Chapter Fifteen
Becky was upbeat the next day – it had been so long since she’d felt light-hearted that she barely recognized the emotion. The team was in high spirits after a successful product launch, and Jeff was, as always, extravagant with his praise.
“To Rosie and Becky…my dream team,” he toasted over a glass of champagne in the boardroom, late that afternoon. He’d called an early end to the workday, and it had sparked a party mood. Becky’s cheeks had burned at the compliment; Rosie, on the other hand, did a quirky little victory dance. She’d also been upbeat since Becky had assured her that Dr von Ludwig was helping her deal with her issues.
Their gathered colleagues echoed the toast. “The dream team!” Everyone knew the duo had pulled out all the stops to meet the almost impossible deadline. Fortunately, Rosie’s crackling energy had kept the creativity levels high. Becky felt a secret pang of guilt because she knew she hadn’t been the brains behind this particular project, but Rosie wrapped her arms around her waist and dragged her into her crazy little dance.
“Couldn’t have done it without you, pardner!” she chortled, and Becky reveled in the happiness of the moment.
***
“You!”
A force hit her chest and shoved her back several steps.
Becky reeled in shock. Consumed by her thoughts, she’d headed out the office block, across the parking lot to her car, oblivious to anything around her.
Until now.
“You fucking bitch!”
Another shove. She almost fell. Stared about her.
Stella.
Shit.
“You!” The woman’s normally impeccable hair was wild, strands of it framing her face in a manic halo that was certainly not angelic. Her eyes were mad. “You…you’re trying to get me fired! You bitch!” When she shoved this time, Becky stumbled back, lost her footing and fell, landing hard onto the tarmac.
“Stella, what are you talking about?” Her eyes were wide.
“Oh, don’t play all innocent with me, bitch! You went squealing to management, and they called me into a disciplinary hearing. ‘Not a team player’, they said.” She spat on the floor at Becky’s feet. “What fucking team? Team of fucking asswipes!”
The woman was raging, rabid. She rounded on Becky with madness in her eyes. Rebecca could only imagine she’d been drinking, but didn’t want to say anything to antagonize her. She scrambled away, crablike, on her heels and the palms of her hands, praying someone would come out to help.
“Stella, they asked me to give a statement about our…conversation…the one when you were ill. I didn’t say anything bad about you, I swear it. But there were people in the office who’d seen you push me. There were others who had also had…difficult conversations with you. I’m so sorry—”
Rebecca’s words were stalled in her mouth as the breath rushed from her. A vicious kick had connected with her hip and knocked her sideways. She grunted and rolled to her side.
“Stella, please!” There was a glittering strangeness to the woman’s eyes that terrified her.
“Fuck you!” the woman screamed, aiming another kick. It connected with the soft flesh of her thigh. Becky screamed, hands flying out to ward off the attack. Another kick was heading her way, sharp heel directed at her soft midsection. Instinctively she buckled away to protect her belly. Again, the woman directed a blow towards her stomach. Becky curled into a ball.
And then an unearthly shriek. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Stella was surrounded by a swirling black cloud, spinning in it, her foot still raised in preparation for that vicious blow. But now she was the victim.
She screamed again, her feet lifting from the floor as she began to whirl in the thick of the cloud, gaining speed. Becky’s mouth hung open as the clawing woman gained momentum, spun faster, faster still…and then shot out of the cloud at a blistering speed. Flailing, twisting, contorting, her body hit the windshield of a nearby car and crumpled like a broken doll.
A car alarm rang out, the sound jarring through the darkness.
Becky struggled to stand but couldn’t find her feet.
The cloud that had lifted and thrown Stella had begun to dissipate, change shape from its initial amorphous mass. Now it was starting to take form, become dense. Began to look…like a man.
She stared.
Watched as the dark shape hovered over the unmoving form of her attacker. Bent down to her ear. She could swear it whispered to her.
Stella moaned.
“Oh, thank god, she’s alive,” Becky murmured to herself, still on the floor, hugging herself.
“Yes, she’s alive.”
She jerked in shock. The words almost felt as if they’d been spoken into her mind, but she realized that the cloud…man…whatever it was…was beside her now. The voice was a harsh whisper, a grating animal snarl. She braced herself in fear, arms tightening around her knees to protect her body. She scrunched her eyes shut.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded.
“Oh, Rebecca… Never,” the voice said, softening now, becoming human. “I would never hurt you. Never allow you to be hurt.”
The cloud had lost its dark shades, turned more…human. She was looking up into a face. His face. Xander’s face. His eyes searched hers, hands roaming over her body, gently inspecting. “Are you ok? Did she harm you?” His palms rested on her belly, oddly warm.
He’d come to her rescue.
“Yes,” she licked her lips, “I think…I think I’m fine.” There would be bruises in the morning, but nothing that would cause long-term injury. She couldn’t stop her body from shuddering, though. “Is she…” She scrunched up her brow. “Is she ok?”
“She’s fine,” he said dismissively. “I should have killed her. But that is not my judgment to make. However, I’m sure the Threshers will make short work of her when she reaches my realm. If she doesn’t damn her dark soul straight to hell before that happens.” He snorted.
Becky shook her head, still dazed, not sure what he was talking about, but too shocked to delve deeper. His thumb traced her cheek. It astonished her that a force that could smash a body so viciously could still show such tenderness.
“We have to get you to care,” his words were oddly stilted. “You need to be tended to.”
“I’m fine, really, Xander.” She was beginning to love the sound of his name. “I just need to get home. I’m so tired.” Hardly surprising, considering what she’d just gone through. Her body continued to shudder. He shook his head.
“You have family…friends. I want you to go to them. I insist on it. This ordeal has been too much for you. Please. Get care.” He continued to stumble over the words, and it alarmed her a little.
“I can go to Rosie. But what about…” She glanced towards the woman who still lay crumpled beside the nearby vehicle.
“I will attend to that,” he muttered, casting a disgusted look in the woman’s direction. “I need you to go to your friend. Tell her you need…care. Can she come to you here? Can she take you to a…caregiver?” He said the words as if they were foreign to him, but he spoke with such intensity that she couldn’t argue.
“Yes,” she agreed. “I can ask her to collect me. I’m sure I’m fine, but I’ll ask her to take me to casualty. There’s an emergency clinic nearby.”
He nodded, apparently appeased. “Please. Please do this. I will…deal with the other…matter.” He turned a dark look at the blonde on the floor.
“What are you going to do to her?” Becky asked in alarm, suddenly afraid for the other woman. Stella had attacked her, but that didn’t mean she wanted anything terrible to happen to her.
His eyes searched her face, saw her concern. “I won’t harm her, Rebecca, I promise. I’ll simply send her home.” His eyes had softened at her question, his fingers caressing her cheek.
Becky nodded reluctantly, then reached for her phone.
Rosie’s voice was confused when she answered th
e call. “Becky? What’s up? I thought you were heading straight home. Changed your mind? Or just in the mood for a girl chat. Because I—”
“Rosie, I need your help,” Rebecca interrupted. Her friend snapped to attention.
“Of course! What do you need? Are you ok?”
“I’m fine…but I need you to fetch me from the office. I had a…” Becky glanced at the fallen figure, “another run-in with Stella.” She took a deep breath.
“What??” Rosie squawked across the line. “What did that bitch do? I swear I’ll wring her scrawny neck if—”
“Rosie, it’s fine…I’m fine…” Becky interrupted. “There was someone here, and he stopped her. But I’m a bit shaken up and I could really use some Rosie time right now. Is that ok with you?”
“Oh, sweetie, of course!” her best friend assured her. “I’ll be right there, give me 15, ok? Can you get in your car or someplace safe? I don’t want you sitting out there in the parking lot. Is the guy still around? Can he stay with you?”
Becky glanced around herself. Hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“I’ll be fine, Rose, don’t worry. I’ll head over to Bernie and wait for you at the security office,” Becky improvised as she spoke. She looked over to the lit booth and wondered if the man had seen any of the insane activities that had just gone down. “I’m pretty sure he’ll call out the rest of the team when I speak to him. And then ply me with hot tea.”
“Oh, really? Hot tea? He should be plying you with notes begging forgiveness if he knows what’s good for him! Where the hell was he? Didn’t he see what happened?” Rosie was livid.
“It was a completely freakish situation, Rosie,” Rebecca tried to calm her. “I’d prefer it if we could just downplay the whole thing. Please? For me?” Seriously, there were days she wished she shared just a small piece of Roseanne’s fiery temper. Here she was, just attacked by a crazed psycho chick – and she was trying to calm her friend who hadn’t even been there. Frankly, a bit of that temper could have saved her a score of ugly bruises today. Perhaps. Something told her that Stella’s brand of madness would only be fueled by a victim who fought back.
Unless, of course, she’d gone up against a demonic force who’d smashed her body to a pulp.
Becky shivered.
She was pretty sure Stella wasn’t a smashed pulp. But probably feeling that way right about now. She looked around her, seeking out Xander, wanting to reach for him and sink into his warmth.
As if hearing her thoughts, he was at her side.
“Angel…” his harsh voice was soft for her. “The woman is…unharmed. Relatively. She will have no recollection of what happened here, aside from accosting you and trying to harm you. She will know she was in the wrong and that you defended yourself.” His eyes were fixed on hers, steadfast. “Your help is on its way.” He wasn’t asking. He knew. Just as he knew everything about her world. She didn’t bother questioning him. Simply nodded.
“Go to your caregiver.” He stroked her cheek. She smiled tremulously, then stood shakily as he helped her to her feet, letting him guide her to the security office. “I will leave you here. I have matters…to attend to. But know that I am just a call away.”
“Call? You mean, I can phone you?” She shook her head in confusion.
He smiled. “Just think of me. I’ll be there.”
She nodded. And then felt him leave.
Her hand was still shaking when she reached for the door handle of the security office.
“Bernie!” she called out. The man in the room looked up immediately. She waved through the glass of his office door.
“What’s up, Ms. North,” his voice was courteous, as always.
“I’ve just had an…incident,” she struggled to explain. “Rosie’s on her way, but I’d like to stay here with you until she arrives, if that’s okay?” He looked at her sharply, taking in her appearance, clothes awry, grazes on her wrists and elbows. His eyes narrowed.
“Of course, darlin’…Ms. North!” he responded quickly, torn between concern and professionalism as he ushered her into the warmth of the room. “What happened?”
“Umm…” Becky wasn’t quite sure what to tell him, so went with a rough outline of the truth. “I had a bit of an argument with Ms. Segal in the parking lot,” she tried to diminish the incident. “It left me a bit frazzled, and I’ve asked Rosie…Ms. Will, to meet me here. Nothing to worry about – I’m just uncomfortable waiting alone in the parking lot after dark.”
“Ah,” he said. “I see. And…um…Ms.Segal? What of her?”
Becky was stumped for a moment. “I…I…I’m sure she’ll be fine,” she stuttered. “Look,” she blinked at the window facing out to the lot. “It seems like she’s doing just great.”
Against all reason, Stella was on her feet, briefcase in hand, taking slow, faltering steps to her car. Rebecca stared at her, trying not to show her surprise. The woman had barely looked alive the last time she’d seen her. Bernie seemed convinced, however he fussed with the dials on the security screens. Becky froze. He was flipping through the security footage of the parking lot, muttering under his breath.
“I can’t believe I never noticed anything going on out there, Ms. North. You clearly had a rough time – just look at you!” Becky pulled her jacket straight, suddenly aware there were tears in the fabric of her shirt. Blood oozed from her elbows, and her hip throbbed with an angry pulse.
“No, really Bernie, it wasn’t a big deal! We’ve been having some tension in the office. It was just bad luck that we bumped into each other on our way home. I guess I rubbed her up the wrong way at the water cooler,” she kept trying to make light of the event, but his professional instincts weren’t convinced.
“Ms. North, I—” his next words were halted by a sharp rapping at the door.
Rosie! Becky breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hello! Heya, Bernie! Is Becky in there with you??” Rosie sounded upbeat as she called into the room, but Becky could hear the underlying note of anxiety.
“Good evening, Ms. Will, yes, she’s in here with me,” Bernie replied. Becky rose and headed to the door, turning to cast a reassuring glance at the security guard. Rosie, however, was already on her way in.
As usual, she took over the room. “What a night, huh? And my girl here? Bet you didn’t expect to see her on your doorstep?”
Bernie gave a sheepish grin. “Hardly, Ms Will! But she seems just fine—" his words petered out as Rosie stepped towards Becky and looked her over, placed a hand on each of her shoulders, and looked into her eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good…really, I’m fine, Rosie,” Becky emphasized the words to ease Roseanne’s concerns. “I just want to get out of here.”
“Of course, honey!” Her friend pulled her into an embrace and then drew back to examine her again, eyes narrowing as she took in the torn clothing, the grazes, and scrapes. She pressed her lips together, biting back a comment as she saw her friend’s eyes widen, a silent plea to hold her tongue.
“Thanks, Bernie, all good, I’ll take it from here. Darn office politics!” She rolled her eyes, secretly biting back a gag at her own words. “You’ve been fantastic. I’m sure Ms. North will have a word with the board in the morning, so they’ll want to check out your surveillance footage.”
Bernie nodded abruptly, fingers fiddling with the dials at his desk. “I’ll fill out a field report in the meantime, Ms. Will.”
“Good idea,” Rosie gave an encouraging nod. “Although I’m sure it’s not going to be a big deal. Thanks for all your help, Bernie.” Rebecca gave an equally encouraging smile, even though her lips struggled to shift into happy mode. The two women turned and left the warmth of the security booth, heading to Rosie’s car.
***
“What the fuck is going on?” Rosie hissed under her breath as soon as they were safely out of earshot of Bernie’s office. “You look like hell! What did that woman do to you?”
“Rosie, s
he was mad!” Becky’s voice was shaky. “I never saw her coming! One moment I was walking across the parking lot, the next she was on me! I didn’t do a thing to upset her!” Rosie nodded briskly to show she believed her. “But I was so afraid! I really thought she wanted to hurt me badly.” Becky bit back a sob. “I know…I probably sound like a total wimp, but I didn’t know what to do!” Rosie put a comforting arm around her friend.
“It’s okay, hon, I’m here now,” she soothed. “But what happened to stop her?”
Becky shrugged. “It was Xander. He came up out of nowhere!” She put out a hand to stop her friend’s next words. “I know what you’re going to say. Just zip it. He was here! And if he hadn’t arrived, she would have really hurt me!” She raised her shirt to show the bruise that was already coloring the skin of her hip.
“Sheez, girl! That’s hectic!” Rosie blurted.
“I know,” Becky acknowledged. “And, at the risk of acting like a complete prima donna, I think I need to get checked out. Would you take me?” She put on her best ‘injured bird’ expression and aimed it at Rosie.
“Of course, Becky! Hell, you don’t have to feel ashamed. It looks like you took some serious punishment.” Rosie took her by the elbow and steered her to her little car. “We can pop round to the clinic on the corner and give you a quick once over. It’ll put all our minds at ease.” She set the car in gear, accelerating out of the parking lot.
***
Xander watched as the small car drove off, then turned to follow the woman who had weaved her way to a dark corner of the lot. There was something odd about the way she was standing, like a puppet dangling from unattended strings. He stopped as he came to face her, surprised at the blankness of her face.
Had he gone too far? Had he damaged her in his attack?
The Council might overlook some mild meddling with mortals, but they’d never let him get away with seriously harming one.
“Xander.”
Saved By Her (Soul Searchers Book 1) Page 14
