Chapter 10 - THE HOUSE ON FIRE
Glass exploded across the hallway.
The shock wave threw Hannah to the floor.
Her ears rang.
“ELLIE!”
No answer.
Smoke rushed through the dining room.
Hannah crawled across broken glass.
“ELLIE!”
A small hand grabbed hers.
“I’m here.”
Hannah pulled her daughter against her.
Marco appeared through smoke.
“Move!”
Flames crawled up the walls.
Another explosion sounded deeper in the house.
Adrian came running from the tunnel.
“Where’s Ellie?”
Hannah stared at him.
“She’s here.”
He visibly exhaled.
Then Ellie looked around.
“Rosie.”
Hannah almost screamed.
“Forget Rosie!”
Ellie started crying.
Adrian crouched.
“Hey.”
“My bunny’s downstairs.”
“I’ll get you another one.”
“No!”
Ellie shook her head.
“My daddy gave me Rosie.”
Adrian froze.
Hannah’s face broke.
David had bought the rabbit before he died.
Adrian knew exactly what it meant to lose the last object attached to someone you loved.
He looked toward the burning corridor.
“Get her outside.”
Hannah understood immediately.
“No.”
Adrian stood.
“Go.”
“You are not going back in there for a stuffed animal.”
He met her eyes.
“It’s not a stuffed animal.”
Then he disappeared into the smoke.
“ADRIAN!”
Marco grabbed Hannah.
“We have to go.”
Outside, staff poured across the lawn.
Fire climbed through the first-floor windows.
Police cars raced through the gates.
Detective Sofia Reyes jumped out.
“Where’s Moretti?”
Marco pointed at the burning mansion.
Reyes stared.
“You’re kidding.”
Inside, Adrian covered his mouth with his sleeve.
The tunnel entrance was partially blocked.
Heat slammed into him.
His lungs still hurt from the anaphylaxis.
Every breath burned.
He found Daniel unconscious near the door.
Adrian dragged him toward the stairwell.
Then he saw Rosie.
The rabbit lay ten feet away.
He left Daniel long enough to grab it.
A ceiling beam crashed behind him.
The house groaned.
Adrian hauled Daniel upstairs with one hand, Rosie in the other.
At the main hall, flames blocked the front entrance.
He changed direction.
Kitchen.
Service exit.
A section of ceiling collapsed.
Adrian fell.
Rosie slipped from his hand.
He stared at the rabbit through smoke.
For a second, it became Lily’s stuffed bear.
The one still sitting on her bed.
Waiting for a child who would never come home.
“No.”
Adrian crawled.
Grabbed Rosie.
Then dragged Daniel toward the kitchen.
Outside, Ellie stood wrapped in a blanket.
“Mr. Moretti’s still inside.”
Hannah held her.
“He’s coming.”
“You don’t know.”
Hannah swallowed.
“No.”
Then the kitchen door burst open.
Adrian stumbled out carrying Daniel.
Ellie ran toward him.
Hannah tried to stop her.
Too late.
Adrian dropped to one knee.
Ellie threw her arms around his neck.
“You came back.”
Adrian handed her Rosie.
“Had to.”
Ellie squeezed the rabbit.
Then she noticed Adrian was crying.
Not loudly.
Just one tear through soot.
“Why are you sad?”
He looked at the burning house.
“Because I should’ve saved someone a long time ago.”
Ellie touched his face.
“You saved us now.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Twenty years without crying.
Three years since Lily died.
And a four-year-old child finally broke the wall.
Then Detective Reyes walked over.
“Beautiful moment.”
Adrian opened his eyes.
Reyes held up a pair of handcuffs.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got another problem.”
Marco stepped forward.
“What?”
Reyes looked at Adrian.
“We found Luca’s car.”
“Where?”
“Half a mile away.”
“And?”
“Blood everywhere.”
Adrian stared at her.
May you like
Reyes’s expression hardened.
“But no Luca.”
