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I try calling back, but all I get is voicemail. “He’s not picking up.”
“Adam…” Nova looks genuinely distraught.
The conference room door bangs open. Roberts is the first to come stampeding out.
“What’s going on?” he yells.
“I don’t know. Just keep everyone calm and get them outside in an orderly fashion.” Touching Nova’s hand, I urge her. “You too. I’ll check the office for Rowan and meet you out there.”
I start to march away when I feel Nova’s presence behind me.
Whirling around, I glare at her. “Nova, I told you to go outside.”
“I’m not leaving you alone,” she bites out. “So don’t you dare ask me to.”
Her expression is fierce and determined. Watching her, something heavy thuds in my heart.
I really can’t live without her.
“Come on. We have to find Rowan.” Nova slips her hand into mine and I get a little lightheaded.
How does she do that? Manage to make me feel both utterly invincible and embarrassingly helpless all at the same time? I don’t understand it. I just know I’m in deep. All she has to do is touch me and it’s all better. It’s all manageable, like there’s nothing I can’t overcome.
I shake my head to clear the thoughts.
The most important thing is to get to the office, get Rowan, and drag Nova and the kid to safety.
* * *
The office is empty.
A packet with brownie crumbs is lying messily on the table next to an untouched fruit cup. Rowan’s backpack is sprawling open on the ground.
There’s no sign of him anywhere.
Nova looks surprised by the fact that he’s gone, but I’m not. The moment I heard those alarms, I felt a sense of deja vu, like I’d been here before and I knew what the end result would be.
“Where would he go?” Nova asks, eyes darting around. “You think he might have gone outside already?”
I shake my head.
Her phone rings.
“It’s the security company.”
“Put it on speaker,” I say.
Nova doesn’t wait for the security office to speak first. “Why did the alarms go off? Did one of the labs catch on fire?”
“Miss Delaney, we do have an issue with one of the labs, but it’s not regarding a fire.”
“What is it about then?” I stiffen. “Leaking gas?”
That’s a much more dangerous problem. At least a fire gives a warning. If we inhale harmful gases, our lives could be in danger with every breath we take.
I hope Rowan really is outside.
The thought barrels out of nowhere and takes me by surprise.
