Chapter 15
The death thought barely crossed Sally’s mind when two strong hands gripped her arms.
Something sharp, maybe a ring on the man’s right index finger, bit into her skin, stinging hard.
Before she could look back, her body was jerked sideways, crashing down with the person behind her.
“Crash!” The huge chandelier slammed into the floor right where she’d been standing.
It missed her feet, but the impact sent flames flaring out, catching her skirt and burning her ankle.
She let out a quiet groan from the pain.
A guy pulled her roughly to a safer spot.
The guy then stood, quickly shrugging off a suit jacket and smacking at the flames on her dress.
Sally peered up through the choking smoke and made out the man’s sharp, striking features.
It
It was Jaxon.
Now she was really curious why he was here.
“Ugh!” A child’s desperate scream from the back of the warehouse jolted her back to reality.
She grabbed the jacket from Jaxon’s hands. “Go save the kid! I’m fine!”
Jaxon glanced down, seeing the flames on her skirt were fading. He turned and bolted toward the far end of the warehouse.
Just then, a security guard rushed in.
“I’ve got you,” he said, yanking off his uniform jacket to help put out the fire on her dress.
Thick smoke filled Sally’s lungs. She’d charged into the fire twice, holding her breath as long as she could, but she’d still breathed in too much.
Coughs shook her, each one harsher than the last.
Breathing was a struggle–her throat felt tight, like invisible hands were choking her.
Her heart raced, pounding so hard it felt like it might explode.
This was worse than drowning all those years ago.
That had been terrifying, but this… this was hopelessness.
She’d dodged the chandelier by pure luck. But the smoke? It was winning.
The fire on her skirt was out, but her strength was gone. Her body sagged, heavy and lifeless.
“Miss, miss, hang on!” a guy yelled.
Another one yelled as he patted on her face. “Come on, stay with me! I’ll get you out!”
The guard’s voice came through, faint and faraway, like it was from another world.
Her earing dulled. Her vision faded. Her thoughts drifted off.
Then, darkness took over.
Jaxon found the child and carried them to safety.
5
When he got back to where the chandelier had crashed, Sally was slumped on the floor, swallowed by the smoke.
The security guard’s voice was panicked. ‘Mr. Zale, she’s passed out…”
1/3
10:22 AM
Chapter 15
“Take the kid and get out,” Jaxon ordered.
“Got it,” said one guy.
The guard grabbed the child’s hand and rushed them out of the blaze.
Jaxon snatched the discarded suit jacket, draped it over Sally’s legs, and crouched down. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her out of the fire.
By the time they reached the entrance, emergency responders were swarming the scene.
Jaxon brought Sally to a safe spot, and a crowd started to gather.
He knelt beside her, checking her condition. When his fingers pressed against her nose, his brow creased.
“How’s she doing, Mr. Zale?” Caleb asked, hovering nearby, his voice thick with concern as he looked at Sally on the ground.
“Clear the area–now!” Jaxon snapped.
Caleb and the others quickly started moving the onlookers back.
Soon, it was just Jaxon, Sally, and Caleb in the second–floor corridor.
“Mr. Zale, has her heart stopped? Is she breathing?” Caleb asked, his voice tight.
Jaxon didn’t respond. He straddled Sally’s waist, kneeling over her, and placed both hands on her chest, starting compressions.
Her body moved with each press.
He kept at it, steady and determined, but there was no sign of life.
Sweat glistened on Jaxon’s forehead, his piercing eyes locked on Sally’s pale, fragile face. His hands, knuckles standing out, framed her cheeks.
After a quick pause, he made his call. Tilting her chin up with one hand, he pinched her nose with the other and leaned in without a second thought.
As Jaxon started mouth–to–mouth, Caleb’s jaw dropped. He’d never seen anything like this.
After several rounds of CPR and rescue breaths, Sally’s pulse and breathing finally kicked back in.
Jaxon stood, shooting a glance at Caleb. “Ambulance here yet?”
“Two minutes away,” Caleb answered.
Sally came to at eight that night.
Her eyes flickered open to bright white walls. The sharp bite of antiseptic hit her nose, sparking a faint cough.
“You okay, Sally?” Abigail, who’d been napping by the bed, snapped awake at the sound.
Sally glanced around, but Jaxon wasn’t there.
She vividly remembered him pulling her from the fire.
“I’m okay, she said, shaking her head slightly. “How’d you know I was here?”
“I called you, and some guy picked up,” Abigail said. “By the time I got here, he seemed to have something urgent and took off”
Sally’s voice sharpened. “Was it Jaxon?”
Jaxon Zale? The Crownstone Group CEO? Brad’s young uncle… Abigail’s eyes widened in surprise.
Then she nodded, connecting the dots. “Yeah. He’s a big deal in business, but hardly anyone’s seen him in person.”
2/3
0:9
Chapter 15
She paused, then added, “I’m not sure it was him, but the guy was tall, good–looking, maybe six–foot–two.
“White dress shirt, black slacks, and a black ring on his right index finger–looked pricey.”
That was Jaxon, no question. Especially the ring.
Hearing that he was safe, Sally let out a sofy sigh.
She then leant back, a quiet heaviness settling in her chest.
“The nurses said the orphanage went up in flames,” Abigail continued. “You ran in to save kids and had a cardiac arrest.”
She grabbed Sally’s hand, her voice shaky. “I was so scared when I heard. How’d a fire get that bad?”
Sally met Abigail’s worried eyes and walked her through the whole thing–start to finish.
“You’re so lucky,” Abigail said, squeezing her hand harder. “If it wasn’t for Jaxon, you might not be here.”
“Yeah,” Sally murmured.
Just then, the door clicked open.
Sally looked up, a flash of surprise crossing her face.
‘What are they doing here?‘ she wondered.
3/3
