Page 20 of Gathered Sparkle

My stomach sinks at the sight inside.

Levi is sitting on a chair at a metal table, his hands cuffed behind him, his head hanging forward. He looks unconscious,his blond hair is disheveled, and a nasty bruise is blooming around his left eye.

“Dove!” I whisper-shout, rushing over. I crouch in front of him, my hands going to either side of his face, lifting his head. He doesn’t stir, his eyelids barely fluttering. He’s completely out.

Fuck.

“He’s unconscious,” Simon shares helpfully.

“Yeah, I noticed,” I snap. “Get his cuffs off, please.”

He steps past me to unlock them, the metal clinking loudly against the chair as they fall away and onto the ground.

I wrap my arms around Levi, trying to lift him, but he’s too heavy. He might be slimmer than Koen, but he’s still a lot taller than me, and there’s no way I can carry him on my own. I struggle, trying to shift his weight, but it’s no use.

“Let me.” Simon crouches, pulling Levi up and draping him over his shoulder with surprising ease. He stands, looking back at me. “We need to go. They’re going to notice the security feed is down soon.”

We hurry from the room, moving quickly down the hallway and turning a corner, then another. Up one stairway and another, the tension building inside me with every step.

This is way too easy.

Of course, the second the thought crosses my mind, two security guards round the corner ahead of us.

“Hey!” one of them shouts, his hand moving to his waist. “What are you doing?”

They pull out their guns, and my stomach drops.

Oh my God.

“Come on!” I yell at Simon, but he suddenly lets go of Levi, dropping his body to the tiled floor with a painful thud. Then, I watch in shock as Simon runs toward the two security officers.

“Go loud!” he yells before tackling one of them to the floor.

Fuck.

I really did mess with his head.

But I don’t have time to think about it because the second guard is still standing, and he’s pointing his gun directly at me. “Put your hands up!”

“Like hell, I will.” I crouch down to grab Levi. He’s still too heavy, but I manage to get my arms under his and drag him along the floor. His silk trousers glide smoothly over the tiles.

Only Levi Lane would think about looking fabulous while committing a crime.

My muscles scream in protest as the guard’s voice rises, his shouts getting closer as he closes in. Panic surges through me, and I push myself harder, dragging Levi faster around the corner.

Then there’s a crash and a grunt. I risk a quick glance to find Simon has tackled the other guard to the floor and has his arms locked around the guy’s legs. I pull Levi with everything I have, my arms trembling from the strain.

He groans—a low, pained sound that makes me glance down at his face, hoping he’s waking up. But his eyes are still shut, his head lolling to the side.

Come on, Dove, I could use a little help here.

I grit my teeth, adrenaline blurring my thoughts. My only focus is getting us out of there. Any direction will do as long as it leads us away from danger. Glancing over my shoulder, I catch sight of some glass walls and spy gym equipment in the room beyond.

We’re high enough now to be in a section of the hotel where guests might wander around. If anyone recognizes Levi, it’ll make everything so much worse.

I’m almost at the gym entry when a muffled pop echoes down the hall, and pain erupts through my upper arm. I duck and freeze, gasping as I look down to see the fabric of the uniform torn, blood soaking through the sleeve.

Shit.

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