Another breath. “Billy?” he called out. Sewing supplies burned all around the room. He doubted this was where the kid slept so he went to the next room. Loud popping and cracking mixed with the roar of the fire, as Coop moved on.

Save him, save him, save him. He had to fucking save him.

Red and smoke was all he saw down the hallway. This fire was moving and it was moving fast.

The first thing he saw when he pushed his way into the second room was a small basketball hoop hanging off the wall, fire dancing all over it.

Jackpot.

“Billy? Are you here? I’m a fireman. I need you to come out, so I can get you out of here.”

Cooper’s burning eyes scanned the room before stopping on a figure huddled in the corner. As he went to walk toward the kid, flames lashed his arm, singing him. Fuck. He had to move. Now.

Coop ran to the corner lifting the limp kid in his arms. He couldn’t tell if the kid was awake or not, but it didn’t fucking matter. All that did, was getting him out.

The floor cracked beneath him as he ran from the room. The hall, even more taken over than it was, just seconds ago. Dizziness hit him but he pushed past it. Flames now blocked the stairs.

He felt Billy’s hand tighten around his neck. Fuck, the kid couldn’t be any older than twelve.

Looking behind him, Cooper saw fire making an escape from the window impossible. Sirens called to him from a distance.

Ignoring his rapid-fire heart, he ran to the room at the end of the hall. Thank God. There was a window that faced the side of the house. The room was hot as hell, but he could get to that fucking window.

Cooper kicked it out, somehow keeping the kid in his arms. Another small favor. There was a section of roof below it. He only hoped like hell it could hold them.

A red engine pulled to a stop out front. He could see it when he stuck his head out. “Over here!” Cooper yelled, as more cracking and popping went off around him. The floor rattled. Ah, fuck.

“Help…” Billy’s voice rasped in his ear. Help came running around their side of the house as if they heard him.

Above him, came a loud banging sound. Cooper pushed the kid out the window, just as something hit the back of his shoulders, pain piercing through him. Part of the floor next to him gave out as he went down, and Cooper’s world went black.

***

It was dark when Noah pulled the rental truck into the driveway at home. He was tired as hell. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed with Cooper, and pass the hell out. He’d made this trip much faster than he should have, just wanting to be home.

As soon as he pulled to a stop, he noticed the house was dark and Cooper’s truck was gone. Before he could put much thought into it, Noah’s cell rang. He almost didn’t answer Wes’s call but then…what if something happened to his sister?

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” Were the first words out of Wes’s mouth.

“I’m at home. What’s wrong?” Noah’s gut cramped. Something had happened.

“I’m with Braden. We’re going to come get you, okay? You stay right there. We’re on our way.”

The cramp became a fist, squeezing the life out of him. There was only one thing that would make Wes sound like that.  “Where is he?” His voice cracked.

Wes cursed. “Wait for us and we’ll drive you.”

“Where the fuck is he, Wes?” Noah’s hands shook.

“There was a fire,” Wes told him. “He’s okay. Fuck, it took Braden forever to find me. No one had your number or we would have called you earlier.”

Noah’s whole universe rocked. Fire. “Tell me where the fuck he is. Now.”

Wes cursed again before rattling off the name of a local hospital. Noah ended the call the second he had the information. Noah ran from the rental to his car, knowing it would get him there a whole hell of a lot faster. It felt like two seconds and at the same time ten years later, before he pulled up in front of the hospital.

Braden and Wes were already standing outside when he got there.

“I told him not to fucking go in. He was on his way to his uncle’s. We were on the phone and he saw it,” Braden said. All Noah cared about was getting to Cooper.

“What room?”

Braden paused before replying. “ICU.”

Noah fought the bile threatening to crawl up his throat.

The two men flanked him, as they ran for the intensive care unit. Double doors blocked the entrance. Noah went straight for the nurse’s station. “Cooper Bradshaw.” His voice cracked. “I need to see him.”