Safety conscious because the parking lot still needed work and Sylvan was alone, Camilla waited until she got in her car and started it before she closed the front door and bolted it.
Quiet surrounded her as the dust settled from the workday. With all the subcontractors gone, she walked around the building, having a look at the progress. The area where the restaurant would be was enclosed already, with doorways accessing the nightclub at the front and in the rear of the building. The work was still in the early stage, but she could envision how it would look eventually.
A door slammed at the rear of the building, and Camilla wondered if that was Spencer. The lights flickered off suddenly, leaving the cavernous interior in near pitch-black. The sun had already set outside, and the meager light filtering in through the entry wasn’t enough to light her way back to her office. She reached in her pocket for her phone to make use of the mini flashlight app on it and remembered leaving it on her desk. It was silent in the building, and she wondered again where Spencer was.
Okay, self-rescuing princess, find your way back to the office without injuring yourself and call him, why don’t you? This is going to give me another nightmare for sure.
Knowing that there was a worktable set up with a saw somewhere between where she stood and her office, she held out her hands and stepped slowly in that direction. Her breathing echoed eerily in the wide-open space, and she hesitated when the toe of her boot bumped against something solid to her right.
A scuffing sound came from the back corner, and she called out, “Hello?”
No answer. A cold chill raced up her spine, and she had the distinct feeling someone was watching her.
Her heart lurched. If there was someone she knew in there, they’d respond to her. All the workmen had known that she was still there, so they would’ve left the lights on for her.
She looked back toward the dim entryway and considered making her way back to it. She could leave through the front and go around to the rear of the building and simply turn the lights on from there.
But she’d feel silly if Spencer found her wandering around outside the building because she was afraid of the dark. Besides that, overprotective as they were, Ben and Quinten would be pissed that she’d gone outside the big, deserted building after dark. They’d seen signs that someone had been rifling through the Dumpsters outside the back doors, especially since construction had started, and they wouldn’t want her back there by herself.
She was expecting Ben and Quinten any minute to take her out to supper. Her car was parked in the front parking lot.
What are my options? Continue feeling around in the dark. Or get the hell out and wait in the car until the cavalry arrives.
Another scuffing sound, this time much closer, was followed by a thump, and Camilla made her decision.
They can tease me all they want, but my mama didn’t raise no fool!
She darted for the front entry, keeping her eyes on the barely discernible light still filtering in through the glass door, keys ready to unlock the dead bolt.
Some self-rescuing princess you are!
She yanked open the door, ready to hit the panic button on her vehicle remote if anyone ran after her, and screamed like a banshee when she collided with a rock-solid mountain. Realizing it was Spencer, she gestured to the front door.
“Someone is in there. They turned off all the lights, and I couldn’t see.”
On alert, Spencer rushed her to her car. “The last workman drove off ten minutes ago. I was outside checking things. Sorry I left you alone. Stay put. Start the car and drive away fast if anyone but me comes out that door.”
She did as he asked and was awed as she watched him turn and sprint back to the building. She wouldn’t have thought that someone so big could move so fast. Or suddenly look so lethal. He reached inside his black leather jacket and pulled a handgun from the back waistband of his jeans as he yanked open the door and disappeared inside.
How is he going to see? Damn! I should’ve given him my flashlight.
Feeling much safer knowing Spencer was with her, she grabbed the flashlight she’d placed in the glove box and ran back to the building. She switched it on as she jerked open the door and called out, “Spencer! Where are you?”
Relief flooded her when all the lights came back on, and she actually felt a little dizzy.
Camilla heard a muffled curse and then, sounding none too happy, Spencer called out, “I’m here, Cami! Wait up there by the door!”
Feeling a little foolish, she stood there waiting until she saw Spencer come through the stockroom doors.
“What happened?”
Spencer looked disgruntled as he replaced the gun at his waist and what she realized was a high-powered flashlight in his coat pocket. “The back door was hanging wide open. Either someone left it that way, or thieves were taking advantage of what they thought was a deserted construction site.”