Chapter 37 THE INFERNO
"I told you one match would be all it takes to turn this place into a furnace, didn't I, Jax?" I said, smirking at the silver lighter in my hands.
We were standing in the center of the new Maddox construction depot, the air thick with the scent of concrete, sawdust, treated lumber, and industrial chemicals.
The moonlight filtered through the high windows, casting long, jagged shadows across the stacks of steel beams and crates of expensive construction equipment that had been moved in preparation for the commencement of work.
Jax stood a few feet away, holding a plastic canister of accelerant, his eyes scanning the rafters for any sign of the security patrol we had just bypassed. “This ain’t just a place or harbingers business, Si,” Jax said finally, his voice low and concerned. “That’s his future. His ultimate step in going clean.”
I didn’t look at him. “I know.” I bit out. “But I don't need any negativity right now.”
There was a tense silence for a while.
"You’re sure about the blueprints?" he asked finally.
"Positive," I said, my voice steady. "Kanan needs the physical site surveys and the original architectural permits to break ground on the fifteenth. If those papers turn to ash, the zoning board will pull his license. He will be tied up in red tape for months."
I moved toward the central office, a small prefabricated structure built into the corner of the warehouse. I remembered the layout from the document I had seen on his desk when I snuck into his office.
This was where the lead engineers kept the master files for the district demolition.
Kanan was a man who trusted digital security, but he was old-school when it came to site plans. He liked to touch the paper and feel the weight of the ink.
I kicked the office door open. It was a simple lock, a joke compared to the vault at La Caverna. Inside, the room was cramped, smelling of stale coffee and papers. I found the flat-file cabinets within seconds.
I pulled out the top drawer, and there they were: the detailed maps of the low-income district, marked with red "X" symbols where the homes currently stood.
"Found them," I called out.
Jax appeared in the doorway. And without wasting any time, he began dousing the cabinets and the surrounding wooden desks with the accelerant. The liquid splashed against the paper, turning the white maps translucent.
"The timer is set for five minutes," Jax said, his voice tight. "Once the fire hits the chemical storage in the next bay, this whole place is going up. We need to move."
I flicked the lighter, watching the fascinating flame dance in the gloom before dropping it onto the pile of blueprints.
The fire started as a low hiss at first, the blue flame licking at the edge of the paper before turning into a roaring orange beast.
"Stop looking at the fire like you’re in love and move!" Jax shouted when, within seconds, the office was a glowing cage of heat. “I was really hoping that coma would cure this arsonist-loving part of you.”
I giggled as we sprinted back through the main floor of the depot. So the old Sienna had also liked fire. Another thing we had in common.
The shadows were dancing now, elongated and frantic as the light from the office began to fill the warehouse. The heat was a physical weight against my back, pushing me forward.
We were halfway to the side exit when the first explosion rocked the building. A stack of pressurized canisters in the neighboring bay blew, sending a shockwave that made the floor buckle beneath my feet.
"Watch out!" Jax screamed from behind me.
My blood curdled when I heard the groan of metal above me. I looked up just as a massive support beam, weakened by the sudden blast, began to tilt. It moved with a terrifying, slow-motion grace, snapping the heavy bolts that held it to the ceiling.
I tried to pivot, but my boots slipped on a patch of spilled oil. I was going to be crushed.
Before I could even scream, a pair of powerful arms wrapped around my waist as Jax tackled me, his weight driving us both into the concrete floor as the beam came crashing down. The impact was deafening. Dust and sparks exploded into the air, blinding me.
I lay there for a second, my heart hammering against my ribs. I could feel the heat of the fire growing close and the weight of Jax on top of me, his chest heaving as he fought for breath.
He didn't move immediately. He stayed pinned against me, his face tucked into the crook of my neck. I could smell the soot on his skin, the acrid scent of the smoke, and the raw, masculine scent of his sweat.
"Are you okay?" he wheezed, his voice was right against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the terror I'd just experienced.
"I’m fine," I whispered. I reached up, my fingers brushing against the rough stubble on his jaw.
Jax lifted his head. Our faces were inches apart. In the flickering orange light of the growing inferno, his eyes were dark and intense. He looked at me with a mixture of fury and relief that made the air in my lungs feel thin. We were both covered in soot, our clothes torn, and our skin glowing with the sweat of the adrenaline.
For a heartbeat, there was only the heat of the fire and the heat of the man holding me.
Jax’s gaze dropped to my lips, and for a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to. I wanted to forget the ghosts and the revenge and just feel the life in his body.
I shook the thought away immediately. It had to be the side effect of the adrenaline pumping through me.
"We have to go," he said, his voice cracking. He pulled himself up and hauled me to my feet in one fluid motion.
We scrambled over the debris and dove through the side door just as the main roof began to collapse. We didn't stop running until we reached the alley where the jeep was parked.
I climbed into the passenger seat, my lungs burning. My hands were shaking as I reached for the seatbelt. Jax climbed in beside me, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.
Hours later, we sat in the car, watching the pillar of fire that was now the depot through the rear-view mirror. The orange glow reflected off the wet pavement of the docks, looking like blood.
"You almost got seriously injured back there," Jax said. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion, but I could see the tremor in his hands.
"But I didn't," I said. "And neither did the plans. The demolition will be dead now."
I reached over and turned on the car radio, tuning it to the local news station.
"...breaking news from the industrial district," the announcer’s voice crackled through the speakers. "A massive three-alarm fire has broken out at the primary construction depot for the Maddox Group. Firefighters are on the scene, but reports indicate the building and its contents are a total loss."
I leaned back against the headrest, a slow, predatory smile spreading across my face.
"In a statement released moments ago," the announcer continued, "a spokesperson for Kanan Maddox confirmed that the fire has destroyed critical permits and architectural surveys. As a result, the controversial development project for the lower district has been officially stalled indefinitely until new surveys can be completed."
I let out a long, shaky breath. I felt a surge of triumph so powerful it made my head spin. I had hit him. I had actually hit him where it hurt. I had cost him millions, but more importantly, I had cost him time.
"He’s going to be looking for someone to blame, Si," Jax said. He looked at me, his face illuminated by the passing streetlights. "Viper is going to be the first person he calls."
"I know," I said. My eyes were cold, reflecting the dark streets of the city I was slowly reclaiming.
I looked out the window as we sped toward the garage. The city was quiet, oblivious to the fact that its "Ice King" had just lost his crown.
But as I watched the smoke rise in the distance, my mind drifted back to the moment under the beam. I could still feel Jax’s heart beating against mine. I could still feel the way he looked at me in the fire.
I was winning the war against Kanan. But as I looked at Jax, I realized I was losing a different kind of battle. One I wasn't sure I wanted to win.