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Olivia has been at St. Barts for months, but for the first time, I feel like the distance that has between us for years might actually be bridged. Hugging her over Richard Ashbridge’s unconscious body seems like a bad idea, but all I want to do is throw my arms around her and cry.
“We’re out of time,” Vaughn announces, interrupting the moment. “It’s time to wrap this up if you want to get out before the roof caves in.”
A perfectly timed explosion goes off above our heads, shaking the walls. The boom is immediately followed by the distinct sound of a fire alarm going off. Olivia and Vaughn exchange an unreadable glance before they both abruptly turn away.
I rush after them, but come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. “What about him?”
Vaughn’s gaze lands on where his grandfather still slumps unconscious in his wheelchair. “The elevator will be out of service with the alarms going off.”
“You could carry him.”
“I could,” he acknowledges. “But I won’t.”
“Vaughn…”
“If either of my brothers care at all, one of them will back come for him.”
Leaving the old man to die in a fire feels a lot like just outright killing him. I hesitate for another second until the smell of smoke burns in my nostrils and a wash of prickly heat washes over me.
But some people aren’t worth saving.
Upstairs is a madhouse. Heels clack loudly on the marble floors as people run for the exits and I briefly lose sight of Olivia and Vaughn.
I see their backs through a sudden gap in the crowd, just as someone yells my name.
Drake comes down the tall stairs, Felicia stumbling beside as he supports most of her weight. I nearly burst into tears when I see them hurrying toward me.
Drops of blood red dot the front of his dress shirt. My gaze lingers there for a beat before I give Felicia a worried look. “Did she get hurt?”
“Just a little too much to drink,” he replies grimly. “We have to get out of here.”
Olivia abruptly turns back when she realizes I stopped following her. She rushes up and grabs my arm, barely sparing Felicia and Drake a glance. “This way.”
Drake shoots me an incredulous look. Ignoring that, I reach for his hand, only to find it isn’t empty. “What is that?”
He tucks an oversized book into his side. “The ledger. Don’t worry about it.”
I open my mouth to ask why he doesn’t just put it down somewhere when Olivia shouts for us again.
The crowd rushes for the front doors, but Olivia leads us in the opposite direction and into a service corridor lined with boxes. Whatever service workers worked back here have already evacuated.
“Through here.” Olivia shoves open a door marked For Emergency Use Only and holds it open. “A black SUV is parked in the alley. Just get in the back of it and go.”
Drake goes first, supporting Felicia, who barely moves her legs as he forces her to walk and has her eyes almost completely closed. It isn’t until the door starts to close behind me that I realize Olivia isn’t coming outside with us.
I grab for the door. “What are you doing?”
Olivia blows out an annoyed rush of air. “We have to do one more thing. Don’t wait for us.”
It’s only then I realize Vaughn isn’t with us, either. The hallway behind her is empty. “I thought you said the building was coming down.”
“It is. Which is why I don’t have any time to waste on this conversation.” She tries to pull the door shut, but I hold it fast. “Gigi, I have to go.”
On impulse, I rip the door open and wrap my arms around her in a hug. The hug that I should have given her from the very moment she walked into the suite at the start of term, alive and well. “Please be careful.”
She returns the hug, squeezing me tight. “I always loved you, Gigi. Even when I hated you.”
I press my forehead against hers, just letting us breathe the same air for a few seconds. “I’ve never hated you.”
