The Revenge (The Insiders Trilogy #3)(34)

He’d been let free.

I had no clue why.

Then Josh was approaching, his phone to his ear. I heard him say, “I’ll tell him.” He put the phone to his chest, looked up at me. “It’s Matt. Something’s happened.”





NINETEEN

Bailey


We were pulling up to Phoenix Tech and not the Chesapeake.

“What is going on?” I leaned forward, a hand to the back of Fitz’s seat in front.

“We’re meeting Kash here instead.”

Matt was frowning, too, so I wasn’t the only one in Lostville, USA.

We got out, following Fitz. Matt’s guards fell in step right behind us. The front door of Phoenix Tech was opened. More guards were there, and we walked past all of them, all the way to the elevator and up to the top floor, and when we stepped outside, I was having a moment.

I knew where we were going, and I’d never been to my father’s office in this building.

I would’ve fangirled so hard going in there before this summer, but then the summer happened. But right then and there, I wasn’t the daughter of Peter Francis walking inside. Okay. Maybe there was still some fangirling happening in me. I was the little nine-year-old that got her first Computer Weekly with Peter Francis on the cover as a birthday gift.

I think my knees were knocking together .

Matt frowned at me. “What are you doing?”

“Noth—” Total nerd squeak there. I coughed, my tone lower and calmer. “Nothing. I’m good.”

My stomach was still doing loop-de-loops, but okay. We were here, and I saw my father, and the moment was done.

“Hey.” Matt went inside, dropped to a chair, and threw his leg over the armrest. “Why are we here?”

Peter’s gaze was lingering on me before he pulled away, looking at his son. “Because—”

“Because there’s been some new developments everyone needs to know about.”

Kash walked in with those words, his eyes falling on me and holding there. I was pinned in place, and I felt a rush of heat, of pain, of bitterness, but also of flutters and excitement. A whole rush of emotions all blasted me at once, and I had to pull my gaze away just to try and get ahold of myself.

I was all flustered.

What the hell?

Matt stood, sounding a whole lot more reserved. “Like what?”

I glanced up.

Matt had moved so he was half blocking me. His hands were in his pockets. His shoulders were bunched forward. He looked casual, laid-back, but I knew better. Whatever exchange had just happened between Kash and me, Matt saw it, and he was protecting me.

My stomach was cramping up.

“Why are you shielding Bailey from me?”

Oh. Crap.

A sudden silence fell over the room.

I swallowed over a lump, shoving that down.

Peter coughed.

Matt didn’t respond, not right away. He shuffled to the side, still blocking me. “What are you talking about?”

I almost snorted .

“You know what I’m talking about.” Kash’s voice went low.

Goose bumps rose over my arm, along with a shiver going down my spine. But I was hot, and feeling achy, and also wanting Kash at the same time.

“Bailey,” said Peter, in a quiet voice, “can you enlighten us on what is going on?”

I shoved out of the chair and surged to my feet.

My heart was beating fast.

I took a breath and stepped around Matt. Seeing Kash, seeing how gorgeous he was, his piercing eyes, how all those hours in the gym and swimming had sculpted his body so that even just standing there he was the definition of graceful deadliness …

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but I lifted my gaze. Catching how stormy his eyes were, locked on me, pinning me in place again, but sliding inside and, as if he could read my thoughts, feel my feelings, I gulped. My own vision grew blurry at the edges.

“Bailey.” A soft prompt from Matt.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

My throat ceased working.

What was happening to me?

I was moving.

My foot went forward.

My next, right after.

I was going past Matt, around Kash.

“Bailey?” Peter called after me.

I should stop.

I should explain.

I did neither.

I kept going, into the hallway. Past the guards. Past the elevators.

Fitz was coming after me. “Bailey? What’s going on?”

I couldn’t stop .

I pushed through the door to the stairs, but I didn’t go down. I should’ve gone down.

I went up.

All the way, all eight flights, until the roof access door loomed over me, and I didn’t pause. I shoved it open. Fitz was right behind me. I could almost feel his confusion, but get in line, buddy.

I had no clue what I was doing.

My body wasn’t answering my own commands.

I was on the roof and I went to the edge, and there, once there, I stopped.

My hands grasped the railing. I was staring out over the back parking lot, and I closed my eyes. I threw my head back and I gulped, taking in the fresh air.

I suddenly couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t move.

Everything was pulsating around me, pushing down on me, pushing from behind, from below, even from in front of me.