Chapter 17
MAGGIE
The world vanished. Quite literally. One second I was in the middle of a ballroom, my body thrumming with what had happened in Theo’s office and the promise of what it all meant still flowing through me. And then there was nothing. Just abject darkness.
A moment later the laughter died down and the clinking of silverware on china all but disappeared, then the music stopped. All of it was replaced by screaming and shouting.
Panic mingled with breaking glass and scraping furniture. “Theo?”
“I’m right here, love.” But he was no longer seated. His voice was above me. And even though his words were tender, his voice was not. There was a harshness I’d never heard before. “You stay seated.”
Hunter’s voice was gruff. “Here’s a comm’s unit.” As my eyes adjusted I saw him hand something to Theo. “Shiloh?”
“Sitting on the other side of Maggie.” I’d heard her use that harsh voice before. Back when she was a cop. “Do we know what is happening?”
“My guess is Fred Ripper.” Theo’s words startled me. “I bet he’s responsible for the breach in our server room, too. But they won’t be able to access anything. I’m guessing that it's a diversion to get us there and leave everyone here exposed.”
I heard what he was not saying. I would be alone and exposed. Fred was after me.
“Hunter, get Maggie and Tiff to the panic room.” Theo’s voice was a harsh growl I did not recognize. Not even a few hours earlier he had poured all that raw desire into me. Claimed me. That man was gone. In front of me was a stranger. “Take Ryder as well.”
“Like fucking hell.” Ryder’s voice toggled between fear and anger. “I’m not leaving Shiloh.”
“Yes, you are.” My sister's voice had softened in that disgusting way it did when she spoke with Ryder. “You’re going to let me do my job. I’m trained for this, babe. Don’t let me lose focus by having to worry about you as well.”
“Fine.” His voice was low and filled with resignation. In the low light, the emotion flowing between the two of them was almost tangible. He squeezed her hand hard, an understanding of who they were, the trust they had built.
Trust I wasn’t so sure I had.
“Let’s go.” Hunter held my bicep, and his voice was nothing more than a low growl. “Tiffany, move around the table and get to me now.”
As my eyes adjusted I could make out my friend moving around until she was next to me.
Then the four of us were on the move. While people around us panicked and rushed, Hunter moved with a calmness that would’ve been frustrating if I hadn’t grown up with an ex-Marine.
The screams and shouts of those around were a little disconcerting, especially when we couldn’t see if it was panic of the unknown or a genuine concern.
When a woman fell over, nearly causing me to trip over her, Hunter instructed Ryder to pick me up while he did the same with Tiffany.
The movement of a flashlight illuminated a man at the entrance to the ballroom.
My breath hitched. I only got a quick glimpse, but it was enough.
He was too still, too dark, his eyes burning with cold calculating pleasure. Fred.
“Oh no.” My voice was low, and there was no mistaking the tremble of fear coating my words.
Hunter glanced over his shoulder. “He can’t see us. At least, not yet.”
As we made our way out through a small doorway and down a concrete corridor the screams of the other guests began to dull. The hallway was dark though, and once more our eyes needed to adjust.
Tiffany’s voice echoed along the walls. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.” Hunter was only a step or two ahead of me and Ryder. “Can the two of you walk in those heels or do you need us to carry you further.”
“We can take the fucking shoes off.” Tiffany echoed my thoughts. “We’re not pampered princesses.”
“I can walk from here.” My voice was nothing more than a whisper as I spoke to Ryder.
I pulled off the sparkly stilettos, my bare feet registering the cold concrete as we rushed down the hallway.
Ryder kept his grip on me as we followed Hunter, and I was sure I’d have finger sized bruises on my bicep.
I was also almost certain that Theo would want to ‘have a word with Ryder’ when he saw them.
But the truth was, I appreciated the fact that he held on to me.
I was important to his wife and his friend.
He wasn’t going to let anything happen to me.
We hadn’t gone far when Hunter came to an abrupt stop causing Ryder and I to crash into him and Tiffany.
Even though my legs were like a pair of overcooked noodles I managed to keep myself upright.
My eyes had adjusted just enough for me to work out that we stood in front of a steel door.
At least, I hoped it was a door or we would be going nowhere.
Hunter didn’t fumble with a key. He pushed his hand against a gadget against the wall. The pad lit up and two beeps ringed out. A moment later a heavy thunk echoed in the narrow space. The door hissed and opened about an inch. Hunter shoved it with his shoulder. “Inside. All three of you.”
I stepped inside, and my toes sank into the plush carpet. “What is this place?”
Hunter switched the light on and the room illuminated. A table and a few chairs. A mini fridge and a TV. It didn’t look like a long term solution, but anyone would be okay spending a few hours in this room.
“Safe room.” Hunter answered with just a hint of no duh to his voice. “Theo has one here, in his office building, and in the house as well.”
Tiffany followed me in. “Why does my brother need a safe room?”
“That’s a question best left for him to answer.” Hunter turned to Ryder. “You can lock it from the inside. Push the bar down and one of us will enter the code when we’re ready to get you. You do not open it for anyone. Not me, not Theo. And not your wife. Not without the code word.”
“Code word. Right.” Ryder nodded. “What code word?”
“Cowgirl. They will knock and tell you the code word. It’s that or nothing. Now close the door and push that bar down.”
Ryder did as Hunter instructed. With a loud thud he dropped the bar and we were sealed in.
Cut off from the rest of the world.
As soon as that door closed, the silence was absolute and more than a little disconcerting.
No more shouts and screams. The sounds of heels clacking had disappeared.
The only thing we could hear was the ragged, heavy breathing of the three of us as the adrenaline started to fade and dread started to settle in.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” I repeated the statement over and over. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Ryder paced from one end of the room to the other. His long strides highlighted just how small the space actually was. “She’s okay.” It seemed he had a similar mantra to mine. “She’s trained and she’s with her team. Fred was small fry compared to what she could actually handle.”
He was right of course. Shiloh had been a police officer before she joined Salinger Security. Everyone was aware of what she could do. Hunter as well. He probably knew a thousand different ways to neutralize a small timer like Fred.
No, the surprise was Theo. That commanding voice, I’d never heard before.
I’d heard him plenty bossy. In fact, just before we’d left for the evening he’d shown me just how bossy he could be.
But there was something different about the way he’d taken charge.
More importantly, the way Nick and Hunter had let him take charge.
That was something we needed to discuss.
Tiffany shifted closer to me and she tugged at the blue satin until she was comfortable. She pushed her foot against mine to get my attention. The hot pink polish against her pale toes were such a contrast to my light brown feet and nude pink polish. I looked up and met her gaze.
She shook her head. “Fred or Theo? What do we tackle first?”
“Might as well start off with my just stupid enough to be dangerous ex-husband, I suppose.” I had no idea what the man was trying to achieve, but it was obvious he was not going to succeed. “Can’t he just leave me alone?”
Ryder finally sat on one of the chairs, resting his elbows on the table. “Obviously not. That man is a narcissist and he’s behaving like someone stole his favorite toy.”
“He was here for you, Maggie.” Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how he planned to succeed, but I think his plan was to kidnap you.”
The events of the last several minutes ricocheted through my mind.
First, there was the alert that someone had breached Snow servers.
Theo’s reaction was natural. Normal even.
He was the CEO of a multi billion dollar company, it was natural he would spring into action.
But that was clearly a distraction. The question was whether the intent was to distract him or get him on alert.
I may not have been a CEO or even have the skills that Shiloh seemed to have but I wasn’t useless. The slow and steady success of The Reverse Cowgirl was testament to the fact that I was a strategist.
The time between the alert coming through and lights going out was suspicious. Not enough time to even leave the room, let alone be far enough away to kidnap me.
“I think Fred wanted things to look like he intended to take me.”
“Maggie.” Tiff’s voice was soft but her mind was working too. “Remember, I said I think Theo was hiding something? I think he’s more than the CEO my father wanted him to be.”
Ryder rolled his eyes at the two of us. “Really? You think?”
I shook my head and ignored the man who was going out of his mind worrying about his fiancée. “I agree. What’s more, I think Fred knew. He knew that a threat to me would force Theo out of whatever cover thing he was in.”
He played it well. He gambled that Theo was hiding this part of himself from me and he was right. The question was would I let him get his way.
Before I could think things through further, a heavy metallic THUD rattled the door, shaking the bar in its brackets. Then came the sound of metal scraping.
All three of us stood, startled at the sound that was not meant to be there. Ryder moved forward and pressed his full weight against the door. Tiffany joined to help him.
With my heart leaping into my throat, I shoved my shoulder against the cold metal door. The silence was gone. Another sound… metal scraping, slow and deliberate.
Someone was out there and they wanted in.