“Hurry up, will you.”
Missy refused to be rushed. Presents were far and few in her world and she wanted to enjoy this one. A white box revealed itself. She pried the cover off and found a slender bracelet made of delicate gold links nestled onto the thick cotton padding. There was a single charm on it. “Friends Forever,” it read. Missy blinked hard to keep back the tears. “It’s beautiful.”
“Here, let me help you put it on.” Candy plucked the bracelet from the box and waited expectantly. Missy stuck out her wrist and Candy fastened the bracelet around it. The gold gleamed against her dark skin, like a moon against the night sky.
“It’s beautiful, Candy.” Missy held up her arm, admiring her new jewelry.
“Don’t start crying,” Candy warned. “Or I’ll start again.”
“We can’t have that.” Love and happiness welled up inside Missy. She wasn’t losing her friend. Not really. They were just redefining their relationship.
“Now what’s going on with you and T.S.?”
Candy’s quick subject change caught Missy off guard. “What? There’s nothing going on with us.”
“Could have fooled me by the way you were dancing together.” Candy swayed back and forth. “So close. I saw the way he was looking at you. And I saw the way you were looking back at him.”
Missy sniffed and stood to her full height. “You’re mistaken. And why were you watching me? You’re supposed to be watching that man of yours.”
“I can multitask.” Candy had her arms crossed over her chest and was watching Missy intently. “And there was enough heat coming off the two of you to start a fire.”
Missy shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not dating right now. No time.”
“As a very wise woman once told me, girl, you need to get laid.”
Missy hated having her own words thrown back at her, especially when she thought Candy might be right. Maybe she did need to get laid. It had been months. Okay, it had been a year, since she’d last slept with a man. But that didn’t mean she had to run out and have sex with someone like T.S., who was obviously all wrong for her.
She ignored the way her body responded to the suggestion. Already her skin was heating, her breasts tingling at the idea. Traitors.
“If I decide to get laid it won’t be with him.”
“Why not? T.S. is a great guy. I thought you liked him.” Now Candy looked concerned and Missy felt like crap.
“I like him fine. Doesn’t mean I want to sleep with him.” Liar, her conscience accused. Not really, she countered. What she wanted to do with him had nothing to do with sleep. And it was getting awfully warm in here.
“Enough about my love life. It’s time to get back to your party.” Missy gave Candy a hug before steering her toward the door. “Thanks again for the bracelet. It’s beautiful.”
“You’re welcome.” Candy hesitated for a brief moment before plunging onward. “You’ll think about what I said?”
“About getting laid? Sure. I’ll think about it.” Missy was afraid she’d do nothing but think about it. That’s exactly what she’d been doing for months now. T.S. MacNamara had gotten under her skin, like a rash, and didn’t show signs of leaving any time soon. Too bad she couldn’t buy a cream or something to evict him from her dreams and sexual fantasies once and for all.
“I’ll probably have chocolate instead.” It was a long-standing joke between the two women that sometimes chocolate was as good or better than a man.
“You’ll be needing Godiva tonight,” Candy teased. “T.S. is one fine-looking specimen.”
Didn’t she know it. Missy tried to remember if she had a supply of dark chocolate at home. It might not be Godiva, but she’d make do. A glass of cabernet would help.
Lucas was waiting at the end of hallway for Candy. “I wondered where you’d gone.”
“Sorry.” She leaned up to kiss his cheek. He moved his head at the last minute and captured her mouth instead in a torrid kiss.
Missy felt like a voyeur and quickly glanced around the room. She wasn’t looking for one person in particular, she assured herself. But her stomach dropped when she couldn’t find T.S. anywhere. He must have left while she’d been with Candy.
She felt deflated and hated her reaction. She’d been enjoying the sexual banter and byplay more than she’d wanted to admit. For the first time in months she’d felt alive with anticipation.
Screw it. She didn’t need T.S. or any man for that matter. She was a happy, healthy, successful, independent woman.
Pasting a smile on her face, she turned to the happy couple. “I should get going.” Amid protests and hugs, she gathered her coat and purse and left. The party was still in full swing, but Missy figured it wouldn’t be too much longer before Lucas moved the other guests along.
She laughed as he pictured Candy’s new husband all but tossing his friends out so he could be alone with her. Her high heels tapped against the hardwood stairs that led down to a private side entrance. She stopped at the bottom and tugged her coat on. Fall had a grip on the city, leaving the air with a slight nip, and the dress she was wearing was thin.
But she looked mighty fine in it.
Still smiling, she pushed open the door and stepped out into the night. It closed behind her, the lock clicking into place. The sounds of the city surrounded her. Car horns blew, streetlights hummed and buses rumbled down the road.
Missy strode to the end of the well-lit alleyway and headed down the sidewalk. She was parked on the road a few blocks down. She avoided the parking garage, knowing it would be late when she left the party. It was safer on the road where there were more people and traffic around.
Except tonight it was quiet. Almost eerily so.
“Don’t be silly. You’ve lived in Chicago for years. This is a busy street and your car is only a few minutes away. You’ll be fine.” The pep talk helped. But she pulled herself up to her full height and yanked her keys from her coat pocket, holding them tight in her right hand with one of the keys poking out from between her fingers. A precaution only. No need to be stupid.
She started to relax when her reliable Honda Civic finally came into sight. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.
“Hey, pretty lady. What’s your hurry?” The male voice came from the alleyway on her left.
“Look at those legs,” another one said.
A quick glance told her there were two of them. They were both a little shorter than her but not by much. Probably in their early twenties. She turned away and picked up her pace. If she could get to her car she’d be okay.
“Hey, don’t hurry off. We want to party with you.” A heavy hand came down on her shoulder. She spun around and automatically struck out with her right hand. The man jerked back just in time to keep the key clenched in her fist from raking down his face.
“You bitch. You tried to cut me.” Anger filled his dark eyes. Oh shit. She was in big trouble now.
His friend circled around to her other side, cutting off the path to her car. She frantically searched for somewhere to run. But all the businesses were closed for the day. A car went down the road, but when Missy waved at the driver he sped away.
“Ain’t no one going to help you, bitch.” The bigger of the two spat. His skin was dark, his teeth white. Two gold hoops hung from his ear.
His silent friend was lighter-skinned with close-cropped brown hair and blue eyes. He appeared almost friendly, until you looked closely at his eyes. They were dead.
Missy’s heart was pounding so hard her chest hurt. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she watched both men as best she could. Her senses were heightened. She could feel the cool air on her face, the sweat rolling down her spine. The keys in her hands cut into her skin she held them so tight. It was her only weapon.
Go for the eyes. That’s what her self-defense instructor had told her. Scream for help was one of the other things he’d taught them.
Easier to say and hard to do when she could barely get a breath.
“Leave me alone.” She’d try to reason with them first.
“Why?” This from the quieter of the two. The one with the dead eyes. “You’re alone. We’re alone. We should have some fun.”
It was as simple as that to him, she realized. Like a rabid dog, he’d seen what he wanted and could find no reason why he shouldn’t have it.
Perspiration dotted her skin in spite of the cool evening air. She licked her dry lips and took a deep breath. As the larger man leapt toward her, one hand catching her hand with the key and his other one ripping at her dress, groping her breast, Missy opened her mouth and screamed.
Chapter Three
T.S. felt like an idiot. He rubbed his hands together against the cold air that was seeping in through the window of his truck. He’d rolled it down to keep the windows from steaming up. He could run the engine for a while, but he didn’t want to waste the gas. Plus it wasn’t good for the environment to keep the vehicle idling indefinitely. He also didn’t want to attract attention. Or worse, have her see him and think he was stalking her. Which he wasn’t.
Missy had come alone and he was worried about her getting to her car okay. “If you were that worried, you should have waited.” He could have enjoyed a few more snacks from the buffet—there had been some killer shrimp and some excellent cheese puff thingies—maybe even had a cup of coffee. But no. He’d left the party before the worry had kicked in so now he was stuck in his rapidly chilling truck.
He tilted his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. He should just go home and call it a night. But he knew he wouldn’t rest unless he knew Missy was okay. This wasn’t the worst part of town but it wasn’t the best either, not at this time of day with all the businesses closed up tight for the night.
He’d followed her here from the church so he knew her car was just up the road. He’d wait until she drove away and then he’d go home. No one needed to be the wiser.
It was no more than any decent man would do. And if he told himself that enough times he might actually start to believe it.
As he relaxed, he pictured Missy in his mind again. Mmmm, she was certainly as beautiful as an angel and as tempting as a sin. Her legs went on forever. It was easy to imagine those legs wrapped around his waist as he pumped into her. Her breasts weren’t overly large but they looked perfect, at least through her clothing. A handful, but no more.
Her curves were more subtle, her torso lean and slender. He wanted to run his hands over her soft skin, trace her curves with his tongue before finding his way to her nipples.
Oh yeah. He wasn’t cold any longer. Now he was hot. So hot it was a wonder his clothing wasn’t smoldering. His cock stirred and he shifted in his seat to get more comfortable.
Then there was her mouth. Missy had beautiful lips, full and inviting. He really wanted to taste them, before delving inward to explore her moist mouth. He groaned. He should stop. And he would. Any second now.
It was all too easy to imagine her head thrown back against his pillows, her dark brown eyes overflowing with passion, her lips parted on a throaty scream of passion.
The scream that ripped through the night brought him straight up in his seat, driving all sexual fantasies aside. He was out of his truck before he’d even realized he’d moved.
He heard the scuffle just down the way, on the other side of the road. He squinted against the darkness. Two men and one woman. Shit, he was going to have to get involved.
He started across the road at a lope. He already had his cell phone out, dialing 9-1-1. “Hey, let her go.” The men ignored him and pulled the woman deeper into the shadows. The guy’s hands were all over her even as she struggled.
He heard a voice answer his call and put the receiver to his ear just in time to hear, “And what is your emergency?”
“Two guys attacking a woman.” He quickly gave the address and hung up, stuffing his phone in his coat pocket. The woman screamed again and cursed her attackers. He recognized that voice.
Fury jolted through him like a runaway locomotive. Missy. They had his Missy.
T.S. didn’t think about the fact one or both men probably had weapons. He simply attacked, grabbing the first man by his arm. He was a big son of a bitch with gold loops in his ear and a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude. But T.S. was no slouch. He’d grown up in the projects and if there was one thing he knew how to do it was fight dirty.
He didn’t waste time trying to reason with them. He’d sized them both up in an instant and these were the kind of guys who talked with their fists. He slammed his closed hand in the guy’s face. It didn’t seem to faze his opponent. He shook off the punch and whirled with a roar of anger. At least he’d released Missy. He didn’t look at her, couldn’t afford to be distracted.
The guy came at T.S. and he didn’t waste time. He wished like hell he was wearing his steel-toed work boots, but his heavy-soled dress shoes would have to do. He brought his foot up and drove it right into the guy’s balls. His opponent’s eyes glazed over and his hands immediately dropped to his groin. Then he dropped like a stone.
There was no time for him to pause to enjoy the picture of the big guy rolling in agony on the sidewalk. T.S. spun back around to Missy and her other attacker. The guy was wrestling with her, but she was holding her own, scratching at his face, jabbing at him with her keys. Her attacker brought his hand back, curling his fingers into a fist.
T.S. roared and leapt forward, grabbing the guy’s hand and using his grip to pull him away from Missy. “Run,” he yelled at her.
This new opponent was wiry but tough. He smirked at T.S. then pulled out a knife. It was long and sharp with a black handle and a silver pommel shaped like a skull. And from the way he held it, he was obviously a pro at using it.
He took a swipe and T.S. jumped back, barely keeping the blade from slicing through his coat. He kicked out and hit the guy’s knee. The leg buckled, but his opponent danced aside before T.S. could follow through with a punch.
Missy edged along the building, moving steadily around the guy. Why the hell wasn’t she running back to Lucas’ place like he’d told her?
The knife swung toward T.S. again and he jumped back. The blade ripped through his sleeve. The guy obviously kept his blade sharp, damn him. T.S. was going to have to pay for the damage to the damn tuxedo rental.
The guy on the ground was stirring, rolling to his knees. T.S. spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick to his head and the guy hit the pavement again.
That moment of inattention cost T.S. as knife guy jabbed at him. He felt the blade sink into his upper arm and swore as he jerked back out of range. He dimly heard Missy yelling and sirens getting closer. All his attention was on the man currently trying to slice and dice him.
Footsteps echoed on the pavement behind him. T.S. didn’t dare turn to see who it was. He hoped like hell it was the cops. His arm was beginning to hurt like a motherfucker, but he ignored the pain and the blood seeping from the wound.
Knife guy’s eyes widened and he whirled around and took off running. T.S. wanted to chase the guy and grind him into the sidewalk, but he couldn’t leave Missy. The footsteps were closer now and he could hear someone yelling. He turned to face this newest threat.
“Thank you.” Missy threw herself into his arms. His injured arm protested but he ignored it. She was safe and she felt so damn good snuggled close to him. Nothing else mattered. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight to his chest, breathing a sigh of relief.
“You’re okay?” He pushed her away and studied her face in the dim light coming from the street lamp.
She nodded and tugged her coat closed, but not before he caught a glimpse of her ripped dress and what appeared to be nail marks on her skin.
A low growl of anger was ripped from him. Missy’s eyes widened but she didn’t move away from him.
“You okay, man?” Lucas was beside him, tugging at his coat. “Let me look at your arm. You’re cut.”
“I’m fine,” he protested,
not wanting Missy to move away from him.
“Ohmygod, you’re hurt.” Her gaze went to his hand and he realized there was no hiding the blood dripping from his fingertips.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. Although the pain was sharp as Lucas helped him remove his coat, he was alert. He’d had worse. But not in a lot of years.
A black and white pulled up next to them, lights flashing, but siren now off. Two officers climbed out of their vehicle, guns drawn. “What’s going on here?”
Missy stepped forward into the light and both men slowly lowered their weapons. “I was attacked.” She pointed her finger at the guy sitting on the sidewalk with Cain Benjamin, who had come with Lucas from the wedding reception, standing next to him like a sentinel. “By him and another guy. One got away.” She pointed down the road. “Skinny white guy, about five foot ten, black jacket, white T-shirt, brown hair, dead blue eyes. He has a knife.”
One officer reached back into the car and grabbed the radio. While he was calling in to dispatch, the other officer came over. “What happened to him?” he pointed at T.S.
“He saved me.” Missy’s voice quavered and T.S. pushed Lucas aside and drew her into his arms, ignoring the blood seeping from his injury.
“It’s okay. Everything is okay.”
“And who are all of you?” the officer asked.
It was Lucas who responded. “Friends. They were both at my wedding reception just down the road. Missy called on her cell phone, her voice frantic. When she said she was being attacked, we all ran down.”
T.S. noted there were six other friends from the reception besides Lucas and Cain. Justin was there but, now that the cops were there, he melted into the shadows and disappeared. No one else noticed in all the confusion. T.S. couldn’t blame him. He wouldn’t mind doing the same thing and taking Missy with him.
Missy was shaking and he knew it was a combination of cold and shock. “I need a blanket.”
One officer put cuffs on the guy T.S. had brought down while the other one got a blanket and tried to put it around Missy. T.S. took it from him and put it around her shoulders himself.
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