Hurry, she texted back.
Walking into the lobby of the resort a few minutes later was a surreal experience as Katrina took in the people relaxing in the atrium without a care in the world, all while a killer drone flew in the night sky just outside the doors, hunting the people she loved.
It hit her then.Not that she didn’t love her father and brother.That was obvious, even after all the crap those two had put her through.No, the thing that smacked her in the head was that she loved Darwin.It probably shouldn’t have come as such a shock.She’d been falling pretty hard for him from almost the beginning.But to realize it now, after watching Darwin drive away to fend off a killer drone, made it hard to breathe.
She loved Darwin, and she might not get a chance to ever say those words to him.
“We shouldn’t stay out here in the lobby like this,” Upton said, slipping the gun into the pocket of his jacket so no one would see it and freak out.“If Chapman shows up, it’ll be too easy for them to find us.”
Katrina knew Upton was right, but hated the idea of running to hide while Darwin was still out there in danger.
“Where should we go?”Asher asked.“The Sauvignon Ballroom is probably already filling up for the ceremony–which is supposed to start in thirty minutes, by the way.I’m supposed to be there soon anyway, and if there’s safety in numbers, a wedding is definitely the place.”
“But what do we do if my mom is already there?She’s going to have a cow when she realizes Dad and Rhett aren’t with us,” Katrina said.“What would we tell her: that they’re running from a killer drone?”
Upton winced.“You’re right.Maybe we can find someplace near the ballroom?That way, we can be close to other people and somewhere Darwin’s Teammates can find us when they get here.”
“But where?”Asher asked.
“I think I might know a place,” Upton said.
Katrina, Asher, and Seth followed Upton as he led them through the perimeter of the lobby.She really wished they knew what Chapman looked like.He could be in the atrium, and they’d never know it.
Upton led them to a hallway that ran along the backside of the conference rooms and was therefore typically only used by the staff to move tables, chairs, and food back and forth without being seen.It was a good choice, though she was a little surprised he’d even known it was here.
Upton stopped at the door for the Merlot Room, a small meeting space next to the Sauvignon Ballroom.As they walked inside, Katrina’s phone vibrated and she pulled it out to see a text from Lennox, saying he and the other guys were at the resort and splitting up to look for Darwin.
We’re hiding in the Merlot Room, she sent in reply.Darwin is trying to lure the drone away from the main resort, so he’s probably headed west.Be careful!
Putting her phone away with a silent prayer, Katrina looked around the Merlot Room, taking in the stacks of chairs and tables that were folded up and leaning against the far wall.
Turning back around, Katrina saw Upton pull the small handgun out of his jacket pocket.She thought for a moment he wanted it out just in case Chapman found them, but then Upton backed away from her, Asher, and Seth, the weapon pointed at them.
“Upton, what are you doing?”Katrina demanded.
“Sorry about this.I really am,” Upton said, moving the weapon a little more toward Asher when her future brother-in-law looked like he was going to do something stupid.“If it helps, it’s nothing personal.Just business.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”Asher demanded, Katrina’s hand on his arm the only thing that stopped him from taking another step forward.“What kind of business?”
“The kind that involves a lot of money,” a man’s voice said from the doorway.
Katrina’s head snapped in that direction to see a tall man with dark hair walking into the room.Between the man’s cold-blooded expression and the way his gaze went straight to Seth, it wasn’t difficult to figure out who he was.
“Chapman, right?”she said, watching as four other men stepped into the room behind him.Three of them were heavily muscled, dangerous-looking, and carrying guns.The other guy was smaller and wore a rumpled suit, a nervous expression on his face.
“And you must be Giles, the engineer from the Genesis Project who jumped ship to join Chapman?”she added in a casual tone that belied how completely terrified she was.
If the guy had looked guilty before, it was nothing compared to how embarrassed he looked now.But before Giles could say anything, Chapman spoke.
“You should be far less concerned with who we are, and instead, focus on what we’re going to do if you don’t give me exactly what I want.”
“What’s that?”Katrina asked, even though she knew the answer.
Chapman’s mouth curved into a smile that was anything but friendly, his gaze going to Seth before returning to her.“I want the anti-tamper code.If I get it and it’s the right code, I’ll call off the drone that’s in the process of hunting down your father and brother.If you don’t give me the code, I’ll wait until the drone takes them out, then I’ll bring it up here and start killing members of the bridal party, starting with anyone wearing a purple dress.”
Katrina didn’t have to look down to know Chapman meant her, along with everyone else in the bridal party, outside of Khloe, of course.Chapman was willing to hurt anyone and everyone to get what he wanted.
That was when she realized Chapman would never let them go, even after he had his codes.He didn’t seem like the kind of man who left behind loose ends.
