Free Twice Tempted by Elizabeth Kelly Page A

hit the alleyway with a thud and rolled over on to
her back.
    “Penny!  Are you okay?”
    She sat up.  “Yeah, I’m okay.  Hurry
Lucy.”  She staggered to her feet and stared anxiously at Lucy.
    Lucy took a deep breath and, resting her
hands on the bottom ledge, boosted herself up to the window.  Panting and
grunting with effort she pushed her leg out the window.  She seized the side of
the window frame and winced as some stray glass dug into the palm of her hand. 
She gritted her teeth and ignored it, pulling herself into a straddling
position on the window.
    Another explosion rocked the building and
she nearly tumbled head-first out the window.
    “Lucy!”  Penny screamed in terror.
    Lucy, her heart beating like a fierce drum
in her chest, began to squirm out of the window.  She balanced on her stomach
on the coat-covered ledge, her top half in the bathroom and her bottom half dangling
down the cold brick wall.
    She took a deep breath, lowered herself out
the window until she was dangling by her hands, and let go.
    * * *
    “Jerry!  Jerry!”  Jerry, his bald head
covered in soot and his shirt and jeans clinging wetly to him, stared blankly
at the man running towards him.
    “Jerry!  Where’s Lucy?!  Where’s Lucy?” 
Jason shook the older man so hard, he heard his teeth snap.
    “I – I don’t know.”  Jerry whispered.  “She
wasn’t at the table when – when it happened.” 
    He touched some blood that was oozing out
of the top of his skull and stared dully at it.  “There was a loud bang and the
kitchen door just blew off its hinges.  I think – I think something exploded in
there.  There was so much smoke and then fire just came billowing out of the
kitchen.”
    Jerry gave him another dazed look.  “People
were screaming and fighting to get to the door.”
    Jason stared around him.  There were small
clusters of people from the bar standing in the parking lot, and they were
staring at the burning building with shell-shocked gazes.  The people from the
office were gathered in a loose group next to Jerry.  All of them were there
except for Penny and Lucy.  He pushed past Jerry and grabbed Carlos’ arm.  The
smaller man stared at him numbly.
    “Where’s Lucy?  Carlos!”  He shook him impatiently. 
“Where’s Lucy?  Have you seen her?  Was she with you?”
    Carlos shook his head.  “No.  She – she and
Penny went to the ladies room right before the fire.  I think they’re still in
there.”
    “Oh my God.”  Jason whispered.  He turned
and ran for the burning building as sirens filled the cold night air.
    “Jason!  Stop!”  Jerry shouted after him. 
    Jason ignored him.  He had to get in
there.  He had to find Lucy.  If she died he would die too.  Adrenaline was
coursing through his veins, sending his heartbeat into jittery, rapid
overdrive.  He couldn’t live without her.  He couldn’t –
    “JASON!”  He skidded to a stop at the
familiar voice and turned.
    Lucy, followed by Penny, was limping out of
the alleyway to the left of the burning bar.  Her jacket was missing and she
was soaking wet and covered in soot.  Even from here he could see blood
dripping from her right hand, but she was alive.
    He screamed her name and she limped faster
towards him.  He sprinted across the parking lot.  She was crying and shaking
and she stumbled as she hobbled towards him.  He caught her before she could
fall and crushed her against his body.
    “Lucy!”  He cried.  She hugged him, burying
her face in his neck as hot tears dripped down her face.
    “Oh Jason.”  She whispered.
    He eased her back gently and smothered her
face with kisses before pressing his mouth hard against hers.  She kissed him
back, balancing on one foot and squashing her wet body against his.
    “Are you okay honey?”
    She nodded.  “Yeah.  I cut my hand on some
glass and I twisted my ankle when I dropped out of the bathroom window but I’ll
live.”
    She gave him a weak smile