Finding Us

by Debra Presley

  The other guys laughed at him.

  “Make yourself at home,” Abby said. “The guest bath is on the other side of the kitchen.” She pointed the way. “And you can use some of my make-up as long as you put it back where you found it.”

  John hooted at Connor. “Put on the bright lipstick.”

  Connor laughed, too. “Thanks, Abby. Have a good night.” He grabbed his duffle bag from where it lay by the couch and walked down the hall.

  “Ready, fellas?” Abby placed her phone in her clutch.

  “Let’s roll.” John clapped his hands together.

  “John, Aaron, remember what we discussed.” Danny gave them a stern look.

  “You don’t have to worry, boss.” Aaron gave him a little salute.

  Danny glanced back at Abby. “Did you program their numbers in your phone?”

  “I sure did. See? I can be responsible.”

  “Thank you. Don’t leave their sight, and if you and Kelly decide to go exploring or whatever womenfolk do on girls’ night out, let them know so they can tail you at all times.”

  “Yes, sir,” Abby mocked.

  He sighed. “Look, I’m here to do a job. You can help me do it better. I sent one of my men to get the lay of the land there and he said that club was insane. It’s packed every night, and the inside is dark. Lots of places for assholes to hide. So tonight’s not the night to do anything stupid.”

  “Okay, fine. Yeesh, I feel like I’m a teenager again.”

  “It shows you he cares,” John said. “Nucci’s good at this. Let him help you. Especially since you have an asshole in your life.”

  She nodded, feeling a little bad that she was riding Danny’s case. But it kind of stung the way he kept reminding her that she was just a job. She fought a frown.

  “Stay safe,” Danny said. “Use common sense.”

  “It’ll be fine. Have fun at your stuffy, boring meeting. Who has a meeting at this time of night, anyway?”

  “I do.”

  “Obviously. Okay, toodles.” She waved and followed John and Aaron to the door.

  * * *

  She entered the elevator with the guys and caught their reflection in the mirror. It looked so odd not having Danny with her. She second-guessed her plans for the evening, and was about to turn around and go back inside when her phone chirped with a text message.

  She fished her phone out of her clutch and took a deep breath before she checked to see who was texting her. As far as she knew, Sean didn’t have this number but that’s what she thought about the last one. Who knows how he got it? She wasn’t about to let her guard down. Kelly’s name flashed across her screen. Abby unlocked her phone.

  Kelly—Where are you?

  Abby—On my way.

  Kelly—Awesome! Did you escape the babysitters?

  Abby—No.

  Kelly—How fucking lame! Come on girl, this place is awesome. We can’t have fun with babysitters!

  Abby—I’m sure we can. I can’t walk into a packed club in NYC alone. That’s suicide.

  Kelly—You’ll be fine. I got ya back.

  Abby—Yes, I feel 100% secure with you as my bodyguard. ;)

  Kelly—Fuck, I still say ditch them.

  Abby—I can’t!

  Kelly—Ugh!! FINE! Text me when you’re here.

  They exited the elevator and proceeded to the waiting car.

  “Ma’am,” Vinny, her driver, greeted and held the door open for her.

  “Vinny, I’ve told you a million times to call me Abby. You make me feel old when you call me ma’am.”

  He smiled politely as she got in the car, and he closed the door for her.

  She texted Kelly. On my way.

  Since Abby didn’t know John and Aaron, she spent the car ride checking emails and answering a few text messages. Plus, she was still a little cranky about Danny.

  Vinny stopped in front of the celebrity entrance of the club, one of the perks of being famous that Abby actually liked, especially since the front of the club was filled with so many people they spilled into the street. And at that moment, Abby was actually thankful for John and Aaron. There would be no way she’d survive inside if the outside looked this crazy. But she kind of hated it that Danny had been right.

  The door of the car opened and Abby was whisked inside. She didn’t even have time to wave to onlookers who were camped out behind the barrier waiting for any random celebrity to make an appearance.

  Once inside, she stayed close to her guards. There was a short walk before they reached the VIP area. Luckily a few bouncers flanked them and made navigating through the crowd a bit easier. Before they reached the VIP area, Abby was able to get a quick glance at the club which had cages in the corners. There were nearly nude dancers displayed throughout the room, working the stages and putting on a show. The crowd surrounded them as they danced seductively to the music pounding through the speakers. There were also a handful of dancers on top of the bars. From what she could see, Exit had an anything goes policy once you made it past the bouncers at the entrance.

  When they reached the VIP lounge, the bouncers left Abby with her crew, and they were able to freely roam the smaller, less crowded area. She loved how they set this section up as the two-story lounge. It was like a lounge within a club. No one in the main area could see what went on behind the closed door, so she could have the illusion of privacy. For Abby, even in a VIP section, she had to keep up appearances. Everyone was always watching her.

  She slowly walked around looking for her friend. Kelly was a quirky dresser, so Abby wasn’t worried about finding her. The crowd was smaller in here than in the main club, but the noise level seemed louder.

  After making a pass around the first level with no luck, she climbed the stairs with the men following close behind her. About halfway up, she noticed a group of people standing off to the side and a petite blue haired chick was in the mix. Abby was almost certain that was Kelly.

  She continued up the stairs through the small crowd. As she approached the group, Abby heard Kelly’s unique laugh, which sounded like someone inhaled way too much helium. It brought back some fun memories of Abby, Sean, and Kelly hanging out during breaks in between tours and recording sessions.

  “Yo, bitch.” Abby covered Kelly’s eyes and yelled into her ear.

  Kelly screamed with excitement. “Ho, what took you so long?” She pulled Abby into a tight hug and jumped up and down.

  “It takes time to look this good,” Abby yelled back, and they pulled away from each other.

  “Don’t I know it.” They both eyed each other up and down, looking at each other’s outfits.

  “Whatcha drinking?” Kelly asked as she pulled Abby toward the bar.

  “Sex against the wall,” Abby shouted with a straight face to both Kelly and the waiting bartender.

  “Make that two, sugar,” Kelly chimed in while eye fucking the bartender. She only stopped when Abby snapped her fingers in front of her face, which made Kelly laugh.

  “What?” Kelly looked at Abby innocently.

  “You’re drooling, girl,” Abby teased as she continued to laugh.

  “Sex on a fucking stick. I told you. My intel never fails.” Kelly turned back to the bar.

  “Can I get you anything else, ladies?” Mr. Sex On A Stick asked as he leaned on the bar and winked at them.

  “Put these on my tab, sugar.” Kelly winked back.

  “Make sure to add a big fat tip for yourself,” Abby shouted, straining to raise her voice over the raucous music.

  “I could use a little help,” Kelly said seductively as she leaned over the bar making her cleavage spill over and giving the bartender a show.

  “Down girl,” Abby hollered.

  “Hey Mr. Hottie?” Kelly waved him back. Abby watched as she handed him her business card but turned her head when they started making out.

  “Here.” She handed Abby her drink. “Those two your babysitters?” She asked, glancing over Abby’s shoulder.
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  “If they look like linebackers, yes.” She sipped her drink.

  “Not bad. Guess it could be worse. You could be stuck with a couple of big, hairy mouth-breathers.”

  “I’m sure there are plenty of nice guys with those issues,” Abby said before she took another swig of her drink.

  “Let’s hit the floor,” Kelly said.

  Abby nodded, gulped down the last of her drink, and followed her toward the semi-full dance floor.

  John and Aaron followed, but they also allowed her a bit of space, which she was thankful for. She wanted to dance and be silly tonight, and it helped if security stayed unobtrusive.

  Abby and Kelly made their way to the dance floor. They danced and laughed, and it was just what Abby needed—a night where she didn’t have to worry about threats and cell phones and mothers sleeping with boyfriends. Abby noticed Kelly was texting but before she could tell her that this was a phone-free night, she got distracted by a hot blond god who pulled Abby into his arms. He started to grind with her to the music. Abby waved off John and quickly got the man under control. As hot as he was, she didn’t want to be groped by a total stranger on the dance floor.

  When Abby turned, Kelly was still typing on her phone. “Who you texting?” she shouted into Kelly’s ear. Kelly jumped and quickly tucked her phone back into her pocket.

  “Fuck, you scared me,” Kelly yelled back, clutching her hand to her chest.

  “Sorry. So, who were you texting?” Abby asked again. “No work stuff. Tonight is all about fun.” Abby threw her hands above her head and started giggling.

  “No one you know. Making plans for later. Although, I might not need those plans,” she stated, winking at Abby as she took hold of a passing man. There seemed to be a theme in this club. Every man Abby saw was more appealing than the last. She thought about Danny, imagining him in tight jeans and shirt, dancing close to her. The image was easily hotter than any of the men she’d seen so far tonight.

  Still, it was nice to be noticed. Another guy brushed against her. She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him closer. Between the wine earlier in the night and the drink she downed, she was feeling pretty bold. She danced, drank, and gossiped, and it felt great to be out. Danny was so wrong. This wasn’t a bad idea. At all.

  * * *

  An hour had passed since Abby arrived at Exit, and she was feeling a bit off. She guessed it was the alcohol mixed with the dancing that was getting to her. She needed a time-out.

  “I have to pee. Be right back,” Abby shouted in Kelly’s ear.

  Kelly took Abby’s hand. “I’ll come with you. Give me a sec,” she shouted over the music.

  Abby nodded and waited while Kelly whispered something in her dance partner’s ear, and then she and Kelly headed down the long hallway toward the bathroom, with the guys following. John cleared the hallway while Aaron checked the ladies room.

  “Please,” Kelly said as they waited. “Seriously? Pervs in the bathroom?”

  “You’d be surprised,” Abby said, suddenly feeling a little defensive about her detail.

  “Whatever.”

  Abby started to retort but decided not to. She felt a little queasy, so she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Abby liked to have a drink or two and admittedly she had been using alcohol lately to help cope with the stress of Sean and her mother, but it never hit her this hard.

  “All clear,” Aaron said.

  “Thanks, Sugar.” Kelly brushed against him as she walked into the bathroom.

  Abby followed. She struggled in the stall but managed to do what she had to do then splashed cool water on her face. It didn’t help make her feel any less strange. She gripped the sides of the sink to help keep her upright.

  “Babe, can you get the boys? I really don’t feel well. I think I drank too much. I gotta get out of here before I get sick and wind up on the next episode of TMZ.” Abby splashed some more water on her face.

  “You got it, girl. Don’t move.”

  “Thanks.”

  She heard the bathroom door open, and she closed her eyes in hopes that the world would stop spinning.

  A minute later, she heard the door again, and she slowly turned her head to explain to the guys what she was feeling, but they weren’t there. Two women rushed in instead. Fuck, where the hell are they?

  They were going on and on about a fight, and Abby was glad when they finally shut up because they were loud. Slowly, she moved toward the door but struggled to open it. She looked for John or Aaron, but neither was waiting for her. What the hell?

  The hallway was empty but there appeared to be a brawl near the dance floor. That must’ve been what the ladies in the bathroom were going on and on about. She saw her bodyguards in the thick of it along with the club bouncers. She tried to walk toward them but after a few steps she stopped. Her head was too fucked up to even move. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She searched for her phone in her clutch and when she found it she dialed Kelly’s number. It rang and rang until her voicemail picked up.

  “It’s me,” Abby said. “Where are you?” She hung up. Her eyes felt so heavy, and she wanted to sleep. She tried to call Danny, but before she could get the number to come up, she dropped her phone.

  “Great,” she mumbled.

  Abby leaned against the wall and used it to guide her to the floor. She picked up her phone and after a couple of tries, she finally dialed Danny’s number and waited for him to pick up.

  Now she needed to get her ass back up. For a moment, she contemplated crawling to the guys, but she wasn’t sure she’d even make that. She'd be lucky to get her ass off the floor at all.

  “Oh, thank God,” she said, relieved she’d made it to her feet. However, as soon as she had the words out of her mouth, she felt her body swaying forward. She was going down, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She braced for the worst, but it never happened. Someone caught her. Abby was in the arms of a very solid being. She opened her eyes and found herself eye to eye with Sean. He pushed her up against the wall.

  “Shit,” she said.

  “Abby?” Danny’s voice came through her phone.

  “Hel—” Abby attempted to yell.

  Sean covered her mouth with his hand and took the phone from her. He held her against the wall with his body.

  “Mr. Nucci, so sad you’re not here.” Sean snarled before throwing the phone onto the floor.

  Abby tried to push away, but her limbs felt as if they were filled with sand.

  “Time for a little trip.”

  Abby hit his chest, her movements loose and out of control. And he was so strong, and she felt so weak. Her screams were muffled against his hand.

  Someone see me. Someone help me.

  Kelly. There she was. And she saw them.

  Thank you. Relief flooded through Abby’s system. Kelly would go get one of the boys.

  But then Kelly smiled, waved, and turned her back on them.

  Abby stared at her, confused.

  Abby struggled to get free, but nothing she did helped. Her body and brain were no longer in sync.

  “Now, let’s go have fun,” Sean whispered in her ear as he started pulling her down the hallway.

  Oh God no! No, no, no, no, no.

  What the fuck was happening? Sean was here. Kelly saw and didn’t help.

  She fought against him as he pulled her toward the emergency exit.

  “I’ve missed you, baby.” He trailed his fingers down her cheek.

  Abby continued to struggle to get free.

  “What was that, baby?” He taunted as Abby still tried to scream for help even though her cries were useless.

  Sean kicked open the emergency exit, and the alarm blared. Before Abby could even register what was happening, he threw her over his shoulder and ran down the stairs. He jumped down the last few steps of each level. Her body was jostled and bounced off his shoulder and into the banister. The only good thing about this position was she was free to s
cream, and she did. As loud as she could and she didn’t stop. Nobody came to help. Sean had her.

  Cool air hit her face and she realized they were outside. What was happening? When did they leave the club? The chill in the night air helped to clear her muddled brain. Still, all she could make out was a dimly lit alley.

  “Fuck!” Sean kicked the brick wall. He paced back and forth with Abby still over his shoulder. She hadn’t realized how strong he was.

  “Where is it?”

  He was on the phone, and Abby knew the voice on the other end of that line. She’d recognize it anywhere.

  Kelly. But she couldn’t tell what she was saying.

  “Fuck.”

  She strained to hear Kelly’s response, but she couldn’t make out the words.

  “You didn’t think this was something I should know? Just get here.”

  He threw his phone and took Abby farther into the dark alley.

  “Please, Sean, let me go,” Abby said, fighting another wave of nausea. Maybe if she puked on him, she’d have a chance to get away.

  “Shut up.”

  He roughly dropped her on the ground, and her head hit the brick wall.

  “Uggh,” she mumbled as pain shot through her skull. She tried to roll away from him.

  “You couldn’t play nice, could you? Had to run your mouth off to your boy toy.” He kicked a stray bag of garbage, and Abby took her chance. She scrabbled to her feet, leaning on the wall for support, but she didn’t get far. She lost her footing and tried to break her fall with her hands. It stung, adding to the pain in her head. She started to crawl. Anything to get away from here. Where were John and Aaron?

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Sean pulled her back to him and ripped her blouse. “I’m not done with you.”

  “Please, Sean,” she managed. The words sounded thick and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. “We can work something out. Please don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

  “I don’t regret anything except maybe believing your cunt of a mother when she told me that she could control you. I wish I had time to play with you.” He shoved Abby’s hair away from her face and pushed himself against her. She felt how excited this all made him, and a new kind of fear overtook her, coupled with revulsion.