Page 7 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
Am I dead? Is this what the afterlife sounds like? If so, it’s remarkably similar to a bad day on Earth.
Suddenly, cold air washes over me as if someone opened a freezer door. Strong hands are on me, unbuckling my seatbelt and cradling my head. I manage to peel my eyes open, and the first thing I see are the bluest eyes I’ve ever encountered, staring down at me with an intensity that makes my breath hitch.
Holy hell, did I die and get assigned a personal angel?
This guy’s chiseled jawline could cut glass, and that concerned furrow in his brow is oddly comforting. He pulls me against himself, almost as if he’s hugging me.
“You’re going to be okay,” he says, his voice deep and soothing. Yup, definitely an angel. “You’re safe now.”
I know I am.
Despite myself, I cling to him. I can feel my stomach dropping and I belatedly realize we’re being pulled upwards, the thick rope whispering against the snow.
My angel pushes me against solid ground before climbing over me. I lie down on the ground, trying to make sense of what’s happening. I didn’t realize when I passed out.
Blue-eyed guy helps me sit up, and I feel another strong pair of arms supporting my back. More voices. We’re not alone. I’m too tired to crane my neck behind me but I smell a musky, sandalwood scent that makes me inhale deeply.
I’m trying to keep it together, but the cold is seeping into my bones, making it hard to think, let alone move. I’m shivering uncontrollably now, the chill biting through my soaked clothes.
“Get her warmed up, Axel,” one of them says, his voice firm and commanding. I can’t see his face clearly through the blur of snow, but I can feel his urgency. “She’s freezing.”
Blue-Eyed Angel is already wrapping something warm and heavy around me—a thick blanket, maybe. His hands are quick but gentle, pulling the fabric tightly around my shoulders, trying to stop the shaking that I can’t control.
He holds me there for a few moments, and our gazes meet. I feel my stomach clenching, and I can feel myself start to get warmer from inside.
The sound of someone clearing their throat breaks me out of my trance.
Another face peers behind my personal angel. Wait...is that Jace? Did I hit my head too hard? Am I really dead? Are we sharing some kind of shared purgatory, because I have some complaints.
“Emily? Can you hear me?” Jace’s voice filters through the haze.
“Jace?” I croak out, my throat dry and scratchy. “Did we both bite the dust? Is this...are we...?”
Angel Eyes chuckles—a low, warm sound that sends a weird flutter through my chest. “No one’s dead. We’re getting you out of here.”
Well, that’s a relief. Sort of. Although being sandwiched between a heavenly specimen and my best friend’s brother, who also happens to be my ex, in the middle of a blizzard wasn’t exactly on my bingo card for the evening.
“What the hell happened?”
“You tell us.”
The other two guys step into view, and they’re just as equally big and burly. One of them has tattoos that climb all the way up to his neck. I wonder where it ends.
I rub my head. What is this place? Some kind of super model convention?
“I don’t know. I was driving and then there was this storm and it caught me unprepared…” I blank out on the rest because I honestly don’t even remember the moment I passed out.
Before I can process what’s happening, a big, furry blur rushes toward me. The next thing I know, a huge dog is licking my face, its warm, rough tongue dragging across my cold skin. I flinch, not sure if I should laugh or cry.
“Raffle, step away,” the blue-eyed guy commands, his voice firm but gentle. To my utter amazement, the dog—Raffle—immediately obeys, backing off and sitting down like the world’s most obedient pet.
One of the other guy’s steps forward, shining a flashlight into my eyes. I squint against the light, but I can tell he’s checking for something. “No concussion,” he announces after a moment.
Blue-Eyed Guy sits down on his haunches in front of me. “Looks like you’re fine.”
“I am?”
“Yes,” the guy who hadn’t spoken yet says.
