Flash Burned (14 page)

“Look through the windows,” I said as I cuddled against his shoulder while he worked. “It's even snowing.”

He spared a glance outdoors. The solar lights he'd added around the copse on the other side of the tall glass panes captured the lightly falling, glittery flakes.

“We'll have a gorgeous dusting on the mesas surrounding the Lux.” As I'd imagined from the onset. “Dane, this is exactly what we've both envisioned. And tonight will go off without a hitch, because I have planned this whole thing down to the smallest of details.”

Sure, I was nervous, given the significance of the evening ahead of us. But I knew what I was doing when it came to pulling off a five-star event. And the staff at the Lux had been so well trained, their skills so honed, they wouldn't miss a beat. I had every confidence in them. In us … as a team.

“This will be a night long talked about,” I told Dane. “And the start of an incredible,
memorable
grand opening.”

Tingles ran rampant through me. It was no wonder I couldn't sleep.

He gave me a sexy grin. “You have no idea how grateful I am for all that you've done, baby. I knew from the beginning that I could trust you. And you've done nothing but exceed my expectations, over and over.”

Shutting the lid of his laptop and setting it on the low ledge of the headboard, he burrowed deep in the thick covers, pulling me closer to him.

“I've never seen such a stunning property,” I told him. “Not on film, on TV, in magazines, on the Internet. When people come through those massive gates, they're going to be absolutely breathless. Astonished. And so thrilled to get a glimpse at another wonder of the world.”

“No more talk of the Lux,” he whispered. “You're awake. I'm awake. Let's make love.…”

*   *   *

Despite multiple orgasms, my nerves were shot to hell several hours later.

Dane had relaxed me with his special brand of magic, helping me to sleep for a spell, yet I sprang from bed at six o'clock and went into full-on planner mode. Breakfast barely registered as Rosa served it.

She'd volunteered to shift from working part-time at the house to being here first thing in the morning until evening. Her son was grown and halfway across the country. She said she liked being needed, and quite frankly, I wasn't sure how I would have survived the past couple of months without her to look after the household chores and errands.

I also suspected that, given how well Dane paid her, she was building a nice retirement nest egg.

We spent the day at the hotel. I surveyed every inch of the lobby and courtyard, double-checking the decorations, fluffing, adjusting, having bulbs replaced if they made even the slightest twitch when I inspected them.

Mid-afternoon, I went up to my office and did my hair and makeup and changed into the dress I'd worn the night I'd married Dane. This was a formal function, and it just seemed apropos that I wear something striking and meaningful for each event, starting now.

Dane wore the tux from that evening as well, and it felt right, I thought. Sort of symbolic.

We'd invited my dad to talk up the golf courses, since he had fame and credibility under his belt. Kyle was on-hand, too, as part of the joint Marketing-PR team that would promote the resort.

It was a good hour before anyone was due to arrive as I went over instructions with the tuxedo-clad servers, designating some for the entrance so they could offer champagne as guests arrived and then discussing how the shifts of passed hot and cold hors d'oeuvres were to be managed. There were also seven appetizer stations and premium liquor, margarita and martini bars strategically placed, similar to the arrangements I'd made for the Thanksgiving reception, since that had worked so well.

Dane pulled me aside at one point and said, “You need to take a deep breath and have a drink.”

“We're so close to pulling this all off,” I whispered, too thrilled for anything to register other than the astonished faces that would soon come through our doors.

Dane's deep-green irises sparkled brilliantly as he said in a low tone so no one else heard, “Baby, everything is just right.
Beyond my wildest dreams
right. I owe you so much for that, Ari. And this is just the beginning for us.”

Love burned in his eyes. Tears misted mine. He tried to keep the moment intimate, and I hoped it appeared as though we were just discussing last-minute top-secret details. I didn't steal any glances. Really, everyone was so busy with final preparations, I couldn't imagine they even noticed us. We stood on the far side of the lobby, close to the sweeping staircases.

I said, “You gave me a beautiful dream with this hotel, Dane. And with our life to—”

I got no further.

The lights went out.

Gasps and a few groans ensued. Other than that, everyone fell quiet. Perplexed or in suspense.

“Oh, shit!” My nerves jumped. “I blew the fuses with all my twinkle lights!”

Dane reached for my hand and squeezed it tight. “We'll fix this. And there's a backup generator that'll kick on in a second if we blew the grid.”

Oh, my God!
I'd pulled a Clark Griswold on one of the most important nights of Dane's and the Lux's existence!

“Dane, I'm so sorry.” I felt wretched. “I'd never even considered this. I—”

“Ari, it's okay, baby.”

But the generator didn't spring to life. We remained bathed in darkness.

“Dane. Shouldn't the lights be on by now?”

“I'm on it!” I heard Chris Monroe, from the Engineering/Electrical staff, call out. We'd wanted him on-hand for any emergencies, but this certainly wasn't one I'd written into my crisis management plan.

Fuck!
How could I have
not
considered frying fuses?

But then … I seriously hadn't gone overboard with the lights. I'd been tactical and judicious, striking the right balance. And Chris's team had been with me the whole time, running tests.

“Dane,” I said, uncertainty slithering down my spine.

“Shh,” he silenced me. “Do you hear that?” His tone remained low but now much more ominous.

“Hear what?”

A breath later, a calculated, deliberate,
distinct
clicking noise filled the deathly quiet air.

No. Not a clicking noise.

A ticking one …

And a sharp dripping sound accompanied it.

“Oh, Jesus,” I hissed out. “Dane.”

He gripped my arm and guided me farther into the lobby, where the ticking echoed louder.

We weren't the only ones to hear it now, and the ripple of, “What is that?” made the rounds. The electricians had flashlights on their tool belts, and beams of light swept the cavernous room.

Dane called out for my dad, and both and he and Kyle suddenly appeared at my elbow.

So, too, did Amano. “Dane.” The bodyguard pointed to the enormous table in the center of the lobby. The one situated below the to-die-for chandelier I admired every single morning when I came through the doors of 10,000 Lux.

At the table's base, a little red light blinked.

My stomach dropped to my knees. “Oh, Lord,” I whispered. “Is that…?” I couldn't even say the word.

“Bomb,” Dane ground out urgently. “And whatever's spilling from the base … My guess is, it's flammable. Somehow they shoved something up there. A pipe bomb? I don't fucking know.” He thrust me toward Kyle. “Get her out of here.
Now!
”

“What?” I cried out, instantly distressed. “Dane, no!”

“Ari, just do as I tell—”

“I'm not leaving without you!”

“Fuck!” he roared. Then to my dad and Kyle, he demanded, “Get her out of here!
Right this very minute!
All of you”—he announced to the crowd in an urgent voice—“get as far away from the building as possible! Across the grounds!”

He shouted more orders for everyone to evacuate the lobby. Amano raced toward the bank of elevators and pulled the fire alarm. Then he was on his cell, issuing strict instructions to whoever was on the other end of the line to get out.

I was rooted where I stood, paralyzed by fear. Kyle's arm shot around my waist and he yanked at me. My dad had my forearm. They started to pull me away from Dane.

“No!” I cried out as I gripped a fistful of his jacket. “I'm not leaving without you!” I yelled, fear seizing my soul. “You have to come with us!” My heart thundered. My pulse raced. Terror tore through me. “Dane!”

“Ari!” Kyle snapped. “Do as he says! Go with me!”

“No, I—”

Wrenching my hand free of his sleeve, Dane insisted, “Go!” Then he turned away, rushing about, getting the employees hustling toward the doors.

A mass exodus ensued. I struggled every step of the way, thrashing in Kyle's strong embrace, screaming at him and my father to let me go. My arms flailed and I kicked at Kyle's shins as he lifted me slightly off the ground to make a hasty retreat.

“I can't leave him!” I cried. “Put me down!”

“Shut the hell up, Ari!” Kyle bit back.

I craned my neck to get a glimpse of Dane and Amano ushering out the kitchen staff as the flashlights provided just enough illumination for everyone to find their way.

“Dane!” I called out again just as we passed through the twenty-foot double doors of the lobby.

There were panicked and confused hollers above the eerily piercing fire alarm as we burst into the resort's valet area, the outdoor lights from the decorations and fountains edging the glow of twilight. We were some of the last people out—making it well past the entrance and the circular drive and to the grounds and waterfalls beyond. I screamed bloody murder all the way as I tried to free myself of Kyle's vise grip.

Then a thunderous roar filled the quiet night, simultaneous with a massive explosion that propelled those of us closest to the lobby off our feet and hurled us toward the marble-trimmed waterfalls, along with shattered glass and wooden splinters.

I hit the side of one of those short marble encasements, with Kyle's body sprawled heavily on top of mine. The ground shook beneath us.

I screamed again as searing pain ripped through me. Tears flooded my eyes. Above the ringing in my ears, I heard—all around me—the others yelling, sobbing, screeching. The debris rained down, mostly landing in thick treetops or the water so that it splashed everywhere.

“Kyle!”

“Just stay put,” he growled. He was still mostly on top of me.

“My dad!”

“Right here!” he called out, though I couldn't tell from which direction or how far away, I was so disoriented.

I heard the pieces of 10,000 Lux pelt the stone driveway. When I stole a glance through a peephole Kyle's propped-up arm created, I saw chunks of concrete and wood tear through branches that only slightly slowed their descent enough for the few who hadn't found refuge on the opposite side of the circular drive to be able to dodge the massive destruction. We were all mostly a significant distance from the hotel but some of us too close to fully escape the damage. Several employees stumbled about, bleeding and half hysterical.

The blood flowing down the side of my own face barely registered. I had no idea where the burst of energy came from, but I shoved Kyle away and started to crawl toward them, along the glass-covered lawn.

“Goddamn it, Ari!” My dad was instantly beside me, hauling me to my feet.

I stared up at the four-story lobby of 10,000 Lux, a wide, gaping hole of tall blazing flames and billowing smoke.

“Jesus,” Kyle breathed as he took in the same scene. Then turned his attention to me. “You're bleeding all over the place.”

My hands stung from the shards lodged in my skin, but the agony couldn't compete with the throbbing in my head. Or the instant horror that my wedding bracelet was missing from my wrist.

“Oh, God, Kyle,” I said on a sharp breath. “My bracelet's gone.”

But that was really the least of my worries at the moment. My gaze swept the crowd of thirty or so behind us, mostly out of harm's way, and away from the burning Lux. Only a handful had been as close to the building as the three of us.

Of those unfortunate souls I said to my dad and Kyle, “Help them, please.”

We were all breathing hard; all wore the same stunned and pained expression. The others had scrapes and quickly developing bumps and bruises, but I appeared to be the only one in this small, immediate conglomeration with a crimson river flowing down my cheek and dripping from my chin, staining my dress. My dad was already on the phone to 911.

Very gently, Kyle held me. “You're seriously hurt,” he said. “You need to sit down.”

“No.” Anxiety gripped me. So, too, did my sense of duty. I scanned the crowd. “They're freaked out and we have to calm them.” My attention shifted as I noted each familiar face. Instantly realizing two very important people were missing. My anxiety turned to heart-wrenching, blood-chilling fear. “Dane,” I whispered. He and Amano were nowhere in sight. “Dane!” I started toward the hotel.

Kyle wouldn't release me. “Ari, no.”

“He's not here.” My chest heaved. The tears streamed, mixing with the blood. I swiped at the sticky mess clouding my vision. “Kyle,” I choked out. “He's not
here
. Neither is Amano.” The panic made bile burn my throat. “Dane!”

I struggled against Kyle's caging arms, my horror mounting.

Chef D'Angelo hurried toward us, hobbling slightly. His black pants were shredded at the knees, obviously from a rough fall. “Ari, are you all right?”

“Are you?” I implored.

“Yes, yes. Amano called the kitchen. Dane helped everyone out. Everyone got out, Ari, because of them.
Everyone.
” Chef's dark-brown eyes danced wildly in the sockets. His cheeks were sullied and he had a small cut on his chin. He clasped my hands, then suddenly realized they were covered in blood. “Oh! I'm so sorry!”