“What the fuck is that?” Liv said, interrupting us as she hung her head out of the open window of the car.

We all turned to look at her, Ryan and Emily included, and when we saw she was looking at the factory behind us, we spun our heads around, and that’s when we saw the smoke billowing into the night air.

“What the fuck?” Ryan darted into action, telling Emily to get into the car, but she wouldn’t listen. She was right behind him as he ran across the grass towards the building.

I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had just dragged myself out of one nightmare, only to land slap bang into another.

Without a second thought, Effy and I chased after Ryan and Emily, with Liv stumbling behind us. Our hearts were racing as we ran towards the front of the building, watching people staggering out of the factory, coughing and hacking up from the smoke that was spilling out of every door and boarded up window, doubling over in pain as others led them away to safety.

“Oh my God. It’s on fire,” Emily cried, just as sirens from fire engines in the distance rang out.

“Fuck! Zak! Kian!” Ryan shouted and ran towards the doors.

“No, Ryan! Please!” Emily ran after him, but he was too fast and she lost him in the crowds. Not knowing what to do, she sprinted back to us and started to cry. “I lost him! I couldn’t run fast enough and I lost him!”

“I’ll find him,” I said, prying Effy’s hands from me as she begged me not to go. “I can’t let him go in there alone. Please. Stay here with Em and Liv. I’ll be fine.”

I didn’t wait to hear what she said. I charged my way through the crowds that’d started to gather around us, choking on the smoke and dropping to the cold wet grass to recover.

By the time I’d reached the door, the fire engines were blocking most of the entrance and forcing people back. It didn’t matter how much I argued, they wouldn’t let me past. I moved against the flow of people, trying to get myself into a position where I could make a run for the door, but then I heard, “Mate, I can’t get in. I tried.”

Ryan was panting and he rested his hands on his knees, bending forward to catch his breath.

“They won’t let me through. I feel fucking useless,” he cried, screwing his face up in pain.

I put my hand on his shoulder in solidarity and I waited for him to calm himself. When he straightened up, he ran his hands over his face. “We fucked up. I fucked up,” he groaned.

“You were right the first time,” I admitted sadly. “We fucked up. We shouldn’t have left them both in there to sort our shit out.”

This whole night had taken a grave turn and it looked like I had more than one person’s fate left in my hands. It was too much for anyone to bear.

More sirens blasted out, cutting across the screams, shouts and collective noise of the firemen and the fire the

y were here to fight. Police started to take names and numbers, getting details of what’d happened here. And we stood frozen to the spot, having absolutely no idea whether our friends, our best friends, were safe.

“We should talk to them.” I nodded over to where the police were taking their statements.

“Yeah, in a bit,” Ryan replied absent-mindedly. I don’t think he actually heard what I was saying. He was lost in his own head. As if to prove my point, his head shot up and he glared at me in panic. “Is Emily okay? Is she still out here?”

He darted across the grass, heading to where we’d been standing before.

“She’s fine,” I shouted out after him, but he didn’t hear me and he didn’t respond. Or maybe he didn’t believe me until he’d seen she was okay with his own eyes. He pushed people out of the way and frantically searched the crowds, calling her name as he did. When he saw her, he grabbed her to him and held her, rocking her in his arms.

“Thank God,” he kept saying over and over again.

I held Effy too, and then Liv put her arms around us both. All we could do was stand and watch the flames as they engulfed the building. Listen to the crash of the beams and other internal structures as they broke and collapsed inside from the heat. Watch the fire service as they risked their lives to save the ones still trapped inside. And pray that everyone got out safely.

“What do you think caused this?” Liv asked the question that was plaguing all of our minds.

We each shrugged, too dumbfounded to formulate an answer. But somewhere in the deep recess of my brain I knew this wasn’t an accident. In my gut, I felt like this was a deliberate act.

Arson.

We had our enemies, but it didn’t take a genius to guess who could’ve done this. Five psychopaths without an ounce of empathy between them. Five men who didn’t give a fuck who they hurt. They’d have done this just to spite us. It wasn’t enough that they messed with me. They had to go out with a bang. A fuck you to the Renaissance men. I thought they wanted the party held in Brinton so they could do something good for their community, put Brinton on the map, but I was wrong. They lured us here like rats to a sinking ship.

And I’d made it happen.

Now, I’d have to live with the fall out.

Tags: Nikki J. Summers Rebels of Sandland Romance
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