“So how can you be sure there’s no one been planted here?”
“Because they know the consequences. Can we go back to the clubhouse, please? It’s not safe here.”
“It should be safe for me to walk down the street from my own fucking house!”
“Rachel,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re being impossible. Yes, it should be safe to walk. I wish it fucking was, but it isn’t! That’s the way it is, so get fucking used to it!”
“Fine!” I snapped, barging past him. “But just so you know, I’m seriously doubting there was any fucking point in you freeing yourself from Callum’s death trap if you were just going to throw yourself straight back into danger.”
“I’m seriously doubting there’s any point in even trying with you, if you’re just going to find whatever excuse you can to leave,” he shouted after me, making me stop dead in my tracks.
“Is that what you think I’m doing?” I whispered, turning back around to look at him.
“Isn’t it? I know what’s coming next, Rachel. You’re going to tell me you want to leave me once again. You’re using this as an excuse, just like all the other fucking excuses.”
“Did you not hear me when I said I wanted to be with you? Or are you just choosing to forget that vital piece of information in order to suit your little narrative of me?”
“I—” his words were cut short as the most piercing alarm sounded out throughout the entire village, making me bring my hands up to my ears to drown out the painful noise.
“What the fuck is that?” I yelled at Dante, who was looking back at the clubhouse.
“We’re under attack.”
I followed his gaze, noticing the smoke rising in the distance. He grabbed hold of my hand, and the both of us ran into the chaos without a secondthought.
Chapter 25
Dante
For once, Rachel didn’t argue with me as we ran as fast as we could towards the clubhouse. She sucked in a breath as we rounded the corner and saw that the entire back of the club was on fire, and it was quickly licking its way through the rest of the house.
“What the fuck happened?” I yelled at my dad as soon as we saw him.
“We’ve no fucking idea! Vienna is looking into it. No one entered the grounds. We were watching the fucking cameras. Someone must have planted bombs.”
“Is everyone here?”
“Jenny is taking names.”
“Dante,” Rachel gasped. “Your mother and Bee… Katherine!” She yelled when she saw my mother and ran over to her, dragging me with her. “Where is Bee?”
“Bee?” she replied, looking bewildered, holding her chest as she coughed.
“Mother,” I warned, my heart instantly stopping. “Please tell me she’s with you.”
Her eyes grew wide with fear. “I was in the garden. She saw me crying, and I told her I had a headache. She said she was going to look for you two and—”
“Bee!” Rachel screamed, a scream that will haunt me for the rest of my life. She dropped my hand and raced towards the house. I was hot on her heels, hearing my dad yell at my mother behind me. Rachel didn’t hesitate for a second. She pulled her shirt over her head and wrapped it around her hand, using it to rip the door open. She stumbled backwards as the smoke immediately engulfed her, but not even her coughing fit could slow her down.
The door had been flung open with such force it slammed shut behind her. I ripped it back open, oblivious to the searingpain that sliced through my palm. I grabbed a brick and wedged it open, hoping that would help get rid of some of the smoke. “Crash!” I yelled back at my dad. “Get everyone here. We need water, we need oxygen, we need fucking everything. Smash all the fucking windows and move all the furniture before the fucking flames get it! Make a path for us!”
I didn’t wait for an answer. I ran into the flames, my arm coming up in front of my face as the heat of the fire seared my skin.
“Rachel! Bee!” I screamed, squinting through the thick smoke as I struggled to see them. A beam of wood fell from the ceiling, completely ablaze, narrowly missing me.
“Rachel!” I yelled again, kicking a burning table out of my way. I headed towards the back of the bar where the arched entrance to the house was. Smoke filled my lungs, making my eyes water as the coughs took over. I could feel blisters forming on my arms as the flames licked closer and closer to me, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was getting to my girls and making sure they were safe.
Bottles shattered with the heat, the alcohol making the flames worse. I took off my own shirt, quickly dipped it in the water barrel that we kept full for the dogs, and wrapped it around my mouth. I wouldn’t be able to call for Rachel anymore, but at least I would survive long enough to fucking find her.
