Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) (2 page)

When the door to her room creaked open and someone stepped inside, Ella slammed the door into the big man, knocking him into the dresser. Candles fell, rolling onto the bed as he spun her, pulling her against his muscular body.

“You’re not leaving. This is my chance,” he snarled, staring into her eyes as he rolled on top of her. She froze as steel gray orbs bored into her. So familiar, just on the edge of memory.

“No chance, asshole. Get off me!” she screamed back.

He gripped her shoulders and lifted her up before slamming her back down. Her head hit the cement floor and her vision darkened.

“You’re going to love me, Ella.”

Her eyes widened. No one but her brother and Mila had called her Ella since she left Seattle. Sweat beaded on her brow. Smoke from the burning bed filled the room.

“You’re hurting me!” she cried.

“Didn’t want to. You were supposed to come away with me.” He pulled her wrists above her head and gripped them in one hand, then reached for something with the other, shifting his weight.

She kneed him in the balls. His reaction was instant as he curled up and rolled into the dresser, knocking more candles over, onto the bed.

Scrambling to her feet, she ran out the door, and up the stairs at the end of the hall. Adrenaline pumped through her, pushing her faster.

Halfway up, he caught her ankle and she went down, slamming her nose and cheek into the cement stairs. Stars danced in her vision as she kicked at his hand and face. He dragged her down, her head thumping on another step as she slammed her foot into his cheek, knocking his head into the wall with a thud. His grip fell away and she dashed the rest of the way up the stairs, reaching the door.

Locked again, but she flipped the bolt and raced into sunlight that nearly blinded her. Smoke and heat pushed at her as she stumbled in the grass. His agony-filled scream set her into motion again. She ran as fast as her shaky legs could carry her, through the dense brush.

She made it past the trees and tripped across the ditch as the daylight faded around her.

* * * *

Flashing lights and deafening sirens jolted Ella awake. Two people rolled her onto a stretcher and she tried to jerk away.

“Calm down,” a woman murmured. “You’ve been through an ordeal, but we’re here to help. I need you to relax and take a nice deep breath for me.”

She recognized the paramedic uniforms. Both the woman and her male partner watched, seeming to study her, waiting for a reaction. Flashing red lights from the fire trucks sparked fragments of memory. That voice in her ear, a man behind her, his hands on her skin.

Ella flinched away, tears in her eyes, her voice a shaky fraction of her normal volume. “A man. He took me there. I got away.” She only stopped speaking when the coughing fit started.

The woman nodded. “Looks like he had you bound. You hit your head hard, broke your nose too. And your arm is burned. Police are on standby waiting for your statement and their investigation of the property, but the firemen are working to put the fire out first.”

Fear wound tight. She struggled to get air into her lungs. Before her next breath, a paramedic had an oxygen mask set up.

A police officer approached. “Ma’am, if you’re able, I’d like you to tell me what happened.”

She wasn’t sure about the details. Nearly all of the events since the car crash remained foggy in her memory. She blinked back tears and looked up at him. “I was driving. Going on vacation. Someone hit my car. I was tied to a bed when I woke up.” Her hands trembled as she stared at the burn from the rope and the heat on her wrists. The world started to tilt and she reached up to touch her throbbing skull. Her fingers came away sticky and red.

“Careful. We’re here to take care of you,” the female medic said.

Ella met the policeman’s gaze. “You need to find him. He’s been stalking me for years. Leaving gifts in my house. And then he took me.”

“We’ll find him,” he promised.

Her heart raced, and her lungs wouldn’t fill with enough air. Everything and everyone around her went fuzzy as every ache and pain magnified.

Chapter 2

Bells rang and the dispatcher called out the address. Trent Ward’s heart lodged in his throat as all the worst possible scenarios played out in his head. He ran to the fire truck to yank on his gear.

Kyle gripped his shoulder. “What’s wrong? Did you see a ghost?”

Trent squeezed his eyes shut. “That’s my sister’s address.”

“Let’s not assume the worst. She may be fine.”

Nodding, he tried to salvage some hope that Tina had finally turned over a new leaf fled. “Blaze is with her. Ever since Randy died, she’s been sliding downhill, getting further and further into drugs and alcohol.”

“We won’t know until we get there,” Kyle told him. “Her boy is smart. He would get himself out.”

“Not if Tina is passed out. He’d try to save her.” Trent climbed onto the truck and dropped into a seat, hoping the rest of his team would hurry the fuck up.

In all of Trent’s years as a fireman, he’d never been so damned worried. Dave Metcalf looked over his shoulder at him as he turned the key in the ignition.

Kyle, Gavin, and Metcalf were already on board. As soon as Isandro climbed into the front passenger seat, Trent shouted, “Go!”

He hoped to God he’d find Tina and Blaze standing outside, safe and unharmed.

They raced down the street as Trent’s heartbeat thundered in his ears. When the truck turned a corner, they saw the flames jumping and smoke billowing in the blue sky from blocks away.

He gripped the handle so hard he thought it might snap off. As soon as the truck stopped, he was out and on his way to the door. A small crowd stood on the sidewalk, gawking, but neither Tina nor Blaze was in sight.

Chief Ramirez bellowed on the line, “Stop, Trent. Wait for the team.”

“Fuck that,” Trent muttered. The door was locked. He took a step back and kicked the door in. Tina lay sprawled on the floor with Blaze pulling on his mother’s arm.

Blaze doubled over in a coughing fit.

Trent ran to them, scooped Tina over his shoulder and banded an arm around Blaze’s waist to carry him outside.

Kyle and Gavin made it to the porch by the time he stepped outside. Kyle took Tina. Trent carried Blaze to the yard and dropped to his knees to inspect his nephew.

Blaze threw his arms around Trent’s neck. “You saved Mommy! I tried, but I’m not strong enough.” He sobbed against Trent’s chest.

Trent pulled his helmet off and hugged Blaze tight. “Were you the one who called 911?”

Sniffling, the boy leaned back with a nod.

“Then you saved her.” He stood up and nodded to the paramedics working on Tina. “Let’s go see how she’s doing. Okay?”

“I’m scared. She wouldn’t wake up.”

Trent’s heart twisted tight. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for that little boy. “She’s in good hands.” He wished to God he knew how to help Tina pull herself out of the downward spiral.

Blaze led Trent toward the ambulance. Tina’s face was black and blue, not to mention bloodied. Trent looked down at Blaze. “What happened?”

“Mommy told me to hide and not come out until she told me to. It was loud with lots of yelling and banging.” He shook his head. “I smelled smoke and snuck out. She was on the floor, but I couldn’t wake her up.” His tone became more urgent with each word.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Blaze. We’ll figure this out, all right?”

Tears dripped from the boy’s face while he hugged Trent’s leg tight.

Trent turned to Marissa, one of the local police officers, Isandro’s sister. “Have any clue yet who did this?”

“Yeah, Wade Johnson. Neighbors say he came by. Apparently, he was trying to get money from Tina.” She shook her head. “She’d been doing so good, staying out of trouble.”

“Yeah. I don’t know. Why was her dealer here if she was clean?”

“I don’t know, Trent. I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Thanks.” He turned to Kate, one of the paramedics. “Think she’ll be okay?”

“She’s pretty banged up and showing signs of an overdose. I think she’ll pull through, but what happens next time?”

Trent shook his head. “No telling. Maybe, this time, after another stint in rehab, she’ll finally stay off the drugs.”

“Maybe. No telling. You know where we’re taking her.”

Bill Ramirez joined them beside the truck. Trent’s fire chief patted him on the shoulder. “After we get back to the firehouse, you should go… be with your family.”

Trent nodded. “Thanks. I want to make sure she’s all right. Need to get my parents here. And Blaze…”

“He can ride with us. Then you can do what you have to do. This is your family.”

* * * *

Trent held Blaze’s hand on the way back to the firehouse. Seven years old, and his nephew had witnessed his mother do so many fucked up things on her quest to get high. This latest selfish act could have killed both Tina and Blaze.

Sniffling, Blaze looked up at him. “What’s going to happen to Mommy?”

“Don’t know, kiddo. We’ll find out when we get to the hospital. Nana and Pop should be there by then.” He ruffled Blaze’s red hair. Trent had a guess but wasn’t sure another stint in rehab would change a damned thing.

“You’ll stay with me at the hospital?”

Trent nodded. Blaze hated the place almost as much as he did. Even before Blaze was born, Trent either found his sister at the hospital or took her there after some drug or alcohol-induced incident too many times to think about. She wanted to get clean, but it wasn’t enough. She kept sliding back into old habits, making the same old mistakes time and time again.

“Of course, buddy.”

“Sometimes I wish you were my daddy instead of my uncle.”

Trent wiped at his eyes and hugged Blaze to his side. “Love you, kid.”

“Love you too.”

After Metcalf had parked the truck in its bay, they climbed out. Kyle kept Blaze busy while Trent showered and changed clothes. When he returned, he swept Blaze up in his arms and headed across the lot for his own truck.

“You’re the bravest kid I’ve ever met,” Trent admitted.

“I was scared.”

“Yeah, but being brave means you do scary things. You tried to help your mom, even though the fire was roaring.”

“Mom was getting better. I don’t know why that man came.”

“Neither do I, but we’ll find out.” Trent set Blaze in the truck and buckled him in before going around to hop in his seat. He turned the key and looked over at his nephew. “What do you want to listen to?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Ah, come on. Sure it does.”

“I like your music.”

Trent hit power and Sam Hunt’s voice came on the stereo for the short trip to the hospital. When they arrived, his parents were in the emergency waiting room. One of the doctor Blake was already talking with them, so Trent set Blaze down in a chair and nudged his shoulder. “We’re going to be here a while.”

“Hate hospitals,” Blaze muttered.

“Yup, me too. That’s another thing about being brave. You may hate this place, but you’re here, waiting to hear the scary news.”

“Guess I am brave.” Blaze gave him a sad smile. “You’re even braver.”

He snorted. “Most people would call me crazy. Running into burning buildings for a living.”

“You saved us.”

Yeah, he probably did. One look and he knew Blaze wouldn’t have left his mother there. Man, he wanted to say a few things to his sister for putting her boy in danger. Yet, he would hold off until he got her side of the story. She’d been doing so much better, or so he thought.

Once the doctor returned down the hall, his parents approached Trent and Blaze. His mom and dad both seemed older at that moment. “Hey, Blaze. You’re going to stay with us for a while.”

Blaze sucked in a breath. “Will we visit Mommy?”

Trent’s mom nodded. “Of course. As much as we can.”

“Rehab?” Blaze asked. Unfortunately, the child was familiar with the routine. Probably wouldn’t be the last experience either.

“Yes, honey. We want your mother to get better. She needs help.”

Blaze’s shoulders slumped.

Trent leaned over. “You can come stay with me when I don’t have the long shifts.”

Blaze lit up. “Really?”

“Anytime, little man.”

Chapter 3

End of August…

“Raven, this is your dream. I know you need a break, but you can’t walk away from your life,” Sam, Ella’s brother, pleaded for the millionth time.

“Ella! My damned name is Ella. I’m not Raven anymore.” She slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I know you don’t get it, but I can’t do this anymore. You don’t have to like it, but I’m not scheduled for another movie, and I have no contracts to fulfill. I’m done.”

Sam shook his head. “You said before, you just needed a break.”

“Look, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’ve been a great brother, a better agent, but right now I need to get back to
me.
The person I lost somewhere along the way. I’m trapped in this house to avoid the media.”

“You’ve lived with the media for years. Why is this any different?”

Her jaw clenched. “I was tired of all the shit they made up before. But now—they’re calling me a drunk or an addict who let some asshole take me away, blaming me for being abducted against my will. He held me captive for two days, Sam. Two fucking days. I can’t handle another press conference or interview when they’ve already made up their minds about what happened, and it’s all bullshit. I can’t take it anymore. I’m going back to being Ella, where no one will bother me.”

He moved closer, taking her hands. “Take your break, and when this mess blows over, you can come back to acting.”

She threw her arms up, backing away. “Sam, you’re not getting it. I’m through. No more acting. I can’t deal with all the shit that comes with it. Remember, if you want to get a hold of me, use my old email from high school. I won’t be checking the one I have now. I’m getting rid of my phone. Raven is going away for good.”