He saw Amanda's startled face. Saw Elena pause mid-sentence, her eyes finding him in the crowd. "Get away from center stage!" Marcus shouted. "Now!"
Elena froze. Years of control kept her rooted to the spot. Confusion and authority warring on her face. The light above her groaned. Metal straining against metal.
Marcus didn't have time to explain. He launched himself onto the stage, grabbed Elena around the waist, and threw both of them sideways with every ounce of strength he possessed. They hit the stage floor hard. Marcus twisted to take the impact on his shoulder, cradling Elena against his chest. Half a second later, 40 pounds of metal and glass crashed into the exact spot where she'd been standing.
The mounting bracket finally gave way. The light exploded on impact. Shattered glass sprayed across the stage. Sparks flew from severed electrical connections. The crowd erupted in chaos, screaming, people running, security converging from all directions.
But Marcus only registered Elena, her body pressed against his, her heart hammering so hard he could feel it through their clothes, her dark eyes wide with shock. She was shaking. "Are you hurt?" Marcus demanded. His hands moved over her shoulders, her arms checking for injuries.
Did the glass hit you? "I'm fine." Elena's voice trembled. "You—how did you know?" I'll explain later.
Right now, we need to Security surrounded them, pulling them apart. Voices shouting questions and orders. Marcus caught a glimpse of figures fleeing from the catwalk access. Saw guards racing after them. Amanda appeared, her professional composure cracked with genuine terror.
She helped Elena to her feet. "I'm fine," Elena said again louder now, authority returning to her voice even as her hands shook. "Everyone calm down. Clear the auditorium in an orderly fashion. Amanda get security to on it."
Amanda was already coordinating on her phone. Elena's eyes found Marcus. He was still on the stage floor, his shoulder screaming where he'd absorbed their combined impact. Glass scattered around him. Blood ran from a cut on his arm where a shard had caught him.
"You're bleeding," Elena said. "It's nothing. It's not nothing." She moved toward him, but Amanda intercepted her gently. "We need to get you to a secure location until security sweeps the building.
Please, Elena." For a moment, Marcus thought Elena would refuse, but she let Amanda guide her toward the exit, looking back at him one last time. Her expression was something he'd never seen before. Shock, gratitude, something deeper that made his breath catch. Then she was gone.