The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy 1)

He frowned. “You sure?”

Another motion up and down. “Yeah.” My voice was hoarse. “Leave the guards. They’ll bring me down. I just need a second.” I might’ve needed more than a second.

“Okay.” He leaned in, kissing me before pushing himself up. “Don’t take too long. If something’s wrong, we’ll have to go before press finds out.”

“Okay.” My hand was weak as I tried to smooth out my hair.

Kash stopped, turned back. He took in the sight of me and grinned. That grin was everything. It held so much promise, but also fun. We’d been fooling around up here like high school kids. Maybe doing more than what we should have at that age, but it was still fun. It was a respite from all the other worries, and I wanted more. I just wanted more. That’s all I was feeling and thinking then, and when I gave him an answering grin, he turned and headed out.

Promise. I saw it in his eyes, and I couldn’t wait to hold him to it.

I was excited to head back to his place tonight.

Standing, I found a small bathroom off the entryway, and after using it, I tried to smooth out my appearance. I looked totally and completely laid.

I laughed softly to myself, trying to make my dress look normal again, and I headed out.

Three guards waited for me, and like the trek before, all eyes were on us as we joined the rest of the club. I ducked my head down to avoid seeing whoever was there. I had seen a few nasty looks before and I didn’t want to see them again. I didn’t want to feel nasty or to let their problems take away what had just happened upstairs.

It was beautiful up there.

It was special, important.

I was still telling myself that when suddenly I heard a shout. Someone screamed.

People began running.

The guards closed in around me.

A woman sprinted past us, and she was hip-checked out of the way. She would’ve hit me just from her mad dash to the front of the club.

The front of the club …

This wasn’t good.

Matt. Kash.

Where were they?

I started picking up my pace, then I was running as well. The guards moved with me, but they slowed the whole group down. People were folding in around us. They didn’t care about me, they cared about whatever was happening in the front.

I felt my phone buzzing.

Pulling it out, I saw it was Kash.

I answered, shouting, “Where are you?”

The shouts and screams from inside the club deafened me. I couldn’t hear him, just barely making out a shout. Then he hung up.

We were still trying to push our way out. I grabbed for a guard. “Matt and Kash. Where are they?”

He didn’t answer, just took my arm and helped me to keep going ahead.

My phone buzzed again. Kash.

Outside. Now.

I showed the guard my phone and he nodded. He already knew, touching his earpiece.

Kash let me know, making sure I was in the loop, but he must’ve been in communication with the security team. As we got closer, everyone was trying to pile out.

If enough people started panicking, there’d be shoving. Stampeding could happen.

It was like a bottleneck effect. Only a few would get out unharmed.

The guards must have had the same thought, because suddenly we were changing directions.

A worker was waving us out, the same staff member who had helped Kash and me leave through the back door last time. Her eyes were panicked, but she was trying to keep it together. Holding a door open, she motioned us in, and once we got past the door, the hallway was empty. We could hear more shouting from the back kitchen area.

“What’s happening?”

She was hurrying down the hallway, but spoke over her shoulder. “We’re not sure. Matt Francis collapsed and began convulsing. We have an ambulance en route. Mr. Colello is with him.”

“But that wouldn’t have started the rush out there.”

A turn.

Another turn.

She said, as she pushed through a side door, “There were popping sounds. Could’ve been gunfire or fireworks. We don’t know. That’s what set everyone off. Mr. Francis’s ambulance…” She trailed off, stepping out into an alley.

We all saw the flashing red and white lights together.

My heart clenched up. Matt. Matt was in trouble.

I started for the ambulance.

A guard was with me. “Miss Hayes, no.”

Yes, I know. It wasn’t safe.

Fuck being safe.

My brother was hurting.

“I’m going.” I shoved past them and began running.

“What—what’s going on?” the staff member asked.

I heard the guards running behind me, and I pushed to go faster. I just had to get to the ambulance before they got me, but they were there. I barely got a few feet away. One touched my arm, and I whirled around. “No! I mean it. No! I’m going to that ambulance and I will scream bloody murder if you don’t let me.”