"Stay behind me," I say.
"Okay."
"If I tell you to leave, you leave."
Her jaw sets. "Okay."
Phoenix runs through assignments. "McKenzie's team handles the ballroom. Victor and Olivia contain the floor. Nash, Ruby, keep recording. Malachi and Candace seal the perimeter. East, hold the south corridor."
Malachi. "Done."
East. "On it."
I turn to Nash. He nods once. Ruby's fingers tap at her tablet, eyes red, recording everything.
"Frankie," I say.
She's behind me. "I know."
"Arden."
He peels from the corner, device pocketed, hands free. "Ready."
Anna steps forward. "I want to see the girls out."
Tobias puts his hand on her shoulder. "We'll go to the prep floor. Amelia's there."
Anna looks at Sloane. Holds the look for a long second. Nods. They turn toward the stairwell.
Felix opens the corridor exit. Sloane and I spill into the service hallway with Frankie and Arden behind us. Felix leads. Fluorescent lights illuminate the white walls. Bleach and hot machinery in the air.
Sloane keeps up. Of course she does.
Two Blackwell security men block the private corridor entrance. Arms folded, feet planted, guns visible at their hips. "Closed area," the first one says.
I keep walking. My hand moves to the Glock at my waistband. I rest my palm on the grip.
Felix steps forward. "Phoenix Stone sends his regards." He holds up his phone. The screen shows the security company's contract, terminated, timestamped four minutes ago. "Your employer no longer exists. Walk away."
The first guard looks at the phone. At the four of us. At the gun under my jacket. He steps aside. The second follows.
We push through. The corridor opens long, narrow. At the far end, the carpet starts. The private wing.
There he is. Thumb on the elevator call button, head turned, jaw tight. His suit is still pressed. Hair in place. He sees us. His face changes. Disgust. Disdain. The expression of a man who has never been told no by someone he couldn't destroy.
His eyes land on Sloane. "Sloane," he says. She goes taut beside me. My arm wraps around her waist. "You brought them into this building," he says.
Sloane lifts her chin. "You built the building."
His attention flicks to me. "You."
"Me."
He scans past us for reinforcements. The hallway is empty.
Harrison straightens his jacket. "This is a misunderstanding." He tries to soften his mouth. Turns to Sloane with a voice that drops into warmth. Fatherly. The performance makes my skin crawl. "I came to see you. You've been confused."
Sloane's expression is flat. "I saw you at the hospital."
