Centerfold (17 page)

Scarlet squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “Just do me a favor and trust your instincts. They don’t usually lie.”

Amber frowned, giving her the once over again when Sarah stepped in.

She wrapped her arm around Scarlet. “Scarlet was in an abusive relationship before Roman. That’s why she’s so paranoid.”

Scarlet grinned her thanks. “And that paranoia is the reason I’m still alive and with Roman and Aiden instead of that manipulative bastard.” She nudged Amber. “If you feel like that again, make a mental note of what or who’s around you and let me know. I can have Aiden chat with anyone who’s worrying you. He’s pretty intimidating when he wants to be. Might be able to scare some creepy gawker away for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She took a few steps away, glancing back at Scarlet. “Are you sure you’re not…”

The door opened again. Nick strode confidently back into the room, gazing at them as if expecting to see something out of the ordinary. He headed over to his tripod, busying himself with loading the camera.

Scarlet walked over to the man, motioning to the door. “Are you aware the damn door locks behind you?”

He looked up, those cold, gray eyes clearly assessing her. “Excuse me?”

“The door, Einstein. It locked behind you when we left.”

“Really? That’s odd.” He walked over, shoving the slab open before giving her a confused raise of his eyebrows.

She crossed her arms on her chest. “It wouldn’t open. I tried.”

“Any particular reason you wanted to leave?”

“Ladies’ room.”

“Perhaps it just got stuck.”

“Or maybe you locked it from the outside.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before she could read him. “I’m sure it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Can we finish?”

“I’d still like to use the washroom.”

He stepped in front of her when she reached for the door, blocking her way, his hand cinched around her wrist. “We’re nearly finished. All I need is another ten minutes or so.”

Her muscles twitched, flexing as she fought the instinct to lock his arm behind his back and crush his face into the wall.

He increased his grip, stepping into her personal space. “Just ten more minutes.”

She firmed her stance. “Fine. But let go.”

He smiled, all teeth and thin lips then motioned to the other women. “Shall we?”

She huffed as he released her wrist then walked back to the group. Her skin stung from where he’d gripped her, and she had a bad feeling it might bruise.

Fuck.
Roman and Aiden would go apeshit if it did.

Sarah gave her a concerned furrow, but Scarlet merely smiled, patting the other woman on the arm as she took her place. Ms. November bumped into her, somehow managing to scratch the same sore flesh Nick had hurt before muttering a token apology.

Scarlet forced a smile, mentally punching the photographer in the face as he clicked off more frames, making weird hand signals at them to shuffle them around. Amber moved in front of her, her short blonde hair bobbing across her shoulders when the lights flickered then died, blanketing the room in darkness. A few of the ladies screamed before a dull emergency light came on, casting a muted glow across the room.

Nick appeared through the shadows, his hands raised. “Easy, ladies. It’s probably just a small outage. With the sporadic storms we’ve been having, it’s no surprise and most likely just a temporary problem. I’m sure the power will kick back on any minute. Just stay calm.”

Scenarios ran through Scarlet’s head, the least of which had anything to do with this being a power outage. She glanced toward the door, finally discerning the outline in the heavy darkness. The fact Aiden wasn’t already pounding on the metal slab meant that only the power in the damn studio had been cut.

Instinct took over and she lunged forward just as the collection of light stands and other equipment exploded off to their right. Glass splintered across the room, the tinkling sound rising above the chain reaction of screams. Smoke billowed out from the broken equipment, quickly smothering the room. She stumbled to her knees when one of the models slammed into her from the side, making the room dip. She palmed the floor when something hit her head, launching her face-first into the floor. Another series of screams echoed around her, then nothing.

Chapter Ten

Aiden paced the length of the lounge, once again glancing at the door leading to the studio. He hadn’t realized that the actual photo location was through yet another door, and just knowing he wasn’t quite close enough to hear Scarlet if she screamed his name irked the hell out of him.

He fisted his hand, stilling the urge to slam it against the wall. Roman hadn’t returned yet, either. Just another fact that ate at him. While he knew his lover could handle himself, he hated the uneasy feeling prickling his skin—the one that usually meant something was off. And he’d learned to trust his instincts.

A noise rose above the din of chatter around him, and he walked toward the doorway, listening to see if the anomaly would sound again. It’d been too fragmented to place—nothing more than a ghosted echo that taunted his sanity. He stopped next to the door, cocking his head to the side, but nothing rose above the pounding of his pulse in his head.

Aiden palmed the wall, resting his forehead against the hard surface. He’d never been this protective before. Never felt as if his skin was being stretched too tight at just the thought of losing her. That he’d just sat there, waiting when she’d needed him. That he’d spend the rest of his life knowing he’d let her down.

“You okay?” Roman stepped up behind him, slapping him on the shoulder.

Aiden spun, pressing his back into the wall as he stared into his lover’s eyes. Roman had a way of grounding him. Of making him see the bigger picture instead of getting tunneled down a single path—one that usually drove him crazy.

He motioned to the door. “I thought I heard something, but no one else seems concerned and it hasn’t sounded again, so…” He shrugged.

Roman glanced to Aiden’s left. “What does your gut tell you?”

“I never knew how much I needed her until she stepped into that damn studio alone?”

Roman sighed. “Besides that.”

“That something feels off. But I can’t justify it. Everything seems fine. And she was right. She’s not in there alone. Guy would have to be pretty damn skilled to get six women at a time, especially when one of them is a wildcat.”

“But your spider sense is tingling.”

“Can’t fucking relax. And I’d like to think it’s from more than just the obvious. That I’m in love with you both and can’t fucking breathe past the thought of losing either of you.”

“You’re not going to lose us. We’ll catch this guy, and we’ll leave here—
together
, as a family unit. Only way it can happen.” He thrummed his fingers on his chin. “But I trust your gut. If it’s telling you something’s wrong…” He stepped back. “I say it’s time for to check up on our girl. We can make up some bullshit story about her needing some medication or something if camera boy in there gets suspicious.”

“Fucking A.”

Aiden pushed off the wall, palming the door when the entire room shook as an explosion sounded in an adjoining room. The lights flickered then winked out, leaving nothing but a single sputtering emergency bulb blinking in the smoky shadows. The force knocked Aiden on his ass, bits of dust and paint clouding around him. He coughed, waving his hand to clear the air when Roman grabbed his wrist and yanked him to his feet. Shouts sounded around them, followed by the whine of a fire alarm.

“Shit! You okay?” Roman traveled the length of Aiden’s torso with his hands, obviously searching for any injuries.

“Fine.” He gave his head a shake to clear the ringing in his ears. “Stop worrying about me and get Scarlet.”

Roman gave him one last quick glance then grabbed the handle, darting into the other room. Aiden followed suit, choking at the swirl of smoke. Shit, if it was this thick out here already, the studio had to be filled. Roman stopped at the next door, testing the surface before twisting the handle.

Screams rent the air as he wrenched open the metal slab, coughing at the thick cloud of smoke that rolled out of the room, crawling along the ceiling as it quickly expanded outwards. The man cleared the air in front of his face then clicked on a small flashlight before disappearing inside.

Aiden shadowed Roman’s six, squinting through the blinding darkness in the hopes of seeing anything other than gray mounds. A hand grabbed his, nails biting into his skin. He caught the woman as stumbled into his arms, blonde hair hiding her face. He eased her upright, maintaining his hold as he brushed the strands from her face, Roman at his side.

“Ms. July?”

“Amber.” She coughed, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes. “You’re Scarlet’s partner. Aiden, right?”

“That’s right. Are you okay? What happened? Where’s Scarlet?”

She choked back a sob. “The lights went out then there was this thundering explosion. I think the lighting stands blew. I don’t know.”

“Shh, it’s going to be okay. Are you hurt?”

“I…” She sniffed, glancing around. “I don’t think so. I…”

Roman joined them, bending closer to her. “Where’s Scarlet?”

She shook her head, golden hair bouncing everywhere. “I don’t know. She was behind me when everything went crazy.”

“It’s okay. We’ll get you out of here.”

She nodded, fear making her eyes look like giant white rings amidst the black. Aiden held her hand in his, when another woman emerged through the smoke, grabbing Amber’s wrist. She tugged against Aiden’s hold, nearly sending Amber to her knees.

Roman cupped the other woman’s shoulders holding her steady as Amber regained her balance. “Aren’t you Candi? Ms. November?”

“I’ve got her. You two go find your partner.” The woman’s voice sounded cold, distant.

Roman gave Aiden a quizzical look. “Thanks, but it’s easy to get disoriented in here. We’ll ensure you ladies make it out.”

She sneered, tightening her grip on Amber’s arm to the point the woman winced. “I said I’ve got her. There are other women in need of help. I can get us out. I know the way.”

“Then you can lead, but one of us is accompanying you.”

“You don’t understand. I need her.”

Aiden moved forward, an odd smell tickling his senses. It was sweet, but distinctly chemical. He inhaled again, but it’d faded into nothing more than smoke. “Are you okay? Did you hit your head maybe?”

Candi pursed her lips, backing down slightly. “I’d just hate to see anyone else get hurt. I can take Amber out and you two can search for others who may be injured. Like Scarlet. I saw her fall before I lost sight of her.”

Aiden shouldered closer. “Where? Which direction?”

“It’s hard to tell with all the smoke in here now. I think over there.” She pointed in the direction they’d been heading.

Aiden glanced at Roman, recognizing the man’s frustrated expression. One of them had to see the other ladies out. He gave Roman’s arm a squeeze. “You go. I’ll grab Scarlet and be out right behind you.”

“Aiden…”

“One of us has to. I promise you. I’ve got this.”

Candi shuffled her feet, looking as if she couldn’t stand still. “I don’t need—”

“You’re not leaving here alone. Period.” Roman nodded at him, taking both women by the hand then disappearing back toward the exit.

Candi resisted, her protests gradually fading as Aiden groped along, feeling his way in the darkness until his fingers brushed across the heel of a boot. “Scarlet!”

He shuffled over, tracing her outline along the floor until he could brush her hair back from her face, cursing at the bloody line across her temple. He placed his fingers on her neck, sighing at the steady throb beneath his touch. She was alive. Everything else could be fixed.

She groaned, rolling her head in his grasp as her eyelids fluttered open. She blinked a few times before she started coughing as she drew a deep breath.

“Easy, baby. I’ve got you.”

She squinted at him, groaning again when she tried to move.

“Don’t.” He skimmed his fingers over the gash on her head. “Are you hurt anywhere other than your forehead?”

She frowned, dabbing her fingers along the cut, wincing as she drew it back and stared at the blood. “Yeah. My pride.”

“That we can fix.”

She hissed out a breath, palming her head as she coughed again. “We should get out of here. Are all the other women safe?”

Aiden sighed. “No way to know for sure. Roman just took Amber and Candi out. I haven’t come across anyone else yet.”

She nodded, groaning again. “We should look—”

“I’m getting you out of here. If anyone’s missing, I’ll come back in.”

“I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy. I can make my way out.”

“Fuck that. You obviously have a concussion. I’m taking you out. End of story.”

She huffed but didn’t resist when he scooped her off the floor, holding her tight to his chest as he picked his way back through the smoke, finally getting close enough to the exit to see the dim light from the room beyond the door. At least the emergency lighting was working in the rest of the wing.

“Aiden!”

Roman dashed over to him, grabbing Aiden’s arm before leading him from the room. Smoke curled out of the studio, obscuring the upper half of the adjoining area as Aiden made his way into the lounge, coughing against the burning sensation in his lungs.

“Thank Christ.” Roman angled Aiden against a wall, helping him brace some of his weight, before flipping Scarlet’s hair back from her forehead. “Fuck, Scarlet, you look like hell.”

“I’m fine.” Scarlet shoved at Aiden’s chest. “You can put me down now. Did everyone get out?”

“You’re not okay. You were knocked unconscious, you have a gash across your head and I saw how unsteady you were when I helped you sit up in there. Bet my ass you’ll fall on yours if I put you down.”

“Smartass.” She looked at Roman. “The other girls?”

“You were the last one. Nick brought out a couple. I got Amber and Candi, and Sarah managed to find her own way out. Everyone’s safe.”