"Star," Foreman said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Keen needs to get to a hospital, now. You take him. I''ll stay here and wait for Haynes."


    "You''re injured," Ste countered. "You and Keen should go."


    Her gut told her to wait for Haynes herself. But something didn''t feel right about sending two hurt people off by themselves.


    After a moment''s hesitation, she made a decision. "Forget it. We''re not waiting for Haynes. I''m going with you both."


    A subtle, almost imperceptible smile touched Foreman''s lips.


    He took a step forward. "Alright. Let''s go."


    They had only gone a few yards when a thought struck Ste, and she stopped dead in her tracks.


    "Foreman, where''s Joshua?"


    Foreman''s stride faltered for a fraction of a second.


    "I didn''t see him," he said, his brow furrowing in feigned confusion. "Star, are you sure he even came here? Maybe he went somewhere else."


    The implication was clear: perhaps Joshua had nevere to rescue Keen at all. Perhaps he had simply run away.


    "No," Ste said, her voice sharp and certain. "Joshua would never run. He''s here. I know it."


    Foreman''s hands clenched into fists at his sides. Even now, after everything, she still believed in him.


    "But I''m telling you, I didn''t see him," Foreman insisted.


    Ste''s gaze locked onto his. "Where did you find Keen?"


    Her direct stare made Foreman''s heart skip a beat, but a man of hisposure would never let it show.


    "In the warehouse at the very back," he answered smoothly.


    "And how did you rescue him?"


    Foreman''s mind raced, his outward calm belying the surge of hatred and jealousy be felt toward Joshua.


    "There was no one else there when I arrived) Keen was tied to a chair, unconscious. The fire was closing in on him fast. I guess the kidnappers intended to burn him alive. As why they weren''t standing guard... can''t say for sure."


    In her initial rush to get Keen to safety, Ste hadn''t pressed for details. But now, Joshua''s absence felt deeply wrong.


    She took a deep breath. "Foreman, you and Keen go on ahead. I''m going to find Joshua."


    Foreman''s face paled. "Star, no! The fire is out of control. It''s too dangerous."


    "I''ll be fine," she said. "I''m just going to take a quick look."<fndfa9> Get full chapters from find?novel</fndfa9>


    He stepped in front of her, his handsome face etched with panic. "It was already a sea of mes when I left! There''s nothing left to burn, you can''t even see through the smoke, let alone find someonel Even letalone


    due. be dead by now!"


    if Joshua was in there he''d be........ he''d


    Ste pushed past him. "Alive or dead, I''m bringing him out. Even if he''s gone, I''m not leaving his body in there."


    Without another word to Foreman, she gestured to the men with her and hurried


    back toward the inferno. Foreman tried to stop her, but she was already gone.


    ***


    "Joshua... Joshua..."


    The familiar voice reached him through a haze of pain, like a dream. mes licked at the world around him, but something cool and wet sshed onto his face, a strange and wee sensation.


    They say that when you''re dying, you see the person you miss the most.


    Was this it? A final hallucination?


    If so, he weed it. He desperately wanted to see her onest time before he


    left this world.