Page 68 of Exposé

Bright white lights shot into the air, and the music scratched to a halt.

"RPD. We're shutting this down."

"Frick." I pulled away from Nate, but his hand held me tight.

"I know a way out. Come on."

People screamed in all directions, scattering like cockroaches in the sun as he pulled me toward a door behind the wooden stage.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place we won't get a ticket for trespassing."

My stomach flipped as I chuckled. "It wouldn't be the first time I was cited for it."

He opened the door and turned back to me with a raised brow. "A bit of a rebel, aren't you?"

The door shut behind us, locking us in a stairwell that led nowhere but up. "It's a hazard of the job." I shrugged as we took the steps, his hand tight around mine. "People don't like reporters."

Our feet pounded against the metal steps as thuds against the door sent my heart skittering into next week.

"I can see that."

"What about your friend?" I frowned as he cracked open the door at the top of the steps with ROOFTOP ACCESS printed in faded red letters in the center and peeked his head out, scanning the roof.

He opened the door all the way, scanning again, his hand tight in mine. "My friend?" He tugged me through the door, my heel hitting the threshold plate, then spun and let the door close quietly behind us.

"The DJ..."

"Oh, right."

I raised a brow.

"He'll be fine. He's used to this stuff."

"You forgot about him, didn't you?"

He winced as he tugged me toward the edge of the rooftop and peered down. "Guilty."

"Wow. Nate—"

My gut clenched as a cold sweat prickled up my spine.

That's a long way down.

"Give me some credit. I was too concerned about you."

Heat flushed my cheeks as I wet my lips. My skin tingled as he stepped away from the edge.

"We should hang out here for a while. They're watching the alleyway."

His sacrifice fled to the back of my mind. "How did you know about the roof access?"

Nate's feet shuffled against the pea gravel roof as he checked behind each silver box of old ducting. "I was here earlier. I knew all points of entry."

"Is that part of your military experience coming out?"

He frowned as he turned to me—the expression fleeting. "Situational awareness was ingrained in us."

---