“Sorry,” Riley said. “But she keeps introducing herself to me!”
“Didn’t she steal your husband?” Chelsea asked.
“She sure did,” Griffin said cheerfully. He was still sweating.
“This must be really awkward for you,” Chelsea observed.
“It’s not great.”
“Don’t mind Bella,” Griffin said, reaching for Riley’s hand. She snatched it away. “She has female face blindness.”
“Female face blindness?” Riley repeated.
He nodded. “She only recognizes men. It’s a medical condition.”
Riley blinked slowly, then shook her head. “I’m not dying here with you people.”
“So who should be first in line to attack this guy?” he asked. “I never cared for Armand. I don’t like his urinal cake placement.”
“Fine. He’ll go first,” Chelsea decided. “Then maybe that guy over there by the bagels. I don’t like his shirt.”
“That’s Rose. She didn’t sign my birthday card this year. Maybe she should go first?”
“You people can’t just decide who lives and who dies,” Riley hissed. This is what was wrong with the world. People like Griffin and Chelsea who had overinflated senses of importance wielding power over others.
As the clock ticked closer and closer to noon, Riley saw Chris Yang get more fidgety.
“What a ratings gold mine. I hope he shoots Griffin on camera.”
She flinched, instinctively wanting to tune out his thoughts, then realized it might be the only way she could get them all out of this.
“Will you both shut up? I need to concentrate,” she whispered.
Griffin frowned. “Concentrate on what?”
“Just shut up and let me think,” Riley snapped.
“No need to get so crabby. If you’re wondering why our marriage didn’t work out, that right there is a big reason. You yelled at me a lot.”
“You deserved it,” she growled. “Now, shut up and let me think.”
She could hear sirens outside. Sirens meant cops. Cops didn’t like to let entire TV studios full of people die. This was good news.
There was a happy humming coming from somewhere. Like someone in the room didn’t have a care in the world…or a clue. Riley stole a glance at Bella, who wasn’t moving or blinking. She was just sitting there looking like a dazed Disney princess. Either she was some kind of Zen master, or the woman had nothing going on upstairs.
Deciding it really didn’t matter at this point, Riley closed her eyes and dropped into the clouds. “Okay, spirit guides. I need some help here. Give me something that will help stop Hudson.”
Voices crowded into her head immediately. It was an overwhelming cacophony of anxiety and worries.
“We better be getting overtime for this.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to die with all these assholes.”
“I really wish I wouldn’t have had that second helping of Thai food last night. I don’t know if this hostage-taker will let me go to the bathroom.”
“Thorn, if you can read me. I’m here, and I’m gonna get you out. And then I’m going to yell at you for at least a week.”
Relief coursed through her. Nick was there, and he wasn’t going to let her die next to her stupid ex-husband.
