Chapter Thirty-Five

Montana

The second Delany uttered the word fire, I didn't need to be told twice. Running for the stairs, I found Jason and Tessa running toward me with the babies in their arms.

"Delany!" Jason shouted, frantically looking around as he covered Harlow's ears due to the deafening alarm.

"She was in the kitchen with me. Get my wife and son out of here. I'll go get her."

"Montana!" Tessa shouted when I turned to leave, only to look back over my shoulder. "Mrs. Alice."

"I'll get her," I promised. "Just go. Get out of the house!"

Racing back down the stairs, I trusted Storm to get my family to safety. Running for Mrs. Alice's room, I went to throw open her door only to curse loudly, yanking my hand back as the searing sizzling sound of my flesh burning wafted around me, the smell burning my nose.

Not thinking, I kicked open the bedroom door only to throw my hands up, covering my face as flames shot of the room, singeing my skin.

"ALICE!" I screamed into the fire as the smell of burning flesh assaulted my nose. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I ran for the kitchen to find it empty.

"Where is she?" Storm shouted as he ran into the kitchen seconds later.

"Where is my wife and kid?" I growled, grabbing him.

"They are safe. They are across the street. The fire department is here. Where is Mrs. Alice?"

"She's gone," I muttered, before saying, "We need to find Delany and get the fuck out of here. This place is going to go up like a fucking Roman candle."

"Why haven't the sprinklers gone off?"

"I don't know and don't care. Let's just find your woman and get the fuck out of here. Check the pantry. Maybe she got scared. I'll check the garage," I ordered, only to stop when my eyes landed on a small pool of blood near the door to the basement.

"Over here!"

"Delany!" my brother shouted, not thinking, as he threw open the door to the basement, running down the stairs. Following, I watched when a man dressed in full fire gear swung a pipe at Storm, knocking him completely out, causing him to land awkwardly on the bottom step.

Seeing the fucker, I jumped the last few steps, tackling the bastard to the ground. Ripping the fucking mask from his face, I sneered, "You motherfucker! You dare try to burn my fucking family!"

Punching the fucker over and over again, I didn't see when he swung the pipe at my head, knocking me off him. Groaning, I rolled to my side, grabbing my head. I felt the familiar warm ooze of blood coat my hand. Blinking through the pain, I spotted Storm lying motionless on the ground. Slowly turning, I saw the fucker leering at me as he held Delany in front of him, his hand at her throat.

"Not gonna let this bitch tell the world what she knows."

"She doesn't know anything, you fucknut." Grumbling as I got to my feet, my head throbbed painfully, and I felt sick to my stomach. Motherfucker more than likely gave me a fucking concussion. "But thank you for making it easier for me to find you. ‘Cause you are about to fucking burn."

‘That's what you think," the fucker said, grinning as he held out a small black box in his hand. "If I die, so do all of you."

"It's thermite," Delany gasped.

"Bitch knows her incendiaries." Gale Stevens laughed. "And highly explosive. So back the fuck off!"

"Not going to fucking happen," I growled, taking a step closer. "You fucking sealed your fate the moment you threatened me and mine, and trust me, fucknut. Delany is mine too."

"Bitch is a nobody. She's just the daughter of an arsonist! No one is going to give a fuck if she dies."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that." I chuckled, moving closer.

The stupid fuck was really pissing me off. I needed to get Delany away from him and grab the detonator before he blew me and everyone else into smithereens.

"Come any closer and I'll kill us all!"

"Montana?"

"It's gonna be okay, D. I swear. Just need to take care of this douche canoe first."

"Montana?"

"Yeah, D?"

"Duck," she screamed as her body went lax, slipping through Gale Stevens' hands. Following her lead, I dove for her, rolling her away from the danger just as a loud retort echoed around the room. Covering her with my body, I whipped around to find Storm standing firmly, arm raised as a 9mm shell dropped to the floor at his feet.

Leaning forward in a chair next to Delany, neither of us wanted to be sitting in the police department at the ass crack of morning, covered in soot and smelling of smoke.

After Storm fired the shot that killed Gale Stevens, we had just entered the kitchen when firefighters descended on us, pulling us from my house. Once outside, I stared in shock as Stone House was engulfed in flames. The first responders quickly moved us across the street, where Tessa was waiting for us with York and Harlow. Seeing them, I damn near dropped to my knees.

I had never seen a more beautiful sight.

However, my elation was short-lived when an NYPD officer walked over, placing cuffs on Storm, arresting him for murder.

Refusing to abandon my brother, Delany and I followed.

"Thank you," she whispered as the police officers moved about, paying us no attention.

"For what?"

"For saying what you did."

Looking at the woman, I frowned as she clarified, "Calling me family."

Shaking my head, I sat up, wrapping my arm around her, hugging her to me. Kissing the top of her head, I sighed, "You're stuck with me now, D. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"I think I might like that."

"Good, ‘cause I plan on being the biggest pain in the ass where you're concerned. Already have a half-sister. Never thought I'd get another. We're gonna fight, butt heads, and maybe even want to strangle one another, but never forget, no matter what, I will always have your back."

She smiled at that.

"So, Tessa told me we might be neighbors."

I groaned, shaking my head. "Can't anyone keep a damn secret?"

"I don't know. I think I've been doing rather well with mine."

"You keep doing that, D, and we'll be good."

Commotion to our right had the both of us turning as Fury shouted, storming up to the desk demanding to see Storm. "I don't give a damn who needs to talk to him. No one has the right to talk to my client without his attorney present. So, stop wasting my time and tell me where my client is."

Whistling loudly, I got Fury's attention, and he walked over to us.

"Are you two okay?"

"Need showers, but we're okay."

"He's lying," Delany said. "He burned his hand."

"Woman, I just said we were good," I groaned.

"Montana," someone shouted. Looking past Fury, I saw Robin Calloway waving us over. Getting to our feet, the three of us followed her into an interview room. Once the door was shut, Robin turned and said, "Okay. I pulled some strings and the Chief agreed to let Jason go. The current DA has been on the phone with your mother for the last hour. She is not happy and is threatening to come back to the city and clean house. The DA has agreed to rule Stevens' death as self-defense, if the three of you give a detailed report of what happened. The fire investigators already know the fire was arson. Firefighters found several pounds of thermite and are working carefully to remove it from what's left of Stone House. I'm sorry, Montana, but the house is going to need a major overhaul."

I grumbled, "Figured that."

"While I have you, does the name Ivy Scott mean anything to you?"

"No. Should it?"

Robin shook her head. "It doesn't matter. She's related to the case I've been working on. Anyway, Jason will be released momentarily. Just some stupid paperwork, then you can take him home."

"Robin?" Delany whispered. "Are we good?"

Robin wrapped her arms around Delany, hugging her tightly, before brushing Delany's dirty hair from her face. "Sweetie, we are more than good. We're family, and when I can, I plan on spending a lot of time with my niece."

"Harlow would love that."

"Good." Robin smiled. "Now, I need to get going."

With that, Jason's sister left.

The second Jason was free to go, we all got the hell out of there.