Page 289 of Shadowman

His eyes are wide, fraught and momentarily crazed. I don’t think I was supposed to see that look, because he covers it up fast and with hostility.

I steady myself with a hand on his hip…

“My apologies.” My head tilts.

His gaze narrows. “What are you… Where are you going?” His voice goes from a flutter to a hiss.

“Nowhere,” I murmur, knowingly soft, as I pull my hand back slowly.

He looks like he wants to say something, but is distracted when Kent and another one of Manuel’s personal security team, Paulino, come storming up to us.

“Sir,” Kent says, appearing concerned. I notice it right away, because on him, it’s rare.

“What…” The Ivory growls.

“There’s a problem…”

I blink at The Ivory. His jaw tics.

“What else is new,” he bites out, stomping past me.

“Sir…?” Kent shouts again, chasing after him.

“Fuck off,” Manuel Blanco barks, practically running away from them.

My lips twist subtly as I rush off to find Byron.All these years and I’ve still got it… Like muscle memory.

I squeeze the skeleton key tightly in my palm.Never underestimate a lad from the streets.

I’m chuckling to myself, considering what I’ll need to do with this key as I head toward the atrium. I wasn’t able to locate the remote to our collars…Maybe it was in his other pocket…?

Still, I’m filled with a renewed sense of confidence. I’ll get to Byron, and we can go search upstairs. Clearly, The Ivory is distracted…

The lights go out.

Out of nowhere, I’m bathed in pitch-black, coming to a stop before I crash into a wall.

The entire mansion has gone from light to dark in a split second.

Well, bugger me sideways…

So much for that idea.

“Something’s wrong,” Dash mutters, shaking his head. “Where’s The Ivory? He’s been too quiet…”

He’s right, but I’m too busy freaking out about other things. Like Trevel leaving me. And the sound of a helicopter off in the distance…

It was loud at first, as if it had landed on the roof. We heard voices and commotion, but figured our best bet was to hide out in here just in case.It’s not like we can leave the damn mansion anyway…

But the idea of being sitting ducks isn’t sitting right with any of us ducks. We’ve been pacing around for minutes on end, wondering what’s going on, and now I swear to God, I can hear a helicopter again. Though, it sounds farther away than before…

It doesn’t make any sense. Why would it land and then leave so quickly?? Would Russo really get dropped off by a helicopter on its way somewhere else?? That seems ridiculous.

“If your boyfriend ratted us out, I’m gonna kill you both myself,” Hancock hisses at me.

“Fuck you,” I growl. “If he had, wouldn’t The Ivory have come back by now??”

“Not if he’s planning something worse,” he grumbles.