He’d rigged the stairs.
“R-run,” she ordered Kenton, shoving him. “Run!”
Seth lit his match.
“We’ve got her!”
Monica turned at Luke’s shout. He had his phone shoved against his ear. His eyes were glittering and his jaw tight as he called out, “The bastard’s at Lora’s house! He’s got her and probably Kenton inside—”
“Get the patrols moving!” Hyde bellowed as he ran for the door. “Now! Garrison—get your trucks there!”
Monica hurried past Sam. Sam’s eyes were wide with tears glinting on her lashes.
Spade’s house. What a perfect kill spot for MacIntyre. He’d already feel comfortable there, and the exterior of the house would be weak from the previous fire. The better to collapse quickly. Another trap just waiting to spring on Phoenix’s prey.
Monica jumped into the nearest patrol car, and Luke climbed in right behind her. A fresh-faced cop was already buckled up behind the well. “Get that siren on,” Luke demanded, “and haul ass.”
The flames came at Kenton. He swore and tightened his hold on Lora. “Jump!” They went over the banister together. They hit the floor, hard, and Kenton felt his ankle pop. Dammit. “Lora! L-Lora,” he coughed, choked, and finally managed, “Are… you—”
She rose next to him. Tears streamed down her face and the fire reflected in her golden eyes. “Okay. I–I’m…”
“You’re going to burn.”
Kenton turned his head and saw Seth standing in front of the doorway. The bastard had hammered boards in front of the door. He’d locked himself in with them? With the fire?
Crazy bastard. “You’ll… burn w-with us.” Glass seemed to cut Kenton’s throat with every word. There had been so much smoke in that bedroom.
Then Lora had come to him. She’d sailed right through the flames.
An angel in hell.
“The fire won’t hurt me.” Seth straightened his shoulders and laughed. “I control the flames.”
“Bullshit.” Lora didn’t get off the floor. She stayed crouched next to him, and Kenton wondered just how “okay” she really was. “The fire’s got… you before. If it…” She broke off, coughing, “weren’t for C-Carter, that fire would have… killed you.”
Finally, that sick devil’s grin slipped. “That f**king beam shouldn’t have given way! It was rotted wood, I–I didn’t know—”
“What?” Lora gasped. Now she was on her knees and glaring at Seth as the fire raged. “You set that f-fire, didn’t you? You set it!”
And as the puzzle pieces slammed into place, Kenton was willing to bet Seth had set that one and dozens more. “You set it, then set… y-yourself up as the hero.” Now it was Kenton’s turn to cough and choke on smoke, “s-stopping the flames…”
“I always stopped the flames! I controlled them!”
“You were supposed to s-stop the fires, n-not start them!” Lora screamed. She yanked at what was left of her shirt and tore more fabric free. She forced the cloth into Kenton’s hand.
“I did stop them!” Another match was in his hand. Kenton saw it rolling between Seth’s fingers. “I was the lead on Garrison’s team. I saved people, so many… damn,” Seth coughed, “people—”
Kenton covered his mouth and nose with the cloth that she’d given him. The smoke was thicker around them. The fire was rising steadily. They could talk all f**king day… and burn.
Enough of this shit.
“You saved them?” Lora shrieked. “You set them up to b-burn—”
Kenton lunged for the bastard, and his ankle nearly gave way, but he pushed on, stumbling—
Seth pulled out a gun. My gun. Shit.
“Don’t be a hero.” Another cough broke from Seth. The smoke was finally getting to him, too. Seth aimed the gun at him. “It really doesn’t f**king pay. All you get is pain. Then… when you’re down, when your f-flesh,” he coughed, “is peeling from you, and you can’t even piss by y-yourself, the world turns away.” The gun shook.
They had to get out. None of them were going to last much longer. With the windows boarded up, the heat was trapped inside and searing them all. “Before I–I wanted to prove that I knew the—the fire better than anyone else…”
Because you set it, you freak.
“A-after…” He raised his arms and the barrel of the gun shifted. “I couldn’t f-fight the fires. Garrison benched me. Me.”
The bastard brought the gun back up and aimed it right in the middle of Kenton’s chest.
The fire or the gun…
At least the gun would be faster. Burning wasn’t the way he wanted to go.
But what about Lora? He had to get her to safety. If he took out Seth, she’d have a chance.
Have to hurry. The flames… His body trembled.
“You…” Her voice was a hoarse rasp. “You killed… innocent people…”
“Guilty… I knew… Peter said…” Seth raised the gun and swiped his forehead. The guy weaved a bit.
What? Christ, they didn’t have time for this. “You’re gonna die here, with… us.” It hurt so badly to speak, but Kenton wouldn’t show weakness to this ass**le. “The fire’s gonna judge you, too.”
“L-let it. I-I’m ready…”
Kenton wasn’t. He’d just found Lora. He didn’t want to die. He wanted her. Wanted a home. Wanted kids. A dog. Hell, maybe even a damn picket fence.
And he wouldn’t let that fire have her. Not her.
Kenton leaped at Seth, ignoring the pain shooting from his ankle.
The gun fired.
“Kenton!”
No!
The explosion echoed over the flames and Lora lurched up—even as Kenton fell. He sagged in front of Seth and slid to his knees.
Then Kenton’s hand shot up, locked around Seth’s, and curled tight around the wrist that still held the gun. Kenton pulled, hard.
A hand shouldn’t go back that far.
Seth screamed. His anguished cry tangled with the fire.
Something cracked. Bones. The gun fell to the floor.
Kenton shoved the killer back against the door. Once. Twice. Seth’s head rammed into the boards that he’d nailed up. His eyes widened, then rolled back into his head.
He slumped, his body sliding down to the floor as Kenton crawled back.