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Callused hands covered mine, and warm breath fanned over my cheek.
“Breathe.” Lucas’s low command had me sucking in a breath and his scent. He gently moved my hands from over my ears, holding them in his own, and his lips grazed my ear. “Breathe, Piper. It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Unlike in the ice bath, his words were like a hit of Ativan calming my nerves, and I collapsed into his side. Lucas was here. I was safe.
He wrapped an arm around my back and the other under my knees before hauling me up to his chest.
“I’m going to get you out of here. The hall is filled with smoke. I’m going to need you to do something for me. Can you do that?” His low voice vibrated through my side, and I nodded with the smallest sound of affirmation.
“Press your face into my chest, breathe through my shirt, and keep your eyes shut.” He kept his voice calm and soothing, and I buried my face into his body. His spicy scent filled my senses and blocked out anything else.
“There you go. That’s my girl,” he rasped and placed a kiss on my forehead. “We’ll be out of here soon.”
“Let’s go.” Misty said, her voice strained.
The alarms were louder in the hall, and I covered my ears again. Lucas moved swiftly, and I clenched my fist into his shirt when I jostled against him as he descended the stairs. I held on to him like a life raft, the only thing tying me to consciousness.
A cool breeze drifted over me, and the echo of the stairwell disappeared to reveal the hum of a crowd. Lucas lowered me to the ground, murmuring reassurances, but my fingers didn’t loosen. I wasn’t ready to let him go. He pressed another kiss into my head, hauled me into his lap, and ran his fingers through my hair, gently pushing it back from my face.
We sat like that for several minutes, me breathing him in and him drawing circles on the small of my back before I was able to lift my head. There were hundreds of students around me, all clustered into groups. Several were in their pajamas or were shoeless, having rushed out of the building.
I looked up at Lucas, who was already watching me. His brows creased, and his eyes searched my face.
“It wasn’t a drill.” My voice was weak and broke around the words.
Lucas ran his thumb over my cheek, wiping away tears. “No, it wasn’t. I’ve got you though. You’re safe.”
“How?” I rubbed my temple and tried to clear my head. “How are you here?”
His chest rose and fell against me, and he tipped his head back before saying, “I wanted to check on you after what happened at the fair. I didn’t want to leave it that way.”
I huffed a small breath through my nose and leaned my head into his shoulder. “I think this makes up for it.”
His soft chuckle rumbled through me and soothed me even more. “Heads up, you’ve got a visitor.”
I’d barely turned when Misty came crashing down beside me, her eyes wide and her green hair curling wildly around her. “Jesus, Piper, are you okay? You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m alright. I guess I owe you an explanation.”
She eyed me, then relaxed. “Yeah you do, but it can wait—” Her words cut off, and she gasped. “Oh my God, oh my God. You’re Knight! Lucas Knight.”
Shit.
Her loud squeak nearly pierced my eardrums and drew the crowd’s attention.
Lucas whispered, “Yeah, but I don’t want to announce it right now.”
She lowered her voice to match his. “Of course not. Sorry. It’s just…I’m a huge fan.”
Misty turned on me, eyes pinched together. “You know him?” Accusation was clear in her voice.
Think.Maybe I could pretend I didn’t know who he was? “Ummm…”
“Killer, let’s go,” Lucas said, keeping me tucked into his chest but letting my legs drop to the ground as he stood.
I scrunched up my nose and grimaced. “Something else I can explain later.”
Misty placed her hands on her hips. “Ah, yeah.”
