Entanglements Read Online Free PDF Page B

grabbed me by the arm. “I like not this challenge.”
    “Like I care what you think,” I said.
    “Your injury could be worsened and there is possibility of damage to others.”
    “Damage? What damage?” Something told me he meant something more than the usual risk.
    “Are you done flirting? Can we go to it?” Billy interrupted us.
    “Yes.” I turned my gaze back to Billy and pulled myself to full height hoping I looked tough. Probably not. “Juliette can call the start.”
    “Go?” she said hesitantly.
    Ignoring the pain in my leg, I ran, taking the corner before dashing toward the staircase I’d seen in the hall. Rom followed closely, his breath practically on the back of my neck. But okay, he was on my side after all.
    At the head of the flight, Rom snaked around in front of me and blocked the “down”.
    “Go on. They could be right behind us,” I yelled. When he didn’t budge, I tried to scoot by him and he blocked me again.
    “Infirmity in the stairs, I believe,” he said.
    “Probably. But we’ll be careful.” My actions contradicted my words as I hopped down the flight two stairs at a time, my hand skimming the wood banister. It wiggled beneath my lightest touch. The treads, though springy and creaking, held my weight.
    “Kizzy. Halt.” Rom’s footfalls were heavy behind me. “Kiz—“
    A crack and the snap of breaking wood startled me. I stopped.
    I glanced over my shoulder and saw Rom disappearing downward through a shattered tread, a look of absolute amazement on his face. As his body hit more treads they splintered and disintegrated.
    “Rom!” I clutched at him and the tips of our fingers made brief contact before he continued through and vanished. A crash thundered from beneath me.
    Peering through the broken planks I directed the flashlight into the gap. Rom’s body lay splayed out on the concrete floor, ten feet down.
    “Rom,” I cried. Please don't let him be dead.
    My breath caught in my throat and my legs wobbled. For a few seconds I couldn’t move. Finally, I stumbled down the remaining stairs and rounded the corner to kneel beside his prone body.
    Still. He lay so still. I could think of nothing more useful to do than shake him by the shoulders. Lame but it worked and his eyes fluttered and opened.
    “Agh,” he moaned lifting a hand to his head. “Damn Jupiter’s eyes.”
    “Are you all right?” I asked. “Do you think anything is broken?”
    “Pride only has suffered.” He slowly sat up. “Naught else.” Getting to his feet, Rom shook off the dust and broken wood fragments.
    “Good.” I rose also. “Let’s go to the morgue.”
    “A moment.” He halted me with his hand.
    “What? You said you were all right.”
    “Yes.” His eyes narrowed and his hands clenched almost into fists. Clearly, he wanted to throttle me.
    “We have no idea where the others are,” I explained with lots of irritation in my voice. “The BQs can’t win.”
    He shook his head as if he still didn’t understand.
    “If the BQs win, they’ll make our lives hell. Even more hell than they do already,” I said. “They’ll show up at every location we go to just to mess with us. I’m not having that.”
    “Down that way.” A voice I didn’t recognize shouted from the floor above. Must be a BQ.
    “Stay here if you want to, but I’m going.” I said, already on the move.
    The bottom of the stairs dumped into a room. Scanning with the flashlight I saw three separate corridors branching out. The one to the right must lead to the area I’d seen from the main hall. Instinctively, I knew that wasn’t the right direction. If a tunnel to the park existed, and the morgue was in it, the tunnel would be in the direction of the park.
    When I started toward that corridor, Rom grabbed my arm again.
    “That is not the way,” he said.
    Seriously, this guy was an obstruction I didn’t need. Even though he was so freakin' hot.
    “Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s go that way.” I pointed in