by Ali Parker
He raised his fist.
Right before he swung, I ducked out of the way. His fist barreled by my face, and I lunged sideways. I picked up a discarded serving tray from one of the tables and spun back around with it. The Hand’s fist came at me again, but this time, it slammed into the tray. The glass shards broke apart with the impact. Blood erupted from between his fingers, and he let out a furious growl as I wound back and swung the tray viciously.
I struck him across the jaw, and he staggered back.
Then, he started laughing. It was wild, manic, uncontrollable laughter. His wild eyes swept up to me, and he dragged his bloody hand down his face, staining his skin red. “I like your style, Lost Breed. You’re going to be more fun than I thought.”
Chapter 14
Evelyn
My palms were sweaty, and my heart was fluttering like a bird in a cage. Bruce was trying to calm me down, but he seemed equally stressed out. “It’ll be all right, Evelyn. Don’t worry. Just let me go out there and check it out. I’ll make sure—”
“No!” I said, panicked.
“Evelyn, please, these are my people.”
“I know. Trust me, I know. But we have to stay here. My friend is coming, and he’ll know what to do. He’ll take care of them. He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt any more than you do.”
“Who the hell is this friend of yours?” Bruce asked.
“He’s—well, um.” I had no idea how to answer that question. Was Derek even technically my friend? No. Not even close. He was still a stranger to me. But there was no doubt in my mind he would come and would fiercely protect all of us. He’d made me a promise.
Bruce shook his head at me. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Anxiety shot through me as he made to go around me. He went to the back door and right before he opened it, it burst open with such force, it slammed into the back wall. The doorknob punched a hole in the drywall, and a bunch of the staff came rushing back.
Their voices were panicked, and I caught the words “fight,” “bald guy,” and “mean guy” come out of several mouths. Justin came back last, and he slammed the door closed behind him. He looked frazzled as he peered around wildly and started doing a headcount. “Is anybody missing?” he called.
Bruce did a quick head count too. “That’s everyone.”
One of the girls, Alicia, looked like she’d seen a ghost as she hurried away from the door and bumped into me.
“What the hell is going on out there?” Bruce asked, grabbing her by the shoulders.
Her blue eyes were wide. “There are two guys out there, and it looks like it’s going to get pretty bad.”
I rushed up to them. “The big bald guy and another? What did he look like?”
Alicia pursed her lips as she tried to process my question. “Um. He was big. And kind of rude. He had brown hair and a beard.”
Derek.
Why didn’t I feel relieved?
I’d called him. I’d wanted him to come, but knowing he was out there was horrifying. I interrupted Bruce as he tried to talk to Alicia and make sure she was okay. “Is he alone?” I asked. “The guy with the beard, did he come in alone?”
Alicia nodded.
My panicked heart fluttered more desperately.
What was this feeling? Why did I care so much about him being out there on his own? I barely knew the man. Collectively, I’d probably only spent forty-five minutes with him in total. But there was something about him that made me feel connected to him.
“I already called the police,” Bruce was saying. “They said they already received a tip, and they have cars en route to us now. They said we just need to stay out of the fray.”
I pointed at the emergency exit door. “We should get everyone out of here.”
“We should be safe back here,” Bruce said.
I shook my head. “Don’t make assumptions with this guy. If he gets his hands on one of us, he’ll use us as a hostage, and Derek won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“Hostage?” Alicia whispered.
I nodded. “Yes. Now, let’s get moving. Bruce, get everyone out through the back.”
Bruce only hesitated for a second longer before he took up my instructions and started hurrying the staff to the back door. Just as he pushed it open, I heard the brawl begin in the front of the house of the cigar lounge. For a moment, my heart stopped completely.
Breaking glass. Something striking something solid. An angry yell. More breaking glass. Soft thuds like a fist pummeling a body.
I shook my head to clear the images that sprang to life in the back of my mind. I had to keep it together a little longer.
Then, I spotted the fire extinguisher beside Bruce’s desk.
I acted without thinking. I raced forward and grabbed the extinguisher. Nobody was paying attention. They were focused on Bruce, who was focused on getting them the hell out. Good.
I rushed out through the door and down the hallway, emerging behind the bar to see the destruction the two men were causing.
There was blood. Enough of it for me to be concerned.
Derek had The Hand down on the ground and was wailing on him. The Hand had his arms up to protect his face and was laughing. Legitimately laughing. It was almost like he liked being struck, like he got off on it. Knowing how insane he was, I suspected he was enjoying it.
Derek let out a furious yell as he buried his fist in The Hand’s ribs.
The big man seized the opportunity to turn the tables. He struck with a punch of his own, and I heard it connect with Derek’s jaw, who slumped backward in a temporary state of confusion.
As The Hand stood above him, I tried to scream, but my voice was caught in my throat like in a nightmare. I was powerless as The Hand bent down and grabbed ahold of the front of Derek’s muscle shirt. As he yanked him forward, I spotted a deep gash on Derek’s shoulder. It was pumping out blood that stained the carpet beneath him.
Derek came back to his senses as The Hand drew him in close. I watched as the big bastard wound back and struck Derek again. He didn’t let his shirt go. He hauled him back upright as the punch muddled Derek’s mind and prepared to strike him again.
If I didn’t do something, Derek was going to be killed. I knew it like I knew The Hand wouldn’t refrain from hurting a woman.
I grit my teeth and rushed forward with the fire extinguisher.
The Hand was oblivious to my approach as I came up behind Derek. The Hand was hunched over him. He had landed another hit while I ran over, but that was all he was going to get. I’d decided.
I pulled the nozzle and the fire extinguisher shot white spray and foam out of it in an explosive burst. I aimed it straight into the bald man’s face, and he staggered backward in surprise. I followed his retreat, and a horrible high-pitched sound hurt my ears.
I realized it was my own scream.
I stepped over Derek, who was pushing himself up to his elbows on the floor, and continued to scream bloody murder as I went after the man who had terrified me in the alley. There was something empowering about having him back away from me. I found myself wanting to hurt him. I wanted to make him suffer.
Something was wrong with me.
The fire extinguisher ran out of steam, and the bursts of foam and spray subsided to nothing. I stood between The Hand and Derek as the big man wiped foam from his face and shook it off his hands. He looked up at me, fury burning in his eyes.
“Hello, kitten.”
I took a step back.
Derek called my name. “Get the fuck out of here!”
I was frozen to the spot. Staring at the big man before me brought back all the fear I’d felt that night in the alley. This time was a hundred times worse. He was moving toward me, one slow, agonizing step at a time. He was smiling once more like he’d just happened upon a new plaything. Me.
I tightened my grip on the fire extinguisher. “Stay away from me.” I tried to sound as commanding as possible, but I sounded terrified
and pathetic.
He laughed at me.
“I mean it. Stay back!”
He kept coming. I could hear Derek trying to push himself to his feet behind me. He’d had his senses knocked clean out of him. I’d be blown away if he managed to stand up so quickly after the hits he’d just taken. I needed to buy him some time. That’s why I came out here in the first place, wasn’t it? To help him? He needed me.
I couldn’t let him down.
I moved to the right and slipped between two tables. My shoes crunched over broken shards of glass as I backed slowly away, keeping my eyes trained on The Hand, who followed me, pushing tables and chairs out of his way as he came.
“Come here, girlie. Let me show you what I do to women who think they can tell me what to do. Come on,” he hissed, taking a swipe at me.
I stumbled back, rolling an ankle, and winced. But I kept backing up, weaving between tables without having to look back where I was going. I was glad Britt had told me to memorize the floor plan on my first day to make my serving routes easier.
I knew I was going to run out of space soon. It was only a matter of time before he was on me. I had to delay him. I gathered my courage. “Why do you like hurting people?”
He hesitated but only for a second. It was enough for me to put an extra two feet between us. “It’s a good thrill, kitten. You want me to show you? Are you curious?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m curious why you’re like this. What happened to you to make you so evil?”
He chuckled. “Nothing happened to me.”
“Liar.”
He lunged for me, and I screamed. Then, out of sheer instinct, I darted to my right and wound back with the fire extinguisher. I swung it through the air, and it slammed into the side of his head hard. I yelped in surprise as I struck him, and he staggered back. I hurried farther away too.
I’d been hoping I’d have enough strength to knock him out cold, but that would have been too easy. He rubbed his bald head with one hand and looked at me. Now, he was really pissed. Now, he wanted to really hurt me. “Get your ass over here,” he hissed.
Then, Derek was there standing between us. He was in rough shape. I could tell by the way he was slightly bent over that he was hurting. Blood was still leaking out of his shoulder.
“Derek,” I whispered. It was a plea. He didn’t need to save me again.
He didn’t say anything. Shoulders heaving with every breath he took, he just stood there and stared The Hand down. I was sure the brawl was about to begin again, and this time, it wouldn’t end until one of them was dead.
Fear so raw hit me, and I grew dizzy.
The thick silence around us was cut by the whir of sirens not far off.
The Hand flinched. His gaze flicked to Derek. “Catch you around, Lost Breed.” He turned and ran through the back door. I was glad I’d sent Bruce and everyone outside.
Derek made to go after him, but I bolted out in front of him, dropped the fire extinguisher, and put my hands on his chest.
Derek reached out to press a hand to one of the tables to brace himself. I peered up into his face. His cheek was turning purple, and he had a split lip. “Oh, no,” I breathed, reaching up to cup his face. “I’m sorry. Are you okay? Oh. I’m so sorry.”
He closed a hand over mine. “Don’t be sorry. I’m fine.”
“Fine?” I asked incredulously.
He straightened to his full height and grimaced. “Yeah. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Do me a favor,” Derek said as he sank down into the nearest chair. “Bring me a glass of whiskey?”
Chapter 15
Derek
My mind was buzzing with several jumbled thoughts as Evelyn looked me over with concerned green eyes. First, what the hell had she been thinking trying to take on The Hand on her own like that? Second, how much of an ass had I made of myself letting that bastard kick me around like a piñata in front of her? And third … I couldn’t remember. There were probably other things I should be thinking about, but the hits I’d taken were still making me a little confused.
It wasn’t as bad as Evelyn seemed to think it was though. I just needed a couple minutes to get my wits together. Her hovering around me like a helicopter parent wasn’t doing my head any favors.
I caught her wrist as she reached out to touch my cheek. “Will you sit for a moment?” I asked as politely as I could. I had a tendency to let my anger seep into my voice, and I didn’t want her to think I was mad at her. At least not right now. Because I wasn’t sure if I was mad at her yet or not. “You’re making me dizzy.”
I was definitely pissed, though. That was for damn sure. The Hand had escaped. Again. This time, it was on no one’s head but mine.
Evelyn sank into the chair across from me and rested her hands on her knees, which were bouncing. She then ran her hands up and down her bare thighs while she watched me sip the whiskey she had brought over. It wasn’t any good by my standards, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to take the edge off.
“You’re looking at me like I’m a dog that got hit by a truck,” I said pointedly.
“Sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.”
“Sorry. I mean … you know what I mean.”
I smiled at her, which stung the cut on my lip. “You’re a strange woman, Evelyn. You know that? Real fucking strange.”
Her hands went still in her lap, and she arched a delicate brown eyebrow at me. “Of the two of us, you think I’m the strange one? Me?” She put her hand on her chest.
“You just tried to fight a guy off with a fire extinguisher.”
“You’re welcome,” she quipped back.
It was impossible not to be amused by her. She was full of fire and wit, and she wouldn’t back down from anyone. I liked her. I liked her maybe a little too much.
I finished off my glass of whiskey and set it down on the table as I got to my feet. Evelyn stood with me and continued to look at me like a busted up puppy. I nodded toward the back entrance. “I have to get out of here. The cops will be here any minute, and it’s probably best if I’m gone when they show up and start asking questions.”
“I’ll go with you,” she offered.
“You don’t have to,” I said.
“I want to. Who’s going to clean you up?”
I looked down my nose at her. What did she think I was? A toddler incapable of patching up my own booboos? “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes and took my hand. “Come on. You shouldn’t drive, anyway. You were hit in the head a couple times.”
I smirked. “And are you going to drive my truck, then?”
“Why not?” she asked as she led me out the front door instead of the back. She stopped when we got to my truck, which was only six feet away. The driver’s door was still wide open, and the chime was dinging incessantly.
As we were about to climb up into the truck, a black mustang came tearing through the parking lot. Evelyn sucked in a nervous breath, and I told her to relax. “He’s a buddy of mine.”
She decompressed like a balloon beside me and clung to my side as Caleb parked and got out of his muscle car. He strode over, full of purpose and anger, and poked me in the chest roughly. “You should have waited for us,” he snarled.
I batted his hand away. “Chill out, Caleb. It’s done.”
“And he’s gone. Again.” I could see anger in his eyes. He was as pissed as me, but he was thinking more clearly. He hadn’t just had his head used for target practice. “This was our second chance to take him out, and we fucked it up again.”
Evelyn tightened her grip around me as Caleb’s eyes flicked to her. She flinched under his cold gaze. “H-hi. I’m Evelyn.”
“I remember you,” he said before putting his hands on his hips and hanging his head back to look at the sky. He blew out an exasperated sigh. “You two need to get the hell out of here. I’ll deal with the cops. Dani said she’s on her
way, and she’ll cover for us.”
“Thanks, Caleb, I appreciate it.”
He waved me away. “Whatever. Go lie down or something. You look like shit.”
I chuckled, and Evelyn steered me to the passenger side of my truck. She tried to help me up, which was incredibly emasculating, and I gently pushed her an arm’s length away. “I’ve got this. Stop mothering me. Go get in the driver’s side.”
“Okay,” she said. She watched me step into the truck before doing as I said. She had to use the handlebar in the ceiling to hoist herself up into my truck. Then, she spent a good two minutes adjusting the seat and all the mirrors, which was agonizing to watch because I was going to have to set everything back the next day. When she was ready, I handed her the keys. She started the truck up and started backing up.
I was surprised she could handle the massive vehicle. She drove it like a pro, and when I asked her how she learned to drive it, she said simply, “My dad had a truck like this.”
That was enough of an answer for me to sit back and relax as she took us to Penny’s apartment. She parked expertly at the curb, parallel parking between two small sedans. She put it in park and unbuckled her seat belt. We both got out and walked to the front door of the building. She held a little black fob on her key ring to the door, and it buzzed us in.
As we stood and waited for the elevator, I glanced down at her. “Your friend is going to be pissed I’m back at her apartment.”
Evelyn shrugged. “What Penny doesn’t know won’t hurt her. I just want to get you cleaned up and maybe let you sleep for a bit. Then, you can leave before she gets up.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me.”
The doors slid open, and we stepped on the elevator. We rode it up in silence, and I wondered what she was thinking. There was a good chance she might be a little scared to bring me into her apartment. I had to keep reminding myself that she didn’t actually know me that well, and I didn’t know her either. It just felt like I’d known her forever. Which was very, very odd.
