Page 6 of Little Did You Know

"Look." I softened my tone, placing my hands on her shoulders. "There's a 99.9 percent chance the fire was an accident, but sometimes, in the business world, you make enemies."

Her eyes narrowed, searching my face for any hint of deception.

"Emmett would rather be safe than sorry." I squeezed her shoulders gently. "More than likely, he's received empty threats, and while he figures it out, he wants to ensure you're safe."

"But Anthony, he was so stressed and worried." Her fingers twisted the edge of the blanket still draped around her shoulders.

"Anthony..." I rubbed the back of my neck, searching for the right words. "Anthony can be a bit dramatic when it comes to you."

Her face twisted with confusion. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

"Don't you remember when we were kids, and we got stuck in the elevator at the mall?"

A flicker of recognition crossed her face. She nodded, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

"I called him, but he only heard bits and pieces of what I said." I mimicked holding an old flip phone. "’Olivia and I are trapped'—then the signal cut out."

Her smile grew.

"He called everyone but the National Guard to look for us." I shook my head at the memory. "Had the entire mall on lockdown before someone finally realized we were just stuck in the elevator."

She laughed then—a small, brittle sound, but genuine. For a moment, the ash-covered, frightened woman before me transformed back into the girl I'd grown up with

Her laughter faded. She glanced toward the door, then back to me. "You think Emmett's okay?"

"Yes, I do." I checked my watch again, the seconds ticking by relentlessly. "If he weren't, he would have let me know."

I needed to reassure her—needed her safely on that plane. The truth was, I had no idea what Emmett was up to. But I'd spoken to him briefly just hours ago, and while the call had been strange, he hadn't sounded distressed.

A muscle twitched in my jaw. The memory of that call nagged at me—something off in his tone, perhaps. But I'd dismissed it at the time.

"I'll call and check on Emmett when we land." I softened my expression, squeezing her shoulder.

Her eyes searched mine, looking for something. The seconds stretched between us.

Finally, I extended my open hand. Palm up. An offering.

After a moment that felt much longer, her fingers—cold and still smudged with soot—slid into mine. Her shoulders dropped a fraction, resignation replacing the determination in her eyes.

I led her out into the bright corridor. Officer Day straightened as we emerged, his expression giving nothing away.

No words passed between us as we navigated the empty corridors of JFK, our footsteps echoing against polished floors. The silence held, heavy and unbroken, until long after we were airborne, and the lights of New York had faded beneath us.

Chapter Four

My shoes hit the tarmac and time became my enemy. Twenty-five minutes to cross town. Five to navigate the parking garage and elevators. And somewhere in between, I had to figure out what the hell to do with Olivia. The weight of my watch seemed to mock each passing second.

Before Olivia’s bare feet were flat on the ground, I gently guided her with my hand on the small of her back to the black SUV awaiting us.

"Where are we going?" Olivia scanned the tarmac, disoriented.

I yanked open the SUV’s door and her bare feet shifted on the concrete. A gentle push on her shoulder, and she folded into the seat like a puppet with cut strings.

"I hadn't anticipated you coming so early." My fingers drummed against the door frame. "I have a meeting this morning that I can't miss, so we are going to my office."

Her eyes widened. I slammed the door on whatever protest was forming on her lips. Straightening my suit jacket, I strolled around to the opposite side, pulled open the door and slid in.

"Nick." My name ghosted from her lips. Her fingers worked the charred lace at her hem, twisting the fabric until it threatened to tear. "I can't go in there like..." The gesture she made at herself was barely more than a tremor.

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