Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(48)

Lucas tossed a wave at West. “Just making a new friend, that’s all.”

They weren’t friends.

“Willow already has plenty of friends,” West threw back. “Stop flirting with her. She’s not on the market. And Willow, we need to go.”

She wasn’t ready to go anyplace. At least, not with West. He’d just take her back to Jay.

“The lady doesn’t seem interested in leaving with you,” Lucas murmured.

“Shit.” Benjamin’s disgusted voice had joined their group. “I’m not in the mood for some pissing match at my club. Let’s all just calm the hell—”

The explosion came then, hitting with no warning. Fire that roared and boomed as the lower level of Push ignited. The force of the blast lifted Willow into the air. It tossed her back, and she could feel the heat burning over her skin. She heard yelling, a furious roar, and the crackle of flames.

Burning, burning…

***

Jay seemed to watch the scene in slow motion. He’d been running toward the back of Push, he’d had Willow in his sights, and then the place had gone to hell. Literally.

Fire seemed to burst out of Push, grabbing and stretching greedily. There was a boom, a loud, terrible boom of sound, then glass was exploding. Flames raging. Jay saw Willow fly into the air. West and Benjamin were tossed by the impact. They all flew and hit the ground.

They didn’t get up.

Fucking hell.

He ran to Willow. She was face down on the ground, and he grabbed her, flipping her over. “Willow?”

Blood dripped from a cut on her cheek. His hands flew over her, but she wasn’t burned. Scratched, cut a bit from impact, but—

Her eyes opened. She stared at him, and horror filled her gaze. Horror?

“Willow?” Jay wanted to lift her into his arms and get the hell away from there. But he didn’t. He didn’t move at all.

“What in the hell?” Benjamin’s sharp voice.

Jay’s head whipped to the right. Benjamin was on his feet, glaring at the blaze. “That’s my fucking club!” Benjamin surged toward the fire.

West tackled him. “Man, you don’t run into a fire!”

Jay pulled Willow to her feet. She stared at the building, her gaze on the flames.

“West!” Jay shouted. “You okay?”

His brother gave a grim nod. “Just trying to keep this dumbass from getting himself torched.” He rose, moving off Benjamin.

“I have to get in!” Benjamin yelled. “That’s my place! I have to stop the fire!”

Another man appeared, a guy that Jay recognized. Lucas Tate. What in the hell was Lucas doing there?

Benjamin tried to make another run at the building, but this time, Lucas shoved Benjamin back. “Man, you need to stay away. The place could—”

And another explosion hit. This one stronger than before. The top of the building seemed to ignite. Flames weren’t crackling. They were shrieking. The fire was roaring. Jay hauled Willow back, pulling her away from the flames.

Could a super soldier come back if she was burned alive? He wasn’t going to find out. He didn’t want her anywhere near that place.

“Was anyone else in there?” West demanded.

Black smoke billowed in the air.

Coughing, Benjamin shook his head.

They’d all moved back. The club—Push had ignited.

“This is why you need me,” Lucas said flatly to Benjamin. “I told you that people are gunning for Maverick. And you’re getting caught in the crossfire.”

Jay stiffened. His eyes met the icy blue gaze of Lucas Tate.

“You don’t want to get caught in the crossfire,” Lucas said as he stared at Jay. “That’s no place any sane man wants to be.”

In the distance, sirens wailed.

***

“Are you okay?” Jay’s voice was low and rough. Firefighters were battling the blaze. Nearby, Benjamin was still cursing and raging, and Willow—Willow sat in the back of an ambulance, her gaze on the hands she’d twisted in her lap.

“Of course, I’m fine,” she assured him. “You know how much it takes to put me down.”

Jay caught her hands in his. Cops had arrived. They’d grilled him. Grilled the others. The fire had been contained, luckily, so no other buildings had been taken out. No one had been seriously hurt. A very fortunate thing. “Why did you run?” Jay demanded.

She wasn’t looking at him. Hadn’t looked him in the eyes, not since that one moment when she’d stared at him in horror.

“You shouldn’t be close to me,” Willow whispered.

“Too damn bad. Close to you is exactly where I want to be.” He squeezed her fingers. “Talk to me. Why did you run?” That wasn’t the question he wanted to ask. He wanted to know…Why did you leave me?

“If you know someone is bad for you, why would you stay close?”

His shoulders stiffened. Willow thought he was bad for her? “Willow…”

“Take me to see Wyman Wright.”

Those weren’t the words he’d expected. “Uh, Willow…”

“I want to see him. I want to talk with him. He knows about my past. He knows me. I want my chance to question him.”

“Is that where you were going when you left the house? You were going after Wyman?” No, that didn’t make any sense. “Then how’d you end up at Push?” Right before the place exploded.