He stepped forward, his hand going into his waistband.
“Run!” I demanded, my voice a ragged rasp.
I didn’t wait for her to understand, to move of her own accord. I turned and ran, dragging her along with me.
“Venezio,” she gasped as I pulled her down a side hallway, my gaze searching for an exit.
The carpet muffled it, but I could hear the man’s footfalls as he chased us.
His motivation was strong.
Mine was stronger.
I pulled Steph in through a door markedEmployees Only.
The chaos of the kitchen assaulted us all at once.
Pans banged. Water splashed. Voices barked or laughed.
The scents came to me next: the lingering traces of garlic and onions, with a syrupy sweetness from dessert, an industrial cleaner that stung my nose, and the scent of bodies that had just rushed through, making a fancy four-course dinner for the elites in the other room.
The dishwasher eyed us first, his brows furrowing.
There was no time to explain. I didn’t even bother to warn them as I ran forward toward the redExitsign at the back of the room.
Steph let out a grumble as the holes in the fatigue mats grabbed at the heels of her shoes.
But I couldn’t let her slow down.
Not as the door somewhere behind us flew open so hard that it knocked against the wall.
Everyone’s attention followed.
And I knew the guy’s gun was out in the open by the gasps, by the cries of alarm that went up around us.
Fuck.
How the hell was this happening?
At this event, of all places?
“What’s going—” Steph started to ask as we closed in on the door.
Before I could push it open, though, a loud bang filled the kitchen. And the fucking bullet whizzed right past my ear to lodge in the door.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I yanked Steph in front of me, half curling over her as I shoved the door open.
The cold bit at my skin, and I knew Steph had to be freezing in her gown.
But there was no time to worry about comfort.
I scanned the alley, grabbed Steph’s hand again, then dragged her with me toward the gate at the end.
“Was that… did he…”
“Yes,” I said, running faster as I heard the door fly open again.
