He grinned, talking directly into my ear. “You didn’t seem to have a problem eating meat the other night, baby.”
Instantly, I heard a multitude of curses, groans, and Shayne’s rather amused voice. “By all means, don’t remind him that you’re on comms, Way. I’m rather enjoying the entertainment.”
“Shit,” I groaned, face-planting in my palm.
“What?”
Rather than tell him, I casually pointed to my ear. While I blushed the shade of a fire truck, the bastard had the audacity to smile wider. Men were idiots.
After dinner was dessert, which I declined; having a hard enough time keeping the beef from reappearing. Then it was time for Finn’s speech. When he stood, I grabbed my purse and went with him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Duncan parallel us on the right while Shayne did the same on the left. A small stage had been erected at the front of the room. It wasn’t big enough for the both of us, so I moved off to the side, but stayed close enough to intervene. Amongthe party-goers, my team did their best to blend in. Keaton was near the bathrooms, hidden mostly in the shadows. Koen held a position near the entrance, while Noah and Lanie roamed the room in opposite directions. All heads were on a constant swivel, looking for any signs of danger.
“Is this thing on?” He tapped the microphone, getting the desired cackle from the crowd. “Good evening and welcome. First off, please join me in thanking my favorite executive assistant, Noreen Masterson, for putting together such a wonderful event. Take a bow, Noreen.”
Hoots and hollers rang out among the thunderous claps. Not surprisingly, it seemed the older woman had earned the respect of everyone in the room. She waved her hand through the air a few times, then tipped her head to Finn. He picked up on her cue, continuing where he left off.
“The real reason we’re all here tonight though, is all of you. I may be the face of Lachlan Industries, but you all are its heart and soul. Twenty-three years ago, when I started this company in the basement of my father’s home, I had one goal; to make it on my own. What I didn’t realize at the time was that my goal was flawed, or rather my thinking was. It wasn’t about what I could accomplish on my own, it was about whatwecould accomplish together.”
Finn was passionate about his company and the work they did. I could’ve listened to him talk for hours, but after a few minutes, I tuned him out to concentrate on the crowd. The waitstaff was milling around, going in between tables to collect dishes and refill drinks. Could one of them be the stalker? Could it be the woman at the very back table who seemed to be hanging on Finn's every word? Or what about the gentleman with the wire-rimmed glasses, who kept taking them off to wipe them on his shirt every few minutes. Was it a nervous habit, or was he planning something? Forall we knew, the stalker wasn’t even here. It was so damn frustrating.
“The foundation of any good business is built on trust. That trust has allowed Lachlan Industries to soar above the competition. We’re not only a leader in the world of technology, we’re about to do something that’s never been done before, and it’s all because of the men and women in this room. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your dedication, your loyalty, and your desire to make the world better. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
The roar of applause and screech of chairs sliding across the floor was near deafening as Finn received a standing ovation from his employees. It was so loud; it could easily drown out the sound of a gunshot. With that thought in mind, I sprinted up the set of steps on the side of the stage, grabbed Finn’s hand, and tugged him down the other side. Duncan and Keaton were there in an instant, flanking us.
“What happened?” Duncan barked.
Before I could answer, the world around us erupted into a massive ball of heat and flames.
Finn
My brain hadn’t registered what was happening when Waverly threw herself at me, taking us both to the ground. I took the brunt of the fall, then rolled to cover her body with mine. The initial explosion lasted seconds, yet the aftermath would live rent-free in my nightmares forever. Even over the ringing in my ears, I heard the wail of the fire alarm mixed with the terrified screams of my employees. The fire suppression system kicked in almost immediately, showering the room with enough water to put out the fire, but the damage wasdone.
She wiggled underneath me. “Finn, are you hurt?”
“No. You?” I got to my feet, holding out a hand to help her up.
“I’m fine, but I’ve got to check on everyone else.”
“We’re good, Way.”
Duncan’s hazy form appeared through a wall of smoke and ash. Behind him, the rest of her team was scattered about. Some were assessing the injured while others were helping Shayne herd those who could walk toward the back exit of the basement. Everywhere I turned, there was devastation. Then I saw it. A large hole in the south wall, directly behind the stage I’d been standing on. If Waverly hadn’t…
“Don’t go there, Finn.” Duncan clasped my shoulder. “We’re alive. That’s all that matters.”
“People could’ve died tonight because of me.”
“No.” His grip tightened. “People could’ve died because some monster set off a motherfucking bomb in a room full of people.”
“None of this is on you, Finn.” Waverly curled a hand around my elbow. “Do you hear me? None of it. We’ll get the person responsible; I can promise you that. But right now, we need to concentrate on getting everyone out of this building before the rest of the ceiling comes down on our heads.”
“Wait! What about the guys in the security booth? Have you heard from them?”
“Yes, Nelson called 911 after the explosion, then forwarded the feed from the cameras to his laptop. He’s keeping an eye on the building from the outside.”
“Sir.” Wes shoved his way through the crowd. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good. Have you seen Joel and Noreen?”
“I got them outside. Neither of them was injured.”
