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The conviction in his tone calms the anxiousness that constricts my throat. Even after a short time, I have attached a part of myself to this man. He’s mine, and I won’t go without him.
There’s a loud bang on the door.
“Griffin, open up.” The voice calls over the sounding alarms.
The man in question turns to me. “Hide.”
I grab the things around me and rush to the bathroom. Once I shut myself in, I hear Griffin open the door. I’m barely able to hear their muffled conversation.
Griffin speaks first in a harsh tone he’s never used with me. “Report.”
“Someone got into the warehouse and set off a fire in the lab. Most of it won’t be salvageable from the looks of it. They’ve disabled the security system, sprinklers, and ventilation systems. Several techs are injured or dead from the fumes already. I was in the security office, and we saw a glimpse of two intruders before everything went dark. We don’t have eyes anymore. Boss is paranoid and went into lockdown in his office.”
With no hesitation or change in his tone, Griffin responds. “Okay, radio everyone. I want a full sweep of the building. Starting at the top. I’ll start with this corridor and work my way down.”
“Start at the top? Shouldn’t we—”
The man didn’t get to finish the thought. “I said top. Your job isn’t to think. Only do.”
“Yes, sir.”
I hear the man begin talking on what I can only assume is their radio system before he gets cut off by the sound of Griffin closing the door.
Footsteps quickly approach the bathroom, and I tense even though I know who it is. Griffin opens the door, and I relax as he steps towards me.
“Good, you’re dressed. We need to move quickly. Have you ever used a gun before?”
I roll my eyes at him. “This is Texas. Of course I’ve used a gun. Only for hunting though.”
The corner of his mouth jerks up in a small smirk. His eyes sparkle with pride.
“Let’s get you gone then.” The confidence in his voice reassures me, but I can’t help but hear the tinge of sadness accompanying the words.
Guns in hand, we make it down the hallway towards the stairs. I wait out of sight at each turn until Griffin confirms no one’s coming. His body is coiled tightly, and there’s a singular focus in his movements.
Making our way into the first-floor hallway, we spot two bodies lying on the ground as we round the corner. Though we don’t really have the time, Griffin pauses to check on one of the men. He almost looks like he’s sleeping, but Griffin hangs his head after searching for a pulse. The other has a deep gash across his throat, and blood is pooling around his head. You can see the staining on his lips where the blood disrupted whatever desperate attempts the man made at breathing in the end.
Without warning, a hand covers my mouth, and I’m locked into the grasp of an unknown stranger. I let out a muffled scream. Griffin turns back to me with a feral look on his face.
Confused, I try to turn to see my attacker, who does nothing more than keep me in place, but I can feel their tall, lithe body pressed up against my own. I can’t turn enough to see who holds me, but the slight pivot of my head reveals a black man who’s only an arm’s length away from Griffin. I try to warn him, but Griffin’s attention is fixated on me.
The stranger reaches out, and I see the glint of a knife in his hand, but before he can get close enough, Griffin catches sight of him.
Griffin grabs the outwardly stretched hand of the attacker and twists it behind his back. With a swift kick to the back of his knees, the man falls to the floor and Griffin has them pinned. The man looks murderous.
I want to lick the beads of sweat off Griffin’s body. All of his muscles are taught with rage as he speaks. “Let Jules go, or I end your partner.”
I can only assume the figure who holds me is in shock by the way their body tenses.
“Wait, we’re only here for her. Juliana.” The speaker releases me, and I turn to face them. My calm returns with Griffin at my back. “Jay Maddox sent us.”
Jay?
I’m shocked. Since when is Jay involved with these types of people? People who set buildings on fire and, by the dark stains on their black clothing, kills people. I grab at the back of Griffin’s jacket, and he looks back at me tentatively. The moment is tense, but I have to trust my instincts.
“If Jay sent them, then we have to trust them.”
“Jules, I’m not trusting you with strangers just because they supposedly know your friend.”
