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Gennessey tilted her head as she regarded Autumn thoughtfully. “Why didn’t you tell me? Or tell Cohen? We could have helped you. BB and I could have been more proactive in keeping you and Cohen safe.”
“I didn’t want to worry you. I told Ryan I would be out of town on our honeymoon anyway, so if the guys came looking for me, they wouldn’t find me. By the time we got back, they would have moved on.”
Gennessey didn’t have the heart to tell her how her reasoning was faulty. “How did you end up here?”
Fresh tears fell from Autumn’s eyes. “Ryan lied. I feel like an idiot for believing him in the first place. When Cohen was shot, I called him. I figured I was meant to be the target, but Cohen got caught in the crossfire when he pushed me out of the way. Ryan said the best way to keep Cohen and everyone safe was to leave, and he said he would protect me. He sent a car to pick me up at the hospital, but he told me to swap cars before I went to meet him, in case I was being watched at the hospital. I thought we were meeting at a restaurant or something, but he met me on the road.
“He wasn’t like I remembered. The other times we talked, he had been kind and friendly. This time, he was mean. He hates me, and he was so angry, he scared me. He said our dad never wanted anything to do with him, but our dad arranged for me to be adopted by a good family and made sure I had a good life. Ryan said since our dad cared for me, he wanted to use me to lure our dad out of witness protection. He hired someone to shoot at me at the wedding because he thought it would make the news and bring our dad out of hiding. When it didn’t work, he tricked me into meeting him. He brought me here and rigged the bomb because he said blowing up a hotel would definitely make the news.”
Autumn’s tears were streaming down her face, and her voice quivered. But she kept talking with little prompting from Gennessey.
“Ryan said our dad would want revenge and would come after him, but he would be ready. He would kill our dad and rise up the ranks of the rival crime family he worked for. It sounds unbelievable, and I can’t believe I thought he could be part of my family.”
Autumn’s voice caught, and she sniffed as she worked to get her emotions under control. “I heard Ryan on the phone, and I think he owes money or something. He’s in over his head, and this is his last option. Or so he thinks. He’s desperate. He didn’t make any sense, and he…he scared me. I’ve never met anyone like him. It’s like he has no soul.”
BB stepped back into the room, and Gennessey glanced up at him. His expression had her pause in asking Autumn any more questions. He knelt down beside her so he could look into Autumn’s eyes.
“Autumn, I need you to listen closely. They lied to you. You’re not sitting on a pressure plate. The bomb is on a timer which is connected to the wires running around the room. If the wires are disturbed, they trigger a switch to set off the bomb. I’m guessing they told you there was a pressure plate to make sure you stay put.”
“What’s the plan?” Gennessey asked.
He swung his dark eyes around to lock with hers. “We’re getting out of here. The hotel is being evacuated. The bomb squad is on the way. They’ll disarm it once everyone is safely out of the building.”
Autumn’s eyes widened, fear evident in their depths. “But the wires are over the doors. We can’t get out.”
Gennessey grasped Autumn’s hands tightly. “We’ll have to use the balcony. We’ll hop over to the balcony next door. If no one’s there, we can bust into the room to get out.”
“What?” Autumn screamed. “We’re on the fourth floor. I’m so tired. I don’t do this investigator, superhero thing like you do. I’ll fall, and I’ll get killed. Oh God. I’ll be killed if I leave or I’ll be killed by staying here. I…I just…This is all my fault.”
“Autumn, I need you to stay calm and focus. Let’s do this a step at a time. Start by standing up.”
Autumn closed her eyes. “I can’t.”
“You can. You’re not going to set off the bomb. BB wouldn’t have told you it was safe to leave if he wasn’t sure. Come on. You said you trusted me. You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
Gennessey started to think Autumn would refuse her, but she finally nodded and rose on shaky legs. As soon as she stood, a beep sounded from under the bed. Autumn’s eyes flew open, and Gennessey and BB exchanged a concerned look. He dropped to the floor to peer under the bed. Then he hopped up in a quick move before scooping Autumn in his arms.
“Move!”
Gennessey reacted to his shout without question. They made it to the balcony, and BB dropped Autumn to her feet.
“Climb on my back and hold on. Tight. Like a piggyback. Then close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you. Got it?” His tone was stern enough to ensure Autumn acted without hesitation.
They were going back the way they came, but BB didn’t bother to don the harness. He climbed on the railing, took a moment to steady his balance with the extra weight on his back. Then he leaped.
Autumn released a shrill scream. BB’s boots bounced against the opposite railing, and he dropped to his knees on the balcony. Gennessey was sure he’d feel the force of the fall on his joints tomorrow, but for now, he jumped to his feet. Autumn slid from his back, and he steadied her on her feet.
Gennessey hurried to brace herself on the railing. She leapt forward and made it to the next railing. Instead of falling to the balcony as BB did, her feet slipped. She fell back, releasing a yelp. Her arms flailed out in front of her as she tried to grip the railing to stop her descent, but she only succeeded in grasping air.
The scream didn’t have time to leave her lips before BB’s hand tightened around her wrist. Her body slammed against the side of the balcony, and her scream morphed into a groan. She swung her free hand up to grab the railing, and together they pulled her up and over.
Once her feet were on steady ground, her chest heaving with rapid breaths, her heart thundering in her chest, she rushed forward to try the doors to the room. They were locked, and glancing through the part of the curtains, she couldn’t see anyone inside. With two well-placed, forceful kicks, the lock broke, and she slid the glass doors open for them to rush inside.
“What’s going on?” Autumn finally asked just as BB flipped the locks on the room door and pushed her and Gennessey out into the hallway where Jay waited for them.
“When you stood, something happened to the timer on the bomb, and it moved up. We only have a couple of minutes to get out of here before it blows. I don’t think it will have a widespread reach, but I don’t want to take any chances,” BB explained as they ran down the hall.
Jay held the stairway door open for them to dash through. Autumn stumbled, so BB scooped her up in his arms again. Then he, Jay and Gennessey took the stairs at a run. Adrenaline and their training kept them moving quickly without losing momentum, even though BB carried extra weight. It was no different than them carrying packs and weapons while on missions.
