Page 66 of Forbidden Access

Hawk grabbed Damian’s left arm, Thorn took his right, while Pat brought up the rear. They moved cautiously into the corridor, keeping their eyes sharp for anything out of the ordinary.

The faint smell of smoke hung in the air, mingling with the thundering fire alarm and the growing wail of approaching sirens.

Two operatives who had been stationed outside the suite took the lead, sweeping the hallway with their weapons raised. Guests scattered at the sight of the guns, their faces a mix of fear and confusion.

“Stay clear!” Pat ordered, his voice cutting through the mayhem as they pressed forward toward the stairwell.

The smell of smoke grew stronger as they descended. Damian’s heart pounded in his chest like a drum, the adrenaline fine-tuning his senses.

The two operatives led the way down the stairwell, their movements practiced and fluid. One of them paused on the landing, checking the area before signaling it was clear.

It was only two floors down to the emergency exit, but with the smoke thickening and visibility diminishing, it felt like miles.

They pushed forward, merging with the crowd of evacuees heading for the exit. Suddenly, a powerful arm grabbed Damian and yanked him sideways into a dark storeroom. At the same moment, one of the other operatives, dressed similarly to Damian in track pants, a black T-shirt, and an identical red cap, seamlessly took his place between Hawk and Thorn.

Damian started to shout, but a hand clamped over his mouth, and a voice hissed in his ear, “Shut up and stay down.”

Realizing this was part of the plan—albeit one he hadn’t been briefed on—Damian complied, dropping into a crouch as the storeroom door slammed shut, plunging them into pitch darkness.

Seconds later, gunfire erupted in the corridor outside.

CHAPTER 29

Icicles clutched at his heart.

Thorn!

She was out there, in the middle of a barrage of bullets.

He lunged for the door, adrenaline and fear pumping through his veins like ice water, but strong arms yanked him back, slamming him against the wall with a force that knocked the breath out of him.

“Stay down!” a voice barked, leaving him no choice but to comply.

He gritted his teeth, his heart pounding against his ribcage like a jackhammer.

Dear God, please let her be okay.

The sound of rapid gunfire filled the air, punctuated by the shouts of men giving orders and the screams of the unsuspecting. Damian’s imagination ran wild—he could see Thorn out there, caught in the crossfire, her body jerking as bullets tore through the air around her.

He had no idea what was happening, and the not knowing was tearing him apart. Every instinct screamed at him to go to her, to fight his way through the chaos and protect her. But the arm across his chest was an iron bar, pinning him in place, forcing him to stay put.

Another burst of gunfire.

Then... silence.

An ominous, deafening silence.

Damian’s pulse roared in his ears.

Had they been hit? Were there casualties?

Was Thorn?—

A sharp knock on the storeroom door shattered his frantic thoughts. The door creaked open, and Anna stood there, a reassuring smile on her face. “We got them. It’s clear. You can come out now.”

Damian didn’t wait for more. He bolted past her into the smoke-filled corridor, his only thought to find Thorn. The air was thick, choking, and he could barely see through the haze, but then he caught a flash of red hair—a beacon in the chaos.

Thorn was kneeling beside Hawk, who was alive but wincing in pain.

---