Page 78 of Storm Warning
Kate staggered out of the sauna, gulping in the cool air. “The door... it was stuck. Sauna… too hot,” she gasped out.
The woman’s brow furrowed as she glanced at the door. “That’s strange. It opened right up for me. Let me help you to the lounge, and I’ll fetch you some lemon water.”
As Kate sat in the lounge sipping her water, trying to make sense of what had just happened, a security guard approached her.
“Ms. Danvers, my name is Kevin Brooks. I’m with Security. I understand you had an incident in the sauna?”
Kate nodded, still shaky. “Yes, the door stuck. I couldn’t get out. And the temperature was much too high, even for a sauna.” Dread swirled in her gut.
Brook’s expression darkened as he squatted down in front of her and met her eyes. “I’m sorry to inform you, but it appears the door may have been tampered with. I found unusual marks around the lock. We are investigating further.”
A chill raced through her as the implications of his wordssank in. Someone tried to hurt her—possibly kill her. Her sense of peace shattered, replaced by cold, hard fear.
Not in any shape to continue with her treatments, Kate stepped inside the changing room and dressed in her own clothes, Brooks’ promise to investigate echoing in her mind, but the unease refused to dissipate.
She couldn’t shake the visceral feeling of having a target on her back, and the thought of someone willfully trying to harm her sent a chill down her spine. She needed to tell Nick, but would that endanger him?
When she exited the dressing room, Brooks fell in beside her. “I’ll drive you back to your suite, Miss Danvers, since you shouldn’t be driving yet. Another guard will bring your golf cart.”
He handed her into another golf cart emblazoned with the Ivory Tower logo and the word SECURITY across the front. Another uniformed guard hopped into her cart and set off in front of them.
Kate lifted her face to the breeze, trying to push her fears out of her mind and instead concentrate on just the facts. Someone jammed the sauna door. Who would know how to do that? Who would have access to do that without being seen? Maybe there were cameras in the hallway.
Relief washed through her as the turn to the mansion came into sight. The other cart missed the turn onto the path, careening straight ahead toward a tree.
Kate’s heart pounded as the cart slammed into the tree before tipping over, the front end crumpled from the collision.
In her horror, it took a moment for her to realize the guard driving had jumped out, and now stood staring at the mess.
He shook his head before heading over to them.
“Sir. The steering locked, and the brakes failed.” After aquick glance at Kate, he continued. “Given the incident in the spa, I’ll have it checked for tampering.”
Kate’s eyes widened. For an instant, she couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe. Her gaze swept the wreckage, her stomach twisting tighter with every detail. Someone did this—to hurt her. And they hadn’t cared if someone else got in the way.
A sharp, hot pressure built in her chest, part outrage, part something close to panic. Her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms as the thought took hold:This is real. They tried to hurt me—and they don’t care who might get in the way.
“Here you go, Miss Danvers. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?” Brooks watched her, concern clear in his eyes. She glanced around; they were at her suite.
With a shaky breath, she thanked him and rushed inside. She grabbed her phone and called Nick, her fingers trembling as she held it to her ear. When he answered, the sound of his voice soothed her raw nerves.
“Nick, there’s been an incident... well, two actually,” she started, her voice thin and reedy. She described the events at the spa and the golf cart accident, her words tumbling out in a rush.
Nick listened, probably trying to decipher her babbling, before growling, “I’m on my way,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Stay inside and keep the door locked. I’ll come through the interior door.”
She hung up the phone but couldn’t shake the dread encompassing her. She couldn’t face this alone. She needed Nick, and, more importantly, she needed to trust that they could face this threat together.
On shaky legs, she checked the lock on the outside door before opening the interior doors to see Zach striding down the hallway toward her.
“Kate, are you alright? I heard what happened at the spa.”
She let out a shaky breath, grateful for his presence, and opened the door wider in silent invitation.
“Yes, come in. I just called Nick. Did you hear about the golf cart, too?”
Zach stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room as if assessing for any immediate threats, but his eyes snapped to hers at the question. “No. Tell me precisely what happened. From the beginning.”
Kate wrapped her arms around herself, a chill snaking down her spine despite the warm room. She sank down into a chair and recounted the events, from the relaxing massage and facial to the terrifying ordeal in the sauna. Zach listened, his expression growing grimmer with each detail.