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“Why do you say that?”
“Franco Acosta doesn’t tolerate failure. As soon as we can, we need to see if we can shut down any means he has to escape the country.”
There was a pop, crackle, and a tiny bit of static before Seth’s voice came over her comm unit. “Miley?”
“Seth. We’re in the wine cellar. The two doors have high voltage attached to them, and the one window looks to be wired for explosives.”
“Liam is already working on disarming some explosive devices. Are either of you hurt?”
“Only our pride. Why on earth we thought it was safe to drink sweet tea, I’ll never know. Damon believes Acosta is on the run, and he just left soldiers here.”
“That is our assessment, as well. The feds are taking those he left here into custody as we speak and are closing down all the airports in the area, but it may be too late.”
“Miley? It’s Liam. Is there any way you and Damon can take shelter? The explosive devices are on a timer and are motion sensitive. They also appear to be tied into the high voltage devices. I think our best bet is a controlled explosion but with the two of you down there, we’re going to need to make sure you’re safe.”
Miley looked around. “There’s nothing here but wine bottles, or as we used to call it in the Middle East, shrapnel.”
Damon took Miley’s comm unit from her. “Liam? It’s Damon. There’s a kind of oubliette below the wine cellar. We’ll need a couple of minutes to activate it, get down to it and have it close. There’s a riddling rack and if you take the three bottles with Xs on their bottoms, pull them out and push them back in, it will open the stairway. It’s offset from the walls and in the middle of the room. A controlled explosion should leave it intact. But if it doesn’t, at least you’ll know where we are.”
Miley grabbed the comm unit back. “We should be able to transmit when the stairwell starts to close. Give us five minutes after that and we should be sealed in.”
“Got it,” said the Irishman. “We’ll see you in a few minutes. If we lose the ability to activate the stairs from the wine cellar, we’ll figure out another way in. Hang in there; we’re coming. Take care of each other.”
Damon activated the secret stairwell, and they ran down the steps. The first time they’d been far more cautious as the unknown had awaited them. This time once they reached the bottom, they moved to the far end and waited. The ceiling over their heads had not appeared to be part of the floor above that became the staircase. Once they were in place, it didn’t take long for the stairs to begin to collapse and vanish, taking with it the meager light from above.
“Charleston or Chicago?” she asked.
“I’d prefer Charleston. All of my business interests are here as is The Carriage House.”
“I don’t suppose you’d be open to my commuting between the two cities.”
“I’ll do what I have to do to keep you safe and by my side. I think that’s more easily accomplished here in Charleston. How about we get through this first?”
“Probably a good idea. I meant what I said, Damon. I love you and there’s no one I’d rather spend my life with—however long or short—than you.”
“I feel the same way. Whatever stands in our way, we’ll figure it out because that’s what committed couples in love do. And I want an answer to my earlier question.”
He gathered her close and she placed her head on his chest. “I’m confused, what question would that be?”
“Miley Stuart, love of my life, will you marry me?”
Whatever Miley might or might not have said was drowned out by a succession of cacophonous explosions as the walls, roof, and floor shook all around them.
CHAPTER19
MILEY
As the explosions began, Damon crushed her to his chest, pushing her back against the wall and covering her with his own body. Oddly she was neither angry that he was trying to protect her nor frightened that they might die.
They say your life flashes before you in those few moments before your death. Miley saw her life, but not the one that had gone before. She saw the one she could have with Damon. The one where he bitched at her about her language, the danger she often faced, and how much she spent on shoes. Well, that last one was probably a non-starter. As he had pointed out to Fitz, Damon had more money than God. And even if he got angry with her, they had a language that would allow them to communicate in a far deeper way than those who didn’t embrace the lifestyle or didn’t find one of their own. He might turn her ass bright red, but he’d make up for it in his passionate embrace.
As the house shook, and they could feel parts of it collapsing, Damon’s head came down, his dominant mouth forcing hers to surrender as she clung to him, her tongue dancing with his in a silky glide. That kiss offered her far more protection than his body shielding hers ever would. She felt the love flowing between them and drank it in. His kisses were intoxicating, but no tequila had ever made her that drunk or happy. All her fears melted under the onslaught of that kiss. Miley knew as she let Damon lead her in the kiss, that he was the right man at the right time, and all she had to do to get everything she ever wanted was to say yes.
Whether it was the explosions or use of the riddling rack didn’t matter. What did matter was the ceiling above them began to open. Smoke entered the room in concert with the light. When the smoke had cleared, Miley could still hear the sound from the explosions reverberating in her ears. It was disorienting and a bit disconcerting.
“It’s all right, baby, the ringing will take a few minutes, but it’ll stop,” said Damon. She couldn’t actually hear him, but she could read his lips.
Liam, Seth, and Brock were the first ones down the staircase. They tried to separate them to help them up the stairs, but neither Miley nor Damon was willing to allow anyone to separate them. As they ascended into a world filled with smoke, light, and rubble, she could see the damage the explosions had done to the building.
