by Helen Scott
“That’s very generous of you.” The vodka arrived in a cute little glass that was clearly meant to please the scotch and whiskey drinkers in the crowd. She downed it in a matter of seconds, earning a surprised look from Thor. She winced at the sting of the alcohol on her tongue. The bartender hadn’t given her the good stuff, or at least, what she understood to be good stuff, but then, she hadn’t asked for it. “I don’t even know your name.”
“Halcyon, but you can just call me Hal.”
“Okay.” The two glasses of wine and a bottle of beer now sat in front of her.
Hal hunkered down, leaning heavily on the bar so he was hidden between the crowd instead of towering over them. “Robin, you don’t have to stay with him. We can save you and your family.”
“We?”
“Me and my brothers.”
Robin’s heart raced, and she could feel beads of sweat running down her spine. Could she do this? It was a huge risk. “How will you get to my family before he does?”
“We have our resources.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound creepy at all.”
“Come on. Think of me as your own personal security team, or bodyguard.”
She picked up the two glasses of wine and took a deep breath. “I’m scared,” she whispered.
Hal’s hands twitched in her peripheral vision, and she braced for whatever was coming. When he just put them in his pockets, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m not going to force you. We thought this was what you wanted with that message.”
“I know. I do want it.” She sipped her wine. “More than I can put into words. The idea has been so far out of my reach, I never thought it would happen. I never thought you would actually get the message. I never thought you would be here. You’re like a dream that’s suddenly come to life. It’s a little hard to accept at first.” She looked up at him, and the intensity with which he was watching her was almost unnerving.
“I won’t lay a finger on you if you don’t want me to, and neither will my brothers. If it helps, one of them is engaged and the other isn’t interested in women right now. We just want to help, if we can. That’s it. If you want to stay and tell us where your family is, then we can go and make sure they are safe first. Then the next time you are out of the building, we can get you too. We can work this however you would like.”
“I am not allowed to leave the building without Randall.”
Hal sighed and tried to run his hand through his hair, forgetting it was in a ponytail. Now it was all bumpy and mussed, almost making Robin smile if she hadn’t been so tense. He was the polar opposite of Randall, which was almost enough in and of itself to make her run away with him.
“Can I talk to your brothers?” If they were the ones going after her family, then she wanted to be sure she trusted them.
Hal leaned further into the bar and nodded to one end of the bar and then to the other. The two men who appeared behind him had very little family resemblance, and yet she could tell they were all brothers. Maybe it was the way their body language was similar, but something on a gut level told her they had all known each other a long time. The short one had strange blue eyes that seemed to change color depending on where he was looking, and the tall one was super intimidating, with a foreboding air about him. Robin had never seen eyes as dark as his that were still obviously blue. They both looked like they had worked in the military, or at the very least security. They were constantly on alert, which was oddly comforting, but she wished they would hide themselves better in the crowd the way Hal had.
“Robin, this is Alec and Dem.”
They both nodded at her, followed by a pair of “nice to meet yous.”
“Hi.” She sounded tiny and scared to her own ears, and it pissed her off. “I can’t leave without my family being protected. Can you two do that?”
“Yes. We can move them to a secure location until this dies down, or we can set them up with new identities.” This was from the short one. He was the more relaxed out of the two. The tall one was still very much on watch.
“When we get out of this, I’m going to need to know just who the hell you all are.”
“So you want to leave?” Hal said, looking down at her.
“Yes. Let me take this drink to Randall, and meet me by the ladies’ room.”
“I don’t think you should go back over to him.” Hal’s thick caramel-colored brows had drawn together, making his forehead wrinkle. He was still handsome even like that, not that her attraction impacted her decision at all. She simply knew she had to get away from Randall, especially before he got her home tonight.
“If I don’t, then he’ll be looking for me a whole lot sooner. He’s probably starting to look for me already. I shouldn’t have been gone so long.”
“Fine. I’ll meet you by the ladies’ room. If you’re gone longer than ten minutes, I’m coming to look for you.” Hal stared down at her again. His eyes were so sincere that it hurt. Robin knew that he really would come looking for her. Who knew if he would find her, though. Everything depended on her getting away from Randall again and making it to the ladies’ room without her boss following her.
“Thank you.” She squeezed Hal’s arm, or at least, she tried to. He was solid muscle under that suit. She picked up the two glasses of wine and walked away. Her feet felt like they were cement blocks. Each step was an enormous effort that got harder the closer she got to Randall Fields.
As soon as she rounded the last cocktail table, she felt his eyes on her, like an ice cube traveling over her exposed skin. She made eye contact with him and raised the two glasses so he could see she really had gone to get drinks. His face relaxed and the frown he had been wearing disappeared, replaced by that neutral mask she was used to.
“Here you go,” she said as she handed him the full glass of Cabernet.
“Thank you, darling.” He smiled at her, what may have been one of the first genuine smiles she’d really seen from him. He had thought she was going to make a break for it, and since she returned, he felt like he’d won. Well, he was going to be sorely disappointed in a few minutes.
She smiled at him, trying to project an air of serene acceptance. He didn’t bother to introduce her to the people he was talking to, and she was glad for it. It meant that she didn’t have to fake being interested in the conversation.
All she had to do was finish her wine and go to the bathroom and she was free. Her stomach wasn’t full of butterflies; it was full of eagles. Each sip of wine tasted sweet as she mused on her impending freedom.
Robin knew it would be limited, but at least she wouldn’t be confined to the office and her room all the time, or worse—the office and the penthouse. The few nights she’d been forced to stay up there with him, she’d slept in her clothes, not knowing whether Randall would try something during the night or not.
Sure, they’d had a couple meals together, but it wasn’t out of choice. Plus, every time he put his hands on her, everything in her body revolted at the touch. He was not the man she wanted touching her, especially when she hadn’t really had any human contact for years now. She drained the last of the wine from her glass. The fact that she was about to leave Randall and his insanity behind made her feel lighter than air.
“Randall, I’m just going to go to the restroom.” She said it quietly, forcing herself to touch his arm.
He looked at her, his serious eyes revealing the monster she was much more familiar with than the man who had been schmoozing tonight. “Go ahead.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back,” she lied.
Robin set her glass down on a waiter’s tray as he passed by, and then she set off in the direction of the restrooms. She was a few steps away when she saw him. The Scout, or Norman or whatever he went by, was here, and he was watching her. Her steps faltered slightly, but she continued on.
“Hello, Robin. Nice event, isn’t it?” He fell into step next to her.
“It is.” Her heart felt like it was bea
ting an odd rhythm as she tried to focus on getting to the restrooms.
“You didn’t really think he would let you wander around unsupervised, did you?”
“No.” It was the truth. She’d been shocked when he had allowed her to go and get a drink alone. Oh no. If Norman had seen her at the bar with Hal, then it was all over.
“Good. You need to remember your place. I saw those two guys hitting on you at the bar. How do you think Mr. Fields would react if I told him? Hum?”
Robin looked at him. Her heart caught in her throat. He could only mean the brothers, but had he seen all of them, or just Dem and Alec? His black eyes bore into her like a laser. His normally messy hair had been slicked back, making him even more menacing. She could see every inch of his wealthy upbringing on display tonight, even the fraction of human nature that he had left. Everything about him made her want to run.
“I’ll tell you how he would react. He’d have me track them down and kill them, and I would enjoy every second of it. My brother isn’t the only one who has a dark side.”
“I know,” she whispered as his arm draped around her shoulders.
To anyone looking at them, it probably looked like a nice conversation between two of the younger people in attendance. If they could see her eyes, they would know the truth of the situation, though. Panic clawed at her throat as she tried to shrug his arm off her shoulders.
“So, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go to the restroom. I’ll wait outside, and then I’ll walk you back to Mr. Fields. Oh, and if you’re in there longer than a few minutes, I’ll come in after you. Sound good?” He didn’t wait for her to respond before adding, “Good.”
As they approached the bathrooms, Robin saw Hal waiting at the edge of a crowd close by. Norman stiffened next to her.
“What the hell—?” he muttered under his breath.
Removing his arm from Robin’s shoulder, he seemed to switch off the little bit of humanity he had as he prepared to fight.
She had to do something. Although now that Hal had seen him, she felt like stopping them would be like stopping an oncoming storm. Quickly, she whispered, “You can’t fight here. You’ll make Mr. Fields look bad.”
“I can lure him outside, though,” Norman said through gritted teeth.
“Then who would watch me pee?” she asked innocently.
“Mr. Fields would rather I take him out than guard you.” He jabbed a finger in Hal’s direction. “He’s partially responsible for losing the seer, not to mention my brother, and the death of some security guards. He needs to be punished.”
“Okay, I’ll just be on my way, then.” She knew letting him in on the fact that she was planning to escape was risky, but so was letting Hal and Norman fight.
“God dammit, Robin. I can’t stop you right now if you run, but if you do, he will never stop looking for you. You will be hunted to the ends of the earth. Out of all the people he employs, you should know how serious that threat is, how much money he will throw into it. It will be impossible for you to hide anywhere.”
“If you’re not going to stop me, then it’s a chance I’ll take.”
“You know if he catches you, he’ll make your life a living hell.”
“Can’t be much worse than it is right now.”
He laughed. “You’re his princess right now. He would turn you into his slave.”
People were starting to look at them as Norman’s voice became more insistent. They could feel the tension spilling out from him as he pointed and gestured, trying to convince her to let him fight. She didn’t mind them staring. If anything, when she ran, it meant people would get out of her way and hopefully stop him.
“I’m already his captive,” she snarled. “You think I chose to wear this?” Robin gestured to her dress. “Hell no, but I was forced to. Just like I’ve been forced to wear, eat, sleep, do whatever he asks of me. At some point, he’ll lose patience and take what he wants from me. You think I want to stick around for that?” Her voice had become louder than she intended.
“Excuse me, miss, is everything okay?” Alec asked as he approached her.
“Everything’s fine. Back off,” Norman growled, without removing his eyes from Robin.
“It doesn’t sound like it is, friend. Why don’t you let the lady go on her way?”
“Listen, friend.” Norman spat the word at Alec. “The lady is with me, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.” He grabbed Robin’s wrist.
“Ouch!” she squeaked.
“Is everything okay over here?” This was from an older gentleman she hadn’t seen before.
“It seems as if this young man is harassing this woman. I was asking the same thing myself,” Alec said.
“Young man, I suggest you let the young lady go.”
“Screw you, Grandpa. Robin, we are leaving right now.”
The old man’s jaw dropped in shock.
“No! I don’t want to go with you!” Robin let her voice get loud, and more people started to turn and look at them. “You can’t take me back to him. He’ll hit me again.”
“What’s this?” The old man butted in again as a few other people walked over.
“I just want to leave. Please let me go.”
“Let the lady go.” Alec’s voice became low and dangerous, enough that the old man reassessed him.
“Young man, I will call security if you don’t release her this instant!”
“Gentlemen, calm down.”
Robin’s heart turned to ice at the sound of Randall’s voice.
“If he lets the young lady go, everything will be fine.” The old man wasn’t giving up, and she wanted to hug him for it.
“This is my date for the evening. She’s fine, aren’t you, Robin?”
“No, I’m not!” Her voice was shrill, finally letting the panic she’d been feeling out. “And I’m not your date! I’m your employee.”
“Robin, calm down, sweetheart.”
If she didn’t turn the crowd against Randall, then she could be forced to go back to him, and this escape attempt would be the last time she ever saw the outside world. She needed something drastic. “He’s the one who hit me. I’m his employee, and he forced me to come here with him like some kind of prostitute.”
Gasps sounded from the group of people watching the drama unfold.
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“I suggest you both step away from the young lady and let her leave if she so chooses.” Alec’s calm voice made him sound like the most reasonable person in the world.
Norman didn’t release her.
“Let her go, or I’ll call the police,” the old man said, his voice just as calm and firm as Alec’s as he reached for his phone.
Robin saw Norman glance at Randall from the corner of her eye. All he got was a barely perceptible nod. Robin risked looking directly at her boss. His face was contorted with rage. She’d seen him look like that a few times before, and he always took it out on Katerina. While he may not have hit Robin, he certainly hit her. She’d seen the woman leave with fresh bruises enough times to know what was going on. The thought of Katerina, and the fact that she’d promised to take her place, made her want to jump for joy that she was forcing their hands to let her escape.
“Fine.” Norman’s voice was scathing as his hand released her wrist.
Robin rubbed the tender skin and backed away from the two of them.
“Can we call you a cab, miss?” The old man stood there, his hand outstretched as though he was going to touch her shoulder but thought better of it.
“I’ll find my own way. Thank you, though. Thank you so much.” She let her gratitude show on her face, and tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t cry now, though. They were still in harm’s way.
“My pleasure. It’s not often an old fogey like myself gets to rescue a beautiful young woman.”
She smiled at that. “I don’t see any old fogeys around here.”
“That’s kind of you, my de
ar.”
She started to back away from the crowd. As she glanced at Randall, she knew he’d spotted Hal. His eyes burned with anger, and his nostrils flared. They had to get out of here now, but she didn’t want them seeing her leave with Hal, so she turned to leave, ignoring Hal and Alec. Walking past both of them, she made a beeline for the exit. When she saw Dem waiting by the doors out of the event hall, she walked straight past him. If Randall and Norman were still watching, she didn’t want to give them any reason to go after the three of them, not that they needed another one. They were going to go after Hal no matter what now that they had seen him again.
Once the doors closed behind her, she was flooded with emotions. Laughter bubbled up and tears threatened to fall all at the same time, but she couldn’t. Not yet. Once she and her family were safe, then she could indulge in her emotional roller coaster. She watched the doors, waiting for the three brothers to come out. Finally, after what felt like forever, Hal came out, with Alec and Dem exiting a few moments later.
“Ready to get out of here?” Hal’s deep voice thrummed through her as he spoke.
“More than anything.” She turned to Alec and Dem. “Let me write down my parents’ address for you.”
Alec handed her his phone, and she opened the map, pulling up her parents’ address.
“Please keep them safe.”
“Safe as houses.” Dem smiled down at her.
“Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“Our pleasure,” Alec said.
She turned back to Hal. “Ready when you are.”
“This is going to be a little weird, but if you trust me, it will get us away from here faster than those two in there could ever chase us.”
“Okay.”
Hal held out a hand, and Robin slipped hers inside. It was huge and warm and slightly rough. And it felt amazing. It was the first gentle touch she’d had in over nine years. Then, without warning, the world went black and she felt as if she was flying.
