Page 26 of Guarded from Sabotage

Shit. What is she trying to hide from Xavier?

Anxious energy pulses through me, making it impossible to stand still. As I pace across the living room, I say, “Sarah. Can you tell me what happened?”

There’s a long pause, when all I can hear are her shaky breaths and soft sniffs. Then she says quietly, “I got put on leave. Unpaid. They—” Her voice cracks. “They said I… I’m too much of a distraction. And”—another sob—“they said I violated the… privacy of the clients.”

“What?” My voice rises. “You? There’s no?—”

“Someone hacked all my social media.” Sarah’s words tumble over each other. “There’s all sorts of horrible stuff posted. Lies and insults about my coworkers. My boss. Derogatory things about my clients. It’s awful, Dante. I can’t fix it. I can’t even get into the accounts. I don’t know what to do.”

“They can’t fire you for that, Sarah.” My teeth grind painfully, but I keep my tone calm. “People get their social media accounts hacked all the time. That’s not cause for firing you.”

“I’m not fired. I’m on leave. And my boss said… I’m hurting the clients by being there. First the police showing up, and the car, and now this… plus, I’m still on probation…” She trails off and starts crying in earnest. “I would never… do anything to hurt the kids. Ever.”

“I know. Of course you wouldn’t. And we’ll fix this.” I head to the front door and grab my keys from the hook on the wall. “I’m coming over. Okay?”

In a tiny voice, Sarah says, “But it’s not your night. I’m sure you have things?—”

“No. I want to be there. With you.”

“Oh.” There’s a brief pause, and then softly, “I’d really like that. If you were here.”

Hand on the doorknob, I reply, “I’m on my way?—”

But I’m cut off by tremendous thuds echoing across the line, like something heavy hammering on the walls of her apartment.

Sarah lets out a surprised yelp.

My pulse accelerates, doubling in speed. “Sarah. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice shakes, and her breathing quickens. “Someone’s at the?—”

There’s more banging. And now, shouting. Sharp, commanding voices yelling unintelligible things.

“Dante…”

“Stay where you are.” Urgency sharpens my tone. “Let Xavier handle this.”

In the background, I can hear Xavier shouting to Sarah, “Don’t move! Let me?—”

Glass shatters.

The hammering sound intensifies.

Then a deafening crash.

Sarah shrieks.

Shit! What’s happening?

I’m bolting down the hallway when I hear someone yell, “Get the windows! Get the windows! Move in! Police! Police!”

I blow past a startled Niall just as Sarah whispers, “I don’t know what’s happening. They?—”

“Don’t move! Police!”

There’s a dull clunk, and the call cuts off.

Sarah!

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