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Adrenalineispumpingthroughmy veins as we step out of the room. Everyone is on high alert with our guns drawn. I wish I had an extra piece for Angel and Cassie, but we’ll have to make do. We are on the fourth floor and need to get down to the basement with no problems.
We move down the hall and into the elevator safely. Once inside, Royal instructs Angel and Cassie to move to the side, out of view, in case the elevator stops and the doors open. They would be sitting ducks if they stayed front and center.
Cassie helps Angel out of the chair, and the two of them move in front of the panel, pressing themselves against the wall. “Zeke’s not responding to any of my texts,” Cassie whispers to Angel.
“Seriously? That’s what you’re concerned about right now?” Lucky gets defensive, but Cassie just shrugs and rolls her eyes at her overprotective brother.
“Zeke can hold his own. I’m sure he’s fine.” Dante responds to stop their bickering before it goes any further. Cassie nods, accepting it for what it is at the moment.
The elevator stops on the second floor. I move to stand in front of Angel, hoping to guard her and Cassie from any danger lurking behind these doors. The guys quickly move to the wall on the other side.
The doors open up to reveal a cleaning lady pushing her supply cart. Royal shakes his head no at the lady as she stumbles back, startled by the scene in front of her.
The hospital's alarm system sounds fill the air while the doors refuse to close. I push the button a few more times, but nothing happens.
“If the hospital is on lockdown, then we’re screwed.” Lucky frowns, with worry written all over his face.
“Looks like we are taking the stairs the rest of the way,” Royal says as I step forward to check if the coast is clear.
Nurses and doctors start hustling to the nearest safe area, some closing patient doors before disappearing into rooms but nothing out of the ordinary.
“The coast is clear. We need to hurry,” I say as Dante places a hand on my shoulder, moving me out of the way.
“Angel, it'll be quicker if you get on my back and let me carry you,” Dante says, stepping up to Angel.
She backs away from him, but there’s nowhere to go. Her back’s against the wall, but she’s clearly looking for an exit strategy.
“Nope! Not happening. There’s no way that I’m putting you in danger like that. You won’t be able to use your gun if you need to and—,” her voice trails off as she tries to think of another reason she won’t do this.
“The guys can watch our back, but we need to move quickly, and you aren’t capable of doing that. So shut up and hop on,” he responds.
He hands Cassie his gun and then squats down in front of Angel, waiting for her to hop on with his arms held out wide behind him.
Angel pauses for a minute, most likely debating if she could actually make it to the basement. Then, with a sigh, she climbs on his back. Good girl.
“Have you ever held a gun, sis?” Lucky asks, looking at the way she’s holding the weapon. She nervously shakes her head no. “Here, let me show you.”
This should be good. Lucky’s guide to shooting 101. He quickly shows her how to flip the safety on and off, then tells her to aim and pull the trigger. “Alright, that seems easy enough, and hopefully, I won’t need it,” Cassie says as she tries to get a feel for the weapon in her grasp.
Royal anxiously steps up beside me while checking our route to the stairwell door. “Jax and I will head down first. At any sign of trouble, you need to break for cover. Angel and Dante stay in the middle of the pack so that you have protection. Then Cassie sticks close behind you, and Luck, watch our six.”
Everyone acknowledges the plan, then without hesitation, we move out.
We reach the doors and start moving down the stairs. I’m constantly looking back at Angel to make sure she’s okay.
She’s holding on to Dante for dear life as he takes the first flight of stairs. Every few stairs, he has to stop and readjust by lifting her higher to keep Angel from sliding down his back.
We make it to the first floor without an incident, but the moment we pass the landing area, the gunshots ring out through the stairwell. The sounds are coming from below us and behind us.
Peeking behind us, I see Lucky take a few shots, then a body drops to the landing pad we just passed.
The shots below have me worried that we might be running straight into a trap, but I’m prepared to protect everyone here with my life if it’s necessary.
We keep moving. I turn back just in time to see Angel stretch her neck over the balcony trying to catch a glance of the shooter, when suddenly she’s slapped upside the head from behind.
Whipping her head around, I see Cassie with a smug look on her face, staring her down.
“If you were trying to die today, then you should’ve said something sooner,” she mocks.
