A Kiss With Scandal (Scandals & Secrets 4) by Janelle Daniels Page B

shrieked, discombobulating him, but he maneuvered toward the edge of the mass.
    He kept his attention riveted to Charlotte as she crept alongside an opposite wall, searching for her family, no doubt. There’d be no way to get to them in time.
    Stay there , he willed her from the distance. If he could see her, he had a chance of protecting her. But if she left the building without him…
    He pushed past people with renewed vigor. He would reach her before something went wrong.
    A woman fell to the ground, crying out as people stomped over her. He hesitated only a second, taking in Charlotte’s position before blocking the woman’s body and lifting her up and out of danger.
    She didn’t thank him as she scrambled toward the door.
    A scream penetrated the group, and Derek knew it was Charlotte. Pivoting toward where he’d last seen her, his eyes darted around. He couldn’t find her.
    “Charlotte!” he yelled. “Charlotte!” He charged forward, not caring whom he pushed aside. She couldn’t have exited the room in the few seconds he’d looked away.
    His fingers scraped along the textured wall beneath silk draperies, looking for any sign of where she’d gone. The wall gave way behind one of the coverings, and he yanked the fabric aside, revealing a service hallway.
    Empty. And no sign of Charlotte.
    He plunged into the dimly lit walkway. His gut told him she was here, and it was never wrong. He took the service stairs two at a time.
    A muffled scream sounded a second before a knife flew past his face and burrowed into the doorjamb.
    Charlotte’s attacker threw her to the floor and launched himself at Derek. But Derek was ready. He was always ready.
    Panic widened the man’s eyes.
    Good. Panicked men made sloppy fighters.
    Feign left. Duck. Lunge back. Combat was a matter of patience. Of precision. Of timing.
    Derek’s opponent lowered his hands for a split second. Derek attacked with cold ruthlessness, jabbing where it would do the most damage with the least exertion.
    The man howled as blood gushed down his face. Gut punch. Left. Right. Undercut.
    The attacker’s eyes rolled back into his head as he hit the floor.
    Derek stepped over the body and hauled Charlotte up against him. He cradled her, checking for injuries. “Are you all right?”
    Her chin shook. “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”
    He could have. He would have.
    Derek wanted to set her aside and finish what he started. The man deserved to die.
    Derek’s chest heaved. It would take one second to kill him. He’d be so quick, Charlotte wouldn’t even know it’d happened.
    Charlotte shivered in his arms, and he pulled her closer, blocking violent thoughts. The man would have to wait. Charlotte took priority, and he needed to remove her from the premises. “Follow me.” He studied her glazed eyes. “Can you do that?”
    “Yes.”
    He set her away from him in degrees, testing her ability to stand. When he was certain she wouldn’t faint, he took her hand. “Don’t let go of me for any reason until we’re outside with others.”
    His senses remained heightened, filtering every sound, evaluating threats. Every dark room, every dim corridor held a possible assailant.
    He led her through a side door, and they both sucked in gulps of fresh air. Cries sounded around the house as people searched for loved ones. No flames were visible from the outside of the residence, but smoke still permeated the air.
    “Are you well?” he asked again.
    “I will be.”
    Her sheet-white cheeks were gaining some color, which relieved him, and her eyes cleared. She would survive this. He knew she would.
    Unable to stop himself, he cupped her face, stroking a thumb over her cold cheeks. Her eyes darted to his, questioning, but he didn’t answer at first, allowing the moment to continue. “Do you know where your family will be?”
    “No, but they’d never leave me.”
    No. They wouldn’t. He couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to leave without her. He certainly