Ashlyn opened her eyes to watch as couples moved through him. She glanced from Aidan as a middle-aged couple swept through him before glancing at Shayne to find him watching her as a small muscle in his jaw clenched and-
“Go. I’ll stay here,” Ashlyn said, watching as Shayne’s intense green eyes locked with hers, searching as she watched him visibly struggle with the need to stay by her side and the need to make sure that his brother was safe.
“Go,” Ashlyn repeated as she dropped her arms and stepped away from him.
After a slight hesitation, he looked at Aidan and-
“Quinn and I are watching over the ballroom ta see if any other women that fit the description suddenly leave. We’ll watch over her,” Aidan promised.
“I’m not going to leave the ballroom,” Ashlyn assured him, knowing better than to take that risk, especially with everyone’s attention on the two women who’d left, leaving her at the mercy of a serial killer.
She wasn’t an idiot and Shayne seemed to realize that as he reluctantly nodded before he took her hand and led her to a small table covered by a crisp white tablecloth in the corner, well away from any window or door, but giving her the perfect spot to watch over the crowded ballroom. He leaned down and kissed her forehead as he said, “Don’t even think about leaving that chair.”
“Or you’ll spank my ass,” Ashlyn said, nodding solemnly and making his eyes narrow on her as he pulled her chair out for her.
“Yes,” Shayne said, leaning down to drop a quick kiss on her lips, “I will.”
“I’ll be right back,” Shayne said, his gaze lingering on her for a few more seconds before he reluctantly walked away. She watched him make his way along the edge of the large ballroom, towards the double ornate doors before disappearing through them a moment later, leaving her sitting there, slowly exhaling as she told herself that he was going to be fine.
She kept telling herself that as she watched couples make their way around the dance floor and the ones sitting at the tables along the walls, absently noting the young, happily married couples before she once again found herself glancing back at the double ornate doors as a sense of déjà vu slowly crept up her spine and-
He was fine, Ashlyn told herself, slowly exhaling as she went back to work mode, watching the couples dancing before sheshifted her attention to Aidan, who was near the double ornate doors, watching over the dance floor while Quinn was hovering behind her. She watched as the waitstaff made their way around the room, carrying trays of champagne and pausing along the way to offer a glass to guests before moving on to the next guest.
She-
Watched as several of the young women that she’d noted a few minutes ago suddenly made their way off the dance floor and headed for the doors. Frowning, she shifted her gaze to the tables and watched as even more young women did the same as a glass of champagne was placed in front of her before the waiter moved on to the next table. She watched as five young women on the other side of the ballroom suddenly began making their way to the door before she glanced back at Quinn to find him watching them go, looking torn as his gaze flickered from her to all the young women suddenly leaving.
“Go. I’m not going anywhere,” Ashlyn said, watching as he ground his jaw before he reluctantly nodded, disappearing a few seconds later only to reappear near the door and-
“Damn it!”
She muttered when one of the young women making their way to the door suddenly stumbled into her table, knocking the glass of champagne over and causing the liquid to pour over the edge of the small table and onto her dress.
“Sorry,” the young woman mumbled weakly as she kept going, leaving Ashlyn to stand up and take a step back only to release a pained gasp when she felt the small pinch in the middle of her back.
CHAPTER 30
“What the hell is going on here?” Tristan asked as they watched women stumble towards the restroom only to stumble back seconds later and rush across the lobby while others simply ignored the restrooms and made their way towards the elevators, all of them noticeably panicking and-
“Something’s wrong,” a brunette with a dazed look in her eye said as she stumbled past them only to press her hand against the wall as her legs gave out from under her.
Before she hit the floor, Shayne was there, catching her as her body went limp. He shifted her in his arms as he carried her across the large lobby and carefully placed her down on the couch only to have Tristan do the same seconds later with a young woman with black hair.
Shayne checked the girl’s pulse, noting that it was steady before he looked up, taking in the women stumbling through the lobby, the ones dropping to the floor, and the others clinging to their husbands and-
“Shut it down,” he heard Tristan snap at one of the officers as Shayne watched Liam quickly flash around the room, checking on the women, before he took in the rest of the room, noting thereactions of the other guests, watching the employees rush to their aid, and-
“It’s a distraction,” Shayne said as he glanced at Tristan to find his brother’s jaw clenching as he pulled a small radio from his pocket.
“Block all exits. No one leaves without my permission,” Tristan said as they began making their way back to the ballroom as more women stumbled into the lobby.
“Blocking all exits,”came the immediate reply as Tristan made his way to the double doors to find the employees arguing with the officers.
“Shut it down immediately,” Tristan said, pulling out his badge before focusing on the officers. “Move half the guests into the lobby and shut the elevators off. Get the fire department down here immediately and call the hospitals and let them know what’s coming their way.”
Shayne pushed past the officers already moving to block the doors and-
“We can’t find her.”
