* * *
Zoe pulled Tyler to her in a hug and just let herself feel his skinny, little-boy body against hers. His arms around her back, he mumbled something against her jacket. She relaxed her arms and he leaned back to look up at her with his soot-covered face. “I’m fine, Mom. But Aunty Ember isn’t.”
Zoe nodded. “Let’s go see.”
He needed to get checked out, as well. They walked hand in hand to the ambulance Ember had been loaded into. She still hadn’t woken up. “Is she going to be okay?”
The EMT had Tyler sit up inside the ambulance, which he thought was awesome judging by his grin, and put an oxygen mask on him. “Breathe deep, kiddo.” Then he pointed at Ember, passed out on the bed with an oxygen mask already over her nose and mouth. “She’s your babysitter?”
“My sister.” Ember was her stepsister, but that qualification didn’t matter to either of them. Neither did the nearly ten-year age difference between Zoe and Ember. They were still close, and her younger sister had risked her life for Tyler.
Was that how the killer had found the house? Zoe hardly spoke to anyone in her old life anymore. Still, it was possible the house had been discovered because of their connection.
The EMT said, “I’m going to need some information on your sister.”
Zoe reminded herself this wasn’t an interrogation and answered his questions. Personal information, medical history. Finally, Zoe had maxed out on her ability to be cordial. “Is she going to be okay?”
They wouldn’t be asking all that stuff if Ember wasn’t going to make it, would they? She didn’t want Tyler to hear it if Ember was still in danger, but she couldn’t wait any longer for an answer.
“We need to get her to the hospital before we’ll know for sure. Are you coming?”
Zoe glanced back to where Jude stood, still talking to the firefighter. Should she go?
“You and your son need to be checked out, as well.”
She nodded and tore her gaze from him. “I know.”
Still, she saw realization dawn at the last second.
The EMT said, “He isn’t coughing. I suppose if you keep a close eye on him tonight, his pediatrician can see him first thing. Doesn’t have to be at the hospital.”
A hospital could be the safest place for them at this point.
“That sound okay?”
Zoe nodded. She glanced at Jude again, and he saw it. Broke off his conversation to make his way over to her. “Everything okay?”
“They’re taking Ember in.” Would he send them with her, call someone to protect them? She wanted it to be Jude. But how could she ask that when they barely knew each other?
Tyler tore off the mask, his eyes pleading. “I wanna stay with you.”
Zoe nodded. She felt the same way.
Her son looked up at Jude like he was one of those expert warriors from his library books. The ones who fought bad guys on a daily basis and won, unscathed. Every time.
The EMT shook Tyler’s hand, which her son thought was hilarious. “Take it easy, kid.” Then he looked at her. “If he so much as coughs twice...”
She nodded. “I’ll watch him closely.”
“You, too.” He gave her a pointed look. “Your son will likely be fine, but I don’t want you taking any chances. Smoke is nothing to mess with.”
“Understood.”
Tyler launched himself from the ambulance into her arms. She hugged him and then lowered him to the ground. The doors were shut, and the flashing lights receded. She turned to Jude, not really knowing what they were supposed to do now.
Tyler tugged on her hand. “Jude, this is Tyler. My son.” She smiled down at him. “Tyler, this is Jude.” She leaned down slightly and whispered, “He’s a Secret Service agent.”
Tyler’s eyes widened and he looked at Jude with something a lot like awe. “Sweet.”
Jude chuckled, but Zoe just couldn’t find the energy to do the same. She said, “What are we supposed to do now?”
His eyes widened at her question.
“I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I asked you that.” He didn’t know them, and certainly didn’t owe them anything. “You helped me get Tyler and Ember from the house and I never thanked you.”
He shook his head. “Of course.” And yet he hadn’t even known she had a son when he ran into that burning house with her.
“Seriously, I can’t thank you enough.”
Why did she want to fall into his arms for a hug? Or maybe cry. Or both. But she couldn’t, because Tyler was relying on her to be strong. No one except Ember had helped her with him since her husband signed away his rights and left with his girlfriend.
Men couldn’t be trusted. She knew that. And yes, she meant all men. Zoe had never met one who kept his word and didn’t eventually choose himself over the people he should have cared about. She knew the trust issue went deep, because she’d even had a hard time fully trusting God.
Now she had no idea what she was going to do. Where they would live, or how they would even have clothes for tomorrow. “My duffel bag.” She glanced toward the park. “I left it in your car.”
“All locked up.” He patted his pocket. “After we make sure the police are good, we can walk over—”
“Why do we need to talk to the police?” There were a couple of their cars here, the officers checking out what was happening.
“Because the fire was deliberately set. They’re going to open an investigation and they need our statements.”
Zoe didn’t know what she could tell them. She hadn’t even been here at the time the fire was set. Meanwhile her son and sister had been trapped inside with nothing but the knowledge they were about to be burned alive.
Jude frowned. “We just need to make sure we’re free to go.”
“I’m free.” She could just leave, couldn’t she?
So why then did she feel trapped?
“Zoe—” He stepped closer to her.
Stars blinked in the edges of her vision.
“Mom?”
Tyler’s voice sounded far away.
“Zoe.” Jude’s warm hands settled on her shoulders. “You need to take a breath.”
“I don’t want to talk to the police.” The words came out broken. She couldn’t catch her breath. It hadn’t gone well the last time, and he knew that. “I’m free to leave whenever I want.”
“The way you left the Laundromat? That’s running, and it doesn’t mean you’re free—it means you’re being chased.” He leaned in close. “Breathe, Zoe.”
She didn’t want to be having this conversation in front of Tyler, but Jude wasn’t giving her another option. “We’ll be safe. We just need my duffel and then we’ll be gone.”
“Where? Where are you going to go?”
“Does it matter?”
Jude sighed. Zoe moved to go around him, to get out of there. He sidestepped.
She frowned at him. “Let us go.”
“I’m not keeping you here, I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
Zoe nearly laughed