by Maegan Abel
"Fuck," he cursed as he stumbled back a few steps.
I rolled to my stomach, my hands trembling as I tried to push myself up. I heard the crunching glass as he came closer again. My fingers closed around a large piece of the shattered mirror. I turned my head, unprepared for his foot to make contact with my nose just as the shard of glass came down, slicing open my hand as it buried itself deep into his calf.
I couldn't have been out long because blood was still trickling from my nose and hand. I blinked through slitted eyes, unable see Jordan anywhere. The sound of a low groan followed by cursing filled the room. With the sound of the water starting in the oversized tub, I pinpointed the noise as coming from the bathroom.
I looked that direction, seeing the trail of blood leading across the entryway to the bathroom. My stomach turned. I pushed myself to my hands and knees, shakily getting to my feet. I needed to get out of here while I could. He wouldn't be able to chase me if he was losing that much blood.
Behind the door, Jordan's hoodie I'd borrowed to run to the vending machines the night before hung from a hook. I grabbed it and turned the lock as quietly as I could. I only heard the sound of the water running as I poked my head out the door, looking both directions down the hall. I saw the housekeeping carts at the far end of the hall, near the stairs, but no one was in sight.
I slipped out and closed the door silently behind me, pulling the hoodie over my head as I walked quickly down the hallway. I tugged the sleeve down over my left hand, using it to pinch the bridge of my nose in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. Tears slipped silently onto my cheeks as I got closer to the housekeeping cart. I gripped the fabric tight against the gash in my right palm, ignoring the pain of my fingers as I tried to stop the flow of blood. I yanked the hood of the sweatshirt over my messy hair, keeping my head down as the housekeeper came out of the room at the end. I passed her, heading for the elevator.
As I traveled down to the first floor, I kept my face hidden in the hood of the sweater to keep it off camera. I was barefoot and there was blood welling from a few cuts on my feet. It would be enough to draw attention if I didn't get myself cleaned up. I passed the bathrooms at the bottom of the elevator, not wanting to stay too close. Jordan would discover my absence soon if he hadn't bled out in the bathroom. I couldn't find it in me to worry about him. I moved quickly through the casino, stopping at the large bathroom just inside the door from The Strip.
When I had cleaned as much of the blood off myself as possible in the handicap stall on the end, I broke through the doors from the casino floor and into the crowd on The Strip. I kept my head down, knowing Jordan would be looking for me any second now, if he wasn't already. I could feel the eyes on me but for the most part, I was ignored by the crowd. Vegas was used to just about everything, one of the many plus sides to living here.
Getting lost in a crowd was another.
It's why I had chosen Vegas in the first place.
It was almost unbearably hot outside. I could feel the heat radiating back from my wounds under the hoodie. The concrete burned my feet at first but the pain of that was lost, blending with the other injuries to create a cacophony of anguish with every movement.
I thought about where I could go and wondered what time it actually was. Finding a clock outside of a hotel room on The Strip would be a miracle so I finally broke down and asked a woman for the time. She watched cautiously, keeping her distance but she told me it was just after two. I could go to the studio. I knew Tish would help me but the moment I thought it, I second-guessed myself. I almost tripped over my feet as I remembered the fight at Lust.
Zane.
He saw me with Jordan — with Adam — and I left with him. He’d seen pictures of me. How the fuck did Jordan get pictures of me? What had I been doing? I couldn't form a coherent thought but I kept moving. I needed to get off The Strip, but where could I go? I had no one now. I was sure Zane would have told Tish and Kas by now and there was no coming back from the kind of betrayal I had unknowingly dealt to him. I'd ruined everything.
The only choice now was to get out of Vegas. But, how? I had no money, no ID, no phone, no anything. I'd left my purse at Lust and I needed at least the stash of money I had at the house. Being this late in the afternoon, Zane would probably be home.
"Fuck!" I yelled the word. Several people around me glanced over. "Sorry," I mumbled and kept moving. I'd have to hide out until tonight. I could sneak in late and get out before anyone caught me.
Walking barefoot ten miles was not something I looked forward to. Luckily, I made friends with a trucker in a small restaurant just off The Strip who offered to take me as far as the opening of the neighborhood. I'd cleaned up again in the restaurant's bathroom, but I knew I still looked like hell. Both of my eyes were bruising, I had a huge gash on my forehead, and blood still matted in my hair.
I thanked the man and walked through the silent streets to the house. The sounds from The Strip, no doubt still alive and kicking at this hour, were too far away to hear. There was nothing but the sound of my bare feet on the pavement and the clean smell of desert air surrounding me.
The lights were off as I approached the house. It was almost three a.m. so I was certain everyone was in bed. Zane would be up at four so I had to be quick. I tiptoed to the door, biting my lip against the pain as I jumped to reach the spare key on top of the porch light. I took a deep breath, praying that Kas wasn't staying the night. Zane and Tish were heavy sleepers but Kas would wake up if a kitten meowed three houses away.
I slipped the key in the lock and carefully made my way into the house. Shutting the front door, I took the time to ensure it didn't click too loudly as I slid the bolt in place. I wanted to leave it unlocked for my escape but fear still tingled in my veins. I had no doubt Jordan knew where Zane lived.
I moved straight to my room. I couldn't be silent and quick so I tried to be as quiet as possible as I pulled a duffel bag from the closet, throwing clothes on the bed to pack. I headed down the hall to the bathroom, leaving the light off and working by the sliver of moonlight coming through the high window.
"What the fuck, Lili?" Kas' voice hissed into the darkness. I jumped and spun, nearly dropping the bottles of shampoo and conditioner in my hands. She hadn't yelled or even turned on the light but she stepped closer. I swallowed down the panic.
"Kas, shit. Look, I'm just grabbing my stuff and I'll be gone. Just go back to bed. I'm sorry."
I wanted to cry and I hated myself even more for it. I had no right to feel this way. I had done this. I had fucked everything up and now I had to get out.
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick." Kas reached for the light switch before I could stop her. She stared in horror for only a split second.
"Kas, don't—"
"Tish! Zane!"
I let the bottles in my arms clatter to the floor as I dropped onto the lid of the toilet, covering my face. There was no stopping the tears now. I tried to slow my pounding heart but it was useless as two sets of footsteps raced down the hall.
"Jesus, Lili!" I heard Tish's voice first. A sob escaped, though I tried to hold it in.
"It's bad, Zane. Really bad," Kas said as she tugged at my hands. I let her pull them away but I didn't open my eyes. I felt Kas' soft fingers tilt my chin up before I peeked. Tish and Zane were both standing over me with completely conflicting expressions. Tish looked horrified and Zane looked murderous, even more so than he had at Lust.
Zane spun, his fist slamming into the wall, leaving a ragged hole in the drywall beside the shower. I cringed and tugged my chin free of Kas' grip. Wrapping my arms around my head, I tried to curl in on myself as I sobbed, my face in my lap as my side screamed in protest.
It was too much. It was all too much. Jordan, or Adam, had wanted to return me to someone for ransom. There were plenty of people who might be looking for me but I had no reason to think they would look here. Until now. The boxes, the ones that were so neatly stacked and covered with dust, had
tumbled down at Jordan's words and were now rattling around in my mind as I tried desperately to make sure they stayed sealed.
"Zane, out." Tish's voice was firm. I could hear scuffling toward the hallway. "She doesn't need that right now."
"Actually, why don't you two go make some coffee and let me help her get cleaned up? Then, we'll all sit down and talk," Kas said.
I peeked up through my arms, seeing her block Tish and Zane from reentering the bathroom as she shut the door. She moved slowly, as if I was a wounded animal. To be honest, I felt a little crazy at the moment. She carefully reached out and tilted my chin up again, pushing my hair off my face to look at the cut on my forehead. "Oh, baby girl. What are we going to do with you?"
"I'm… cold…" I'm not sure where the words come from. I don't remember deciding to say them.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Unwelcome
ZANE
Tish started down the hall toward the kitchen but I stood in the hallway, staring at the closed door, trying to make out anything Kas and Lili might be saying. I could hear Kas murmuring followed by the sound of the shower starting. A different voice coming from behind me, startled me.
"Zane? What's going on?"
I watched as Tish spun on his heels to look behind me. I didn't have to look. My brain burned through the last of the alcohol fog the moment she spoke and last night crashed back into my memory.
"What the fuck is she doing in my house?" Tish's voice was loud in the hallway and I held a hand up toward him.
"Shhh. Fuck!" I grabbed two fistfuls of my hair to keep from punching another wall. This could not be happening right now.
"Zane invited me." Lizzie walked up to me, wearing only my t-shirt, and wrapped both of her arms around my waist while she smiled arrogantly at Tish. "And it's his house too, asshole."
"No! Fuck you and fuck that! This is my house and I want you to get the fuck out of here. Both of you!"
Tish's entire frame trembled. I knew he was close to his breaking point. He'd been just as worried about Lili as I had for the last three days. Seeing Lizzie here after everything that had happened was enough to push him over the edge. I pulled free of Lizzie's grip, tugging her back toward my bedroom.
She'd used her normal bullshit tricks to weasel back into my bed and I'd fucking fallen for it. I was too wrapped up in worrying about Lili — and far too drunk — to fend off a full-blown attack from Lizzie. I'd fucked up.
"Get your shit and get out, Lizzie. Now."
I picked up a t-shirt from the floor and pulled it over my head. Grabbing my glasses from the nightstand, I turned to head back to Tish. I paused, seeing he had followed me and was standing in the doorway, his large frame blocking the exit.
"Seriously, Zane? Lili's been missing for three fucking days. What the fuck were you thinking? How the fuck do you think she's going to feel after what she's been through? She looks like shit! Adam obviously beat the fuck out of her and did God knows what else to her and now she comes home, to the one place she should feel safe, and this fucking gutter slut is in your bed?" Tish ranted, his voice echoing through the quiet house. I had no response.
I heard my bed creak as Lizzie dropped herself onto it but I couldn't focus on her. My thoughts were scattered as I worried about Lili in the bathroom. I heard the door open down the hall and the sound of the shower. Moments later, Kas' face appeared behind Tish.
"Will you guys shut the fuck up?" She glared past me at Lizzie but didn't say anything to her. "Look, I'm trying to talk her into letting me take her to the hospital, but she's refusing. She needs to be checked out. I'm pretty sure she's got some broken ribs and there is a really nasty lump on her head. But, if she comes out and sees her…" she broke off, motioning with her chin toward my bed without looking away from me. "She's going to leave. I promise you that. I could hear you guys in the bathroom but we can hope she didn't over the shower." Kas shook her head. "When are you going to pull your head out of your ass, Zane?"
She didn't wait for an answer before heading back down the hall. I ran both hands through my hair again, pacing the short distance between the closet and the door twice before hearing the water shut off in the bathroom.
"I'm going to start some coffee. Our family needs to have a talk about what happened. This," Tish said, waving a hand carelessly in Lizzie's direction. "Needs to be taken care of." He headed toward the kitchen.
"You're not really kicking me out, are you?" Lizzie's voice wasn't pouting like I expected. She sounded anxious. I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.
"You took advantage of the fact that I was distraught and drunk. You knew I was vulnerable and you used that to get what you wanted. Fuck, I don't know why I should expect anything less from you." I pressed my fingertips into my throbbing temples as I shook my head.
"You weren't too vulnerable to beg me to suck your dick in my car when I offered you a ride home," Lizzie said, crossing her arms. "You didn't seem too drunk when you buried your face in my pussy." I cringed at her words and the memories that came with them as she stood, taking the few steps to stand right in my face. "And you certainly didn't seem too distraught when you were pulling my hair and moaning my name while you took me from behind on your bed." She leaned in when she was close, grazing her teeth along my neck. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to keep my voice low.
"You…" I leaned back, narrowing my eyes at Lizzie, refusing to back down. It was time for the truth. All of it. "Are the one thing I regret every fucking day. I should've never fallen for your shit to begin with. You're like the worst kind of drug and every time I relapse, I hate myself more."
Lizzie took a step back. Then another. Her shocked expression proving I hit my mark.
"And, you don't care now because she's back. You'll kick me out in the middle of the fucking night when Adam has apparently lost it. Who do you think he'll come after next? I'll tell you who. Me and Conner." Lizzie dropped back onto the bed as she spoke, looking at her hands. The force of her words nearly knocked the wind out of me. Was she right? I couldn't be sure Adam wouldn't go after either of them. I'd never known him to be this unstable, but he had attacked Lili. Was it wrong of me to force Lizzie out onto the street the same night?
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Fine. You can stay until morning but you have to stay the fuck in this room, Lizzie. I mean it. I don't care if you have to climb out the window and piss under a tree, you are not to open this door or come out. Do you understand?"
She nodded, relief flooding her expression. I turned for the door.
"Call your parents and tell them not to let Adam around Conner and to call the police if he shows up," I said as I headed out.
"Thank you," Lizzie whispered just before I shut the door behind me. I didn't respond, moving straight down the hall toward the kitchen.
I wanted to leave and go get Conner myself but it was the middle of the night. I couldn't do it without scaring him and I didn't want to do that. As long as Lizzie's parents were aware Adam had lost it, they would keep him away. I had to believe Conner was safe for the moment so I could focus on Lili.
I could hear Kas' murmurs through the bathroom door as I passed but I headed straight for the kitchen. Before Tish could tear into me any further, a small cry came from the bathroom. I turned, but Tish grabbed my arm, shoving me into one of the kitchen chairs.
"Sit. The fuck. Down," he said through his teeth. He glared at me. "Kas will yell if she needs help. Let her handle this. Did you take your garbage to the curb?"
"She's staying until daylight." I held up a hand as Tish stood. "Adam has obviously lost it. Sending her out now could put her in danger, too. She's calling her parents to warn them. She won't come out of my room and Lili will never know she was here." I dropped my voice as the sound of the bathroom door opening caught my attention.
The second Kas and Lili rounded the corner, I dropped my eyes to my feet. The sight of her bruised face and bandaged hand made the rage I felt when I'd first seen her tonight retu
rn in full force. My knees bounced anxiously as my hands clenched and unclenched. The pain in my knuckles from my attack on the wall was barely noticeable. I could hear the girls footsteps across the tile and then a pair of feet were directly in front of me. I knew immediately it was Lili. I leaned forward on my elbows, taking several deep breaths as I tried to calm myself enough to look up at her again.
I could see from her legs that she seemed to be trembling. I did my best not to focus on the small cuts and bruises still visible after her shower. She pulled in a breath and it seemed to catch in her chest, shaking her tiny frame. Just as I started to look up at her, she lowered herself to her knees in front of me. Staring at her in shock, I focused on her dark blue eyes rather than the bruises surrounding them. She had her arms crossed around her middle, still looking shaken but, just like the Lili I knew, she was determined to get me to look at her.
"I didn't know. You have to believe that I didn't know, Zane," she said, her voice raw. The sound of it stabbed straight through my heart.
My eyes traveled to her neck, finding the light bruising there and I couldn't stop myself. I leaned forward and carefully gathered her up, pulling her small body into my lap and wrapping my arms around her.
"I know, Pix. Of course I know," I murmured into her hair.
She curled against me, sobbing quietly, something that completely caught me off guard. I ran my hand along her arm and carefully over her back, looking to Tish and Kas for help. I'd never seen Lili cry. She seemed so much smaller than normal, curled in on herself rather than standing straight and proud. She seemed broken and the only thing keeping my fury in check was her weight in my arms.
"Will you let us take you to the hospital? We'll stay with you every second if you want," Kas asked from the chair beside me. Her expression was pained as she gripped her coffee mug. Lili shook her head, not lifting it from my neck.
