Protecting Her Secret Son Page 24

  “I’m here, baby!” she shouted over the fire raging across the far wall. A moment later, she saw a shadow of her son scrambling into view. “Where’s Pop?”

  “Stuck,” Aiden wailed with tears in his eyes. “He said come to you. He said leave.”

  She couldn’t go back to help Matthew until Aiden was clear. Clutching him close, she tugged his shirt up over his nose as her mind sorted what needed to be done. She put a hand on the doorknob and snatched it back, her palm scalded. Terror and panic knotted her stomach. With one hand locked with Aiden’s, she peered through the window to see the landing engulfed by flames.

  They were trapped. She’d been prepared to send Aiden down to safety and now her mind wheeled. What now? How to save her son? Herself? Daniel’s father?

  She squinted against the fire closing in around them. Looking back toward the kitchen window, she judged her chances of getting Aiden safely through the window and down the trellis. The fire department was on the way. She just needed to buy them time.

  She gripped Aiden’s shoulders. “All three of us will get out of here,” she told him, the words scraping against her raw throat. Grabbing two coats, she tucked her son next to her and they crawled back to the sink. She soaked the coats with water, purposely ignoring the flames sliding over the ceiling. She draped one coat over Aiden and hurried on hands and knees down the hall to find Matthew. The smoke was thicker here, the flames louder.

  “Pop!” she called through the closed door.

  “Get out of here!” he hollered back, his voice rough.

  Shannon pushed open the door, shocked to see the corner of the roof missing and Matthew pinned under a beam. Grateful for the miracle that he was still alive, she and Aiden crawled closer. She tossed the wet coat over him, ignoring his orders to leave him.

  “Stay with Pop,” she told Aiden. She moved to where he was pinned, searching for a way to free him. “Fire department is on the way,” she told him.

  “Just leave me,” he pleaded.

  “How bad is it?” she asked, shoving at the beam and getting nowhere.

  “Go!”

  “We can’t.” She sat down and put her feet to the beam, hoping her legs were strong enough, while she squinted through tears to find something for leverage. “Stairs are blocked.”

  “You can’t die here.”

  “Same goes.”

  Something underneath them groaned and rocked. She turned and covered her face as sparks fell from the dissolving ceiling, cinders steaming on the wet coats.

  “Forget me,” he barked. “Use the access stairs under the closet in your room.”

  She didn’t know those existed. Before she could argue about him coming with them, the glorious sounds of sirens and truck horns blasted over the destructive roar of the fire.

  Moments later, a truck ladder appeared in the open corner and relief flooded through her as she lifted Aiden into the care of the firefighter. When he reached for her, she stepped back, signaling to Matthew still stuck under the beam. He relayed the message on his radio and the following pause felt like an eternity.

  “You first,” the firefighter said.

  “He’s Daniel’s father.”

  “We know. We won’t leave him.”

  * * *

  Stuck on the ground away from the action, Daniel’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched his crew work the fire. The chief had him sidelined with his weeping mother when all he wanted was to get in there and get them out. Shannon, Aiden and his dad were stuck near the center of the fire. It looked as if the whole building would crumble in on itself any second.

  “Let me go,” he begged the chief. “I know that place inside and out.” Hell, he’d helped build it.

  “Stay right there. Child coming down the ladder.”

  Daniel’s heart skipped erratically as Aiden was handed down the ladder extended over what had been his room. Daniel could just make out the iron frame of the daybed in the light from the flames.

  He and his mother moved to the ambulance waiting across the street, ready to see for themselves that Aiden was okay.

  Aiden scrambled away from the paramedics and ran for Daniel, clinging like a burr. Other than a dirty face and smoke-infused clothing, he didn’t look any worse for the ordeal. His brown eyes were bloodshot and his voice raspy. “Pop and Mommy are still inside,” he said. “Go get them!”

  Gently, Daniel sat Aiden on the gurney and put the oxygen mask over his small face. “Working on it,” he said. “Look there.” He shifted the gurney around so Aiden could watch. “Here comes Mommy now.”

  Tess kissed Aiden and returned to her place by the chief, a stoic silhouette with her hands to her mouth as she watched every moment of Shannon’s descent. With every muscle in his body tense, Daniel felt much the same as he and Aiden waited for Shannon to reach the ground.

  “What about Pop?” Aiden asked, his voice muffled under the oxygen mask.

  “They’re working on it,” Daniel said. His crew was working swiftly, and he knew they were more than capable. But playing the bystander with the lives of his family on the line, Daniel understood how slowly time could move when you didn’t have any control.

  “See that flat yellow thing?” Daniel pointed to the firefighters on the ladder. “It’s called a backboard.” It kept him calm, explaining the process of the rescue to Aiden. He knew from the radio chatter his father was pinned under a beam. He could see for himself, the way they were fighting the fire on two fronts, that time was running out.

  As firefighters escorted Shannon to the ambulance, she waved them back to help his dad, then rushed ahead to check on Aiden. It was all Daniel could do not to pull her into his arms and kiss her until he was sure she was real and safe and not a figment of his imagination.

  “You’re safe,” he said, wiping soot from her cheek.

  She caught his hand and held it to her face a moment. “Your dad is okay,” she told him over Aiden’s head. “I don’t think anything was broken.”

  “You’re safe,” he repeated, his relief palpable. “The call came in and I—” He stopped as his mother joined them.

  “Matthew is okay,” Shannon told her as they hugged. “I told Daniel I don’t think anything is broken.”

  “He’s too grumpy to go down easy,” Tess said. “You two stayed with him?” she asked, stroking Aiden’s hair. “Such a brave boy.” She looked to Shannon, tears spilling down her face. “Brave mama, too.”

  A second ambulance rolled up and she hurried over to meet her husband as they carried him over. “Damn girl wouldn’t leave,” Matthew said.

  Daniel rolled his eyes and Shannon laughed, with a few tears of relief mixed in.

  He gave the paramedics room to examine her for injury and gave her a few minutes on the oxygen before he tried to put the emotions rolling through him into words.

  “The call came in...” His voice failed him. I love you. Too soon for that. Giving in to the need, he pulled her into his arms and just held on. “What happened?” How had they all wound up in the apartment? “Was Dad grilling you again?”

  Holding her and reaching out to the little boy who had become so vital to him, Daniel discovered it was possible to be relieved and angry all at once. Through it all was a swell of gratitude that she and her son and his dad were alive and well under the layers of smoke and singed clothing.

  “No. Aiden made sure your mom invited us to dinner,” she began.

  Daniel groaned even as he smiled a little at the image. That wouldn’t have been a challenge.

  “It was fine.” She smiled, leaning into him a little. “Aiden had a blast.”

  The boy nodded.

  “He was worn out and your dad carried him up to the apartment, tucked him into bed.”

  “And?” Daniel prompted when her gaze drifted to th
e decimated garage.

  Her golden eyebrows knitted into a frown. “We were talking when he realized the floor was hot.”

  Daniel listened, amazed by her bravery and still terrified for the near miss. He cupped her chin and laid his lips on hers for a brief, gentle kiss. “I love you.” Though he said it in barely more than a whisper, he knew by the stunned expression on her face she’d heard him.

  She laid a hand over his heart, her brown gaze a bit starstruck. “I love you, too,” she said, her lips tilting into a smile. “I meant to say that first. The moment I saw you.”

  “Say it whenever you like.” He kissed her. “I can take it.” Maybe not the best time for such a declaration, but now that the words were out, he wanted to shout them for everyone to hear. “I love you, Shannon.”

  “Are we married now?” Aiden asked.

  They laughed, together, as he hoped they’d do everything from this point forward. Before either of them could explain, shouting erupted from the neighbors gathered to watch the crew put out the blaze.

  A gunshot parted the screaming crowd. Stanwood, his features distorted by the flashing emergency lights, looked like a madman in the midst of utter chaos.

  He leveled the weapon at Shannon. “You ruined me!”

  Shannon leaped in front of Aiden, and Daniel sheltered her as Stanwood pulled the trigger. He counted two, three shots and saw a corner of the gurney mattress explode in a puff of plastic and foam. His turnout gear wasn’t remotely bulletproof, but it was big enough to hide Aiden and most of Shannon while he shoved them into the back of the ambulance. He slammed the doors closed, counting on the paramedics to get them away safely. He turned on Stanwood, almost disappointed to see two policemen had drawn their weapons and were ordering him to cooperate.

  Daniel knew he wouldn’t.

  “Put it down,” he added his voice to the chorus of those giving orders. He held out his hands. “You don’t want to do this, man. It’s over.”

  As Daniel had hoped, Stanwood fixed on him, the long, black barrel of the gun tracking his movements away from the ambulance.

  “Think it through.” Daniel drew his attention when Stanwood fidgeted in search of Shannon. “Take it easy.” He watched as the chief and others moved the crowd back as they flanked Stanwood. Another few seconds and they could have him under control. “Don’t make this worse, man.”

  “Worse?” Stanwood shrieked. “I’m ruined!” he screamed. He waved the gun wildly. “She ruined me! I’m not going to prison. Not for any of it.”

  Not if he kept ignoring the orders to stand down, Daniel thought. “You have teams of lawyers. Think this through,” he said again.

  The ambulance hiding Shannon and Aiden eased forward, away from the danger. With another desperate scream Stanwood opened fire, breaking into a run. Daniel braced, holding his ground against the man’s rush, determined to keep Shannon and Aiden safe from every threat.

  Daniel heard more gunshots and a crack and hiss. He spun around to check on Shannon and Aiden and realized a bullet had hit one of the emergency lights on the back of the escaping ambulance. Inside, they would be fine.

  He turned back to see Stanwood stumble and crumple in a strange disjointed manner. His arm was sluggish as he tried to pull the trigger again, aiming for Daniel. Then he went limp and as the police closed in, Daniel realized Stanwood was dead.

  Daniel swiveled in time to see the ambulance disappear around the corner. Grateful Shannon and Aiden hadn’t seen Stanwood’s demise, he jogged over to the chief.

  “Go,” the chief said before Daniel could ask. “I’ll radio for them to wait for you at the end of the street.”

  With a hearty thank-you, Daniel broke into a run to catch up with the ambulance.

  * * *

  Shannon pleaded with the driver to stop, to go back, to wait and he’d refused. The paramedic in the back with them, a man named Carson, offered her reassurances that rang hollow.

  Daniel had covered her and Aiden and turned to face her crazy ex. She could appreciate the gesture and still be furious that he’d ushered her out of danger. She’d finally discovered true love. Heart, mind and soul were all in agreement on that point. Daniel was the real deal. She wasn’t confused or worried about her intuition when it came to him. Her time with him had restored that sense of wonder and hope. He’d unearthed her inherent belief in happiness that she’d buried after Bradley.

  If her ex-husband destroyed that hope, if he managed to hurt a single hair on Daniel’s head, she would not stop until he was behind bars for life.

  “Mommy?”

  “Hmm?” Her gaze was on the rear window, while her ears strained to make sense of the voices crossing on the radio.

  “Are you mad at Daniel?”

  “What?” She gave her son her full attention. “No. No, sweetie.” How could she explain without scarring her son? “I’m mad at the man who shot the gun.”

  “He’s a bad guy, right?”

  “Yes, he is.” She pulled him onto her lap now that he wasn’t on the oxygen anymore. “The good guys will take care of him.”

  “Good guys like Daniel?”

  “That’s exactly right,” she said with more confidence than she felt. She hugged her baby close and said a prayer the man she loved was still in one piece.

  As they approached the neighborhood entrance, the ambulance slowed down. “What now?”

  “Picking up a passenger,” Carson said.

  The rear doors opened and her fury at her ex evaporated when she saw Daniel’s face. “Chief said I could ride along with you to the hospital.”

  “You beat the bad guy!” Aiden bounced out of her lap and into Daniel’s arms. Shannon wasn’t far behind.

  “I’ll just move up front.” Carson hopped out, slapping Daniel on the shoulder as he gave them a little room for the embraces. Once they were back in the ambulance, Carson shut the doors and moved up front for the ride to the hospital.

  His arms felt so right around her and she couldn’t stop touching him in kind. He was really safe. Aiden, caught between them, squirmed and giggled until they broke apart when he started coughing.

  “Are you hurt?” she asked.

  “Not a scratch. Well, not any new ones,” Daniel amended.

  “I worried,” she confessed, feeling guilty for it.

  “She was mad,” Aiden added, mimicking his mother’s angry face.

  Shannon felt her cheeks heat, but she didn’t care. “Not mad at you,” she explained.

  Daniel chuckled, holding them steady as they turned a corner. “Admit it, you were a little mad at me.”

  “I’m over it. Mostly. You’re a firefighter, not a cop. You weren’t even armed.” She forced another wave of worst-case scenarios from her mind. “He’s out of his mind.”

  “He was. He won’t bother anyone again,” Daniel said.

  She caught the full meaning of that statement in his eyes and felt no shame in the relief coursing through her.

  “How’d you win without a gun?” Aiden asked.

  Shannon winced. He’d seen too much violence in recent days and she had to hope that those memories would fade with time and examples of better, more honorable behavior. Examples she hoped Daniel would enjoy providing.

  “Same way I saved you with only a brick.” He kissed Aiden’s head. “I had the best weapon ever made on my side,” Daniel replied.

  “A laser gun?” Aiden asked, peeking under the open panels of Daniel’s coat.

  “No.” He tapped Aiden’s nose and rubbed a hand over his hair, his gaze locked with hers. “Love.”

  Shannon’s heart stuttered in her chest.

  Aiden didn’t seem too impressed. “How’s that beat bad guys with guns?”

  “Love gives you an edge over the bad guys every time.”

&
nbsp; Aiden leaned forward. “How?”

  “Love is right here.” He tapped his heart, then Aiden’s. “It gives you something to fight for, a special reason to win no matter what happens. And when someone loves you back, it’s better than any laser gun.”

  “You did beat him fast.”

  “I had some help out there,” he allowed. “It’s a team effort. But we were fast. Know why?”

  Aiden shook his head.

  “Because I have two people, you and your mom, to love and fight for. It’s like a power boost.”

  Aiden’s eyes were wide as his gaze traveled from Daniel to her and back. “You love me, too?”

  “With all my heart, Aiden.”

  “With us loving you, you’ll always beat the bad guys.” Aiden climbed into Daniel’s lap and burrowed under the coat while Shannon swiped at the happy tears spilling down her cheeks.

  The hospital exams were a formality and the doctors quickly confirmed none of them needed to be admitted for treatment. The late hour was catching up with Aiden and he was half asleep on Daniel’s shoulder as they went upstairs to visit Matthew. The doctors were holding him for observation due to a concussion and a broken rib.

  Tess waved them in. “You’re all well?”

  “Absolutely,” Shannon said, giving her a hug. “You’re well here, too?”

  She nodded. “I’m glad you came by. He’s been insisting on speaking to you tonight.”

  “Dad,” Daniel began with a sigh. “Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow. We need to get this little guy home to bed.”

  Shannon shot him a look. Until now, she hadn’t let herself think about where to go, where she could go. With her ex out of the picture, they could all go back to her place without worry. Would Daniel want that too? Aiden could sleep in his own bed again. Of course the prized truck collection was lost. As was the blue rabbit. But those were problems easily remedied.