Page 117 of Bliss with a Billionaire
“We’re stuck!” Sierra exclaimed.
“Okay, just…calm down.” Julia forced her breathing to slow. “Ally is here. She’ll find the open bookcase, she’ll follow it, and she’ll see the collapse.”
“Not if someone closed the bookcase,” Grant said.
“Who would close it?” Julia asked.
Kyle pointed a finger at Julia. “I’m with her. Who would close it?”
“Right, so, Ally will find us.”
“Or she’ll think we came down here, saw the collapse and turned around and left,” Grant answered as he scrubbed his face.
Julia heaved a sigh. “No, if she can’t find us anywhere else, she’ll figure it out. She’s smart.”
Grant stared at the wall of dirt preventing their escape. “All right. We’ll give your sister some time. But if she’s not here soon…”
“We can dig,” Julia agreed.
“So…we’re just going to wait?” Sierra asked, her voice shrill with panic.
Julia slid her arm around her stepdaughter’s waist. “I know it’s hard, but that’s the best thing we can do.”
“I don’t like waiting. And I’m scared.”
“Now, who’s the ‘fraidy cat?” Kyle teased.
“Shut up, Kyle,” Sierra said, her voice shaking, “I’m sorry that I’m scared when there’s reason to be scared, unlike you who is just scared on a permanent basis.”
“I’m not scared on a permanent basis,” Kyle shot back.
Grant slid an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “It’s okay, baby. We’re together at least, right?”
She frowned. “I guess.”
“Hey, why don’t we look around and see what else is down here while we wait to be rescued,” Julia suggested, desperate to keep her mind off of the building panic.
“Okay,” Sierra said. “Maybe I’ll find a new necklace.”
“Sierra, you can’t keep any of this. It’s probably going to be impounded,” Grant answered.
“Quiet, Daddy. I need a distraction. Stop ruining it.”
“Right. Maybe you’ll find a matching set of earrings and a necklace,” he said with a shrug.
Sierra dug through the boxes. “If I’m lucky, there will also be a ring.”
Sierra sniffled as she frowned at the box. “This just has a stupid vase.” She shoved it back onto the shelf.
Kyle tugged the box back and opened it. “That’s probably a priceless artifact, Sierra.”
“Who cares?”
“Me. It would be quite a find.”
“Okay, Indiana Jones. You can have the old vase, then,” she answered. “I’ll keep any diamonds we find, deal?”
Julia smiled at the exchange before she wandered to the back and studied the filing cabinets.
