Page 8 of Rescued Heart

As they broke the threshold of the house, the siren of a fire truck overtook the disorder roaring a few steps ahead of them.

Rescue Squad 5’s fire truck pulled up to the curb, Ridge Foster, back from the accident that had injured his leg, in the driver’s seat. Chief Macon James hopped out of his chief’s truck. The masquerade attendees swarmed down the steps, but they weren’t the only civilians the crew needed to deal with.

Ambulance 21 had made it to the security gate, except the picketers and nosy bystanders at the end of the drive, waiting to steal a peek at the famous guests, were now slipping past security and running up the drive, blocking the route for the ambulance.

A woman with hips wider than the feathered hat on her head bumped into Bianca, who stumbled on her bare feet. Eddie steadied her and spotted Macon heading for the stairs.

“Chief!” Eddie yelled, and Macon jogged up to them. “Sir, the fire is in the east wing. It’s taken over a section of an inner room’s wall. A man deliberately set a dress on fire.”

Bianca removed the jacket from her wound, and her arm brushed against Eddie’s side. “He locked us inside that room.”

Macon eyed Bianca. “Thanks, Rice. Now, better get her to Bently and Russell.”

Eddie placed his arm around Bianca. “Yes, sir.”

Bianca put her hand on his chest. “Wait, the mayor!”

Eddie tensed. How could he have forgotten? “We witnessed something that makes me fearful for the mayor’s well-being.”

Macon nodded and hollered instructions to the crew as Eddie tucked Bianca against himself and headed down the driveway.

A cameraman joined them. “Ms. Pearl? What’s happening inside?”

Bianca curled further into Eddie’s side.

“Let us through.” Eddie dodged the man with the camera.

Another person with some sort of microphone connected to a phone stuck it close to her mouth. “Bia, has there been an explosion? Has anyone else been injured?”

Bianca covered her face with his jacket.

Eddie jerked away from the paparazzi, but that only seemed to alert the crowd to their direction.

“Bia!”

“Bia Pearl!”

“Give us a quick look.”

The incomers swarmed around them.

“What happened to your dress, Bia?”

“Who are you wearing tonight?”

“Is it true that you’re dating your costar, Carter Cane?”

“Ms. Pearl, how is tonight going to affect the film’s timeline?”

“What do you think about your ex’s not-guilty plea?”

Bianca fisted Eddie’s shirt beneath the covering of his jacket.

Eddie tugged her closer. “No comment.”

He hadn’t paid attention to the trial of Nathan Kensington. But no one’s past needed to define someone else’s.

Trace Bently, who was driving Ambo 21, laid on the horn. The paparazzi made a path. Kianna Russell, in the passenger seat, pointed to the rear of the ambulance, and then she disappeared to the back.

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