by PJ Sharon
Before she could express her intense desire to leave, Phillip returned and placed a drink in front of each of the girls. "Drink up, ladies. There’s more where that came from." He smiled a wide grin and poured a bottle of beer into a frosty mug.
Brinn tasted the drink and swallowed hard. It was sweet and fruity, but left a harsh aftertaste in the back of her throat, making her tongue feel numb and tingly. “What is this?” She asked, examining the peach-colored beverage.
“It’s called an Alabama Slammer. Do you like it?” Phillip asked, chugging his beer.
Deciding it wasn't entirely an unpleasant flavor or sensation, she nodded and drank slowly at first. She waited to make sure she didn’t repeat her earlier mistake with the milk shake. By the time she’d finished the second drink, Brinn was feeling very fuzzy and not at all herself.
Abby looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. I’d better give my folks a call and let them know where I am. I need to step outside,” she shouted over the noise. “Phillip, could you stay here with Brinn?” She smiled up at the man and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Sweetie. I'll be right back, I promise," Abby added, turning to Brinn. The promise left an odd spike of wariness in Brinn's foggy mind as her friend disappeared into the crowd.
From where she was, seated in the corner with Phillip across the table, she had a good view of the whole place. There was a game room where people congregated, cursing and laughing loudly enough to be heard over the din. The large screen on the wall had several more interested onlookers. Young men slapped each other on the back and drank down glasses of beer as if they were dying from thirst.
Phillip finished his fourth and slammed the mug down on the table, grinning broadly at Brinn. “I need a refill. Can I get you anything?”
Brinn looked down into her empty glass and shook her head as a woozy feeling settled in. “No—no more for me.”
Phillip nodded and headed for the bar, leaving Brinn uncomfortably alone. Two young men at the bar caught her attention and she averted her gaze.
The men wavered through the crowd, headed straight for her table. Brinn shrank in her seat, feeling dazed. Helpless, she watched as they closed in. One young man wore his dark hair long, curved over his ears with long sideburns and a scruffy face. The other was taller and more muscular. He had a sparse moustache and dark hair on his chin that made him look as sinister as any villain in the stories she'd read.
"Hi, gorgeous, are you all alone here?" The one with the sideburns asked. Not waiting for a reply, he added, "Can we buy you a drink?"
Cornered behind the table and unable to escape, Brinn replied nervously, "I'm not thirsty anymore."
The two men laughed and darted a glance at each other, some unspoken message passing between them. Mr. Sinister piped in above the music, "How about a dance?"
He reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her onto the dance floor. His touch sent a shockwave into her spine that ignited a primitive response. She pulled out of his grasp, hopped onto the seat beneath her, and crouched, ready to spring. In merely a breath, she held her knife in hand and was ready to attack. The two men jumped back.
"Whoa, Sister, you don't have to get crazy! You could have just said no." By now, people were staring. Brinn saw herself through their eyes as she always did. As an outsider who didn't fit in—someone to be feared, despised, and shunned. She’d taken her sandals off under the table and was now barefoot, crouched on a chair and wielding her long, sharp blade dangerously in front of her. People spoke loudly and pointed at her, but she couldn't move. The room spun. Terrified, she gripped her knife with both hands, a guttural growl rising up from deep inside as she bared her teeth.
Stunned to further inaction, Brinn saw the two men being dragged away by two sets of large hands. A face appeared from the shadows. Squinting, she focused hard. She must be dreaming. It couldn't be him. She blinked, and blinked again. Justin's face came into view. Brinn caught his profile as he spun the bearded man around and pushed him into the crowd.
Sideburns was being manhandled by a very tall, square-jawed man with light-colored hair cut in short spikes on his head. He wore a tight tee shirt stretched across his broad chest. She recognized him as the man in the car who had picked Justin up at the hospital.
In a deep, commanding tone, the big man shouted. "Get lost. The lady doesn't want your company."
She stared blankly at him, wary of his menacing tone. When Justin swung back around, Brinn caught his gaze. His eyes widened. Before he could speak, he froze in recognition. His jaw dropped at the sight of Brinn crouched on the chair, ready to spring, buck knife poised for attack.
Chapter 14
Dark Memories
Brinn jumped off the seat, over the table and landed in Justin's arms, knife still in hand. "Justin! It's you! I found you!" She hugged him fiercely, clinging to his neck.
"I take it you know this little warrior?" Cody smiled crookedly.
Justin acknowledged his friend with a broad grin of his own, unable to hide his pleasure in seeing her. He looked down into Brinn’s wild-eyed expression, and then pulled her closer. He felt her tremble in his arms.
"Yes, it’s me.” He steered the weapon away from his ear, but didn’t try to take it from her. “What are you doing here?" He asked in astonishment as he pulled back to see her more clearly.
"I wanted to see you...Abby and Phillip brought me here, but they left me..." her voice broke. Just then, the abandoning duo appeared.
"Oh, Brinn, I'm so sorry I left you alone. Please forgive me. It was stupid of me...I didn’t think...are you all right?" Abby gushed apologetically. The fiery little blonde eyed Justin and Cody as she reached for Brinn’s hand protectively. “Who are you?”
Brinn had obviously never told her friend about him. He reluctantly released his hold and Brinn fell into Abby’s arms. Seeing how the two girls wavered slightly as they hugged, and noting the flushed cheeks of their companion—presumably Phillip—Justin stepped in. "Brinn and I are friends. I think I should get you two out of here. My friend Cody and I will make sure you all get home safely.” Cody looked down at Phillip with an expression that immediately quelled the potential argument on the younger man’s face.
After sheathing her knife and gathering her shoes, Brinn made a quick side trip to the ladies’ room with Abby. The girls returned slightly less disheveled but still staggered across the packed room. Justin put an arm around Brinn's shoulder and guided her through the crowded bar. Amidst stares and whispers, they parted the masses, Brinn huddled close against him.
Once outside, she relaxed slightly and sucked in a few deep breaths. As he helped her into his car, he paused and took in how shockingly beautiful she was—a far cry from the girl he’d met in the woods. He knew in that moment that if they’d met under any other circumstances, she would be exactly the girl he wanted. But now wasn’t the time or place to give in to a crazy urge to kiss her. With her history, maybe there would never be one. His heart squeezed at the thought. People recovered from trauma, right? If there was even the slimmest hope, he had to believe it was possible. As he looked into her long-lashed blue eyes, he whispered, "You look beautiful, Brinn."
Rewarded by a brief, shy smile, Justin closed her door and packed the rest of the crew into his BMW. Cody and Phillip sat in the back with Abby between them and Brinn swayed in the bucket seat next to Justin, who drove them to a local hotel. It was too late to drive all the way out to Abby’s house and there wouldn’t be nearly enough room for all of them at his tiny condo. A hotel would suit their needs just fine.
The car was crowded, but Justin didn't mind. He had Brinn's warm, slender body pressed up against him, leaning past the center console, still clinging to his arm as he drove. She curled at his side like a purring kitten, seeming to find comfort in his presence. Maybe now she would let him help her.
He couldn’t believe he’d found her at the pub. Normally, he stayed away from the bar scene in Atlanta, but since Cody’s return from Afghanistan, his friend had take
n to getting trashed and picking fights at the Black Horse most every weekend—not usually in his character. Justin hoped that given time and a chance to work out his issues, Cody would overcome whatever demons plagued him. Until then, Justin was along as damage control and designated driver.
The fight Cody picked tonight had been in defense of a young woman and that young woman turned out to be Briana Hathaway. Justin wanted to tell her what he’d found out about her family, but it would have to wait until they were alone and she was sober. His friend at the crime lab had confirmed her fingerprints matched the kidnapped girl from the newspaper archives. The lab tech agreed to keep a lid on the story until he heard back from Justin, but made it clear it would cost him a huge favor. Owing Freddy would be well worth knowing he had found a kidnapped victim and returned her to her family.
The strong scent of alcohol permeated the car. Justin’s gut twisted in visceral response. He cracked open his window. It was too cool a night to put his top down, though the fresh air would probably do them all good. He resisted the urge to lecture the couple in the back seat about underage drinking or how they’d left Brinn alone. It wasn’t his place, and they were in no shape to listen. Abby sat sullenly between Cody and Phillip, obviously angry with her date and even more so with herself. She phoned her parents again to tell them she was staying the night in the city with friends. After a few minutes of arguing and whining from Abby about trust, being able to take care of herself, and her being a grown woman, she hung up the phone.
It was decided that they would get two rooms—one for the guys and the other for the girls. Brinn refused to set foot in the enclosed space of the elevator and, rather than cause a scene, the stairs seemed the best option. Justin paid for the adjoining suites and led the group up the three flights of stairs in the newly renovated luxury brownstone.
It was one of the few buildings in midtown that had survived the Great Fire of 1917. The remnants had been renovated many times through the years but the latest creation was the perfect mix of old and new. The building, once a tenement of apartments, now had eight floors of luxury suites decorated with antique furnishings in deep reds and golds.
When they reached their floor, Cody ushered Phillip into one room and led Abby to the other. If Phillip had planned to ply the girls with alcohol and take advantage of them, the plan had backfired. He was dead drunk. Abby stumbled into her room and fell onto one of the queen-sized beds, fully clothed and already snoring as Cody removed her shoes. He pulled a comforter over her and joined Brinn and Justin arguing in the hallway.
Justin tried to leave Brinn at the girl’s hotel room door.
"You need to go to sleep now,” he said. Brinn grumbled and clutched the door frame. “C’mon, Brinn. You’ll feel better tomorrow." He doubted the truth of his own words, but he pried her hands from the wood and wrapped an arm around her waist. He wished he could sleep beside her again. Thinking of her and worrying for her safety had kept him from a good night’s sleep since his return from the mountains. He knew tonight would be another one of those nights.
Brinn protested when he pressed his hand to her lower back, trying to nudge her gently through the door. She acquiesced but stumbled straight for the balcony, sliding the door open and plunging toward the fresh air. Justin followed in pursuit.
"I can’t sleep in that room. It smells like smoke. It smells like—him," she whispered, clutching the railing and drawing deep breaths.
Justin tensed, “Who, Brinn? Who does it smell like?"
"Pa, Roy." She whispered again, her gaze unfocused. Justin caught the girl as she tipped, holding her by the arms to steady her. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grasp.
"Let me go!" Brinn stomped on his foot sending a jolt of hot white electricity through him.
Justin cried out in pain.
She tore her arms free of his grip and bolted straight for the fire escape. She launched herself up the ladder and toward the roof.
With a searing shock of pain that shot through his injured foot, Justin hobbled backward and nearly tumbled over the railing to the pavement below. He regained his balance and swore under his breath. “Brinn, stop! Don’t run away.”
Not fast enough to stop her, even in her condition, Justin followed. He watched her climb the narrow stairs upward like a treed bear. He took to the ladder but his own progress was slowed by the throbbing pain in his ankle. Each step sent pins and needles through his foot and up his leg.
“Damn it!” he cursed. She wasn’t going to make this easy. Her first time into the city and she’d found all kinds of trouble to get into. Her friend should have known better. It wasn't Brinn's fault. His temper cooled by the time he reached the roof, despite the throbbing in his foot. "Brinn!" His voice caught in his throat.
She stood perched on the raised ledge of the building looking out over the busy street below. She didn't react as he hobbled closer, but she rocked precariously as her head bobbed forward. He swallowed his panic and steadied his churning insides, his pain becoming distant. He didn't want to startle or distract her. He had to get her away from the edge.
Circling around wide so he was in plain view, he spoke her name again, softly. "Brinn, it's me, Justin. Please come away from the edge. It's a long way down and I don't want you to fall." He forced his voice to remain calm as he slowly approached. She rocked side to side, stretching her arms wide as if riding on an unseen current of wind that might carry her up into the night at any moment.
Humming mournfully, she lifted her face to the starlit sky and rising moon, and then let out a keening wail that sent shivers along his skin. The sound pierced the night and echoed off the city’s buildings. With her chin lifted heavenward and the halo of moonlight behind her, she resembled an angel tortured by earthbound tethers. Justin’s fists tightened as he restrained his urge to grab her.
Brinn stopped abruptly, finally registering that she wasn’t alone. "Justin, I want to go home." She continued to look out at the city, her voice small now against the sounds of night life below. "This all seems so familiar to me, but this is not my home. It's his home. If I stay here, he will find me. He’ll always find me." She wrapped her hands around her shoulders and trembled.
Justin stepped closer, reaching his hand up toward her. "Come down, Brinn. I’ll take you home and he will never hurt you again. I won't let him." Even as he said the words, Justin knew he couldn’t make her believe he could protect her. His own self-doubt gnawed at his gut. He stood next to her, a mere foot of space between them, but he didn't touch her. He had to convince her to come to him. "Please, Brinn. I can't stand to see you hurting like this. Let me help you."
She smiled, still looking down over the city and then up to the heavens. "I've imagined how perfect life would be if only I could fly. I have stood at the edge of cliffs much higher than this and thought how easy it would be to step off the edge and soar through the air like the great hawks I see circle the canyons." She stretched her arms wide again, and cried out, "I just want to go home!"
His chest tightened at the pain in her voice. "I'll take you home. I'll take you anywhere you want to go." He had planned to wait until their meeting after the full moon to tell her what he’d found out about her, but coincidence or fate had led him to that bar tonight and maybe the good news would help her now. "I've found your parents. They’re alive, Brinn."
Her motion stilled. "They’re dead. Why are you saying this?" She glared down at him, fists clenched at her sides.
"No, Brinn, they’re alive. They’ve been looking for you ever since you disappeared. They live just outside the city. I’ve spoken to your mother. She doesn't know about you yet. I didn't want to tell them until after I told you. Do you understand? Your parents are alive and they’ll be so happy to have you back."
Emotions flew across her face—confusion and shock, apprehension to comprehension, and then a flicker of a smile as she stared down at Justin, her eyes misty. She jumped down from the ledge and into his arms, nearly knocking him down
onto the rooftop. She laughed and then cried and then pushed back from his arms and awkwardly straightened her dress. She’d lost her shoes again, but she didn’t seem to notice or care. "Are you sure? Is it true, then? They’re alive...and they want me back?"
Justin held her close. He silently thanked God that she was in his arms and safe, and then he leaned back, looking into her teary eyes. "We can call your parents tomorrow." He looked her over, making sure she was really okay. She was frazzled and clearly intoxicated, but no worse for wear. "I don't think you want them to see you like this, do you?"
She wobbled and grinned sheepishly in response. “No, I ‘spose not. But I can't wait to see them!" She gushed with excitement and words began to spill out so fast, Justin couldn't make sense of most of what she said. She stumbled and tripped her way across the roof. When he reached for her hand to help her onto the ladder, she pulled away and refused his help. She went over the edge and down the narrow metal steps. Much to his relief, she reached the bottom without incident.
Cody was waiting on the balcony, lit cigarette in hand. Brinn stopped abruptly and hissed, covered her nose and mouth, and scowled sharply at Cody. Justin stepped protectively in front of her and warned his friend with a look. "She has a problem with smokers."
Cody immediately snubbed the cigarette and put it back in the pack. "I really need to quit, anyway." He sent a reassuring smile Brinn's way and then addressed Justin, rolling his eyes and nodding toward the room. "The love birds have decided to shack together. The little lady made her way into Phil’s room and insisted they were “engaged.”
He accentuated the word with an oddly girlish gesture of waggling his ring finger and then he grinned. "She's got a rock on her finger, so I couldn't argue. Besides, Phil doesn't look like he could do her much harm tonight. He's barely conscious, let alone up for..." He let the sentence hang in the air as Brinn's knees wobbled. She wore a scowl of concentration on her face and gaped at him disapprovingly. Ignoring the girl, he addressed his friend once again. "If you two want the room, I can take your car home."
