I had just enough time to grab my purse as I fled.
The hotel lobby was already in disarray—cameras snapping, reporters calling out to me, and worst of all, men in black, clearing the room. James' men.
I ducked into a side door and a tight service corridor. My heart was thundering in my ears, and I could not help but look back over my shoulder. Did they catch sight of me?
One of the workers almost bumped into me as I dashed by. "Miss, you can't—"
I ignored him, taking the door handle to the back of the hall and opening the door. The cold night air hit me in the face. I was out in the back alley, lined with dumpsters and the stench of decaying food. It wasn't as glamorous an exit as I had hoped but better than out the front door into a hail of media and James' henchmen.
I ran until I w
