Chapter 53
Alaia
I quickly called emergency services as we left the room, and it only took us to descend the stairs to see the smoke spreading on the first floor. Amid the chaos, women run out of the house with the children. The smoke entered my lungs despite having taken my jacket to cover my nose.
“Ash! Tino!” I shouted, hearing the cries of several children, and my heart clenched in my chest. I need to know where my children are. I dampened my jacket to breathe inside the house, continued to search for my children and helped the girls to get out.
“Alaia!” I heard Ash.
“Ash!” I called out, and we kept calling each other’s names until we found each other.
“Where are my children?” I asked, hugging her and coughing.
“Alicia has Noah. I left him with her to come find you, but we couldn’t find Tino and Alana.
They were in the living room before everything started.” A great fear invaded me as the flames now reached where we are, and the smoke began to invade the second floor.
“Please, go with the girls and Noah. He must be very scared. I’ll find my daughter and Tino p>
“Alaia…” She struggled to breathe.
“Go, the firefighters shouldn’t take long,” I said, feeling the anguish for my little girl.
“Please, take care of my son,” I said and crawled to avoid the smoke. When I reached the living room, my eyes started to burn, but that didn’t stop me. I just wanted to see my daughter safe.
“Tino!” I shouted when I reached a pair of doors. There’s only smoke; the fire hasn’t reached here yet. “Tino!” I shouted louder.
“Princess?!” Tino responded.
“Where are you?” I shouted.
“In the study. Alana is with me. We’re okay, but I can’t open the door. It was closed when we came in. There are two windows, but they’re covered with wood. There’s nothing here I can use to open them p>
I could hear the sound of his voice behind one of the doors.
“Alana, sweetheart, mommy is here,” I spoke to my daughter, holding back the urge to cry. I needed to hug her, to know she’s okay.
“Mommy,” I heard her voice. She was not crying, but I know she was very scared.
I started struggling with the door and looking for something to open it with. I managed to see an old metal chair and strike the lock hard, managing to move it.
“Alaia!” I heard a distant voice.
“Here!” I shouted several times, as much as I could, and hit the lock again. The chair breaks.
When I notice that a leg gives a strong blow to the door, it opens, falling in the process.
“We have to get out of here,” he said, and I looked up, surprised to see him.
Nick
“We have the location,” Will said as he entered my office, looking at something on his phone.
He didn’t need to say anything else. I stood up, and we headed to my car.
“The house is in very bad shape. I don’t know how many people there are, but I’ve already requested what’s necessary to bring them. The old man went too far this time; he has no scruples,” Will said, and I know he’s capable of that and worse.
I drove at high speed, feeling that I needed to get to that house soon, caring very little about traffic signals.
We left the city, and half an hour later, we arrived at a town. A few more minutes and the GPS indicates we’re close to the location. But the smoke we see rising from there makes Will and me look at each other.
“What the hell?” Will said, and I accelerated my car more, stopping in front of a chaotic scene.
Firefighters were moving from one side to the other, and we saw several women and children being attended to.
I am looking for a person in charge. I need to know that everyone is okay, but a familiar face makes me feel a nasty sensation in my chest.
“Asher?” He’s looking at the house with concern and has… my son? In his arms.
“Nick p>
“Noah,” I approached him to carry him. He looked terrified, but he clung to me as I pressed him against my chest.
“Alaia, Alana?” I asked, and my eyes scanned the place urgently, looking among the women and children. Strangely, they were not together.
“Alana stayed inside with Tino. Alaia went for them; they were in the living room,” he mentioned, pointing to the spot in the house, and his face shows how nervous he is. A tightness in my chest becomes present. I returned my son to Asher after kissing his hair.
“Stay with them,” I told my cousin.
I ran towards the house, but a firefighter stopped me before I could enter.
“You can’t go in.” He blocked my way.
“My daughter and the woman I love are there. Try to stop me,” I growled and pushed past him to enter the house. I could only feel the pounding of my heart in my chest.
The men were trying to control the flames as I walked in the direction Asher told me.
There’s a lot of smoke, and the fire kept spreading.
“Alaia!” I shouted, covering my mouth with a handkerchief and crouching.
“You must get out of here,” a firefighter ordered, grabbing my arm.
“I’m not leaving until I find them,” I shook off his grip brusquely, and he huffed and followed me. He wet my handkerchief with water and told me to keep it in my nose. He said we must walk in a crouch. I called out to Alaia again, and after several attempts, I felt alive again when I heard her.
I followed her voice and saw her trying to break the door lock with a chair.
Instinctively, I kick the door hard, and it opened. Alaia looked at me, surprised.
I helped her up, and we entered the room. The smoke hasn’t fully reached here.
“Mommy,” said Alana, and Alaia clung to her while I heard her soft sobs. Valentino hugs them.
I ask if he’s okay, and he nods.
“Let’s go. We need to find a way out,” I said, taking my daughter in my arms. I kissed her hair and felt whole again.
“Everything’s okay, my angel. You’re safe,” I told Alana, stroking her hair and looking at the windows.
“We can’t go out the way we came, sir,” the firefighter pointed to the windows. I nodded and returned Alana to Alaia.
The firefighter took a tool and started breaking the wood covering the windows. Valentino and I began to help him. It didn’t take more than 10 seconds to open them.
“Valentino,” I said and helped him out. The window was almost two meters high. I handed Alana over.
“Your turn, sir. Help me with the lady,” he said, and I was the third to go out. The firefighter helped Alaia down while I received her. Our bodies brushed against each other, and our eyes met when her feet touched the ground. I swallowed hard and pushed her hair back, caressing her cheek. I couldn’t describe what I felt at that moment.
“Thank you,” Alaia said. “Let’s go. We need to make sure everyone is okay.” She moved away and took Alana. Asher ran to hug them when we came out of the side of the house.
Alaia took Noah, who jumped into her arms as soon as he saw her.
“Bro, are you okay? Are they okay?” Will approached, and we all responded affirmatively.
“Alicia, are all the women and children accounted for?” Alaia walked over to the woman.
“Yes, my dear,” she caressed her cheek. “I understand what you just did. I can’t scold you,” she said affectionately. “Go have the paramedics check you,” she asked Alaia, and I watched her go with them.
“Alicia, Jenn is missing!” one of the women shouted, and just then, a part of the house collapsed, causing all the firefighters to start moving and shouting.
“Are you sure?” the woman asked, anguished.
“Yes, she and her baby are missing p>
“Oh my God,” Alicia took her hands to her chest and ran to find the firefighters. But I felt like time was running out for the girl and her child.
“Will,” I said discreetly, and he understood. Without a second thought, we entered the house, trying not to be seen.
Alaia
The paramedics checked my children, and the feeling I had when everything started remained in my chest. The anguish was still there, but it became less palpable seeing everyone. Although there were frightened faces, they were safe.
The girls talked among themselves, and I understood that something was happening.
“Jenn and her baby are in the house,” Flora quickly explained when I approached them. “But the man who went for you and the other one went in for them,” she said.
“What p>