"Ash... Ash..."
He could hear her frantic pounds against the door, her voice muffled and nearly inaudible.
"Ash..."
He felt a smile grow on his lips. His lucky charm, wasn't she? Rhys Grier had locked the door before leaving with the key, trapping him inside. The son of a gun, but now Adey was there. For some reason Ash knew she wouldn't leave him there alone, at her own expense.
"Prin..." Ash started when another voice joined.
"Adey," The voice sounded very close. "She's here,"
"I... You... Please help me." It was Adey's voice. It had become weaker by then.
"Don't speak," Joined another voice. "Here, breathe in this and come with us. We'll get you out of here before the door explodes."
"No, no. I can't." Her voice sounded frantic and urgent. "I can't."
"She must be weakened by the fumes." The first voice said.
"I'll carry you out..."
"No, I said no!" Her voice was louder, Ash guessed she must have removed whatever was covering her mouth before. "Ash... The fire started in there and he's still inside."
"Breathe in here, Adey. Someone will save him. For now you have to come with..."
"Please... please break down the door." Adey begged.
"The longer you stay here, the more harm the smoke will cause you."
"Then Ash... Is he dead?" She asked before starting to pound on the door. "Ash! Ash please answer me." Her voice was breaking down. "You said nothing can hurt you as long as you got me please don't break your words please..."
He could hear the tears in her voice before she started sobbing.
"Adey," One of the voices outside said.
"He might not be in there, you should get out of here so that you can properly look for..."
"I know he's in here. He's waiting for me. He must be hurt that's why he... jeez." Adey started pounding on the door. "Ash! Traceigh you promised... you're hurting me. You promised you wouldn't hurt me anymore."
Her words were becoming more and more incomprehensible with her growing sobs and the exploding things behind him.
"She must be traumatized. I'll carry her out." Ash heard one of the men with her say.
His girlfriend started screaming. "Help! Don't touch me. Only my boyfriend can..." She started screaming again. "Help! No! No please Ash, Ash please... Ash..."
Gathering the last shreds of power he had left in his fume fatigued body while keeping his stinging eyes tightly shut, Ash brought himself to his feet and grabbed the first heavy object his hands found which he dragged to the door.
Choosing to disregard the tearing pain in his chest and that which was gnawing at every joint in his body, Ash started pounding at the door.
No one dared to touch which was his.
More yet, Rhys Grier's men clearly had no intention of getting him out of there. Ash was pretty much sure that he was alive only because Addison was still within the building. Despite her desire to save him, it was all futile against Rhys Grier's orders.
Moreover, it was his girlfriend.
His damn girlfriend.
And those sonofguns were already behaving as if he were dead without confirming with his body. Only he should be able to make her scream like that. Only he should see her tears.
"Ash?"
It appeared she had broken free from them.
Her voice was clear.
His girlfriend was clearly an idiot. The fumes were hazardous and she was running around as though under the paradisaical skies inhaling oh so heavenly scent.
"Ash!" She suddenly stopped hitting the door. "Ash is... let go of me."
The door gave way and the most welcome air hit him like a wall in the face. Ash opened his mouth to take in as much air as possible, opening his still stinging eyes to see the little girl that ran to wrap her arms around his waist.
"I thought you... you..." she chocked on the heavy smoke that was coming from behind him.
"Princessah." He heard himself say before all his strength ran out and his soul left his body.
............
"I told you..." Cough. "To get her the fuck..." Wheez, cough. "Out of there." He wheezed.
"What the dickens happened to you?" Matteo grabbed Devyn's shoulders.
"Fuck off." Devyn weakly pushed him away, his body shaking with throat tearing coughs.
"That bastard. What on earth did he do to you?" Thane turned to the driver. "Why didn't you drive him for treatment? What the fuck did you take him there for?"
"I go away for three months and you're all already covered in shit?" A tattooed guy looked at everyone, each in turn, his eyes lingering on Matteo a little longer. "Forget that asshole, I didn't give you enough to take care of him?" Nyx queried, nodding toward Devyn.
"Addison..." Devyn was too weak to form sentences. The will power he had before seeped out of his body with every passing moment that he watched the intensive care door. "Addison..."
Even though she had not been in direct contact with the flames she had obtained burns due to the heat, and her pulmonary system was heavily affected by the smoke.
Darn the powder they had sprinkled in the room before locking it. Ash had inhaled his share, he might not survive it but the short time she had been exposed to the direct fumes from his room was enough to put her life on the line as well.
The bastard. Always jeopardizing Devyn's plans. He was blessed enough to have rendered Devyn weak or he would have killed Ash before he was able to be transported to the hospital.
Devyn didn't notice he was falling until Matteo called his name, holding him against himself.
"And why the fuck isn't he admitted yet?" Nyx Wilder asked, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Get a doctor for him. Make it speedy." He told a passing nurse.
"No," Devyn managed to say. "I... I... wait... ing... for I Adey."
Nyx came closer and examined Devyn's face before tucking a strand of hair behind Devyn's ear. "You look like a bitch right now if you weren't covered in blue veins like a hatching monster I'd have fucked you right away."
Smiling, Nyx asked. "Do you still think anyone's going to listen to you now? How about you start singing that you're a single lady?"
"Scram." Matteo shoved him away. "How about you start worrying about your lover behind that door with some random ghost?"
Nyx's eyes flashed as a thought occurred to him. He had marked her his since the beginning of time. He wasn't about to compete for her with anyone.