.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The noise is coming from the bathroom door. Someone is banging on it and shouting.

Something triggers my brain to jump back to earlier.The splashing noise after Lyndsay entered the room. Her wet clothes.

Shit. That wasn’t water at all, was it?

That could also explain why the fire erupted and spread so quickly.

My brain is trying to put as many pieces together as possible. So many are still missing.

Focus!

Crap. How much time has passed? Minutes? Seconds?

I shuffle toward the noise as a loud crack echoes through the room, and the door explodes. Pieces of wood fly everywhere, and I put my hands over my head to protect myself.

“Olivia. Fuck . . . Get out of my way.”

Archer’s face is the first I see, and I manage a small thumbs-up from where I’m lying next to the bed.

Keep moving.

I try, but the room is suddenly spinning. I’m not sure if the smoke finally gets to be too much, or if it’s the adrenaline draining from my body in a crashing wave of exhaustion. All I know is I want to close my eyes, just for a little while.

Soon. You can relax and rest soon.

I blink, watching Archer climb through the splintered door with a fire extinguisher in his hands, Jax following him with an oversized blanket he throws over Lyndsay.

But my gaze doesn’t stay on them for long, pulled back to the splintered bathroom door that is now open and barely hanging on the hinges anymore.

And the man running straight for me.

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