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I WALKED ALONGSIDE Jacob as I made my way to the stage. I heard the announcer beginning his speech to settle the crowd. This was it. The moment I would collect an award for being an entrepreneur and helping out the city or whatever. I honestly didn’t care. I knew I should, but too much was going on in my mind. I had to update Sam on her change in position, and I needed to keep my eyes peeled. I stood at the edge of the stage, ready to accept my award as they called my name.

My eyes scanned the crowd, spotting Sam at the bar with a scowl on her face.

“Thank you, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot thank you enough for this award. Entrepreneurship is a vital part of any country’s economy. If it wasn’t for all the minds that created products to help us live our lives, none of the people around us would have jobs to work. Entrepreneurs are the true givers of every community, and I am honored to be recognized as one of them. But this award isn’t just for me. This award is for all the young ones in the crowd tonight. For those who have an idea but don’t think it’s good enough. For the children who will grow up and have an idea that will revolutionize the world. Encourage them like I had been encouraged because had it not been for the faith my parents had in me—”

The lights flickered, causing the audience to gasp. I looked around at the lights stabilized, my eyes connecting with Sam.

At least, they tried to.

She was no longer at the bar.

“Had it not been for the fai—”

The lights flickered again, and a spark of panic ignited in my chest. Something was happening. Something bad. Where the hell had Sam gone? Wasn’t she supposed to be near me for this kind of shit? Fuck, I should’ve taken her with me. I shouldn’t have left her at the damn bar.

There was a crash in a nearby room as the audience whipped their heads around. People were murmuring, and a few were screaming. I could see someone rushing the stage from the back as my heart began to slam in my chest.

“Had it not been for the faith my parents had in me, I wouldn’t be standing here accepting this award. Thank you, everyone, and remember that no dream is too big when it comes to changing the world.”

The audience tried to clap as best as they could as Sam came running up the edge of the stage. She quickly ushered me off it, her calm demeanor instilling a bit of peace in my own. She hurried me off, her hand on the small of my back as I kept my head held high. She ushered me toward the wall as she skirted in the shadows, the lights still flickering as we made our way to the kitchen.

I grabbed a bottle of whiskey as we rounded toward the bar, scooting by it as the bartender ducked down underneath the overhang.

Suddenly, shots rang out in the hall. People were screaming and running as I tried to turn around and see what was going on. Sam kept pushing me, leading me toward a fire exit she eventually shoved me into. She got in front of me and took my hand as I clutched the bottle of whiskey. She was fluid in her heels, her dress billowing around me as we ran down the stairs. She sent us hurtling through a door, stumbling onto another floor of the building before she looked left and right.

I had no idea what she was looking for, but soon, I was being pulled around again.

Her hand was gripped tightly around mine as she threw a door open. She shoved me into the darkened closet and locked the door behind us. We were cramped together, our breaths coming in heavy pants as I reached up to turn on a light.

But she grabbed my wrist, listening out as shots continued to be fired.

“What the fuck is happening?” I asked.

“Shut up.”

I felt her fiddling around for something before I heard her turn on a walkie-talkie. It was crackling as she tried to find the right frequency. As she tinkered with it, I couldn’t keep my body trembling. Who the fuck was shooting up the fundraiser? Was anyone hurt? Where was Jacob? Was he okay?

Fire alarms started going off, casting a red glow underneath the doorway. The sound was piercing, drowning out any gunfire that was still going on.

Then, a discernible voice came over the walkie-talkie.

“Where the hell did you get that?” I asked.

“Shut. Up.”

“I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know now.”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, Chatty Cathy. Now do as I say, and shut your mouth.”

“Mayday. Mayday. One gunman is outside. Escaped in a white van alone. Is there a fire? Is anyone there?”

“This is Scalia to anyone who can hear me. No fire, but two gunmen are still in the building. Heading for the south staircase exit.”

“Shit,” Sam said.

“What? What’s wrong with that?”

“We came down the south staircase exit,” she said.

I felt my nerves getting the best of me. This was serious. Someone was coming after me. With gunmen at a fucking innocent award event. If I didn’t believe this was serious before, I did now. There were multiple gunmen on a site I was at, no doubt trying to shoot at me. I popped the top off the whiskey I had grabbed and began guzzling it, trying to calm my nerves.

“Are you serious? Put that shit down.”

“No,” I said.

“I can feel you shaking. I know you’re scared. But I can’t get you out of here if you’re drunk.”

“They’re coming for us. This is serious. Holy shit, why didn’t I take this seriously?”

“Get a grip, Steele. I can’t get you out of here drunk,” she said.

But still, I kept chugging.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt a hand smack the whiskey bottle to the floor. I felt a pair of hands grab my suit, pulling my body forward. A pair of lips descended onto mine as my hands fell to the fabric of Sam’s dress.

Holy shit. Sam was kissing me.

Her lips moved softly along mine, which was shocking, given her dominant and curt nature. I felt her chest heaving against mine, her bosom caressing my muscles as my hands wrapped around her. I pressed her back to the door as my whiskey-infested tongue swiped against her lips, begging for entrance so I could taste more of her and so I could drink up this shockingly soft side of her.

But her hand pushed me away as I heard her cock her gun.

“When the hell did you grab that?” I asked.

“Good thing no one pays you to be observant,” she said.

“I can hear your grin.”

“Good. Because it’s there. Now, here’s how we’re going to get out of here. To the left of us is the northbound staircase. We’re going to go down to the third floor. We’re going to exit on the third floor and shoot straight across to the nearest window. There are outside fire exit staircases, but they only go up to the third floor. Getting out of this building gives me a chance to assess how bad this is. If it’s safe, we can make our way to a cab. If it’s not safe, we can stick to the back roads until we get a few blocks away from this place. The gunmen have a white van as a getaway. He’s going to be using the main streets to circle the block until the gunmen can get out of this building.”

I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, and Sam’s hand clamped down over my mouth. I was trembling. I could see the outline of her body as the red lights continued to flash in the hallway. Her eyes were piercing and her body was still. I couldn’t even hear her breathing. She held her compact gun up to the side of her face as the steps continued down the staircase, fading from our ears before she dropped her hand.

“On my count,” Sam said.

I was impressed, wholly impressed with her. Everything about her was planned. The walkie-talkie. The way she was going to get me out of here. Even that kiss. That kiss had served as a way to relax me and keep me from freaking out because she knew those men were going to be coming down those steps.

That was annoying. Her kiss had been too soft and too enjoyable to be nothing but a part of her grand scheme to save my life.

She quickly opened the door and looked both ways. She took my hand and tugged me out into the hallway as we ran through the red-drenched corridors of the building. We eased our way into the staircase and ran all the way down to the third floor, where we busted through and came to a door across the hall. Sam reared her foot back and thrust it into the door, barreling it open with one swift kick before she looked back at me.

“Come on. The window opens easier than that.”

She threw the window open, steadied me onto the fire escape, and away we went. We touched down onto the ground, and she shoved me into the brick wall, listening for any signs of shooting. When she was satisfied, she took my hand and led me to the main road. The commotion was still inside as she led me toward a car I didn’t recognize.

She opened the door for me to get in, but I paused.

“Whose car is this?” I asked.

“Get the fuck in, Mr. Steele,” Griggs said.

I slid into the car before she dipped in next to me. My eyes roamed her body as I reached for the champagne in the back of the car. I popped the top and started chugging, trying to rid my mind of the events of tonight.

Fuck. I’d even left my award behind.

How the hell did this woman do this for a living? I was a mess, and I wasn’t afraid to admit it. At least three gunmen had been at this event, and I had no idea if anyone was safe. I downed half the bottle of champagne before I allowed it to swing between my legs.

But not Sam.

Sam was as put together as they came.

She had done all of that in a dress and heels, an elegant dress that accentuated the lilt of her hips. I refused to believe that kiss was planned or some part of a grand scheme to calm me down. It had been too delicate and too soft to be anything else. If she had been desperate for something, the kiss would’ve been desperate.

That much I knew about women.

We all rode in silence all the way back to my house. We went through the gate as Griggs drove us to my front door. I slid out of my door and tried to wrap around to open hers, but she was out and on her feet before I could jog around.

She escorted me to my door as Griggs sat there in the car.

“Thank you. For this evening,” I said. “I’m glad I hired you.”

“Maybe now you’ll listen to me,” Sam said.

“I’ll take that as your version of a ‘you’re welcome,’ ” I said.

We stood on the porch as her eyes roamed the house. I couldn’t tell if she was admiring it or studying it. I took out my keys and placed them into the lock. Then, I went to open the keypad I would have to type a code into in order to twist the key and get inside.

But Sam’s hand descended onto my arm, grabbing me and pulling me toward her.

I turned my body back to her, my arm dipping around her waist. Her eyes were connected with mine, sparkling with their brooding stare. I glanced at her lips. Her pillowy lips that had been against mine only a half an hour ago.

I allowed my face to drop to hers before she put her finger against my lips.

“Do you hear that?” she asked.

I paused, but all I could hear was the sound of the wind caressing the trees on my property.

Just like her lips had caressed mine.

“Don’t leave,” she said. “Stay right here.”

“Anything for you,” I said. “After all, you did save my life.”

“Then hold onto that thought, because I’m about to do it again.”