Julia ended the call, shoving the phone into her pocket as she made her way around the side of the house. Sirens rang out in the night air, closing in on her location.
She rounded the corner, spotting another car next to hers. A group huddled on the opposite side of it, staring at the flames that now leapt from the roof. She didn’t spot Grant.
“Ally?” she called as she took a step closer to them.
Alicia snapped her gaze toward her, her features twisting with a mix of upset and relief. “Juju!”
She raced to her sister and flung her arms around her neck. “Oh my goodness, you’re okay. Thank God.”
“I’m okay. I’m fine. Where’s Grant? Alex said he was with you.”
Alicia pulled back from her sister, her features a mask of panic. She glanced at the house. “Uh…”
“Ally…where is Grant?”
“He…went inside…”
Julia’s heart plummeted as she stepped away from her sister. “No. He went into the house?”
“He went to find you. We tried to stop him, but…”
“Ally! Why would you let him run into a burning building?”
“I couldn’t stop him! He was insane with worry. I–“ Alicia’s features scrunched as Julia shifted away from her. “Where are you going?”
“To find him,” Julia said as she sprinted toward the house.
“Julia, no!” Alicia screamed, but she didn’t listen to her sister’s pleading.
She hurried toward the burning building, climbing the stairs onto the porch as flames shot from the windows. The heat hit her like a physical slap, and she lifted her arms in a meager defense against it before she dove through the door.
Flames surrounded her on every side and thick smoked choked the air, making it difficult to see or breathe.
“Grant!” she called before she choked out a cough.
Her stinging eyes wanted to close, but she blinked them rapidly, trying desperately to search through the smoke for her husband. But one thought lingered in her mind as she scanned the space. Would she find him in time?
CHAPTER 9
GRANT
“Julia!” he screamed at the raging fire, his eyes wide with panic.
“I can’t get a hold of Alex to get an ETA on the police,” Alicia said, alarm lacing her voice.
Grant stared at the flames, his mind racing with fear and worry. The entire house seemed to be engulfed. Was she trapped inside? Was he already too late?
Despite the danger, his resolve hardened. The risk of losing Julia outweighed the peril. He couldn’t just stand by, he had to act. He had to do everything within his power to save her. A life without her was something he couldn’t face.
“I’m going to find her.”
“Grant!” Alicia called as he took a step toward the inferno.
“Whoa, that’s not a good idea. Let’s wait for fire rescue. They are the best ones to go in,” Ethan said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
Grant yanked it free. “I’m going. You can’t stop me. I won’t let her die in there.”
“You could make things worse. You could get hurt or trapped. And you have no idea where she is. We need to wait,” Ethan said, placing himself between Grant and the house.
