The Billionaire & I

47.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Mark, is Will with you?" I breathed out.

"Nah, he's home. He should have been here a while ago though. I thought you two would come together."

"Mark, I think something's wrong. I'm at Will's right now but the entire place is empty, the elevator's out and he just sent a weird text telling me not to come over."

"Where exactly are you?"

"The stairs,"

"No, no, that can't be safe. Leave there now, Ophelia. I'm going to call the guys."

"What if-" my voice was dismayed.

"That's why you can't. I'm going to call FBI and the detective. They'll bring back up. We'll be there soon. Ophelia, leave there please."

"Mark I ca–" a loud bang froze the rest of the words on my lips. A gunshot. That was definitely a gunshot.

"Ophelia! Was that a gunshot? Get out of there now!" Mark was shouting but my phone had already fallen out of my grip and I was running up the stairs even faster now.

This was probably foolhardy. I was likely running up to my doom but Will was up there. The thought propelled me but a few flights more, a hand clamped around my mouth and a body pressed against my back drawing me down and under a staircase. The scream lodged in my throat died when I was abruptly turned around and saw Will.

"Oh my God," I fell on his chest and he held me. "Wh—"

"Shh," he placed his finger against my lips and looked up the square hole the stairs made then shifted us more out of sight.

"What's happening?" I whispered on the verge of tears. My hands wouldn't stop shaking either. Will held my hands within his.

"Runo." He said confirming my fear. "He's here and vengeful."

"But he should be getting arrested right now."

"Word must have got to him." He glanced up again and I noticed the cut on his brow.

"You're bleeding." I gently traced the area around the wound. "How did you escape them?"

"Sheer and narrow luck," he held my hand again, "we have to get out of here. Where's your phone?"

"In my pocket—" the words faded when I remembered it falling. "It's down, maybe three flights down. I called Mark and he should already be calling back up."

"We don't have much time. Let's get out of here." He said and we made a run for it down the stairs. My feet burned but there was no stopping.

"There it is!" I whispered when I spied my phone hanging on the edge of a stair. "Mark must be going crazy right now." I continued and quickly picked it.

"Dial him back."

I tried to do so as we continued descending the stairs in a rush but my hands were now clammy with sweat and I was desperately working to keep the phone from sliding off my fingers.

"Shit," I cursed.

A bang sounded right above our heads and a scream left my lips this time. A bullet lodged into a railing a few feet from us. I looked up and saw a man two flights away pointing a gun at us. Will dragged me as another bullet came down.

"Don't stop running Ophelia!"

'One more,' I kept chanting as we ran down the last stairway. The door that led to the lobby finally became visible and I pushed harder all the while still trying to dial Mark.