AllFreeNovel
Share Us
21
MADDIE
I hopoff Leo’s lap as soon as the table flips over, and he springs to his feet a second later. I link my fingers with his right hand and head toward the door I came in, keeping my eye on the bouncers as they all converge on the melee. We weave through the tables, and right before I cut to the middle door, Leo tugs on my hands, drawing me up short.
“This is the way out.” He tips his chin to the left, and we pivot.
Reluctantly, I let go of his hand so he can lead us out of here, but I tuck my index finger through the belt loop on his hip. Yelling splits the air, and my heart rate skyrockets. It’s beating so loud I can feel it in my toes, a thumping bass note over and over and over again.
I risk a glance over my shoulder, and a quick breath of relief slips out when I don’t find any prying eyes. The dancers and other patrons are a flurry of movement, adding to the chaos. An unexpected point in our favor.
We slip through the doorway without incident, entering the warehouse on the opposite side of the dance floor. The kernel of relief I felt slips through my fingers like grains of sand when a group of men storm this way. All of them wear matching scowls, some of them holding guns.
“Leo.” It’s all I can choke out before fear wraps around my throat and steals my words.
“Fuck. Okay. Where do we go, baby? What’s the plan?” He’s calm but there’s an urgency underneath his words.
“Well, uh, I don’t really know?” I wince even though I’m behind him, my shoulders reaching my ears. “I kind of went off book.”
His steps stutter but he doesn’t stop. “Okay. That’s alright. It’s done now, so let’s figure out how to get out of here, yeah?”
“Aries said Revelry elevators, so we need to head in the direction of the hotel, but I don’t know where that is. I came in through the side entrance.”
He nods, a quick, sharp movement and turns around to go the other direction. “Fate’s on our side tonight, Madison. They led me here through the hotel entrance.”
I skip a couple steps forward so we’re side by side. “You were at the hotel this whole time?”
He looks over at me. “Nah, we came here from another hotel. I’m not sure which one. But they parked in the underground parking structure, so we took the elevators up through the hotel lobby to get to here—wherever this is.”
“They call it Carnival. It’s like if a fairgrounds went through a midlife crisis and devolved into debauchery. It’s connected to the hotel, Revelry, somehow, but”—I glance around—“we should talk about that privately.”
We’re almost to the exit when Leo curses under his breath. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” My adrenaline is flying high, and the smallest thing is liable to trip it again.
He holds up his hands. “I can’t walk through a hotel lobby like this. I’m sure they have cameras, but even if we manage to skirt them, there’s no way in hell they won’t recognize some guy walking around with zip ties.”
I bite my lip, the skin tender from where I’ve worried it over the last few days. “Okay but how? I only have my phone on me.”
“I can break ‘em. Probably. Let’s go in here.” He nods toward a couple single-stall bathrooms.
Two of them are occupied, but we luck out with the third. I do my best not to look around too much or breathe in the scent of urine and stale booze. Once the door is locked, Leo doesn’t waste any time. He twists his wrists so they’re facing each other and the lock is in the middle. He raises his arms up high, and in one brutal move, he slams them down against his hips. The lock breaks under the pressure, and the piece of plastic falls to the ground.
“I can’t believe you just did that.” I scan him from head to toe, seeing him in a new light.
“As much as I’m loving this look on you, all wide-eyed and captivated, can we possibly save it for a time when we can both take advantage of how impressed you are right now?”
He smirks, this dirty, private smile that triggers mine automatically.
I shake my head a few times and murmur, “You’re incorrigible.”
His smirk freezes on his face before it slowly slides off of it. His arms fall to his sides, and I see his intention a split second before he stalks toward me. His hands tremble as he slides them in my hair and seals his mouth against mine. My hands latch onto his forearms, anchoring him to me.
I almost sob with relief—and gratitude. So much gratitude for this man in front of me. It’s a violent reaction, and it catches me by surprise. I never really let myself think about it, but somewhere in my subconscious, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see him again.
As if we had the same thought, the kiss deepens. He tilts my head with his grip on my hair, and I moan out my encouragement. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of the way Leo kisses me. It’s addicting, messy in its all-consumption.
Someone bangs on the door. “Go fuck somewhere else. Some of us have to piss.”
