Fire engulfed the historic building at the edge of the French Quarter. The windows had exploded and glass littered the street. Jane ran toward the two-story building, leaving her car haphazardly parked near the curb, and fighting her way past the firefighters and cops who’d just arrived. Broken glass crunched beneath her boots and her frantic gaze stayed on that blaze.
Aidan might not be inside. He might not. He might—
“Get the hell off me!” A dark, dangerous bellow. A familiar bellow that stopped Jane in her tracks. “I have to get back in there—my best friend is in that building!”
Her gaze whipped toward that voice. Paris. He was there, currently being held back by five police officers. His clothes were half-burned. Singe covered him, and she could see blisters on his face and arms.
“Let him go!” Vivian bellowed as she rushed to Jane’s side.
If Paris is here…
The flames crackled.
The cops looked at Vivian, recognized her, and followed her orders. They let Paris go and he surged to his feet, running toward the flames.
But Jane jumped in his path. She shoved her hands against his chest. “Stop! Not another step until you tell me exactly what is happening!”
The firefighters were spraying water at the building, trying desperately to control the blaze. It had already spread to the next building.
“Freaking six alarm fire,” one of the uniformed firefighters snapped as he shot past them, his mask in place. “That’s what’s happening. The whole building is about to collapse, and we got reports that people are still trapped inside.”
People? Jane stared at Paris. At his burns. “Aidan?” Saying his name hurt.
Paris flinched. “Aidan tossed me out a second story window,” he confessed. She realized his right arm was twisted at an…unnatural angle and he was dragging his left leg. “The flames started—a bomb of some sort—seconds after we opened that back bedroom door in the second floor apartment.”
“Aidan’s still inside?” Jane whispered back to him.
His grim nod chilled her.
Jane turned and ran for the building.
She’d barely taken five steps when Paris tackled her right to the ground. “You can’t go in!”
She rolled beneath him and tossed the guy off her. Even weakened during the day, she was still powerful. Vampire strength, got to love—
He grabbed her arms and jerked her toward him. “Know the fastest way to kill a vamp?” His voice was a deadly rumble. Behind him, Vivian was barking orders to the cops—and even to the firefighters. “It’s fire. You go into those flames, and you don’t come out.”
“He hasn’t come out!” Did Paris think that Jane was just going to stay out there while Aidan died?
“And if I let you burn, Aidan will take my head,” Paris said the words with utter certainty. “Stay here, Jane. I’ll go back in for him. Shit, I already would have been inside, but I blacked out when my head hit the concrete.”
She could see blood trickling down the side of his head.
“Stay here,” he said, voice low. “I’ll get him.”
Jane nodded. She didn’t want to fight Paris. She also didn’t want to waste time.
He let her go. He ran toward the building, shoving firefighters out of his way. Jane sucked in a deep breath and the smoke burned her lungs. She watched as a firefighter tried to stop Paris from rushing inside.
Not going to work. Paris was too determined. After a brief battle, Paris heaved the fellow to the side, then ran right into the flames.
Now it’s my turn. Jane eased out a slow breath. If Paris thought she was just going to stand outside like some good little vampire, he needed to think again. Jane grabbed the smallest firefighter she saw—one who was only a few inches taller than she was. “Give me that uniform,” Jane snarled. The uniform had to be better protection than her faded leather jacket. Firefighters wore turnout gear—she knew that stuff was supposed to be waterproof, heatproof and as damn sturdy as possible. If anything was going to save her vamp skin from the flames, that uniform would do the trick.
“My uniform?” The firefighter—a woman—stared at her in confusion. “Lady, you’re crazy. You need to step behind the safe zone and let me do my job.”
Jane’s fangs burst out. She couldn’t help it. She was scared and her adrenaline surge had her blood nearly boiling. “Give. Me. The. Uniform.”
The female firefighter backed up. “What in the hell?”
“Give her the uniform,” Vivian advised as she closed in. “You really don’t want to fight on this…”
Screw fighting. If she had to do it, Jane would knock that woman out and take the gear. The scene was chaos. No one was paying any attention and—
“The place is about to collapse!” Two other firefighters ran out of the building. “Everyone needs to get clear, now!”
Jane yanked the coat off the other woman and snatched her mask. She’d take what she could get and she would haul ass.
Hold on, Aidan. I’m coming. It was her turn to save him.
Vivian yanked the gloves off the stunned female firefighter. “Take those, too, Jane, and hurry.”
***
Jane Hart was going into the fire.