Torch (Unbreakable Bonds 3)

As he reached the front yard, he found Noah starting toward the house. His coat and shirt were still stained with the accelerant and his beautiful hair was damp and matted down from it as well. He was a walking torch just waiting for a stray spark or a bit of hot ash to fall on him. Swallowing back a lump of fear, Rowe ran across the yard, grabbing Noah roughly by the shoulders before he could take another step closer to the house.

“Are you okay?” Noah demanded. His wide eyes swept over Rowe, searching for some injury and Rowe couldn’t help but do the same. Other than the accelerant, Noah looked fine if a little pale.

“I’m good. You?”

“Yeah, I called 9-1-1 and—”

Whatever he intended to say was cut off by the sharp squeal of tires. They both turned to find a black Mercedes stop sharply behind Rowe’s truck. Both Andrei and Lucas jumped out of the vehicle and rushed over to them. Before either of them could speak, Rowe pulled his keys out of his pocket and threw them at Andrei, who easily caught them.

“I’ve got a guest in my truck. You and Noah take her to storage. We’ll follow soon.”

If Andrei found anything weird about what Rowe said, it never showed on his face. He just nodded and started for the truck, keys fisted in one hand.

“No, I’m staying with you,” Noah growled.

“Keegan, you need to go. There’s a utility sink there. You can wash that shit off you.”

“I’m not fucking leaving you. Not while that bastard is still out there!”

Tightening his hands in Noah’s coat, he shoved him backward until he was pressed against the trunk of an old maple tree. “No! You need to get that shit off you now. I—I—I can’t even think straight knowing that you could so easily catch fire and there’s nothing I could do to save you.”

Noah’s eyes drifted over Rowe’s shoulder and Rowe could see the flames reflected back in his glassy blue eyes. “But…”

“Baby, look at me,” Rowe said, his own voice growing wobbly. He swallowed hard when Noah looked down at him, fear and pain etched deeply in his handsome face. “There is nothing in that house more important than your life. It’s just stuff. I don’t need stuff. I need you. Please, go with Andrei. He’ll keep you safe for me.”

Noah nodded jerkily, his expression stunned. Rowe would take it for now. They would have to deal with things later. A lot of things, but for now he could breathe knowing that Noah was away from the fire and safe. He watched Andrei and Noah drive off in one direction while the sound of sirens echoed from another.

Turning back to the house, he blinked back tears to see flames now eating up both the first and second floors. He was vaguely aware that neighbors were now coming out onto their lawns to watch the fire from a safe distance, but it didn’t matter. Everything that was Mel’s was now gone. Clothes, shoes, makeup, pictures, her mugs…everything. He hadn’t been strong enough to take any of her things to the other house, always telling himself that one day he’d be able to pack up her stuff. Now it was too late.

The thought of losing all those mementos hurt, but the pain seemed smaller under the fear of losing Noah.

Lucas wrapped his arm around Rowe’s slumped shoulders and drew him in close as they watched the fire destroy the past.

“I’m so sorry, Rowan.”

He nodded, blinking back tears. “I’m sorry about Shiver.”

Lucas grunted, his thumb moving slowly back and forth over Rowe’s shoulder. “It’s like you said. It’s just stuff. Nothing is more important than keeping those you love safe. And from what I just heard, sounds like you have another.”

“You weirded out?”

“Weirded out? No. I am surprised, though. But we have a lot to talk about and I want to hear it from the beginning.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of Rowe’s mouth. He wrapped his right arm around Lucas’s back and pulled him closer, resting his head against his shoulder. Fucking Lucas. He didn’t know where he’d be without Lucas, Snow, and Ian. And there wasn’t a day that went by that he wasn’t grateful that he didn’t have to face the answer to that question. Now he had Noah. Sure, things were still really fucked up and Rowe didn’t know what the hell he was doing, but losing Noah wasn’t an option. Smelling that accelerant on him had sent such profound terror through Rowe, he knew without a doubt what he wanted now.

But the first thing they needed to do was get a handle on the arsonists. That was okay. For the first time in nearly a month, they had an ace in the hole.

“You got a plan?” Lucas asked.