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Zayne threw me to the ground and covered my body with his. I struggled to breathe from the impact.
“Chance! Chance!” I yelled. “Zayne, we’ve gotta fucking find Chance.”
“Stay down, Holden,” Zayne ordered.
Another ball of fire ripped through the air, and people screamed and ran as I lay on the asphalt, overwhelmed with fear and worry.
Embers from the fire landed all around us, sending men and women fleeing in the opposite direction as fast as they could move. What the fuck is happening? First River and now 4 Play.
Zayne hopped off me and pulled me to my feet. “Go!” He pointed to the parking lot where he’d parked the Mercedes. We hauled ass across the street.
“Chance is in the fucking club, Zayne!” My throat was dry and raw from the smoke and screaming for my best friend.
Zayne’s face fell as my words registered with him. “Holden.” He nodded, and I slowly turned to see what he was pointing at.
My pulse galloped, and goosebumps broke over my arms as my attention flew around the space. The fire raged to life, consuming this side of the building. I rubbed at my chest, where my heart continued to hurl itself against my ribs. The palpitations were full of fear, adrenaline, and shock. There was no way that Chance would be able to walk away from the destruction in front of me. Fuck the penthouse and club. I had insurance, but I’d never be able to replace my best friend. My brother.
I sank to my knees, unable to rip my eyes from the flames as an anguished cry tore through me. The mere idea of Chance not surviving fucking gutted me and ripped my insides apart.
It was more than I could take. Between losing the love of my life and now Chance, I was done. Whoever had decided my fate had won. I placed my hands against the asphalt, pebbles digging into my palms, but I didn’t give a fuck.
My phone rang, and I answered it without glancing at the number.
“How’s that offer looking to you now, son?”
White-hot rage coursed through me, and I rose to my feet, my jaw clenching so tight it shot pain through my head. Everything I’d worked so goddamned hard for had been destroyed the minute I’d told that son of a bitch no.
“You did this?” My voice cracked, and I ground my teeth together. “Did you set fire to my club to force me to work with you?” My attention cut over to Zayne.
“I personally didn’t. I have plenty of people to take care of those annoying jobs for me. And a piece of advice, don’t look at it as if I’m forcing anything, Holden. Simply consider it a nudge in the right direction. Since you’ll be tied up for a while, I’ll check in soon. Until then, think about my offer.”
Tim disconnected the line, and my hand lowered to my side. I looked at Zayne, dazed. “Tim just admitted he set fire to the club to persuade me to work for him. I hope like hell that motherfucker was driving his car when he confessed to it.” Whether Tim realized it or not, he’d put a target on his back because, at that moment, I swore that I’d hunt the piece of shit down, torture him, and if I was in a good mood, end his miserable life. However, I wasn’t opposed to the idea of making him suffer for years.
Zayne placed his hand on my shoulder. “Holden.” He pointed to a body bag.
Fear squeezed my heart and crushed my lungs. Without even thinking, I ran toward the stretcher and prayed like a desperate man that Chance wasn’t in it.
Chapter Eleven
“Excuse me. Excuse me!” I weaved through the crowd that had gathered after the explosions. Why people gravitated toward the building, I wasn’t sure. At least the officers had a barricade now, but I needed to find out what the hell was going on, even if I had to be sneaky about it.
“Holden, I know the officer,” Zayne said from beside me. I’d been so focused on the body bag I hadn’t realized he was still next to me.
“Can he give us some information?” My eyes gravitated to the building, to the flames licking through the shattered windows. The thick smoke made it difficult to see, and I used my shirt to cover my nose in order to breathe.
“Officer Walters,” Zayne said, approaching the cop.
The officer grinned and shook Zayne’s hand. “Never expected you to be here, Wilson. How the hell are you?”
Zayne motioned for me to join them. “I’ve been better. I need a favor if possible. This is Holden Alastair. He owns the building, and his friend was inside when the explosions went off.”
The cop's face fell. “I’m sorry, it’s not safe for anyone to get any closer. Is there another way I can help?”
My hands trembled at my sides, and I balled them into fists. “Are you able to tell me who is in the body bag? Or at least if it’s Chance Anderson? He’s my best friend and the manager of 4 Play. He was working when the fire started.” Little beads of sweat formed on the nape of my neck, and my pulse throbbed wildly.
“Let me see what I can find out.” The officer nodded at us, then walked over to the stretcher with the black bag. He blocked our view as the EMT lowered the zipper. Officer Walters nodded, then hurried back to us.
“Holden, it’s a female.” Before I had time to feel relieved, panic seized me again. What if River had returned to the club?
