Chapter 15
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Celeste felt a pair of hands grab her arms.
Something hard on the man’s right index finger pressed into her skin, sending a slight sting of pain through her
Before she could turn around, her body was yanked sideways, and the person behind her stumbled and fell, too. The massive round pendant lamp crashed to the floor with a loud bang, landing directly at Celeste’s feet.
It didn’t hit her, but the moment it shattered, flames erupted, licking at the hem of her dress and scorching her ankles. A quiet whimper of pain escaped her lips.
Celeste was yanked sharply to the side, pulled out of harm’s way. The man beside her quickly stood up, shrugged off his suit jacket, and swatted at the flames creeping up her skirt.
She looked up, and through the thick smoke, she saw his sharp, defined features.
Adrian? What was he doing here?
A child’s shrill scream echoed from the far end of the warehouse, snapping her out of her thoughts. She grabbed the jacket from Adrian’s hands. “Go help the kid. I’ll be fine!”
Adrian gave her a quick once–over. Once he saw the flames on her skirt starting to die down, he turned and sprinted toward the far end of the warehouse.
Just then, a security guard hurried over. “Let me help.”
He yanked off his uniform jacket and smothered the last of the flames.
Thick, churning smoke filled Celeste’s nostrils. Even though she’d held her breath during both trips into the burning warehouse, she had still inhaled a dangerous amount of toxic fumes.
She coughed uncontrollably as her breathing grew harder with each passing second. Every gasp pulled more smoke into her lungs. The pressure was suffocating, like invisible hands tightening around her throat, cutting off her air until she hovered on the verge of blacking out.
Her heart pounded out of control, thudding so violently she thought it might burst from her chest. The agony felt worse than death, more terrifying than the time she had nearly drowned
years ago.
Surviving the falling pendant lamp had been sheer luck, but escaping the thick smoke felt impossible.
The flames on her skirt had been extinguished, but Celeste no longer had the strength to stand. Her entire body felt weak and drained of life.
“Miss, miss, don’t fall asleep! Stay with me! I’ll get you out of here!”
The security guard’s voice reached her–close, yet oddly distant. Her hearing began to fade,
and soon her vision–and even her awareness–started to blur. At last, her eyes closed completely.
Adrian had already found the child and brought him to safety. When he returned to where the pendant lamp had fallen, Celeste was lying motionless in the thick, swirling smoke.
The security guard spotted them and called out urgently, “Mr. Wrenford, she’s unconscious!”
“Take the child and go. Now.”
“Right.”
Adrian handed the child to the security guard, who took the boy and hurried him away from
the flames.
Adrian grabbed the nearby suit jacket, draped it over Celeste’s legs, crouched down, and lifted her into his arms. Without hesitation, he carried her out of the fire.
By the time they reached the entrance, a team of first responders had arrived. Outside, Adrian set Celeste down in a safe spot, and a crowd quickly gathered around them.
He crouched beside her to check her condition, pressing his fingers to the base of her nose to feel for breath. His brow furrowed slightly.
“How is she, Mr. Wrenford?”
