Page 39 of Breaking the Glass
“Yes, sir,” we both answer a bit too enthusiastically, eager to get back to our girl.
Fireworks start exploding above us, making me nearly jump out of my skin. My father curses and takes off, muttering something about them going off too early.
“Good.” He turns and storms off the way he came, throwing orders at Maria and his assistant.
We don’t waste a second running back to the gazebo, to our girl waiting inside. We race across the stone walkway, and around the gazebo.
“Sorry. We just had to get rid of him …” I mutter, but my words fall away when I reach the opening and look inside.
It’s empty.
Glancing under the bench, as if she were possibly hiding behind a leg the width of a few inches, I sigh, my heart tightening in my chest.
“Fuck!” Dean curses with anguish. “We were gone fortwoseconds.” Defeat sinks into his shoulders, and he plops down onto the bench, dropping his head in his hands. “This place is a damn maze if you don’t know it well. How did she even find her way out?”
I run my hands through my hair, my chest throbbing uncontrollably as I find a seat at his side. “I don’t know, man. But we’ll find her.”
“We have to.” He sighs. “We’ll figure out who she is and why the hell she was so scared when she found out who we were.” Dean sits up. “Whatever it is, we’ll protect her. She’s ours now.”
Pushing to my feet, I offer him my hand. “Ours.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I race through the hedges, working my way through the back side of the house toward the staff wing.
Pulling my phone out of the waist band of my dress, I curse again. It’s already 12:01. I’m going to be late.
Fireworks are going off above me, colorful flashes booming all around me.
I have, like, a thousand texts from Jules, but I don’t have time to read them right now. Instead, I call her, needing her to let me in when I get close to the door that leads into the staff wing.
“There you are! Where have you been?! Adrianna’s going to be here any minute,” she answers, panic streaking her voice.
“I’m around the corner. I’ll be hitting the back door in less than thirty seconds.”
“Okay, hurry!” she urges.
“I literally cannot run faster!” I whisper-shout, very out of breath.
Pausing for just a second, I kick my heels off and carry them as I continue running.
A beat of silence passes between us before I hear a little giggle in my ear. She squeals, and I can practically see the smile on her face.
“Sooo … how was it? I imagine there was a special someone keeping you so busy and distracted alllll night.”
“Shush. We are not talking about this right now!” I scold, literally running for my life.
When she squeals again, I roll my eyes.
“That means there’s something to talk about! Iknewit!”
“Oh hush. I’m here,” I pant.
The door opens, and a beaming Jules greets me, frantically checking her phone for messages from Myra, who is waiting upstairs to tell us when Adrianna shows up.
“Come on. Come on.”
I burst inside the hall, and we race down the side stairs to our suite. Adrenaline floods my veins, a shit-eating smile stretched across my face.
