Page 115 of Silent Comrade
Project done.
Britt walked around in a daze, heartleaping, somehow feeling amped and exhausted. She’d actuallyfinished!
Tachi hugged her, and then sidled awaytoward the back of the room with a grinning Rodeo. They made theperfect fashion power couple.
Professor Janssen walked up. “Wonderfulcollection, Miss McNeill. The juxtaposition of fabric type tocreate structure yet movement to the viewer’s eye, flawless.Thematically, it was pitch-perfect.” He clasped her hand then letgo. “I’m told that scouts from Khaite and Ralph Lauren showedsignificant interest in your designs!”
“You’re kidding!”
“No. Your vision fits perfectly with theirplanned fall collection. Let me know if you need a reference.” Heexcused himself to mingle with other students, models, and theirfamilies.
Wow. Britt stood in the middle of the crowd,unable to stop smiling.
Standing about twenty feet away, Jennalooked like she sucked another lemon as she stared at Britt. Hermodels exuded boredom as they removed their accessories and packedup their bags. Jenna’s parents and a few friends came up tocongratulate her, but the atmosphere in that section of the roomwas chilly. She had surrounded herself with cold statues, not realpeople.
Britt smiled at her motley crew ofbeautiful, unique, happy people. She was so proud. Eventually,she’d need to find Dad and visit with him and his new buddy,Rivera. She breathed a massive sigh of relief. Dad hadn’t beenhurt.
Lequire hadn’t shown up.
Britt wanted to collapse into a bonelesslump and sleep for a few weeks.
Over the top of all the people millingaround her, she spied Red slowly moving through the crowd. Heliterally rose head and shoulders above most everyone else. Hiswink and smile sent a jolt right through her.
Didn’t realize until right now how much hisopinion mattered. Didn’t truly realize until right now how much hissafety mattered, too, along with everyone else who helped on thisproject.
Her body felt light as air. She’d done it.Finished. She would graduate. A bubble of happiness fluttered inher chest. Catching Red’s gaze again, she gave him a brief, shywave. Then he frowned, and his face turned to furious stone as heopened his mouth, as if to yell.
Blood drained from her head to her toes.Several loud cracks pierced the world, and a light exploded aboveBritt. Red howled and reached out to her, like he could bridge thethirty-foot distance between them with sheer will alone.
Britt covered her head and cowered as glassshattered around her. Screams rippled through the room. Everyonestarted running in all directions.
Britt stood up and tried to run, too, but inthe press of people, she caught an elbow to the jaw and a hand tothe back. Stars sparking in her vision, she went down on a knee.The crowd banged into her from side to side as they rushed towardany exit.
Tachi? Red? The models? Where were they?
More loud pops and screams came from themain theater.
Dad? Oh God.
The room had cleared out by half already aspeople bottlenecked through the backstage emergency exits.
Was that someone whistling nearby?Seriously?
Heart pounding against her chest, Britttried to stand, only to get knocked sideways again, this time by aperson with a massive frame. A hard forearm clamped around hermidsection, turning her scream into a wheezing gurgle. She dug herfingers into the fabric of the sleeve. Black Italian wool blend.Distinctive four-button cuffs. Armani.
A wave of nausea hit her as the grinningface of Beau Lequire filled her peripheral vision as he leaned hishead down.
“Game over, pretty lady. Told you the nexttime we met, I would win. It’s for keeps now. You’re going to helpme now.” His gleaming, too-broad grin triggered a clench of terrordeep in her gut. “I have a business to run. My Daddy has anelection to win. The McNeill ladies are in my way. You’remine.”
Britt struggled, but the grip he crankedaround her cut off air until her lungs burned. Total bull. This wasnot how her day was going to end. This was not how her collegecareer would end, dragged away in the clutches of Mr. Nasty Armani.No way.
So what if she wasn’t as strong as Beau. Shecould slow him down. The heels of her booties could do some damage.She extended her foot and flung it backward as hard as she could,connecting with a thud that vibrated up her entire leg.
“Ooof. Damn you.” He readjusted hisviselike grip, still suspending her off the ground. Air exited herlungs and did not reenter.
With her unpinned arm, she reached back andclawed at him, the movement awkward and weak. A familiar shoutreached her buzzing ears. Then a blurred impact like a torpedo hitBeau and the force transmitted into her. Beau staggered and droppedher. She flew across the concrete floor and thumped into the wall.Her head swam, and she laid there, watching the world sideways, toostunned to get up.
The backstage area had nearly cleared out offashion students, models, and audience members. All that remainedwere four men dressed in black suits who she didn’t recognize. Theyattacked a tall, tanned man with dark hair. The janitor circledthem.
