Chapter Thirty #2
Scarlett’s shoulders relaxed as the Spencers disappeared to the other side of the lobby. “I don’t think Alastair even clocked who you were, Cass,” she said to her bodyguard.
“He’s not the most observant,” said Cass, earning a chuckle from Brayden.
“Seeing them was awkward.” Brayden put his arm around Scarlett as they got in the line for drinks.
“Yes, and I don’t know why Elestine brought up name changes in front of Alastair,” agreed Scarlett. “The bad news is, we’ll see them frequently at things like this, but the good news is, it can’t possibly be that awkward every time.”
“I hate to think of you attending these events alone once I go back. I can just hear them. ‘All alone tonight, Scarlett? Such a shame.’” Brayden ran a hand through his hair as he searched her face. “You know I’d stay if I could.”
She’d been afraid to ask when he’d be going. The way he was talking made his departure sound imminent. But she put on a brave face. They’d always known it would be this way.
“I won’t be alone. I can bribe Beni to be my date.”
Brayden gave her a pointed stare. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
She leaned into him. “I guess not. I get your point.”
As they waited for drinks, several gasps and a small shriek cut through the murmuring that filled the lobby, causing Scarlett and Brayden to turn toward the noise. Five men wearing balaclavas emerged from the far end of the lobby. The men headed straight toward them.
Pulling out her gun, Cass stepped in front of Scarlett. “Stop!” she shouted. “I’ll shoot you in the kneecap if you don’t stop! Brayden, get her out of here!”
Brayden took Scarlett’s hand, and they hurried toward the theater entrance.
They’d only gone a few feet when a gun fired, followed by a loud thump.
Scarlett’s chest tightened to the point of pain.
She saw Cass on the ground, her legs bound in rope weighted with balls the masked men must have thrown.
One of them was hunched over, rubbing his upper quad, but he didn’t look like someone who’d just been shot.
Cass fired again, but the men overtook her, and Scarlett’s jaw went slack as one of them tasered Cass and took her gun.
“Cass!” she cried. “Someone help her!”
Cass went limp on the ground.
The rest of the men were upon them too quickly.
Brayden shoved Scarlett behind him, raising his fists and knocking one of them down with a right hook to his jaw.
Brayden kicked out, dropping another to the ground, but two of the men grabbed his forearms and pulled them behind his back, while a third approached, pulling cuffs from his belt.
Each of them carried a handgun strapped to a utility belt.
Brayden splayed his hands, and Scarlett’s whole body tensed, knowing the fire he could call if he wanted to. But what would the consequences be if he did? His fists clenched as if his thoughts were mirroring hers.
Instead he slammed his left elbow into the gut of one of the men trying to restrain him, freeing his arm, but before he could disentangle himself, another man grabbed it and pulled it back again.
“Run, Scar!” yelled Brayden. “I’ll be—”
He was cut off as one of the men kneed him in the gut.
“Brayden!” screamed Scarlett. She turned frantically to the crowd for help. Many of the people closest to them were either hurrying away or staring with wide eyes, but Lord Buckland rushed toward them, his wife just behind him.
Scarlett spun around in time to see Brayden elbow one of the men in the face, freeing his arm again as the man’s blood sprayed across the floor. The third man jumped on him before Brayden could fully free himself.
“See here, unhand that young man!” shouted Lord Buckland.
“Go get security,” Scarlett called to his wife, who scurried toward the door.
Lord Buckland kneed one of the men holding Brayden in the stomach, and the man let out a loud groan but didn’t let go. The one who’d taken an elbow to the face ran at the lord with murder in his gaze. He hit him in the jaw, and Lord Buckland crumpled to the floor.
“What are you doing?” screamed Scarlett. “Who are you?”
One of the men holding Brayden spoke. “Time to grab her.”
The self-defense lessons she’d taken as a teenager came back to her, and Scarlett ran at the man closest to her and slammed the heel of her hand into his nose.
“Fucking bitch,” he said. He flung her to the floor, pulling his own set of handcuffs from his belt.
Scarlett scrambled away, her eyes darting around the lobby as she racked her brain for her next move. She hid behind the large statue, trying to keep out of sight of the man as he followed her around the base. Death was a heartbeat away.
I can’t lose Brayden. I can’t leave Beni. Those thoughts played over and over in her head as she stayed just out of the man’s reach.
“I’ve called the police!”
The words of the woman on the staircase distracted her, and Scarlett missed it when the masked man doubled back around the statue, only realizing her mistake when he hooked his arm around her waist.
“No!” Her shrieks filled the air as he threw her over his shoulder. Reaching for his head, she tried to smack him, but his hold on her was too tight. She screamed and hit his back as hard as she could with her fists. He didn’t even react.
The theater guards were rushing toward them, but they were still too far away to help her.
The man started to walk, with her over his shoulder, toward the staff entrance from which they’d come. He’d have her outside in a van in minutes if no one intervened.
“Brayden!” Her voice reached a new octave as true panic set in. She twisted, trying to see what was happening, as blood rushed to her head. Seeing Brayden on his knees, she let out a sob, sure she was losing him and unable to do anything to stop it. She was being carried away.
No. This can’t be the end.
“Scarlett!” bellowed Brayden, his gaze locking onto her. “Scarlett!”
The lights flickered and went out.
Cass?
A second later, a brilliant inferno erupted.
Screams filled the room. Scarlett gasped at the heat of Brayden’s flames. The men holding him collapsed with cries of pain as his flames climbed the bloodred drapes lining all the walls of the lobby.
The man holding Scarlett whirled toward the fire and was consequently taken by surprise as security guards tackled him. A shot, and her captor screamed and collapsed to the floor, still holding on to her. Scarlett cried out as her body slammed into the marble, the man’s weight crushing her legs.
The lights flickered back on—not that it made much difference with the flames growing around them.
Cass stumbled toward Scarlett, free of her bindings. “Are you all right?” Her face was full of concern.
“Help Brayden,” Scarlett yelled as one of the guards helped her off the ground while the other cuffed her assailant.
Before Cass could, Brayden rushed toward them.
He’d freed both his hands. The cuffs and part of the tuxedo’s sleeves had been burned off, but to her relief, he appeared unharmed.
Small flames danced across his skin—the aftermath of whatever he’d done.
She gaped at all the assailants he’d laid out with his fire, their masks and their clothes burning away as they writhed and moaned in pain.
Brayden took her face in his hands and looked her up and down. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, coughing as she inhaled smoke. “I’m fine.” But a sudden wave of nausea said otherwise. She willed her stomach to cooperate as she grasped his hand, pulling him toward the exit.
He used magic. What should I do? Nori, help me. We can’t run, can we?
“There’s nowhere to run,” said her light. “What’s done is done. You both survived—that’s all that matters. Keep breathing.”
A fire alarm sounded, and the sprinkler system went off above them. Scarlett shivered as water rained down. The flames had spread up the fabric along the walls and were licking the ceiling, but the sprinklers halted their progress.
The alarm was still blaring in Scarlett’s ears as she and Brayden emerged onto the rainy street, followed closely by Cass.
Three police cars pulled up, along with a fire truck and an ambulance.
Brayden held Scarlett as she breathed in the fresh night air.
Knowing they probably only had seconds, she grasped him tightly, pressing herself into his chest.
“I almost lost you,” he whispered in her ear. “We should have gotten the North Star runes. You’d be so much safer.”
She coughed. “I’m just glad we’re both alive.”
“Me too, but the smoke wouldn’t be making you cough right now if you had my powers.” His voice shook as she held on to him.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said. “I’m sorry you had to. I don’t know what the police will do. Maybe under the circumstances they’ll minimize the charges.” But a fresh wave of nausea rose as if to contradict her. She knew they wouldn’t be lenient.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad I was here tonight. No matter what happens next.”
Firemen rushed past them with a large hose. Cass pulled out her phone, and Scarlett heard her speaking to Tyler.
“There,” said a woman. “The one holding the lady in red. He started the fire.”
Two officers rushed toward them, guns in hand.
“You—hands off her! Put them up in the air!”
“No!” shrieked Scarlett. “He isn’t the one who caused this.”
Releasing Scarlett, Brayden put his hands up. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart,” he said. “They’re only doing their jobs.”
“You’re under arrest for assault with deadly magic,” said one of the officers. “Face down on the ground now.”
The pavement was wet from the rain, but Brayden did as they said. The officers wrenched his hands behind his back and pushed his face into the concrete as they cuffed him.
“This is outrageous,” said Scarlett. “We were attacked in the lobby. My bodyguard was tasered, and they were trying to abduct us. My husband saved us. Don’t arrest him.
” She kneeled next to Brayden, hovering over him.
Hearing him scream her name just before he burst into flames—he’d have killed them all for her.
He was hers, and she was his, and they couldn’t take him from her.
“Detectives will be along shortly to bring in witnesses for statements. Get out of the way, unless you want us to arrest you too,” said an officer. He took her roughly by the arm and pulled her away from Brayden. Cass caught her and helped her stand.
“You’re supposed to protect people, not arrest the victim!” she yelled, but they ignored her, hauling Brayden upright and walking him toward a police car.
Scarlett and Cass followed.
“I’ll hire a lawyer! I promise.” Scarlett’s voice shook as she tried to force her way closer to Brayden. A photographer’s camera flashed, but she ignored it.
“Get in touch with my father,” said Brayden over his shoulder. “Don’t leave Cass’s side.”
“Quiet,” said one of the officers as they pushed his head down into the back of the car.
“We’ll follow you to the station. I love you!”
Scarlett’s words were cut off as the officer slammed the door shut. She stood on the curb staring at the car carrying Brayden away as the rain poured.
People were talking, but she stared straight ahead, unhearing.
He fought for me, and I’ll fight for him until he’s free.