Always A Pleasure [Book 2]

Seventy-Six

It was that night that changed everything for him. It was that night when it became clear to him that his feelings for her were much deeper than what he once thought they were. He lied to himself for a long time about the way that he felt about her. But he couldn't anymore.

Not after the way he held her, the way he savored her. He had never had such slow, attentive sex before that and it sparked something inside of him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew his feelings for her were growing right before his very eyes.

Harrison's mind cut back to the present. His angel. He wanted his angel next to him. He needed her. She needed to be safe. She needed to be okay. He didn't know what he would do if she weren't.

When his ringtone pierced the stillness, he nearly jumped out of his skin as he aggressively grabbed for the device. It was a number he didn't recognize, and he was hoping like hell it was the call he had been waiting for.

"King," he barked into the receiver.

"Hello, Mr. King. This is the NYPD police commissioner, Curt Holland," the man greeted him.

Harrison's heart sped up hopefully. He needed good news.

"Yes."

"I'm calling to let you know that we have apprehended the suspect—"

"There was just one?"

"Yes. As far as we know, there was just one shooter."

"As far as you know?" Harrison snapped impatiently.

This was Katherine's life on the line. This was thousands of people's lives on the line. He didn't want to hear uncertainty and carelessness. Any amount of negligence on the NYPD's part could mean life or death for someone in that building.

"There is no evidence alluding to the fact that there was more than one suspect," the commissioner revised.

"Have there been any casualties reported?"

"Mr. King—" The man began to protest.

Harrison knew it was too soon to share that type of information with the general public, but he didn't care. He was a man who got what he wanted.

"Have there been any casualties reported?" Harrison growled through his teeth, which immediately made the man comply.

"Yes. There have been. Eight so far," the man told him reluctantly.

Eight? Eight lives there one moment and gone the next. Eight. He had never hated a number more in his life. 'Eight' meant there were eight chances that one of them could be Katherine.

No. No, no. He wasn't going to think like that. She would be just fine. A little shaken up, but just fine. He would take care of her. She would be okay.

"Have you evacuated the building yet?" Harrison barked impatiently.

"My officers are beginning the process as we speak."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the call," Harrison said quickly.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Sty—"

Harrison ended the call before the man could even finish the sentence. He was already halfway out of the room, shoving his phone in his pocket in the next second.

He needed to get there as fast as he possibly could. He needed to be the first face Katherine saw when she came out of that building. And once he got her in his arms, he vowed he was never going to let her go.

"Roberts. Now," Harrison snapped, causing his number one to fall into step with him as he walked out of his office at King Enterprises.

The two were out the door, into the elevator and down in the parking garage as fast as their legs and the lift would take them. Harrison insisted on driving again and Roberts didn't protest. He was peeling out of the parking garage like a bat out of hell, on his way down to 1 World Trade Center for the second time that day.

Every red stop light he encountered just made his anxiety and anger worsen. He was suddenly wishing he could teleport or fly. If he could fly, he would already be there with her. He needed to be there with her.

The traffic only got worse the closer they got to the scene. In desperation, Harrison pulled the car to the side of the road and shut it off just like he had before. He didn't care that it was a no parking zone. He didn't care if it would be towed as soon as it was discovered by the proper authority. The only thing he cared about was seeing Katherine alive and well, holding her in his arms.

He didn't even let the idea of a bad outcome infiltrate his thoughts. Once was enough. He would be optimistic until he had a reason not to be. Katherine was alive and she was okay. He knew it.

As he stood at the barricade outside of the building with Roberts and the police, he found himself nearly barbaric, ready to hurdle the blockade and race into the building just to find her. Roberts even had to grip onto his shoulder to keep him from bypassing the barricade.

He was not a patient person. He didn't show restraint in many things. Katherine was the only thing he found himself bending for, changing for on a day-to-day basis. But she wasn't there with him. He needed her there with him.

Fuck. Could anxiety kill a person? He felt like it could. He felt like he might die from it. The suspense was infuriating. He needed to know. He needed to fucking see her, to hear her voice.

He quickly fumbled for his phone in his pocket, swiping through it to find Katherine's number. Maybe he would get through this time.

"The phone lines are still tied up from all the activity of the situation, sir," one of the police officers told him, and if looks could kill, that man would have been dead on the pavement from the one Harrison shot at him.

But he was right. When the call failed, Harrison received an automated message from Katherine's wireless carrier saying 'due to a high volume of calls in the network, this user cannot be reached. Please try again later'. Harrison let out a growl as he stowed his now cracked phone in his pocket.

"She'll be okay, sir," Roberts tried to assure him, but it went on deaf ears because Harrison's inner thoughts were spiraling again. His pessimistic side was beating his optimistic one to a bloody pulp.