My heart misses a beat as the music is turned down, and a loud clamor of voices rises.
Ice settles in my veins when I hear a loud siren sound.
Carlisle says something in a low voice, but I can’t hear him over the pounding in my ears.
Then we’re moving, with Carlisle’s hand on my shoulder to steer me, and the ringing in my head grows louder. We push our way through the crowd, and I struggle to find Olivia in the sea of faces. My stomach lurches when someone bumps into me, and I realize Carlisle is now holding his gun. Over his shoulder, I spot some men racing in the opposite direction.
“What’s going on?”
“Something is going on at the manor. I’m taking you to a safe room.”
“We have to get to Mason.”
Hiding out in the underground sex club Mason operates isn’t going to help anyone.
Carlisle’s fingers close around my wrist, and he drags me forward. “I don’t have time for this. You’re going to the room, and I’ll head back to the manor to help. It’s not a suggestion.”
I struggle against his grasp, but he doesn’t budge.
Miss Deveroux, who is in charge of making sure things run smoothly at Mercy, is waiting for us in the hallway, her eyebrows pinched together.
Carlisle pushes me toward her and takes out his gun. “You still have that gun handy?”
Miss Deveroux nods and reaches for me. “You know I do.”
“Do whatever it takes to keep her safe,” Carlisle says without looking at me. “I’ll be back when I can.”
He moves away without waiting for a response, and I watch him get swallowed whole by the crowd. When he’s far enough away, I turn to Miss Deveroux and wipe my hands on the back of my jeans. She’s not looking at me as she peels off her leather jacket and hands it to me.
I shove my arms through. “How much trouble are we in?”
Miss Deveroux motions to me, and I follow her into the dimly lit hallway.
I follow Miss Deveroux, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out everything else. She takes my hand and leads me through the hallways until we reach an empty room with a digital lock on the door.
She punches in a code. “They’re still sweeping the perimeter. Word is the Paynes are out for blood because they can’t figure out how it happened twice.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
Miss Deveroux grunts, and the door hisses open, revealing a spacious room with a king-sized bed, a couch, and a smaller door that leads to a bathroom. “It’s obvious that there’s someone on the inside helping their enemies. I guess the real question is why they haven’t figured out who it is.”
I follow Miss Deveroux into the room, each step feeling like lead. “There’s been another attack?”
Shit.
Mason must be livid.
“If you ask me, being on lockdown isn’t enough,” Miss Deveroux continues as if she hasn’t heard me. “But it’s not up to me. I just do what they tell me.”
“Where’s Olivia?”
“In another safe room,” Miss Deveroux replies. “You shouldn’t be arguing with Carlisle at a time like this.”
I exhale. “I know. I was just trying to—”
Miss Deveroux turns to face me and holds up a hand. “I’m sure you mean well, but there’s a lot going on that you can’t possibly understand.”
Her expression softens as she pulls the door shut behind us, plunging us into silence. “I don’t know how Olivia managed to convince you to get involved, but you need to be smarter, and you need to be careful.”
