“It’s close to closing. Maybe we should all go.”
Her hand found mine that was on her arm. She squeezed it. “Thanks, Emma. I can already tell that you’re a good friend. Some days I think that’s the only thing I’ll get, good friends.”
My voice was gruff. “Friends can be the best family sometimes.”
“I know.”
“What are you two talking about over here?” A sweet voice came from behind.
Theresa stiffened. “Nothing, Brianna. How’s your night?”
Up close, her bright blue eyes were dazzling. With a small nose, the perfect tiny mouth, Noah’s little sister resembled a pixie. Cute and adorable, but the feigned innocence in her depths shifted as she met my gaze. She let something dark slip for a second before her blinding smile rose a notch and excitement filtered through to cover it. The black staff shirt of Octave was tight on her, allowing a few inches to showcase the golden tan of her stomach. The uniform stipulated black shirt and black pants, and Brianna’s black pants stuck to every curve she had. She stuck a hand out. “We haven’t formally met, though Noah filled me in.”
“Brianna, this is Emma. Emma, Brianna.” Theresa waved her hand between the two of us.
When my hand took hers in the handshake, she held on a second longer than necessary. The warning was given. When my eyes narrowed, she let go. The smile never slipped a notch. “And you know Carter as well?”
Oh boy. My chest tightened. “I’ve known Carter all my life.” I couldn’t help it.
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
Theresa rounded to me. “Really?”
A hand curved around my hip at that moment and I was pulled into Carter’s side. He was warm and embracing. My body molded to his, fitting perfectly, as he said, “I was best friends with her brother. Their couch was my second bedroom.”
“I didn’t know you had a best friend, Carter.” Noah joined the conversation.
“I did.” He dropped a soft kiss to my shoulder. “And with that little tidbit, Emma and I should be getting home.”
Brianna’s eyebrows shot up, as did Theresa’s. Noah frowned.
Carter led me out by the hand. I glanced over my shoulder. Theresa mouthed to me, “Home?” I gave her a brief smile before we were out the door and hurrying down the darkened hallway. The guards fell into step around us, surrounding us, and we made our way through the club’s maze. The few times I had been there told me that we weren’t going to the usual side exit. However, I didn’t ask where we were headed as Carter dragged me behind him at a fast speed. The men sensed his urgency and grew tense as we stepped through the tunnel that connected the club with the hotel behind it. I remembered the penthouse, but as we stepped out of the plush hallway, lined with red velvet carpet, we went to the side stairs and hurried downstairs instead.
We stopped at the door that opened to the basement parking garage. The men swept through, but Carter held me back. For a second, we were alone. “What’s going on?”
His hand tightened around mine. “We need to get you to safety.”
“Carter.” Alarm slithered down my back. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t respond, only withdrew his gun and tightened his hold on my hand. The door opened and one of the guards gave him a nod. “It’s clear, sir.”
Carter went first but held my arm tight. When we crossed the few feet for the car, he stepped to the side and guided me inside with a hand over my head. He slid in next. I expected more guards to follow. There was room for three more, but was surprised when he shut the door. It was only the two of us. It wasn’t long until we started moving.
It didn’t seem like we had gone far when the car jerked to a stop.
My heart flew into my chest. Not again.
Unlike last time, he didn’t wait to hear any information from the front. As soon as the car braked, Carter reacted. He had been sitting next to me. I had taken a relaxing breath. A few of the knots in my stomach had just loosened when he flew out of the car before I could even comprehend what was happening.
As soon as I had, the air outside was filled with screams, gunshots, and shouts.
“Gun!” someone yelled.
Another screamed, “Run!”
The next second, I heard a stampede. People ran past the car. The thud of people being shoved came next. “Get out of here.”
Someone barked out, “Move away from there! Now!”
“Ahh!” a girl cried out. Another thud came and her scream cut off.
That was all it took. I scrambled out of the car. I didn’t want innocent people to get hurt because of me. When I opened the door, more people were running past. A guy almost ran into me. He caught himself, bounced off the car, and rotated in a circle around me. He kept running.
“Get in the car!”
I looked around. Some of the guards were positioned around me, but half of them were gone. I saw Mike in the distance. He was fighting someone. Where was Carter? Panic started to rise when I couldn’t see him. Then I yelled out, “Carter!”
“Move it—” someone cursed. A strangled sound came from him next and I whirled to see that one of the guards had grabbed his throat. The guy was lifted off the ground and tossed aside. “Hey!”
“Get going.” The guard pointed down the opposite direction. “Now.”
The guy stood, ready to argue, but saw the other two guards. He ran where he was told to go.
“Emma!”
I craned my neck. Theresa stood inside a doorway, not far from where the car had stopped. Noah was in front of her with a restraining hand across her stomach. He was scowling as he watched the herd of people in the streets.
Bang! Bang!
“Emma! Get over here.” Theresa waved me over frantically.
“No.” The guard closest to me grabbed my arm and started to push me back into the car. “Get inside, Miss Emma. Mr. Reed is coming back.”
“But,” I looked to my friends.
“It’s safer.” His hand tightened.
“Emma!”
I recognized the voice. Everything in me tightened with tension. Carter. He was there, running back to me and waving me to the side. When he saw I wasn’t doing what he wanted, he yelled next, “Matthew, get her inside now!”
A woman screamed behind me.
“Carter!” Noah stepped out from their doorway. “Our car took off.”
Her hand found mine that was on her arm. She squeezed it. “Thanks, Emma. I can already tell that you’re a good friend. Some days I think that’s the only thing I’ll get, good friends.”
My voice was gruff. “Friends can be the best family sometimes.”
“I know.”
“What are you two talking about over here?” A sweet voice came from behind.
Theresa stiffened. “Nothing, Brianna. How’s your night?”
Up close, her bright blue eyes were dazzling. With a small nose, the perfect tiny mouth, Noah’s little sister resembled a pixie. Cute and adorable, but the feigned innocence in her depths shifted as she met my gaze. She let something dark slip for a second before her blinding smile rose a notch and excitement filtered through to cover it. The black staff shirt of Octave was tight on her, allowing a few inches to showcase the golden tan of her stomach. The uniform stipulated black shirt and black pants, and Brianna’s black pants stuck to every curve she had. She stuck a hand out. “We haven’t formally met, though Noah filled me in.”
“Brianna, this is Emma. Emma, Brianna.” Theresa waved her hand between the two of us.
When my hand took hers in the handshake, she held on a second longer than necessary. The warning was given. When my eyes narrowed, she let go. The smile never slipped a notch. “And you know Carter as well?”
Oh boy. My chest tightened. “I’ve known Carter all my life.” I couldn’t help it.
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
Theresa rounded to me. “Really?”
A hand curved around my hip at that moment and I was pulled into Carter’s side. He was warm and embracing. My body molded to his, fitting perfectly, as he said, “I was best friends with her brother. Their couch was my second bedroom.”
“I didn’t know you had a best friend, Carter.” Noah joined the conversation.
“I did.” He dropped a soft kiss to my shoulder. “And with that little tidbit, Emma and I should be getting home.”
Brianna’s eyebrows shot up, as did Theresa’s. Noah frowned.
Carter led me out by the hand. I glanced over my shoulder. Theresa mouthed to me, “Home?” I gave her a brief smile before we were out the door and hurrying down the darkened hallway. The guards fell into step around us, surrounding us, and we made our way through the club’s maze. The few times I had been there told me that we weren’t going to the usual side exit. However, I didn’t ask where we were headed as Carter dragged me behind him at a fast speed. The men sensed his urgency and grew tense as we stepped through the tunnel that connected the club with the hotel behind it. I remembered the penthouse, but as we stepped out of the plush hallway, lined with red velvet carpet, we went to the side stairs and hurried downstairs instead.
We stopped at the door that opened to the basement parking garage. The men swept through, but Carter held me back. For a second, we were alone. “What’s going on?”
His hand tightened around mine. “We need to get you to safety.”
“Carter.” Alarm slithered down my back. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t respond, only withdrew his gun and tightened his hold on my hand. The door opened and one of the guards gave him a nod. “It’s clear, sir.”
Carter went first but held my arm tight. When we crossed the few feet for the car, he stepped to the side and guided me inside with a hand over my head. He slid in next. I expected more guards to follow. There was room for three more, but was surprised when he shut the door. It was only the two of us. It wasn’t long until we started moving.
It didn’t seem like we had gone far when the car jerked to a stop.
My heart flew into my chest. Not again.
Unlike last time, he didn’t wait to hear any information from the front. As soon as the car braked, Carter reacted. He had been sitting next to me. I had taken a relaxing breath. A few of the knots in my stomach had just loosened when he flew out of the car before I could even comprehend what was happening.
As soon as I had, the air outside was filled with screams, gunshots, and shouts.
“Gun!” someone yelled.
Another screamed, “Run!”
The next second, I heard a stampede. People ran past the car. The thud of people being shoved came next. “Get out of here.”
Someone barked out, “Move away from there! Now!”
“Ahh!” a girl cried out. Another thud came and her scream cut off.
That was all it took. I scrambled out of the car. I didn’t want innocent people to get hurt because of me. When I opened the door, more people were running past. A guy almost ran into me. He caught himself, bounced off the car, and rotated in a circle around me. He kept running.
“Get in the car!”
I looked around. Some of the guards were positioned around me, but half of them were gone. I saw Mike in the distance. He was fighting someone. Where was Carter? Panic started to rise when I couldn’t see him. Then I yelled out, “Carter!”
“Move it—” someone cursed. A strangled sound came from him next and I whirled to see that one of the guards had grabbed his throat. The guy was lifted off the ground and tossed aside. “Hey!”
“Get going.” The guard pointed down the opposite direction. “Now.”
The guy stood, ready to argue, but saw the other two guards. He ran where he was told to go.
“Emma!”
I craned my neck. Theresa stood inside a doorway, not far from where the car had stopped. Noah was in front of her with a restraining hand across her stomach. He was scowling as he watched the herd of people in the streets.
Bang! Bang!
“Emma! Get over here.” Theresa waved me over frantically.
“No.” The guard closest to me grabbed my arm and started to push me back into the car. “Get inside, Miss Emma. Mr. Reed is coming back.”
“But,” I looked to my friends.
“It’s safer.” His hand tightened.
“Emma!”
I recognized the voice. Everything in me tightened with tension. Carter. He was there, running back to me and waving me to the side. When he saw I wasn’t doing what he wanted, he yelled next, “Matthew, get her inside now!”
A woman screamed behind me.
“Carter!” Noah stepped out from their doorway. “Our car took off.”
