She hit the stairwell, where footsteps were already echoing throughout the cement tower and started down, hurrying even faster to help the woman ahead of her who was trying to manage a toddler and a baby and not get trampled by the people coming down behind them.
“Let me help,” she said and swept the wailing toddler up in her arms.
The mother’s eyes were wide and tearful and they took in Arabella’s T-shirt with the hotel logo. “There’s not really a fire is there?”
“Even if there is, it’s all going to be fine.” She spoke with a calmness she didn’t really feel. “I’m Arabella.” Her voice vibrated from the impact of her shoes hitting the steps. “What’s your name?”
“Sierra.” The mother clasped her baby closer as they reached the second-floor landing and started down the last stretch. “That’s Mia you’re carrying.”
At the sound of her name, Mia wailed even harder, and knocked her elbow hard into Arabella’s face as she strained to reach her mommy.
Pain exploded in her face and Arabella yanked her head back.
Blinking hard, she slowed only slightly, using the railing to help guide her while she blinked the stars from her vision.
In seconds, they’d reached the bottom of the stairs and they darted out into the corridor where Brady stood. His tie was loosened and it was only because Arabella knew him so well that she could see the agitation in his eyes despite the calm way he was directing people toward the exits.
“There’s no need to run,” he said in a loud voice. “Please proceed calmly to the exit—” He broke off for a moment, his expression tightening when he spotted Arabella carrying the little girl past him.
But she didn’t slow. Her face was throbbing from the impact of Mia’s elbow and she nearly ran right into Petunia in the lobby. The florist was carting a box of bouquets as if her life depended on it. An older man with gray hair was with her, carrying a second box.
“Leave the flowers,” Arabella said sharply and pushed them both to the front door.
As soon as they were through, Arabella chased after Mia’s mother. The young woman had broken into a trot right along with the dozens of other guests who were also more than a little anxious to get away from the building.
Finally, Sierra stopped, though, and sank down onto the grass and Arabella caught up to her. She gratefully surrendered the wailing toddler to her mama’s arms and gingerly cupped her hand over her aching face.
Sierra was looking at her oddly. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I’ll come back and check on you as soon as I can.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to.” She cleared her throat and channeling Mariana a bit, gave Mia a quick wink before she turned to work her way back to the front entrance.
It felt oddly similar to the day the balcony collapsed, only this time Arabella didn’t have her dad dragging her away. This time there was no ominous cloud of debris wafting through the air. Her nose was stuffy but not from the smell of smoke. She knew better than to trust that meant there wasn’t any fire somewhere.
Alarms didn’t go off all on their own, did they?
Not unless it was another one of those glitches that Mariana mentioned.
Gingerly pressing her fingertips against the pain beneath both of her eyes, Arabella looked around, wondering how best she could help. She spotted Grace Williams talking to Sybil and Beulah. They were obviously taking count of guests.
Hallie and a few of the other room attendants were pacing around with servers from Roja. They were handing out water bottles to guests and staff alike.
The three-person film crew who’d been taking footage all over the hotel were panning their cameras over the melee as three fire engines turned in to the property.
If this was all just a glitch, it was turning out to be a whopper of one.
“There you are.” Jay suddenly appeared next to her. He was breathing hard, as if he’d just run a half-marathon. “I’ve been looking every—” He broke off with an oath and caught her face between his hands. “You’re hurt!”
Before she had time to blink, he lifted her right off her feet.
Chapter Nine
“Jay!” Arabella’s hands were patting his chest, but Jay barely noticed. He was too busy looking for a safe place to take her until he could get her some medical attention.
There were people everywhere and the hotel alarm was still blaring.
“Maybe this place is cursed,” he muttered, finally stepping right over a retaining wall so he could get to the chaises surrounding the pool.
“It’s not cursed,” she said thickly. “Oh, criminy—” She was holding up her bloody hand as if she’d never seen it before.
“You’re going to be fine,” he promised even though he had a pit in the bottom of his stomach that made him want to punch something. Instead, he kicked the corner of one of the chaises and it spun on its legs so that he could lower Arabella onto it. His hand shook as he carefully brushed her hair out of her blue eyes. “I’m going to get some help and you’re going to be just fine.”
“I am fine,” she insisted. Her voice sounded thick and she kept trying to sit up despite his efforts to keep her still. “I got elbowed in the face is all.” She looked annoyed. “I didn’t know my nose was bleeding.”
“Someone elbowed you?” There were no pool towels conveniently stacked next to the vacant bar now and Jay yanked his shirt over his head and tried staunching the flow of blood with it.
“Not intentionally!” She scrabbled at his hand and the bunched shirt. “Jay, I can hardly breathe here.”
He swore and moved
