“The first night you slept over, while you were asleep,” he explains.
“Okay…” I don’t know what else to say to that. It’s weird.
“Your palm will open other doors too, Molly, like the one Hudson can’t find,” Alfie tells me.
“Why would I need to go through that door?” My gaze falls to Angus. He’s tapping away at his phone while trying to reach what I assume is my security team.
“Just do me a favor. Go to that door and put something on your body. Something like that accessory you wore to my mom’s gala.”
“Why are you talking so cryptically?”
“Because I’m in a meeting with the mayor,” he says.
“Why on earth did you answer your phone if you’re in a meeting, Alfie?”
“Because it was you.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to let you go and get back to your meeting. Thanks for letting me use your house.”
“Stay there. I’ll finish up here and meet you soon.”
I cut the call before any awkward goodbye happens. Then I turn to Angus. “Anything?”
“Nothing.” He frowns at his phone and hits another number.
“I don’t get how they can just disappear, and why isn’t any of the other team members answering your call?”
“Yeah, me either. But I’m sure everything will be fine,” Angus says.
The car stops at Alfie’s gates. I can’t reach the palm reader pad from where I’m sitting so I open the door and climb out.
Angus follows me, and I give him a look over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Being your shadow.”
“No one is going to jump out of the gardens, Angus.” I press my palm to the reader, and the gates open at the same time something loud rips through the air.
I turn and freeze. Angus falls against me and I barely stay upright with the weight of him.
“Angus!” I scream as what I now recognize as gunshots continue to ring out. “No!”
I fall to the ground, rolling Angus onto his back as I look at his chest. Blood seeps from his body. I lay my hands over the wound and press down.
“Angus!” I scream again, but he’s not answering me. His eyes aren’t looking at me. They’re peering straight up to the sky. “No, no, no!”
I cry as I keep pressure on the wound. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.
“Miss Olive, you need to come with me.” Someone pulls at my arm, trying to get me up from the ground.
I shake him off. “No, we need to help him!”
“We’re getting him out too. Come on,” the guy says as another man bends down and picks Angus up. It’s then that I stand and let the guy lead me into the back of a waiting car.
I watch as Angus is put into a separate SUV. “Where is he taking him?”
“The hospital, ma’am,” the guy says.
It occurs to me then that I don’t know this man. I’ve never seen him before and I’ve made it a point to notice all the goons Alfie has following me.
