Ride or Die (Rejects Paradise 4)

I stare around in horror, watching as the building quickly starts to crumble around me while men shoulder past me, gasping for fresh air.

Christian comes storming back through the roller door, pushing his way past people with urgency, making me realize that it was him who’d moved Nic’s car out of the way. “Snap out of it,” he tells me as Eli and Sebastian come rushing in. “Either help get your men out of here or get outside and help the guys who can’t breathe. Don’t just fucking stand there.”

Fuck. He’s right. It's one thing slamming through the roller door, but standing here gaping at everything isn’t helping anyone. It’s only going to make everything worse.

The boys all take off, going for guys who are struggling on the ground, and knowing that they’ll be okay, I focus on what I can do. I squint my eyes into the Den and raise my shirt over my mouth before running in. Heading for the rooms in the back, I know I don’t have long.

The smoke is thick, and flames are licking their way up every wall. I hear loud cracks as the foundation of the building begins to shake, and the fear that settles into my stomach is like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

The heat instantly has me in a sweat, but I push through as I race down the hallway. After learning the hard way just how hot door handles are, I slam my foot against every door, checking that no one is getting left behind.

I kick down the door after door, quickly losing count until I get halfway down the hall and hear desperate banging coming from behind one of the doors.

“MOVE OUT OF THE WAY,” I yell, not waiting a second longer before busting down the door.

I come face to face with Snake, and he stares at me for a second too long before grabbing the hand of some girl and pulling her out of the room. They take off down the hallway without even looking back or asking if I need help, and I instantly shrug it off. I can deal with that later, as for now, there’s still another five doors to kick in.

My leg instantly starts to hurt, and by the time I get another two doors down, my lungs are screaming as they fill with thick smoke. I have to get out now or become one of the many casualties. Risking not checking behind the last three doors, I run, needing to save myself.

As I get back to the main part of the Den, I find the firefighters have cleared most of the people to safety. Relief filters through me. Feeling better for needing to run, I make my way toward the roller door, but as I run, struggling to see through the thick smoke, I trip over a body and crash down onto my knees.

I feel around, my eyes beginning to sting as I search for the person I just tripped over. My knees ache, but I put the pain aside as I find an arm and feel my way up his body. The guy is face down, and I grab hold of him, using everything I have left to turn him, and as his limp body falls down on his back, Jaren’s perfectly handsome face stares up at me.

I suck in a breath and instantly regret it as I start choking on the smoke.

“JAREN,” I yell, slamming my hand down on his chest when he refuses to even look at me. I tug on his arm, desperately trying to move his heavy body. “QUIT FUCKING AROUND. WE HAVE TO GO. GET UP.”

He doesn’t move, and the tears instantly begin streaming down my face again. “COME ON.”

I try pulling on him, fearing the worst, but as arms curl around my waist and pull me off the ground, I scream out. “NOOO,” I cry, recognizing Eli’s tattoos as his arm tightens around my sore ribs, holding onto me and pulling me out. I claw at his hold, refusing to take my eyes off Jaren. “SAVE HIM,” I beg. “GO AND GET HIM.”

Eli doesn’t relent, just keeps pulling me until we’re out in the hot sun. “SEBASTIAN,” he yells. “TAKE HER.”

Within seconds, Sebastian is at Eli’s side and grabs me out of his hold only to lock me in another tight grip. I fight against him, desperate to go back in as Eli races back through the roller door, leaving me praying that he’s going after Jaren.

He can’t be gone. I refuse to believe it. He’s too good. He was the first person in the godforsaken place that I didn't instantly hate.

Agonizing seconds tick by as I wait for Eli to come back through the roller door, and I take a moment to look around me. Bodies lay all over the driveway of the Wolf Den, some motionless while others struggle to breathe. Wolves race around with water, ventilators, and inhalers, listening to every word that the many paramedics are throwing their way.