CHAPTER 1
SABLE
The first thing I noticed when I regained consciousness was ringing in my ears. Along with the smell of something sharp in the air.
What the hell happened?
Hazy memories became sharper.
Woody and Forrest. At the same time, they'd realized the camera right outside the penthouse was tampered with. The vision on the screen beside the door showed no one outside. Nothing but an empty corridor.
Someonewasthere. Someone made the door explode.
I was thrown off my feet and hit the bed. I'd scrambled across the top so fast I managed to fall off the other side. I'd hit the floor with a thump as graceful as a newborn hippopotamus.
How long had I lain here? Not long, I didn't think, but long enough. I needed to get up. Whoever caused the door to explode would walk through it. Look to see if we were dead.
Shit, where were Forrest, Woody and Leif? Were they…
I opened my eyes a crack. My line of sight was clear, all the way under the bed, to the bedroom door. How was there nodust under there? Was Forrest that meticulous, or did he have a cleaner? If he had a cleaner, could I poach them?
Later, I told myself.
Past the bedroom, the space was filled with a haze of smoke.
Someone coughed. Woody?
Beyond him, Forrest groaned and pushed himself up. Sitting, then standing on wobbly legs. He waved smoke away from his face.
"What the fuck?" Woody coughed again.
"I'm going to guess it wasn't Taco Tuesday," Savannah said.
Where was she? On the other side of the bed? I caught a glimpse of her wriggling her fingers, checking for damage. She seemed unscathed, her sense of humor intact.
I choked out a laugh and managed to push myself to my feet. Tentatively, I peered over the top of the bed. Let out a squeak of surprise when Savannah's face appeared.
She made a similar startled noise and ducked back down.
Forrest caught my eye. He gestured with his fingers for me to stay down, out of sight.
I lowered myself back to the floor and went under the bed. I managed to hold back the instinct to jump when Savannah scrambled around the bed to join me.
"What the hell was that?" she whispered.
I shook my head. I didn't know. It wasn't good. I mean, obviously. Doors didn'tusuallyblow in by themselves.
"They're in here." The shout came from beyond the smoke. A voice I didn't know.
Shit.
Woody and Forrest moved out of sight. I presumed, to duck down behind the couch.
A gunshot sounded, echoing through the apartment. I winced. My ears rang even louder.
The shot was followed by another and a cry of pain. Also not one of my guys.
"No one else needs to get hurt," the first voice said evenly.
