When he slid onto the seat next to mine, I was more than a little startled by his boldness. I was definitely going to have to say something to get him to go away.
"I'm here with friends," I said, motioning to the other empty seats. "They'll be here any minute."
He kept looking at me, and I was getting really uncomfortable. He didn't exactly look like a creeper, but he was still making me think about all those movies I'd seen where the nice-looking guy turns out to be the one who's killing everybody in the town.
Crazy thoughts?
Yes.
But, I hadn't exactly grown up with an older brother or a dad or someone like that to ever look out for me. I hated having to handle situations that were awkward. It was obvious by his refusal to leave that he wasn't going to make this easy on me.
"Being here with lots of friends is cool." He winked at me and leaned closer to my chair. This close he smelled like alcohol, and his words were a little slurred. "I'll just stay here with you until they come back. A pretty girl like you doesn't need to be lonely."
My head started to pound along with the rhythm of the music. Why would he think I wanted company? I wasn't smiling or trying to flirt or do anything that could be construed as welcoming. As far as I could tell, I was being the antithesis of friendly and inviting.
Maybe he was too drunk to take the hint, and if that was the case, it was definitely going to be hard to get him to leave, and I was starting to feel desperate about getting rid of him.
I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about him was more than simply annoying.
One year in health class we'd had this unit on safety. An officer had spoken to our class on several different occasions. One lesson that had really stood out to me was about people and their instincts. He told us that animals use their instincts all the time to protect themselves, but that people tend to ignore theirs whenever they kick in, thinking they are being rude if they try to evade someone.
The officer kept stressing to each of us in the class that if we ever had that feeling - that feeling like someone's walking over your grave or like you need to get away - then don't ignore it. Each time he lectured he reminded us that it was our natural instincts trying to protect us, even when we wouldn't pay attention. I'd spent years feeling like there was something evil always on the edge of my life. I'd often assumed it was simply the bad feelings I had over my father and being raised without a connection to any parent, but I knew it was more than that. And then that day in the school when the lights went out, something wasn't right, and now this.
I knew this feeling. I knew I shouldn't ignore the warnings that were racing through my mind.
Leaving, though, wasn't that easy.
I felt like a rabbit trapped by a fox. Realistically, I knew Brian hadn't really done anything except join me without an invitation and, of course, not taking my hint to leave. He hadn't even so much as touched me. But still, something was off.
I decided to try again and if he didn't leave, I would.
"Brian - "
"She remembers my name," he interrupted. "That's a great start." He leered at me, and I wanted to walk away right then, but I really hated to leave the table since I'd been there first, and it was our spot, not his.
Shouting above the music, I said, "The fact that I remember your name means that you just told it to me and really nothing more. Anyway, Brian, I really need you to leave now. I want to sit here by myself and wait for my friends. I'm sure you have other people waiting on you that you can go and bother, I mean talk to, so definitely don't let me hold you up."
"The only holding I'd like to do involves me holding you close out there on the dance floor. Or if you want, we could go somewhere more private."
He scooted nearer, and I turned my head away from him. The scent of alcohol was ridiculously strong with him this close. It was all I could do not to gag. My father had been a heavy drinker. The smell conjured up images I would rather forget.
I felt the table shake and turned back to see he'd stumbled into the rounded edge, knocking off a jacket Summer had placed on the top.
I moved as far away from him as I could, shouting at him now, not only so he could hear me over the music, but because I was upset.
"Look, Brian. I'm not going to dance or even talk to you any longer. If you want this table so badly, then you can let it hold you up. I assure you, I won't be anywhere near enough to you to do any type of holding unless you try to get too close to me, and I have to hold you off."
I grabbed my drink, took one last swallow to try and calm myself, and left before he could respond. I wasn't sure where I was going to go or what I thought I was going to do if he followed, but I wanted to get as far away from him as I could. Maybe I could talk to the management, but I really didn't want to make a scene. What if they took his side over mine? We would all have to leave, and I knew the others were having a great time.
I could get Grant, but I didn't want to ruin his and Faith's time together either. I decided finding somewhere to go where Brian couldn't follow me was my best option. Visiting the ladies' restroom seemed like a good idea.
Unfortunately that plan wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to follow. Within seconds of walking away, my legs felt wobbly and my head, which had been pounding earlier, now felt like it was going to explode. The more I tried to focus my eyes, the more blurred my vision became. Everything was spinning, and I was certain that for the first time in my life, I was going to pass out. I made it to the corner of the room where I hoped no one could see me, and I leaned against the wall for support.
I was just getting over feeling like I was going to lose consciousness when arms that felt like bands of steel grabbed me from behind.
Paralyzed with fear, I was sure Brian had followed me, and I knew I was in no condition to stop whatever he had planned. I was barely able to stand. There was no way I could put up a fight.
Male arms scooped me off the floor, and I was held tightly against a broad chest. Tears stung my eyes and I felt the strong sensation to close my eyes and give up, but I knew I couldn't. I shouldn't. I must not give in to the haze which was threatening to engulf me. I needed to yell or fight or do something.
My distress must have gotten through to the person holding me because a voice spoke near my ear.
"It's me, sweetheart; I've got you. Relax."
Keller's voice was a balm to the frantic beat of my heart. It wasn't Brian who had me, after all. It was Keller.
What was he even doing here? I should be thankful, I knew, but as I pushed through the fog that overwhelmed me and realized who my rescuer was, I automatically became irritated. Even in my befuddled state I was ready to snap at him.
"My name is not sweetheart," I tried to reprimand him, but it sounded more like mnamishnswt than what I meant to say.
My mouth was dry, my tongue felt thick, and coherent words seemed impossible. Despite my response sounding strange to me, Keller must have understood because he chuckled softly.
"Hush, babe, and don't try to talk. We're going to take care of everything."
Surprisingly, his voice did calm me. That in itself should have clued me in that something was definitely wrong with me.
I was never calm around Keller.
Of course, not being able to form words or keep my eyes open were obviously other great signs that something had happened to me.
I could hear the deep timber of Keller's voice as he spoke rapidly to someone else. I couldn't open my eyes now which frightened me, but I recognized the other voice when he responded and knew it was Granger.
What were they both doing here, and why hadn't I seen them earlier? Then there was a part of me that simply didn't care. I felt so relaxed and tranquil. If it weren't for my head pounding, I would feel completely calm knowing both Granger and Keller were near.
I sighed and snuggled closer to Keller thinking I wouldn't have minded dancing with him if it always felt this good to be close to him. A giggle erupted from me as I
privately acknowledge that I already knew what it felt like to be this close to Keller.
He was so warm, and he smelled wonderful, like fresh air and the mountains. My brain was so messed up right now, and some part of me knew it, but the other part of me remembered the magic. I breathed in again, and his scent this time reminded me of vanilla and citrus. I snuggled against him and sighed.
"I think someone's drugged her," Keller's voice whispered to Granger. He sounded angry and I knew I should be, too, but right now I just felt weightless and content. If only I could stop the pounding in my head, I could go to sleep. With sheer determination, I managed to force my eyes open.
I looked at Keller and smiled. Or at least I think I smiled. It was hard to tell when I couldn't really feel the muscles in my face moving.
"You're beautiful, Keller. All three of your faces."
My words slurred as I awkwardly patted his cheek with my free hand and only barely missed hitting his nose.
"Obviously, she's been drugged," Granger shot back at Keller, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Don't be mad, Granger." My hand swung wildly in his direction. "I think you're beautiful, too."
Granger rolled his eyes, and he and Keller exchanged a look that held more meaning than words ever could. I wanted to explain, to defend myself, but my mouth was so dry and wasn't working well.
I finally managed to say, "I know what you two are thinking, but I didn't drink and I don't use drugs."
I wanted to look at them both to make sure they understood me, but the multiple faces made it hard for me to know where to focus. They were all so handsome that it really didn't matter. I sighed out loud, as Keller's arms tightened their hold.
"You believe me, don't you Keller? Cause you're the only drug I need!" I giggled and tightened my hold around his neck.
None of Keller’s three faces looked especially pleased by my confession.
Granger snorted. "Oh yeah, she's definitely been given something. I only hope she can remember this tomorrow, so she can regret everything she's saying to you."
"Look, I'd love to stand here and argue all the reasons why angel face here won't regret it," Keller shot back, "but we've got to get her out of this place before people start asking a lot of questions. If they think she's been drinking, she'll be in trouble, and you know she doesn't want that kind of attention. Even if she could handle it, Ms. Ellie couldn't."
Keller slid my body down until my feet touched the ground. My legs tingled and felt like they could barely hold me up. I was facing Keller now, and he kept his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, his mouth pressed closed to my ear.
His breath was warm against my skin. "Babe, we're going to get you out of here and get you home. Granger's going now to tell Faith we're taking you back early because you don't feel well. He'll convince her not to check on you, that we've got it. She'll be good with that because she won't want to leave her boyfriend. There's no reason to get a lot of people involved in this." His voice was patient like he was talking to a small child. "Do you understand?"
I nodded yes because it was easier than trying to form words. I liked the way my face felt as it rubbed against his chest, so I did it again.
Keller made a funny, strangled noise deep in his chest as his arms gripped me tighter.
"Babe, as nice as that feels, right now you've got to focus, okay? If we're going to get you out of here without everyone from school posting pictures with nasty captions about you all over the place, you've got to do something for me."
I was sliding down, but his strong arms pulled me back up, and I was again settled against the length of his body.
"Come on, honey. Focus. You've got to stand up, and we've got to walk out of here. Once you get to my truck, you can sprawl out in the backseat and pass out if you want, but we've got to head out of here right now and look as normal as possible. Okay, Pagan?"
My arms instinctively tightened around his neck to stop my downward descent. Whether he meant to or not, I felt his body move closer to mine, and his lips grazed the top of my head. I couldn't tell if he'd just kissed me, but whatever it was, it sent tingles through me.
"Are you mad at me?" I muttered.
What?"
He looked down at me, and I was glad to see he only had one face now. It was all fuzzy, but it was still one beautiful face.
"You called me Pagan. You never call me by my name unless you're mad at me. I meant what I said earlier. I promise I didn't drink anything."
"I'm not mad at you, but you have been drinking something. Only from what Granger and I can tell it was something in your cola. That guy who was hanging around your table probably slipped it into your drink. There are all kinds of nasty, little drugs that you wouldn't even be able to tell were there if someone put something into your glass. All he would've had to do, sweetheart, was figure out which drink was yours and then distract you for a second. It wouldn't have taken long, and I assure you it wasn't your fault."
His words were coming quicker now, and I could tell he was anxious to leave, even though we were obviously waiting on something.
His voice was low, his emotions barely controlled as he continued.
"Granger and I noticed him bothering you, but we were across the dance floor from where you were. We were trying to get to you when we saw you jump up and take off."
I could feel my focus going in and out, and Keller shook me a little to get my attention.
"Granger's gone to find Faith, but he's also looking for your little friend. He's going to make sure all of the drinks at your table are disposed of so none of the other girls will get hurt. I'm sure the guy is long gone. Once he saw us with you, he had to know someone would be looking for him, but just in case we'll make sure we've left a description of him with the club. We may not have evidence to blame him for your current state, but he was definitely harassing you from what little we saw. That's more than enough reason to leave his description."
His voice took on a hard edge when he spoke again. "I don't know what he had planned for you by putting something in your drink, but it wouldn't have been good. He's lucky he's not here now."
His chin rubbed against the top of my head as he finished talking, and he tightened his hold around me. There was an angry energy radiating from him. A part of me wondered if it meant anything that he could be this upset for me. I wasn't sure. But I was certain that I was glad he was here, with me, taking care of me. He made me feel safe.
It took so much effort, but I lifted my right hand and ran my fingers down the side of Keller's face. His body quivered slightly at my touch.
Somehow my words were steady as I breathed out, "I don't know why, and I probably shouldn't because I know so little about you, but I...I trust you."
My eyes looked into his and more than anything, I wanted him to kiss me. The desire to have his lips pressed against mine was so overwhelming that I actually leaned closer to him. I knew what it felt like when we kissed. By the look on his face, I knew he remembered it too.
So if he wasn't going to make the first move, then I would.
Reading my intent, his voice was unsteady as he groaned, "Sweetheart, you've been drugged, and you don't know what you're doing."
He looked at me, his eyes filled with regret, but there was something else there, too. Something I wanted to explore.
Even with my brain feeling all confused, I knew I wasn't confused about this. He wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted him to.
"Guys, we're ready to go," Granger's voice broke the building tension between us.
Keller's head jerked up. The look on his face was a mixture of relief and regret. "Did you find the guy?"
"I described him to some of the people, but he's definitely not here now. No one I talked to has ever seen him around here."
Granger's gaze turned towards me.
"I also talked to Faith. She said I have to make sure we call her if Pagan needs any help, but I assured her it was simply a bad headache and that we'd get you ho
me safely, Pagan. She told me to tell you 'she told you so,' which I don't know what that means, but she assured me you would."
Faith's remarks that both Granger and Keller were interested in me ran through my mind. I didn't know what to think anymore, but I knew I was glad they were both here, for now, for whatever reason.
Granger's arm slipped around one side of my waist and Keller's arm held onto the other side. Somehow I managed to walk out of the club looking relatively normal even though I felt anything but myself.
The fresh air outside seemed to help more than anything, and I was able to actually walk more or less on my own instead of having to be carried. It also helped having them both still supporting me.
When we stopped, I recognized the vehicle in front of us as Keller's. Somehow I managed to climb in the back seat. I briefly wondered if my short dress was giving off a view I'd regret later.
I stretched out across the long bench seat and closed my eyes. There was the sound of a door opening and closing, and then a jacket was placed under my head like a pillow and another one was draped over me like a blanket. I was pretty sure it wouldn't be much longer until I fell asleep. The rocking motion of the truck once it started moving would probably put me under. My head was still pounding, but it wasn't nearly as bad now that I was away from the club and the music. Knowing I was safe eased much of the tension I had been carrying with me.
I could hear Granger and Keller talking as the truck began to move.
"Is she out of it yet?"
Everything still sounded strange to me like noises under water, but I knew it was Keller's voice that asked the question even though my eyes were closed. Keller was driving, so it made sense he'd need Granger to check on me.
I started to answer and tell him I was still awake, but it felt like too much effort now to make myself talk. I was safe in the back seat of the truck and away from that creep at the club. That was all that mattered.
I must have looked asleep, though, because I heard Granger respond, "She's out."
Crossings: A Sovereign Guardians Novel Page 12
