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My heart thumped. All week, I’d had a lingering fear of Valentine and the others being on the road. There were so many dangers. “What kind of incident? Is anyone hurt?”
Daisy continued, her shoulders hunching up. “I don’t think so. They had to flee their hotel because a mob turned up to see Leo. They’re hiding out now.”
“A mob?” More fear trickled into my blood.
How dangerous must it have been for them to run from it?
Another message landed. Daisy read it then stood. “Ben wants me to go wait with Ella, Gordain’s wife. She was due to join them in a day or two as she’s been working, but can you imagine your family being hunted like that and not being with them? The poor woman will be in pieces.”
“She must be terrified.” I helped Daisy collect her coat and check she hadn’t left anything. “You must be, too.”
Pale, she nodded once and quickly. “Ben can handle anything, I know that. I’ve seen him in action, and he’s amazing. That isn’t helping me sleep at night.” She hugged me once and went to the door. “Valentine’s the same. He’s just as capable.”
Except I didn’t have the right to worry. Not like Daisy, and especially not like Ella. I watched my boss hop into her car and zoom off into the dark.
My stomach had been replaced by a rock.
Concern for Valentine built steadily until my fingers shook.
Turning my phone over in my hands, I peeked into Tobi’s room. In her bed, the two mop tops of blonde and brunette hair ducked down, more giggling following.
“Lights out and sleep now,” I told the two cute girls.
“Aye, Mom,” Tobi replied, mixing up her heritage nicely.
Back in the lounge, I perched on the sofa. To hell with it. I messaged Valentine.
Mia: Are you okay? I was with Daisy so I heard.
To my utter relief, the message was read and a reply started almost immediately.
Valentine: Aw, check you out, worrying about me.
Mia: Daisy said there was a mob. Even writing that is scaring the hell out of me.
Valentine: Can I call you?
My heart skipped a beat. Replying with a fastyes,I took a shaky inhale, tapping to accept the call the second it appeared.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Valentine said.
His voice loosened my panic a small degree. “Hey yourself. Please tell me you’re safe now?”
“Not exactly. We’re holed up in a safe-ish place, waiting on permission from the cops to move on. A mistake, if ye ask me.” He gave me a quick run-through of the threat that had faced them and how they’d got into a neighbouring hotel building where the family could rest in a bedroom.
Narrow streets. A warm spring evening. The danger the mass of people was creating. It curdled my blood.
“We were ready to leave again and had cars waiting, but I scouted it out and it means walking up an alley and across a public square to the road. In that time, Ben managed to get a line to the cops who are working to control the crowd. They’ve asked us to sit tight. We’re supposed to heed them, though I’m strongly in favour of getting the fuck out of here.” He grumbled in what sounded like frustration. “We’ve even had Raphael up on the roof working out how to land a heli here, but the flight plan got refused.”
A horrible sense curled through me. They were trapped.
“So you just have to sit there until the police clear the crowd?” I asked.
“Aye, and they want us to return to the hotel where it all started, but we already vetoed that. Want to know what Leo’s record company said? They asked him to go out and address the crowd from a balcony. It’s fucking wild that they think that’s okay.”
I crept an arm around myself, hugging my middle. “Everyone must be so scared.”
“They are. Particularly Leo and Finn. Both are beside themselves.” His tone changed. “Hang on. I can hear something. Putting ye on loudspeaker so I can leave the phone on the floor. That way I can go to the windows without the screen activating and giving me away.”
