Page 53 of Donovan Blake: Adrenalin

The crowd broke into a frenzy.

As they screamed and ran in all directions, a security guard nearby yelled the alarm into his phone, while another tried to push through the throng of terrified guests to protect his boss.

But Franco was on a mission.

As he lunged toward Manny, Alexi’s bodyguards sprang forward and tried to tackle him, but the heated battle sent all three men toppling into the castle cake missing Manny and Alexi by inches.

“Phoebe, I need to get back to Manny’s office!” Donovan said in a hushed whisper as he abruptly pulled her away from the fracas. “With any luck the guards in the hall will be on their way here.”

“I’m going with you.”

“The hell you are, it’s too dangerous.”

“But you might need me, and I’ll follow you anyway so—”

With no time to argue he tightened his grip, made his way around the tumult, then raced through the rooms and turned down the hall.

He had guessed right.

The guards had left.

As they moved swiftly to the office he was prepared to find it locked, but it wasn’t. Both relieved and surprised he moved quickly through the door and hastily closed it behind them.

“Dammit, there’s nowhere to hide,” he muttered, staring around the room. “We’re screwed.”

“Behind his desk,” Phoebe suggested urgently. “He said he only likes to sit there when he’s working.”

“You’re right! He did!”

“But take off that hat,” she said as they hurried across the expansive office. “If you try to look over the top it’ll be seen. It’s so big.”

As they found the spot that would give them the best view of the conversation pit, he lifted it off and they settled on the floor.

“See, you need me, just like I need you,” she murmured, leaning her head against him. “We make a great team.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You don’t think so?”

“Yeah, but we had a deal, and want you actually need—is a very hard spanking.”

“But--”

“Ssh…I think I hear them coming down the hall.”

* * *

Though Manny was still shaken from Franco’s unexpected, explosive attack and the ensuing bedlam, he was doing his best to maintain an unruffled demeanor.

It wasn’t easy.

His head wouldn’t stop spinning.

Franco was dead, stabbed with his own knife as he’d fallen into the cake. Yet the vision of the brutish man charging towards him wielding the large, deadly weapon kept playing itself over and over again in the forefront of his mind.

When it was all over and Alexi’s bodyguards had staggered to their feet, they’d been covered from head to toe in blood, cake and frosting. Manny had quickly barked out orders to his men.

They were to move Franco into a locked room, and take Alexi’s bodyguards somewhere to get cleaned up and provide whatever clothing they needed.

---