Centerfold

by Kris Norris

  “Shit! You okay?” Roman traveled the length of Aiden’s torso with his hands, obviously searching for any injuries.

  “Fine.” He gave his head a shake to clear the ringing in his ears. “Stop worrying about me and get Scarlet.”

  Roman gave him one last quick glance then grabbed the handle, darting into the other room. Aiden followed suit, choking at the swirl of smoke. Shit, if it was this thick out here already, the studio had to be filled. Roman stopped at the next door, testing the surface before twisting the handle.

  Screams rent the air as he wrenched open the metal slab, coughing at the thick cloud of smoke that rolled out of the room, crawling along the ceiling as it quickly expanded outwards. The man cleared the air in front of his face then clicked on a small flashlight before disappearing inside.

  Aiden shadowed Roman’s six, squinting through the blinding darkness in the hopes of seeing anything other than gray mounds. A hand grabbed his, nails biting into his skin. He caught the woman as stumbled into his arms, blonde hair hiding her face. He eased her upright, maintaining his hold as he brushed the strands from her face, Roman at his side.

  “Ms. July?”

  “Amber.” She coughed, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes. “You’re Scarlet’s partner. Aiden, right?”

  “That’s right. Are you okay? What happened? Where’s Scarlet?”

  She choked back a sob. “The lights went out then there was this thundering explosion. I think the lighting stands blew. I don’t know.”

  “Shh, it’s going to be okay. Are you hurt?”

  “I…” She sniffed, glancing around. “I don’t think so. I…”

  Roman joined them, bending closer to her. “Where’s Scarlet?”

  She shook her head, golden hair bouncing everywhere. “I don’t know. She was behind me when everything went crazy.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll get you out of here.”

  She nodded, fear making her eyes look like giant white rings amidst the black. Aiden held her hand in his, when another woman emerged through the smoke, grabbing Amber’s wrist. She tugged against Aiden’s hold, nearly sending Amber to her knees.

  Roman cupped the other woman’s shoulders holding her steady as Amber regained her balance. “Aren’t you Candi? Ms. November?”

  “I’ve got her. You two go find your partner.” The woman’s voice sounded cold, distant.

  Roman gave Aiden a quizzical look. “Thanks, but it’s easy to get disoriented in here. We’ll ensure you ladies make it out.”

  She sneered, tightening her grip on Amber’s arm to the point the woman winced. “I said I’ve got her. There are other women in need of help. I can get us out. I know the way.”

  “Then you can lead, but one of us is accompanying you.”

  “You don’t understand. I need her.”

  Aiden moved forward, an odd smell tickling his senses. It was sweet, but distinctly chemical. He inhaled again, but it’d faded into nothing more than smoke. “Are you okay? Did you hit your head maybe?”

  Candi pursed her lips, backing down slightly. “I’d just hate to see anyone else get hurt. I can take Amber out and you two can search for others who may be injured. Like Scarlet. I saw her fall before I lost sight of her.”

  Aiden shouldered closer. “Where? Which direction?”

  “It’s hard to tell with all the smoke in here now. I think over there.” She pointed in the direction they’d been heading.

  Aiden glanced at Roman, recognizing the man’s frustrated expression. One of them had to see the other ladies out. He gave Roman’s arm a squeeze. “You go. I’ll grab Scarlet and be out right behind you.”

  “Aiden…”

  “One of us has to. I promise you. I’ve got this.”

  Candi shuffled her feet, looking as if she couldn’t stand still. “I don’t need—”

  “You’re not leaving here alone. Period.” Roman nodded at him, taking both women by the hand then disappearing back toward the exit.

  Candi resisted, her protests gradually fading as Aiden groped along, feeling his way in the darkness until his fingers brushed across the heel of a boot. “Scarlet!”

  He shuffled over, tracing her outline along the floor until he could brush her hair back from her face, cursing at the bloody line across her temple. He placed his fingers on her neck, sighing at the steady throb beneath his touch. She was alive. Everything else could be fixed.

  She groaned, rolling her head in his grasp as her eyelids fluttered open. She blinked a few times before she started coughing as she drew a deep breath.

  “Easy, baby. I’ve got you.”

  She squinted at him, groaning again when she tried to move.

  “Don’t.” He skimmed his fingers over the gash on her head. “Are you hurt anywhere other than your forehead?”

  She frowned, dabbing her fingers along the cut, wincing as she drew it back and stared at the blood. “Yeah. My pride.”

  “That we can fix.”

  She hissed out a breath, palming her head as she coughed again. “We should get out of here. Are all the other women safe?”

  Aiden sighed. “No way to know for sure. Roman just took Amber and Candi out. I haven’t come across anyone else yet.”

  She nodded, groaning again. “We should look—”

  “I’m getting you out of here. If anyone’s missing, I’ll come back in.”

  “I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy. I can make my way out.”

  “Fuck that. You obviously have a concussion. I’m taking you out. End of story.”

  She huffed but didn’t resist when he scooped her off the floor, holding her tight to his chest as he picked his way back through the smoke, finally getting close enough to the exit to see the dim light from the room beyond the door. At least the emergency lighting was working in the rest of the wing.

  “Aiden!”

  Roman dashed over to him, grabbing Aiden’s arm before leading him from the room. Smoke curled out of the studio, obscuring the upper half of the adjoining area as Aiden made his way into the lounge, coughing against the burning sensation in his lungs.

  “Thank Christ.” Roman angled Aiden against a wall, helping him brace some of his weight, before flipping Scarlet’s hair back from her forehead. “Fuck, Scarlet, you look like hell.”

  “I’m fine.” Scarlet shoved at Aiden’s chest. “You can put me down now. Did everyone get out?”

  “You’re not okay. You were knocked unconscious, you have a gash across your head and I saw how unsteady you were when I helped you sit up in there. Bet my ass you’ll fall on yours if I put you down.”

  “Smartass.” She looked at Roman. “The other girls?”

  “You were the last one. Nick brought out a couple. I got Amber and Candi, and Sarah managed to find her own way out. Everyone’s safe.”

  “That’s good…” She trailed off, staring up at him. “Nick? The bastard helped those women?”

  “He was already standing here with them when I came out.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Can you just stop worrying about everyone else for a second? Shit, darling, we thought we’d lost you. I…”

  He cursed, bending in to take her lips in his, the dominant possession of his mouth surprisingly gentle. Scarlet allowed him control, her body relaxing in Aiden’s arms. Despite her fiery nature, she seemed to sense when they needed to be in charge. That by surrendering to their will, she wasn’t giving up any of hers.

  Roman pulled back, swinging his gaze to Aiden. Aiden hummed as Roman took his mouth, thrusting his tongue inside as if he had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Aiden fought back just enough to show the man he was equally invested—dedicated.

  Aiden sighed when they parted, some of the tension expended in the kiss. He glanced around, noting more than a few gazes turned their way.

  Roman stayed close with Scarlet snugged between them. He palmed the wall beside Aiden’s head with one hand, the other resting on Scarlet’s hip. He shifted his eyes slightly, not bothering to
turn his head. “Don’t care who’s watching. You two belong to me.” He looked down at Scarlet. “We need to get your head checked.”

  She gave him a sweet smile. “Yeah. For being with you two Neanderthals.”

  Roman tsked. “Talk like that is only going to get you an extra six whacks on that pretty ass of yours.”

  “Maybe your ass is the one that’ll get spanked.”

  “Oh, darling, I’d love to see you try.”

  “I’m sure with the right motivation, Aiden would help me.”

  Aiden laughed, shuffling her into Roman’s arms. “Baby, I have no doubt you could talk me into just about anything.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Go with Roman. He needs to assure himself you’re okay. The firemen and paramedics just arrived. I’ll wander around, see if I can pick up on anything.” He pushed his hands through his hair. “I was kind of hoping Nick was good for this.”

  “But why would he help those women out?”

  “I don’t know. But if he isn’t our guy, we’re back to playing catch up. And based on this latest incident, we’re way behind.”

  Roman headed for the far side of the room, placing Scarlet on a chair as he signaled to one of the paramedics. Aiden watched long enough to ensure she was being treated before walking around the gathering of people, asking as many questions as he could without completely blowing his cover. Though from some of looks he got, he swore he had the words ‘federal agent’ tattooed across his forehead.

  Based on the accounts, no one had noticed anything out of the ordinary before the lights had gone out, though that in itself seemed odd. The power hadn’t failed in the rest of the wing prior to the explosion, so the explanation that it’d been an unexpected surge didn’t sit well with him.

  Aiden waited until the area cleared before sneaking back inside the studio. Makeshift lighting gave the room an eerie glow, pockets of shadows stretched across the floor. He picked his way through the debris to where the light stands had exploded, squatting to get a better look at the remains. Broken glass and frayed cords littered the floor, bits of metal interspersed with the rubble.

  “Not exactly how I envisioned this retreat playing out.”

  Aiden snapped his head around, cursing under his breath as Thomas Glade stopped several feet away, his gaze fixed on Aiden before seemingly scanning the room.

  The older man gestured to him. “How’s our Christmas angel?”

  “She’s with Roman. She has a concussion and a rather nasty laceration, but she’ll be fine.” Aiden pushed to his feet. “She was lucky. They all were.”

  Glade nodded, though he seemed distracted. “Yes. There seems to be a rash of unfortunate events occurring today. Just before the blast, some alarms were tripped in the dark room.” He shrugged. “Security didn’t find anything, of course, but… Perhaps the electrical system needs upgrading.”

  Aiden kept his expression neutral. “Maybe.”

  Glade smiled. “Either way, I’m grateful no one was seriously hurt. The last few ladies are with the paramedics now. Doesn’t appear anyone requires a trip to the hospital. I’d hate for people to have to leave when things were just getting interesting.” He headed for the door. “Wish Scarlet well for me.”

  “I will…”

  He let his voice trail off as the man disappeared out of the doorway, not quite sure what to make of the conversation. He’d never considered Glade might be behind the killings, but now…

  He reran possible scenarios in his head, heading out of the room. If he caught up with Glade, he could ask the man some questions—maybe catch him in a lie. Aiden stopped just inside the lounge, scanning the area. Other than two models sitting with the paramedics, the room was empty.

  He made for the hallway joining the rest of the wing, hoping to catch Glade before he’d cleared the corridors, only to curse when the hall appeared empty. Either the man had ventured outside instead, or he was faster than Aiden had given him credit.

  Aiden darted down the passageway, listening for footsteps ahead of him, when distant voices sounded around the next bend. He slowed, making his way to the corner as he strained to hear the exchange of words.

  “Don’t get mad at me…”

  “Then make it up to me…”

  “How…”

  “You know how…”

  The voices faded amidst hollow footsteps. Aiden peeked around the corner, nothing but shadows disappearing down another hallway. He raced after them, but the corridors were empty when he reached the next junction.

  “Damn it.”

  He played over the fragmented exchange in his head. A man and woman, but the sounds had been too muffled to identify either one. And it wasn’t as if anything they’d said had been damning. Probably just his nerves on edge after all that had happened. Worry over Scarlet and knowing the killer wouldn’t wait much longer to strike again. And with Glade’s security measures seemingly making a blitz attack difficult, the next kill could be even more violent. And might force the guy to deviate from his routine. Something psychopaths had a hard time copying with. Which in turn made the killer extremely unpredictable.

  Aiden switched directions, navigating his way back to his room through the expansive house. Though he knew Scarlet was fine, his heart pleaded with him to hold her. Feel her skin warm against his, hear her heartbeat echo in his head. He’d meant what he’d said earlier. He hadn’t truly understood how much he had to lose until she’d ventured off on her own, and he’d gotten a shocking image of his life without her in it. Without Roman.

  Over my dead body.

  He chuckled at the thought. Shit. He needed to dial back the possessiveness just a bit or Scarlet would try to kick his ass. And with the way he felt about her, he’d let her. The key seemed heavy as he twisted it in the lock then swung open the door. Roman turned to look at him as Aiden walked inside, closing the rest of the world out as he shut the door. The man had their girl positioned on the bed, an ice pack covering the right side of her head. She leaned into him when he sat beside her on the bed, her gentle weight soothing something raw and primal inside him.

  He dropped a kiss on her hair, giving her a slight squeeze. “How’s the head?”

  She tilted up to glance at him, wincing from the simple movement. “Sore.” She huffed, twisting to point at Roman and nearly tipping forward in the process. “But I’m fine.”

  Roman crossed his arms. “Of course you are. The fact you damn near tumbled off the bed just trying to look at me backs up that claim.”

  “Bastard.”

  “But I’m yours, darling. Yours and Aiden’s, and you’re ours.” He lifted his gaze to Aiden. “Paramedics taped the laceration closed and said she has a fairly substantial concussion. She should rest for the next few days and not be allowed to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time tonight. He also told her to avoid contact sports for the next couple of weeks.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I’m not a professional athlete. I’m fine, Roman. You act as if I’ve never been hurt before. Compared to getting shot, this is nothing.”

  A deep rumble sounded from Roman’s chest before he bracketed her in his arms, holding her firm against Aiden. “Now isn’t the best time to remind me of that. Not when I’m feeling this edgy.”

  Scarlet leaned fully into Aiden’s chest, her head notched in the crook of his shoulder. She didn’t seem at all fazed by Roman’s mood. “That wasn’t your fault any more than this was. Either of you. I’m just pointing out that I’m not fragile.” She placed one hand on Roman’s chest, gently scratching at his shirt. “And we both know you’d never touch me in a way that brought me anything other than pleasure. So you can ease up on the alpha male attitude.”

  “We should have been there. Gotten you clear.”

  “Are you referring to the explosion or the shooting?” She reached for his chin when he turned away. “Roman. Baby. I heard Aiden talking to you that first day in the bathroom, and he was right. The alternative would have been to let Everett kill you. That
wasn’t an option. Being in love means you have the right to make sacrifices. And I’ve loved you for a long time. Aiden, too. I just didn’t want to examine that too closely.” She drew him in for a gentle kiss. “I survived. Nothing more than a scar or two—”

  “And half a dozen screws in a couple of plates.”

  “That’s nothing compared to being able to share the rest of my life with you and Aiden. Right?”

  The fight seemed to drain out of Roman as he glanced at Aiden, shaking his head before resting it on Aiden’s shoulder next to Scarlet’s. “How the hell are we supposed to win any argument when you don’t play fair?”

  “You’re not.” She groaned. “And I’m not too proud to say I’m tired and have one hell of a headache. Anyone up for a nap?”

  Aiden kissed her cheek. “We’ll both hold you. Glade’s suspended the festivities for tonight, and all the ladies made it out of that studio in one piece. You can to tell us what happened after you rest for a few hours. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Aiden helped her into the middle of the bed, easing back to stare down at her. “Damn, but you’re beautiful.”

  She smiled and extended her hand, motioning them both to join her.

  Aiden looked at Roman. “Which do you want, buddy? Breasts or ass?”

  Roman laughed. “You know how much I love a nice ass, but I’ll let you have the honors tonight.” He smiled when Aiden’s cock peaked against his pants. “Just don’t get too used to it.”

  Aiden settled in behind her, one hand under her head the other looped over her and Roman. The man squeezed his fingers, the tension leaving his muscles. They’d allow themselves a couple of hours rest. Then they’d go over everything and find a way to stop this bastard from striking again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Scarlet sat on the edge of the bed, watching her men pace the length of the room. They’d only slept for a couple of hours, not willing to do more than take the edge off their fatigue before going through the evidence again. Though Scarlet could tell by the dark smudges beneath her lovers’ eyes and the way each man kept scrubbing a hand down his face they were exhausted. And if they did figure this out, she knew they’d end up getting themselves killed if they didn’t get some quality rest.