Before she had the chance to react to the imminent threat, and before she could draw the breath to scream for help, one of the men grabbed her, spinning her around, and clamped a strong hand over her mouth. He pulled her head back so it butted against his shoulder and he could hold her immobile. She caught the flash of something long and shiny right before she felt the sharp prick of a blade against her neck.
Oh God, oh God, oh God. Her heart slammed painfully against her chest and her legs went weak at the realization that nobody was going to come to her rescue. Not when no one knew where she'd gone. Eyes wide with terror, and fearing the absolute worst, an involuntary whimper escaped her throat.
The other masked man stepped in front of her, lifted an open cell phone, and snapped a few pictures of her in the midst of being attacked. The flash went off, and Lora blinked furiously to clear her vision and keep her wits about her.
"Got it," the accomplice said in a low, gruff voice, then snapped the phone shut.
The guy behind her pressed his mouth near her ear. "Maybe seeing these photos will remind your brother that we're serious about getting our money back. Dead serious. And next time, we'll stick around and let you provide a down payment." The hand at her neck slid down and gave her breast a hard, brutal squeeze, leaving no question in her mind exactly how they'd exact whatever payment they were after.
"Come on, let's get the hell out of here before someone comes looking for her," the other man said urgently.
"You scream, and it will be the last sound you make." The hand covering her mouth fell away, then the man behind her shoved hard between her shoulder blades. Lora tripped forward, lost her balance, and fell onto her hands and knees on the ground. Gritty asphalt scraped across her palms, and the torrent of rain pelted her back and soaked through her hair to her scalp. She remained in that position, waiting for the sound of running footsteps to fade away into the distance. Then, and only then, did she push to her feet.
A sob caught in her throat and tears stung her eyes as she stumbled back toward the employee exit and the promise of safety. She pulled on the handle, and let loose another hoarse sob when the slab of metal didn't so much as budge.
She could hear the loud music blasting from inside the bar, could feel it vibrating against the outer walls of the building, and knew the noise would drown out the sound of her knocking. She thought about going around to the front, but she was too terrified of running into the two men again.
So she pounded desperately on the door anyway, praying that someone, anyone, would hear her attempts and let her back inside.
ONE minute Joel was watching Lora work behind the bar, grateful that she wasn't up on the stage dancing for the customers like the rest of the employees, and in the next minute two big guys directly in front of where he was sitting jumped up from their seats and started yelling at one another in a heated, drunken argument. Joel automatically stood, too, just as the pushing and shoving match between the duo escalated into a fistfight.
And that's when all hell broke loose. Acquaintances of the two fighters surged forward to defend their friends and ended up a part of the hostile exchange and physical assault. Boozed-up patrons encouraged the brawl by rooting for their favorite team. Chairs crashed to the ground and a table tipped over, spilling drinks and bottles of beer across the floor. The obnoxious noise and the shuffle of bodies finally caught the attention of one of the dancers from atop a counter, and she quickly signaled to the bouncers that there was trouble that needed their attention.
Knowing it might take a few minutes for the two brawny security guys to work their way to the back of the bar, Joel stepped in to help pull the two apart before someone really got hurt. He'd seen his share of bar fights over the years, and it was just a matter of separating the two most aggressive opponents in order to get everyone else to back off.
With the assistance of another sober patron willing to step into the fray, they managed to secure the fighters' arms behind their backs so neither one could throw any more punches. As soon as that was accomplished, the rest of the crowd settled down. By the time the bouncers finally arrived, the fight was under a semblance of control, and it was just a matter of escorting the disruptive group out of The Electric Blue.
Once the ruckus had come to an end, business went back to normal and Joel sat down at his table, his gaze automatically searching the place for Lora. She was no longer behind the bar, and as far as he could see, she wasn't in the main area, either. Figuring she probably went to get something from the storeroom, or needed to visit the restroom, Joel waited for her to reappear. Long minutes passed, and he drummed his fingers restlessly on the table as he grew increasingly impatient for her to return. Finally, unable to sit tight any longer, he got up and headed across the room to the bar, where Sydney was back to making drinks.
He sidled up to the counter next to Monique, who was waiting for one of the bartenders to fill her drink order. "Have either of you seen Lora in the past ten minutes?" he asked, loud enough to be heard over the blaring music.
Sydney shook her head as she reached for a bottle of liquor and poured a generous shot. "I haven't seen her since that fight broke out."
"Me, either," Monique said as she added a pineapple wedge and cherry to a fruity-looking drink. "I'm sure she's out in that crowd somewhere, probably clearing tables or taking drink orders."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Joel didn't bother telling Sydney and Monique that he'd already scoured the main area from one end to the other for Lora, all to no avail. Considering nobody knew his real purpose for being there on a nightly basis, he didn't want to appear too anxious or worried.
But as the seconds ticked by with no sign of Lora, her absence definitely started to concern him. Leaving the bar, he casually headed down the hallway leading to the back of the establishment. The door to the office was closed and locked, but he rapped his knuckles on the solid wood, anyway, just in case she was inside. There was no answer, so he did the same thing at the storeroom. Again, nothing.
There was only one place left to look, and Joel was desperate enough to infringe on someone's privacy in order to locate Lora and give him the peace of mind he was searching for. He pushed open the door to the women's restroom and glanced inside. The three females standing at the bathroom mirror immediately stopped their chatting and primping and looked at him with wide, shocked eyes.
Then the woman in the middle, with big blond hair and even bigger breasts, gave him a sultry once-over. "Hi, sugar," she drawled as a come-hither smile curved her glossy lips. "Looking for someone?"
The interested look in her kohl-lined eyes told him that she'd gladly be that person, but he did nothing to encourage her hopes. Instead, he cast a quick glance toward the stalls and experienced a jolt of frustration when he found them all wide open and unoccupied.
"Yeah," Joel replied calmly, even as his tension and unease seemed to coil into a tight, strangling knot within him. "But she's not here. Thanks, anyway."
Where in the hell was she?
The question ate at him as he let the restroom door shut. He turned to head back to the bar to give it another search just as he heard a loud pounding at the employee exit door at the end of the corridor. Jesus, had Lora accidentally locked herself out of the bar? Frowning, he started in that direction, and as the banging grew more frantic, he tried to ignore the apprehension spreading through him.
He pushed the door open and found Lora standing on the other side, a torrent of rain deluging the ground beyond the small, protective awning she was standing beneath. Still, she was absolutely soaked to the skin-from her hair all the way down to her work shoes. Her wide eyes were filled with gut-wrenching horror, and her expression reflected a stark fear that sliced straight to his soul.
Joel immediately reached out to her, and as soon as she realized it was him she collapsed into the safety of his embrace, buried her face against his neck, and broke down crying-deep, convulsing sobs that wracked her entire body. He wrapped his arms securely a
round her, and feeling the vivid terror emanating from her, he instinctively knew that this wasn't a simple case of her getting locked out.
Something bad had happened, and he hadn't been there to protect her. His remorse was overwhelming, but he forced his own emotions aside to focus on Lora and making sure she hadn't been hurt in any way.
She was clinging to him like he was her lifeline, and he gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her away so he could see her face, which was now streaked with tears and smudged with mascara. "Jesus, Lora," he said, his tone gruff with his own painful recriminations. "Are you okay?"
She stared up at him, a fresh surge of tears welling up in her green eyes. "Oh, God, Joel," she choked out as her hands gripped the front of his T-shirt. "There were two guys… and they had a knife and… oh, God!" She squeezed her eyes shut, as if the memory of what had happened was too horrible for her to go on.
They had a knife. The words slammed through his mind like a brutal sledgehammer. His own panic increased, and he gave her shoulders a small shake to get her attention again. "And what, Lora?" he demanded. "What did they do to you?"
"They held the knife to my throat… and threatened me." She sucked in a gulp of air and buried her face in her hands, shuddering at the memory.
Rage flowed through Joel's veins, and he wanted to kill the men who'd dared to lay a hand on Lora-no thanks to him! He tipped her chin up with his finger and glanced at her neck, and felt physically ill when he saw the long red scrape marring her smooth, creamy flesh. His rage boiled over into a white-hot violence, and it took everything in him not to slam his fist against the metal door in fury and frustration.
"Lora?" Trisha, one of the bar's waitresses, who'd been heading toward the women's restroom, now rushed down the hall toward them. "You're soaking wet. What happened?"
"She got locked out in the alley in the rain," Joel replied before Lora had the chance to launch into another round of hysterics. "I need to get her into the office where it's warm and dry. Who has a key?"
"Sydney does. I'll go get her for you," Trisha said, and hustled off to find the boss.
Knowing how unsteady Lora's legs were, Joel draped one of her arms over his shoulder and slid his other arm around her waist, holding her upright as he guided her back down the hallway. By the time they made it to the office, Sydney was already there with the door wide open.
Sydney followed them inside, her brows creased in worry. As soon as Joel eased Lora into one of the chairs in front of the metal desk, Sydney rushed to her side.
Once Sydney was assured that Lora was okay, she let loose. "What in the world were you doing in the back alley?"
It was a question that Joel was eager to hear the answer to, as well. There was a whole lot more to this story, and he needed to hear it all.
Lora began to shiver from being wet. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her bare, damp arms with her hands. "I was taking out the trash."
"What!?" Sydney jammed her hands on her hips, clearly not happy with Lora's reply. "That's the guys' job, not yours! You know that! And for good reason, obviously," she added, waving a hand at Lora's condition.
Lora had the good grace to wince at her boss's chastising. "The trash was piling up, and I've taken it out to the Dumpster many times before. It only takes a couple of seconds to toss the garbage bags out, and I was just trying to help, since we're so busy."
Sydney shook her head, causing her cascade of red curls to bounce wildly around her face. "Well, you do it again and you're fired." The warning was issued in a caring, loving tone.
As Lora's tremor's increased, Joel grabbed the sweater hanging on a coat rack behind the desk and draped it over Lora's shoulders. She glanced up at him gratefully as she pulled the edges of the sweater closer together to keep warm.
Christ, she looked so scared and vulnerable, and he wasn't used to seeing her that way. Another jolt of guilt punched him hard in the gut, but he couldn't dwell on his part in her attack right now. Later there would be plenty of time for recriminations. At the moment, his concern was solely for Lora's safety and mental state.
Finding a spare chair, Joel dragged it over to Lora and sat down in front of her, spreading his legs wide apart so he could get as close to her as possible. Whether she was ready or not, the interrogation was about to begin.
He placed his hands on her jean-clad knees, certain she must be extremely uncomfortable with the cold, wet fabric plastered to her skin. "Lora, what, exactly, happened out there?"
She pushed her wet hair away from her face with a shaky hand and took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. "When…" Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard to clear her throat before trying again. "When I went out back, two men followed and made sure the door locked behind them so I couldn't get back in. I didn't get a chance to see what they looked like because they pulled ski masks over their faces."
Joel waited patiently for Lora to continue, while Sydney started pacing anxiously beside Lora's chair.
Lora's fingers fluttered up to her throat and touched the angry red welt one of the thugs had put there. "One of the men grabbed me from behind and put a hand over my mouth and a knife up to my neck, while the other snapped pictures of him doing it."
Sydney came to an abrupt halt and gasped aloud. "Jesus, Lora. They could have killed you!"
"I know," she whispered, the anguish in her gaze vivid and real.
Joel gently took both of her hands in his and rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles, trying to warm her chilled fingers. It was then that he felt the fresh scrapes on her palms and realized that the thugs must have shoved her to the ground at some point. "Did they say anything to you at all?"
She nodded jerkily. "The one standing behind me said something about the pictures reminding my brother that they were serious about getting their money back. Dead serious."
She'd just confirmed that her attack hadn't been random, but rather a deliberate setup to send a message and warning to Zach. Joel swore beneath his breath, drawing on every ounce of control he possessed so that he didn't come unglued right then and there. "Anything else?"
This time she closed her eyes and began rocking back and forth, a sure sign that those bastards had instilled a whole lot of fear in her, just as they'd intended. "They said that the next time they'll stick around and let me provide a down payment, and I don't think they were talking about money."
"There won't be a next time," Sydney said angrily, and reached for the phone on the desk. "I'm calling the police."
"No!" Lora slapped her hand over Sydney's so she couldn't lift the receiver. "Please, don't," she begged.
Sydney frowned at her. "For crying out loud, Lora. You were assaulted by two men, and it could have been much worse than them issuing a few threats."
"I'm okay," Lora said, but Joel knew that she was anything but fine. She was shaken, confused, and still terrified out of her wits. "There's not much I can tell the police anyway. They were wearing ski masks, so I can't even give them a description."
"We should at least file a report," Sydney insisted, though she'd taken her hand off of the phone.
"No, Syd," Lora implored. "Please, no."
Desperation tinged Lora's voice and Joel was fairly certain he knew the reason why. She was scared, yes, but also concerned about her brother. Involving the police could jeopardize not only her safety, but Zach's, too, and Lora obviously wasn't going to take that risk. Lora's loyalty to her brother was unwavering, and under the current circumstances, Joel knew Zach didn't deserve one bit of it.
Sydney crossed her arms over her ample chest. "Fine," she said curtly, even as she gave in to Lora's pleas. "But I'm not happy about it." Then she turned to Joel. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her."
Joel nodded. "I'll try." For as much as he agreed with Sydney about filing a report, there truly wasn't much the police could do without a physical description of some sort. Therefore, Joel wasn't inclined to force the issue when Lora was still so panicked.
Lo
ra glanced at Joel, looking so achingly fragile and defenseless that he wanted to pull her into the security of his arms and never let go. "Just get me out of here," she said as her teeth began to chatter. "Please."
Whisking her away from the scene of the crime was the one thing he could do for her, but he wouldn't be driving her back to her apartment. No, from now on, he wasn't letting her out of his sight if it could be helped.
One look at Sydney, and he could easily read her thoughts. She was chewing on her bottom lip, her concern for her best friend etched plainly on her face. "Don't worry, Syd. I'll take care of Lora," he promised. "I'm going to take her to my place for the night so she won't be alone."
A small, grateful smile touched Sydney's lips. "Good idea. Thank you."
He stood up and undipped his cell phone from the waistband of his jeans. "I just need to make a quick phone call before we go."
"Sure." She waved to the corner of the office to give him some privacy, then sat down next to Lora to talk to and fuss over her like a mother hen.
Joel pressed one of his speed dials, and before the first ring ended Ben picked up the line. After giving Ben a quick rundown of what had happened, Joel informed him that he'd be taking Lora to his place, which meant no one needed to play watchdog at her apartment for the night.
Snapping his phone shut, he turned back around. "Okay, I'm ready to go."
Lora stood up, and Sydney gave her a hug, then pulled back and smiled at her friend. "I love you, Lora, and I'm so glad they didn't hurt you."
Lora managed a shaky smile of her own, and her eyes welled with moisture, telling Joel that she was still very emotionally unstable. "I love you, too," she rasped.
A quick knock sounded at the door before Trisha stepped inside. "Here's your jacket, Joel," she said, handing him the black leather coat. "I didn't want to leave it at your table."
"Thanks." Gently pulling the sweater off of Lora's shoulders, he handed the garment to Sydney, then helped Lora slip into his much warmer, dryer jacket.
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