Chapter One
The sound of barking warred with the dull roar of flames. Chris Jackson tapped the shoulder of the firefighter in front of him and they moved forward slowly. Two staff members were already out of the animal shelter, but Ally remained inside. With the way the smoke was increasing in the old building, Chris knew they’d better find her quick. His heart pounded and fear came knocking. Ally. And yet he took careful, deliberate steps, knowing that rushing would be his biggest mistake.
“Nothing here,” his partner said. The barking got louder. They entered the main kennel area. So far, the fire had stayed on the other side of the structure, near the storage and kitchen area. Worst thing here was the acrid smoke filling the air. But then he saw her. Shit. Even though she had a towel over her face, Chris heard her cough as she opened a cage and moved to a table, shoving the animal inside a crate.
“It’s the fire department,” he identified, not like it could be anyone else. “Come on, we’ve got to go,” he shouted above the noise.
She spun around and faced them. “Just a few more.” She coughed and gasped. “Take this crate and I’ll let out the dogs—”
“Are you crazy? You’ve got to come out now or I’ll have to carry you out.”
“I can’t leave the animals!” she shouted back. “They’re going to die in here! You can either help me or not, but I’m not leaving until they’re out!”
For God’s sake. Chris swore and looked at his partner.
“We’ve gotta go,” Mark verified.
Chris paused for a moment, just a heartbeat, and then turned to Mark. “Open the damn kennels. We can’t carry them out. We’ll have to set them free and hope they follow us.”
Mark hesitated. “All of them? Are you nuts?”
But Chris shook his head. “Ally’s not going to leave without a fight. It’ll take just as much time prying her out of here. Let ’em loose. I’m not coming back in.”
Mark started flicking cages open and coaxing dogs out of their kennels. Chris turned to Ally and gave an order that he would force her to obey if necessary. “We’re opening the cages, but that’s all. No one is coming back in here, understand?”
“But I—”
“Ally!” he shouted at her, and in the haze of smoke realized that she’d just now recognized who he was. For a split second the last three years evaporated, and he felt a real sense of fear and urgency. This was no time to mess around. No matter what had gone wrong between them before, he couldn’t let anything happen to her.
“There’s no time. That’s the deal, or I carry you out and they get left behind. I will do it,” he promised.
She rushed along a final row of smaller crates and flicked the doors open, then hefted the crate—how many cats had she stuffed in there?
“Okay!” she shouted, and Chris sighed with relief that she was going to go without more of a fight.
“Stay low!” he commanded, as they made their way out of the kennel and back to the reception area.
It was hotter out here. The fire was getting close to the main part of the building. As they moved along, Ally called for the dogs between coughing fits, shouting their names and encouraging them on. Once outside, she pulled down the towel, put the crate on the ground and dropped to her knees. Chris pulled her up, supporting her weight. “Let’s get you away from here and looked at.”
“I’ve got to go back. Chester’s so timid, he’ll never come out. And there are kittens I couldn’t fit in the crate…” She started to push him away but he caught her neatly around the waist.
“You are going to see the paramedics, and you are not going to go near that building again, you understand?” He still had his mask on but his voice was clear.
“But…but…” She turned back, anguish marking her face. “They’ll die in there, Chris!”
He wished he could say yes, but he couldn’t. Not the way the fire was spreading. “I’m sorry, Ally. It’s too dangerous, and I won’t risk your life or any of ours either.”
He looked at the shelter. Another minute or two and it would be fully involved. She pulled on his grip but he didn’t let her go. “I swear to God, you’re staying out here if I have to tie you to the ambulance.”
He lifted the crate, grabbed her arm with his gloved hand and saw her wince at the force of his grip. Okay, so she got his point. But there was no way he was letting her risk her life and the lives of the other firemen. As much as he loved animals, he…
Hmm. In his head he’d nearly said he loved her more, hadn’t he? Except he couldn’t. Didn’t.
He led her away from the building and towards the ambulance that was waiting.