Page 140 of Ballrooms & Blackmail

“Great,” she pants when I pull back. “Now I just feel rude.”

I chuckle…then groan as my ribs protest.

“Come on,” she murmurs, shoving her shoulder beneath mine and helping me to my feet. “Pascal and the others are coming. So, we need to get out of here before?—”

Gunshots ring out.

“That,” she whispers.

“Let’s go,” I say and we turn for the vent.

Not soon enough.

The door flies open, Sergio standing in the opening.

“Shit,” she murmurs, her arm flexing around me.

Sergio reaches for his gun.

I step in front of River, know with or without that monster, I’m not going to let him hurt her. “Don’t.”

He just grins as he prowls closer. “Oh, Thorn,” he says. “I don’t know why you think you have any control here.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Angela says and we all freeze as she strolls into the room, her affect casual, but her eyes sharp.

“Mind your own business, Angela,” he snaps.

“I thought we were working on this together.”

“He has nothing to do with you,” Sergio growls. “Now go the fuck away.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Angela says and something about her tone has us all turning…

To see her holding the drive from earlier aloft.

“What are you doing?”

“Let him go, Sergio,” she says.

He’s silent for a long moment then his eyes go wide. “Holy fuck. It’s you,” he whispers. “You’re the mole.”

A roll of her eyes. “Don’t be a moron. Now lower your gun,” she says. “We’ve got real problems to deal with.”

He turns the pistol away from me…

Then points it at her.

Fuck.

“You don’t want to do that, Sergio,” she begins.

“Why not?” he asks.

“Yes, Angela,” another voice says, “why not?”

My father steps into the room followed by the other members of the Board. Eight of them—five men, three women, all with cold eyes and cruel smiles.

“Because while we’re here comparing dick measurements,” Angela says, “Pascal’s team is?—”