Chapter Sixteen
A boom shook the walls, and people started screaming.
Abi scrambled to put his pants back on. He was halfway there when Nash lifted Abi into his arms and headed for the door as though he feared what was happening outside.
But inside, Abi knew Nash was relieved. He still could have let Abi finish getting dressed.
As it was, Abi’s ass hung out and his pants only covered one leg.
The announcer’s microphone screeched right before the music died.
Everyone in the room also headed for the exit.
Mallor practically threw the naked man off his lap. The man cried out when he fell to the floor but scrambled up, heading for a small bar on the right side of the room. He must have kept his clothing there.
Nash changed direction when he saw Mallor head for the left side of the room. Mallor tucked his cock back into his pants as the guard moved the buffet away from the wall.
The guard pressed a panel and let Mallor enter, but he blocked Nash from entering.
Mallor turned, seeing Nash and Abi behind them. He hesitated as if he didn’t want them to follow, but he sighed. “Let them pass, Edgar,” he said, with no small amount of calculation.
“Yes, sir.” Edgar held the door/wall for them, and they passed through, following Mallor down a set of stairs. Most of the light came from the opening, but when Edgar shut it behind him, small lights lit up the stairs. They were dim, making the way treacherous.
Nash’s hold on Abi tightened.
The stairs were industrial, metal with slats through them—the kind a warehouse would have.
Abi could see the concrete floor below them. It looked far away.
“I’ve got you, mate,” Nash whispered.
Abi’s breath was shaky. He clutched Nash tighter. He officially didn’t love industrial stairs that steep.
Abi sighed in relief again when they reached the bottom.
“This passage leads to the house. From there, we can leave through the back door.” Mallor didn’t stop or slow his pace as he spoke. “My driver can drop you off wherever you would like.”
“Thank you, sir.” Nash’s jaw ticked. Abi could feel Nash’s apprehension even through their weak bond.
The tunnel echoed, making whispers an instinctive response more than a necessity. Even Mallor had a hushed tone.
Metal pipes ran along the walls. Some were smaller than others. The sound of water rushing through them echoed off the walls.
Are you and Nash out of the building? Peter must be ready to blow up the building.
We’re in the tunnels under it, probably near the house by now.
Tell us when you’re out of the area.
Got it.
The tunnel did indeed lead into the house. In fact, it led to the basement. Mallor pushed a concrete wall, and it moved as if it didn’t weigh a ton.
Edgar moved ahead of them, pulling his gun from its holster.
The way he held the gun reminded Abi of law enforcement.
Edgar might have been a cop before Mallor got his claws on him.
He cleared the basement before moving up the stairs.
It was a full two minutes before he came back. “It’s clear, sir.”
They made it out of the house, where a black car was out of sight of the arena lot.
Edgar held the car door for them and then got into the driver’s seat.
Abi put his pants on the rest of the way before holding onto Nash. His instinct was to shift into something small and hide, but he stopped himself. No way did he want to show his hand too soon.
They made their way down a path through the woods. Abi had a hard time calling it a driveway or a road. It was more like a two-track. The car bounced when the tires hit the ruts.
The silence grew uncomfortable. We’re clear.
Mallor had a crease in his forehead as he gazed out the window. When he turned to them, he met Abi’s gaze before addressing Nash. “You had nothing to do with the attack, did you?”
“No, sir,” Nash answered, without changing his stoic expression.
Mallor nodded and turned to the window again. “Where can we drop you off?”
Nash rattled off their hotel and the address. “Thank you for getting us out of there, sir.”
Mallor didn’t respond.