The smoke thickened until it was no longer air but knives, shredding my throat with every breath. I clawed at the door, the wood rattling beneath my fists. My scream fractured against the roar of fire.
Then - I heard it - footsteps.
I heaved a sharp sigh of relief.
“Lorraine?” A man’s voice, rough, urgent.
“Here!” My cry tore out of me, raw and desperate.
The handle shook. “Locked. Shit.” Metal scraped. Then a violent kick. The door banged open, flames licking the corridor outside.
Through the haze, Mateo’s broad frame appeared. His scarred face was hard as iron, but his eyes sharpened when they caught mine. Without a word, he yanked me low, pulling me into his orbit.
“Stay down,” he barked, throwing his jacket over me as we crawled. Heat blistered the walls. Sprinklers rained icy w
