“Had it not been for the faith my parents had in me, I wouldn’t be standing here accepting this award. Thank you, everyone, and remember that no dream is too big when it comes to changing the world.”
The audience tried to clap as best as they could as Sam came running up the edge of the stage. She quickly ushered me off it, her calm demeanor instilling a bit of peace in my own. She hurried me off, her hand on the small of my back as I kept my head held high. She ushered me toward the wall as she skirted in the shadows, the lights still flickering as we made our way to the kitchen.
I grabbed a bottle of whiskey as we rounded toward the bar, scooting by it as the bartender ducked down underneath the overhang.
Suddenly, shots rang out in the hall. People were screaming and running as I tried to turn around and see what was going on. Sam kept pushing me, leading me toward a fire exit she eventually shoved me into. She got in front of me and took my hand as I clutched the bottle of whiskey. She was fluid in her heels, her dress billowing around me as we ran down the stairs. She sent us hurtling through a door, stumbling onto another floor of the building before she looked left and right.
I had no idea what she was looking for, but soon, I was being pulled around again.
Her hand was gripped tightly around mine as she threw a door open. She shoved me into the darkened closet and locked the door behind us. We were cramped together, our breaths coming in heavy pants as I reached up to turn on a light.
But she grabbed my wrist, listening out as shots continued to be fired.
“What the fuck is happening?” I asked.
“Shut up.”
I felt her fiddling around for something before I heard her turn on a walkie-talkie. It was crackling as she tried to find the right frequency. As she tinkered with it, I couldn’t keep my body trembling. Who the fuck was shooting up the fundraiser? Was anyone hurt? Where was Jacob? Was he okay?
Fire alarms started going off, casting a red glow underneath the doorway. The sound was piercing, drowning out any gunfire that was still going on.
Then, a discernible voice came over the walkie-talkie.
“Where the hell did you get that?” I asked.
“Shut. Up.”
“I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know now.”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, Chatty Cathy. Now do as I say, and shut your mouth.”
“Mayday. Mayday. One gunman is outside. Escaped in a white van alone. Is there a fire? Is anyone there?”
“This is Scalia to anyone who can hear me. No fire, but two gunmen are still in the building. Heading for the south staircase exit.”
“Shit,” Sam said.
“What? What’s wrong with that?”
“We came down the south staircase exit,” she said.
I felt my nerves getting the best of me. This was serious. Someone was coming after me. With gunmen at a fucking innocent award event. If I didn’t believe this was serious before, I did now. There were multiple gunmen on a site I was at, no doubt trying to shoot at me. I popped the top off the whiskey I had grabbed and began guzzling it, trying to calm my nerves.
“Are you serious? Put that shit down.”
“No,” I said.
“I can feel you shaking. I know you’re scared. But I can’t get you out of here if you’re drunk.”
“They’re coming for us. This is serious. Holy shit, why didn’t I take this seriously?”
“Get a grip, Steele. I can’t get you out of here drunk,” she said.
But still, I kept chugging.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt a hand smack the whiskey bottle to the floor. I felt a pair of hands grab my suit, pulling my body forward. A pair of lips descended onto mine as my hands fell to the fabric of Sam’s dress.
Holy shit. Sam was kissing me.
Her lips moved softly along mine, which was shocking, given her dominant and curt nature. I felt her chest heaving against mine, her bosom caressing my muscles as my hands wrapped around her. I pressed her back to the door as my whiskey-infested tongue swiped against her lips, begging for entrance so I could taste more of her and so I could drink up this shockingly soft side of her.
But her hand pushed me away as I heard her cock her gun.
“When the hell did you grab that?” I asked.