On the Ropes 2: Insidious Obsession (10 page)

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Brooklyn’s cheery voice carried through the tiny speaker. “Did you have an amazing night?”

Amber glanced over her shoulder at Cole, who remained in place, his eyes still closed. “Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it. I totally owe you.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll collect on that favor some other time. Right now I’m giving you a heads-up that I’m on my way back to the room.”

“Okay, and thanks again.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. At least one of us is getting some.”

Amber giggled as she hit End Call and returned her phone to the nightstand.

“What’s so funny?” Cole’s voice rumbled from behind her.

She turned to find him propped on his side, watching her, and grinned. “Brooklyn is what’s so funny. I thanked her for last night, and she replied with a comment about at least one of us getting some.”

Cole reached out and snagged her. “As I recall, you got more than just some.”

She clamped down on yet another wave of wayward desire. What was it about this man that could reduce her to a puddle of goo? “You would recall correctly.” She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. “I’m sore in places I didn’t realize could hurt.”

His lips turned up into a smile. “Thank you for stroking my ego.”

“Well,” she sighed. “I’d be happy to stroke more than that, but Brooklyn is on her way back, so I think our night is officially over.”

Cole opened his mouth to reply only to close it again as the room door opened and Brooklyn sashayed in. “Hey, Cole.” She gave a nod as she moved to her suitcase.

“Morning, Brook,” Cole replied as he pulled the sheet up over him. “How was your night of partying?”

“Fantastic. But I’m fighting just a bit of a hangover this morning, and I feel like I haven’t showered in days.” She pulled clean clothes from the suitcase. “So don’t mind me, but I need a shower before I get some breakfast.” With that she turned and disappeared into the bathroom. The door closed with a
click
, and Cole chuckled. “Yeah, I think our night of fun has come to an end.” He arched a brow. “Breakfast?”

Amber nodded. “Definitely, but I need a shower first. I’m sure I smell like sex and sweat.”

“There are worse things you could smell like.”

“True.” She grinned and brushed another kiss across his lips. “But I don’t think anyone would appreciate sitting next to me.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “You’re right. I’m feeling pretty gross myself. I’ll head back to my room, grab a shower, and then we’ll meet for breakfast?”

She nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

* * * *

Brooklyn snatched her bag off the bed. “I’m going to grab some breakfast. You coming?”

Amber nodded as she gathered her things. “I desperately need a shower first. If Cole beats me downstairs, tell him I’ll be down in about twenty minutes.”

Brooklyn nodded. “You got it.” She headed out, and Amber walked into the bathroom. Over the past few weeks, life had seemed to calm down and fall into a comfortable routine. Yet, despite the lack of drama, she hadn’t quite been able to shake her anxiety. Knowing someone disliked her enough to spray paint on her door still left her unnerved. The only time she felt completely at ease was when Cole was near. Maybe he was right in wanting her to stay with him and Jason.

Being ensconced in his arms beneath the covers on a nightly basis sounded pretty damn inviting and not just because he seemed to be able to chase her nightmares away. She cherished the time they’d spent together last night. While he’d certainly fulfilled her every desire, her feelings toward him ran deeper than just sex. It had to do with the conversations and the laughs they shared, the way he simply held her when she needed to cry, and his feral displays of passion. As much as she didn’t want the complication of a romantic entanglement, she couldn’t help her feelings. Her heart belonged to Cole Collins, and nothing was going to change that fact.

She stepped into the shower as she pondered just how to break the news to him. A small grin claimed her face, and she shook her head at the ridiculousness of that thought.
Break the news.
Like telling him she loved him would be a bad thing. He’d already made his feelings for her crystal clear.

For a few minutes she simply stood beneath the hot spray, allowing the water to revive her sore and tired body as her mind wandered. She’d spent years being a loner, keeping to herself, too afraid someone might find out her secret. Having friends or a love interest required sharing pieces of her. She’d never wanted to place her burden on anyone or worse, have them pity her, so she’d simply kept her distance. Yet in a matter of just a few weeks, Cole managed to breach her defenses and strip away her sorrow.

When the water began to run cold, she stepped from the shower and toweled off; then she took the towel and wiped the mirror. The person staring back at her looked familiar, yet different, tired but happier. She had Cole to thank for that fact.

Movement near the ceiling caught her attention, and she looked up. Puffs of smoke seeped through the crack along the top of the door.
What the…?

Quickly she dressed, then pressed a hand to the door. Cool to the touch, she opened it and stepped into a smoke-filled room. Panic quickly replaced fear as her attention cut to the main door. Smoke billowed in from around the cracks, and a soft crackling sound permeated the air. She covered her mouth with her hand and touched the door with the other, only to quickly pull it back.

It felt as if the fire was directly on the other side of her door.
I’m trapped.
Her lungs slowly began to fill with the oxygen-stealing smoke, and she coughed, her throat burning. She glanced around the room.
The balcony!
Maybe she could escape that way. Taking only enough time to grab her socks off the bed and her sneakers off the floor, she then ran to the balcony and closed the door behind her.

Free of the choking smoke, she paused a moment to put on her socks and shoes. Her hands shook as she tried to tie her laces. Her attention cut back through the glass door, and she noted how the smoke now completely filled the room, making it impossible to see anything. She needed to get away before the fire broke through. She stood and made her way to the railing, only when she looked over the edge, her heart dropped. She’d forgotten the fact that they were on the tenth floor.
Now what?

She glanced back, then out over the landscape below. Her mind reeled, and her heart ached as she thought about Cole. Could she risk waiting until somebody managed to rescue her? What if the fire reached her first?

No!

A newfound determination roared through her as she took in a deep breath and worked to formulate a plan. She couldn’t go out through the room, which meant her only escape was limited to the balcony. She studied the gap between hers and the room next door. A minimum of two feet separated the railings and a concrete wall jutted forward, limiting the width to only about a foot.

What could she use to bridge the space? A mental list of items inside the smoky room trailed through her mind like rolling credits on a movie screen. With each item she assessed as a potential method of escape and dismissed, her hope faded a little more.
Wait!
Sucking in a deep breath of fresh air, she held it and pushed back into the room.

Fighting through the smoke, she felt along the wall, eventually making her way to the closet, and mentally jumped for joy at the sight of the full-size ironing board hanging on a hook inside the tiny closet. She muscled the contraption loose and wrangled it out the sliding glass door, then over to the railing.

Careful!
She eased the ironing board into place and sighed with relief when it fit perfectly. Now she just needed to muster the courage to climb up on it and crawl across.

* * * *

The elevator opened, and Cole stepped out along with Jason, Logan, Lexi, and Brooklyn. “I don’t know what happened to Amber. She said she’d be down shortly,” Brooklyn said.

Cole grinned. “I did keep her up pretty late. I bet she fell back asleep.”

“I’d rather not hear about your escapades,” Brooklyn shot back.

Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Wait! Do you smell smoke?”

“Yeah.” The smile Cole wore faded. “I wonder where it’s coming from.” They turned the corner from the bank of elevators, and Cole’s stomach twisted. Fire raged at the end of the hallway directly in front of Amber’s room. “Pull the fire alarm,” he yelled as he took off full speed toward the flames.

A moment later alarms began to sound.

“Oh my God,” Brooklyn cried. Within seconds they closed in on the fire, but the heat and smoke pushed them back.

Cole glanced back at Brooklyn, then on to Lexi before turning his attention to Jason. “Get the girls to safety.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going to try to reach Amber.” Cole looked up. Why wasn’t the sprinkler system turning on?

Jason grabbed Brooklyn by the shoulders and turned her away. “Come on.”

“But Amber,” Lexi protested even as she began to cough.

“Go with Jason,” Logan ordered. “I’ll help Cole get Amber.”

“But?” Lexi protested.

“Logan and Cole will get her,” Jason argued as he pulled her back toward the elevators.

“Here.” Logan turned toward the room next to Amber’s. “We’ll go through here, out to the balcony. Maybe we can reach her from there.” Logan turned his back to the door, and with more force than Cole thought possible, he kicked. The door shook, and wood cracked. Logan backed up and repeated the move a second, then a third time. Each time the wood splintered a little more until finally the door gave way. Cole rushed inside and directly to the balcony. He slid open the door, and relief swamped him at the sight of Amber.

He snagged her by the arm and yanked her against him. “Thank God you’re okay.”

“How did you get here from your room?” Logan looked from her to the railing and grinned at the sight of the ironing board.

Cole followed Logan’s gaze, and pride filled his heart as he put the pieces together. No matter how scarred Amber might be from her past, she was still a fighter. “That’s my girl,” he praised. “Now let’s get out of here before we’re all trapped.”

They raced back into the now smoky room to the open and broken interior door only to find flames dancing around the opening. The sprinklers had yet to turn on. Despite the fire being so close, they had no choice. It was either run now or be trapped. Logan went first, ducking his head as he raced through the ring of fire. “You go.” Cole grabbed Amber and shoved her through the flames; then he darted out the door behind them and took off at a run.

They met the firemen on the stairs as they headed down. “Are you three all right?” one of the firemen asked.

Cole nodded. “We are now. Fire is on the tenth floor all the way at the end of the corridor. The other stairwell is probably blocked by the flames.”

The fireman nodded. “Thanks for the info; now go.”

They burst through the stairwell door on the main floor, raced through the lobby, and out to safety. Fire department members directed them away from the building toward the crowd that waited across the street.

Cole spotted Jason with his arms around Brooklyn and Lexi, standing in a grassy area not too far away. With tears in her eyes, Lexi let go of Brooklyn’s hand, pulled away from Jason, and launched herself at Logan, clinging to his neck. “Thank God you’re all right.”

Finally safe, Cole scooped Amber into his arms and held her as he stared up to the balcony ten floors above. Smoked poured from the corner of the building, and he thanked God for letting them all get out safely. Instinct told him this fire wasn’t some random accident. Not with the way it had been directly in front of her door only. He’d dismissed the first incident as a probable case of mistaken identity, but now…there was no mistaking this. Someone had specifically targeted her and had known she was alone.

His heart clenched at that realization while Amber sobbed against him. He pulled her a little closer and turned his attention to Logan, who stood holding Lexi. Cole mouthed a silent
thank you
. Logan simply nodded in return as he held Lexi close and stroked a hand through her hair.

Chapter Sixteen

Cole sat on the couch in catering with Amber stretched out, asleep, her head on his lap. He tried not to think about what had happened earlier that morning, but images of the fire kept popping into his mind. Coming so close to losing the love of his life left him with an unsettled nervousness he couldn’t contain. Never before had he experienced such an overwhelming feeling of fear and helplessness, and he didn’t like it one bit.

Mark walked through the double doors, stopped, and scanned the room. The moment he made eye contact with Cole, he turned on his heel and stalked toward him. “Hey, how are you guys?”

Cole nodded. “Amazingly good considering the situation.” He glanced down at Amber. “She finally managed to settle about ten minutes ago and rest. She’s putting on a tough facade, but I know she’s freaked out. However, I actually think Lexi might be having a harder time keeping a grip.”

“Really?” Mark quirked a brow. “That’s unusual.”

“I know. She’ll be fine for a few minutes, then suddenly start crying again. Logan got so concerned he took her to see Dr. Martin.”

Mark let out a heavy sigh and eased onto the empty couch. “Well, I think everyone involved has a right to be upset.”

The tone in Mark’s voice sent an uncomfortable shiver racing up Cole’s spine. “I agree, but why do you say that?”

Mark leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I just got off the phone with the fire chief. He said this morning’s fire was a clear case of arson.”

Cole’s blood began to boil as Mark’s words slowly sank in. They’d all suspected the fire was somehow connected to the graffiti incident but had hoped it was an accident. Hearing that it was in fact intentional made him want to hunt the asshole down, whoever it was, and beat him to a bloody pulp.

Mark continued. “It didn’t take them long to get the fire extinguished, and from what he said, the pour pattern was obvious almost from the moment the flames were out. Apparently someone used an accelerant on and around the front of her door. The arson investigator called the police in, and they’ve also opened an investigation, but at this point, it’s obvious someone means to do her harm.”