Page 62 of Crossing the Line
“He’s on the carpet!” someone shouted in Xavier’s earpiece followed by a fit of coughing. Celebrities, fans, and executives ran and shoved their way down the carpet in a bid to get to the safety of the theatre.
Xavier caught a foot in the back as someone tried to jump over them. He needed to get them up and out or they’d be trampled. Liam crawled down from the stage and grabbed his wife and Kate. Xavier hauled Waverly to her feet and pulled his gun, his gaze scanning the crowd for Ganim’s face. “Get them out of here! There might be more bombs,” he yelled to Liam.
“I’m not leaving Wave,” Kate shouted, trying to come back for Waverly.
“I’ve got her. Get out, get safe,” Xavier assured her. Liam had to drag Kate away, but he got both women through the shrubs behind the camera to the sidewalk.
Simon still stood on his stage, microphone in hand gaping at the scene as hundreds of people tore down the red carpet. His cameraman panned the scene, chewing gum with a mechanical rhythm.
Thick black smoke began to descend on the carpet, intensifying the panic. He could barely see a foot in front of his face. There were people everywhere frantically running for safety. Waverly clutched Xavier’s arm and screamed.
Xavier’s heart stopped, but his body moved on instinct. He turned, pulling her hard against him and found Ganim just feet away staring at them, a sick smile on his face. The crowd parted around him as if he was a rock in the river and for a second they just stared at each other. His teeth were worn down in a straight line, his cheeks were hollow, and his complexion sallow and pale as if he hadn’t seen the sun in years. His brown hair looked like it was rarely washed or combed, and the eerie light in his almost black eyes spoke volumes of obsession and craving.
Xavier made a move forward, but Waverly trembled behind him and dug her fingers into his jacket. Every instinct shouted at him to neutralize the threat, but he couldn’t leave Waverly. A woman in a glittering gown sobbed her way past them, blood leaking from a wound on her forehead. Taking a shot was impossible with the pandemonium around them—too many bystanders.
He forced the shivering Waverly behind his back. “Suspect engaged on carpet,” he called to his team.
Ganim brought his left hand up and wiggled his fingers in an obscene wave. “Come and get me, asshole,” Xavier called. “I dare you.”
He spotted Darius closing in from the right, but Ganim must have known his luck was up. Another cloud of smoke drifted between them, and by the time it cleared, Ganim was gone.
“Suspect on the run,” Xavier shouted.
He felt Waverly’s fingers slip from his jacket. She was being carried away by the crowd that was still surging toward the building. The terror on her face froze in his mind, and he fought his way to her.
“Come on, Angel. Come on, baby,” he chanted, pulling her off the carpet and under the scaffolding that bore movie graphics with her face. They made it to the alley before Waverly’s legs gave out, and Xavier scooped her up at a dead run. He thanked the gods of planning when he noted the Invictus SUV was still waiting by the side exit.
“Christ, Saint. What the fuck happened?” the driver demanded. Jada was barely five feet tall and built like a fireplug. She was the best damn driver on his staff and Xavier would have kissed her if they had a second to spare.
“Drive!” he shouted, tossing Waverly onto the backseat and sliding in next to her. He kept his gun drawn. Jada had her piece ready, too.
They flew down the alley in the Tahoe at highway speed. Traffic on the street was a tangled mess of chaos, but Jada forced her way through and across into another alley. By the third block, traffic had thinned, and she gunned the V8 heading west.
Xavier knew he didn’t have to tell her to run a surveillance detection route. Her gaze scanned from the road to each of the mirrors in a methodical rotation.
“Angel is secure,” he told his team. “Darius, you’re in charge. Get those people out of that building in case it’s rigged.”
Xavier finally allowed himself to look at Waverly. The terror on her face had nearly stopped him cold on the carpet, a reaction that could have been deadly. He couldn’t let that happen again. Now, she was bent at the waist, her hands over her face.
“Waverly,” he said softly. “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe.”
He ran a hand down her back and felt her spine tense like wire. She was trembling.
“Hey, Angel.” He leaned down and brought his lips to her ear. “It’s all okay.”
“P-people got hurt,” she stammered through chattering teeth.
“We don’t know what happened yet,” Xavier told her, stroking her back.
“P-people got hurt because of me. M-my movie. My stalker.”
“Hey,” his voice was less calming now. “Don’t be an idiot. The only person to blame here is Ganim, and he will pay.”
She was rocking herself, curled in a ball, and it finally clicked for Xavier.Panic attack.He’d battled a handful of them after his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Given her history as a kid of crowds and chaos, he should have guessed earlier.
He hauled her up and into his lap, tucking her head under his chin. He wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve got you, Angel. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“We’re clear,” Jada said, cool and composed from the driver seat as if they were out for a quiet Sunday ride. They meandered north while she waited for a destination.
