Cutthroat Carmine (Book 1)(COMPLETE) (Wattpad Featured Novel)

27: [tahr-git/ prak-tis]

When Carmine wakes up again, she's surrounded by a group of concerned looking men and women wearing yellow Kevlar suits marked with reflective strips. Some are dashing back and forth while others are talking to hotel staff. The flurry of activity is dizzying and chaotic.

What the hell?

Then it all comes flooding back to her. Getting trapped in the freezer. The fire. The flaming curtains and burning papers.

Sebastian.

Carmine struggles to sit up; her muscles feeling weak. She looks around and finds Sebastian huddled on the doorstep by the hotel entrance. Tearing the IV needle out of her wrist, Carmine rolls off the stretcher and walks towards him. A voice in the distance tries to call her back, telling her she should rest and stay in one place until they take her to the hospital but Carmine doesn't pay any heed.Carmine keeps walking until she's looming over Sebastian. "Hey. Seb. How are you feeling?"

Sebastian turns around slowly. He clutches the blanket around his shoulders a little tighter, his knuckles growing white. "I'm fine. More importantly, how are you?"

"You don't have to worry about me," Carmine insists. She spins around in a little circle. "See, not a scratch on me."

"Except for the deep cuts on your face. And arms." Sebastian looks away, gritting his teeth. "Why Carmine? Why did you do it?"

Carmine examines her soot-covered arms and runs a finger gently across her face. The pad of her index finger lands on a sensitive area on her cheekbone and when she pulls it away, she notices a spot of blood.

So she got a few cuts and scrapes. Nothing that won't heal in a day.

"I wanted to protect the hotel," Carmine offers lamely. "I don't know. I just got this rush...of adrenaline, I guess. And my brain told me I needed to put out the fire."

"Do you know how reckless you were? You could've been seriously hurt or even killed! Did you even think about how that made me feel? Standing there, watching you? I was so shocked- I- I was such a coward. I was just rooted to the floor and I wanted to help but for some reason my body refused to budge and I-"

"Hey- Hey Sebastian," Carmine purrs, "It's okay. I put out the fire. And I'm okay. These injuries are just little ones that will heal really quick. It all worked out. There's no need to get worked up about it." Carmine instinctively wraps her arm around Sebastian, giving him a tight squeeze.

Sebastian buries his nose into her hair, letting out a frustrated groan.

"Carm? Are you okay!?" Blake's voice pierces through the din and hubbub, filled with concern. He pushes past onlookers and police tape, explaining to an officer that he's Carmine's brother. "Carm! Oh God! I was so worried I came as soon as I heard the-"

Blake stops mid-sentence and looks down at Sebastian.

Carmine quickly pulls her arms off Sebastian and stands up. She puts both hands on Blake's shoulders. "I'm fine. It's all good."

Blake's eyes thin to slits as he glares at Sebastian. Nodding in Sebastian's direction, Blake hisses, "Who's that? And why were you-"

"It's a long story. I'll explain later." Carmine feels tired and sore. All she wants to do is go home and sleep.

"No, explain. NOW." Blake tries to push past Carmine to interrogate Sebastian himself but Carmine holds him back.

"He's my BOSS. Blake. Stand back. We were trapped in a freezer together and the fire was closing in. I put it out and we got rescued by the firefighters okay?" Despite feeling weak, Carmine still gives the crook of Blake's elbow a tight squeeze before leading him away from the crowd towards the waterfront across the street.