Sick fuck.
He presses her closer and whispers something in her ear. The young girl pulls away and nods. From here, I can see her bite her bottom lip as if she’s attempting to flirt. Naïve bumpkin.
He takes her hand and pulls her to the bar. Her friends follow. After a short wait, a bartender approaches them. The pervert leans over and yells something in the bartender’s direction. He then turns to the girl and runs his fingertips down her bare arm. Getting closer to her, he puts a hand on her hip.
She takes a piece of her curly, dark brown hair and twirls it around her fingers.
“What are you doing, you naïve idiot?” I ask out loud. This one needs someone to look out for her drunk ass.
I sigh. This is boring, and I don’t understand why the fuck I keep watching them. Maybe I’m just looking for drama where there is none. Perhaps this will be the one time that nothing happens.
But I know one thing: Wherever there are humans, there will be mayhem, and there’s something off about this guy. I don’tknow what it is yet. As it stands, all the pervert has done is dance badly and flirt with a girl who is much too young and attractive for him.
The bartender places two drinks on the counter. One of the guy’s friends squeezes next to the girl. He taps her on her shoulder, and she turns away from the old pervert to talk to the other guy.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This little interaction looks and feels staged. It seems like something they’ve done before.
That’s when I see it. Old pervert pulls something out of his pocket. It looks like a vial. He puts several drops in the drink.
“Grab that drink at the end of the bar. Don’t let anyone touch it,” I state into my earpiece.
Chapter 2
Eden
A hand wraps around my wrist when I reach for the drink. It’s the bartender. He shakes his head at me. I stare at him, and he gently squeezes my wrist, so I pull away from the glass.
Within seconds, three bulky security guards approach us. They aren’t the same guys who were checking ID at the front door—these guys are bigger and scarier. Neither of the three says a word, but they block the group of guys my friends and I were dancing with.
“What’s going on?” my friend, Cori, asks.
I shrug. Cori’s cousin, the third member of our trio, Selene, stands there frozen.
“Come with us,” one with a very gruff voice says. He slides his hand underneath my armpit and pushes me forward. I try to wiggle away to run, but he’s like a damn mountain.
“Get your fucking hands off me,” I hiss.
I kick his shin, but he doesn’t flinch. He sticks his hand under my free pit, lifts me off my feet, and carries me out.
“Hey!” I hear Cori say. “What the hell?” I turn my head in time to notice two brutes dragging Cori and Selene.
“I swear to God,” I start to threaten, but words fail me. They’re not taking us to the front. They are dragging us toward the rear of the club. On the way, I grab some random person’s sleeve to get their attention, but they shrug me off, and my pleas are ignored.
The men take us down a dark, narrow hallway. A flashing red sign reads ‘Emergency Exit Only.’
Maybe they’re just kicking us out. But why not take us to the front of the building? It’s a much shorter walk than this one.
“We didn’t do anything!” I yell, but the thug holding me doesn’t respond. I hear rumblings from the group of guys, and I wonder if it is because of something they’ve done.
My father’s words come to mind. Since I moved back to Shadow Cove, he’s warned me about the dark underbelly of criminals that have taken over. Daddy’s the sheriff, and he’s always been protective, so I didn’t take his warning to heart.
I haven’t noticed any negative changes in the six weeks since I’ve returned. Things are different, but they seem to be different in a positive way. The streets are safer. The schools, thanks to anonymous donations, have access to the most advanced technology, offer free meals, and feature updated textbooks.
When I left Shadow Cove ten years ago to attend college, it was a declining small town with minimal public goods. Today, the area is home to numerous businesses that offer employment opportunities.
Someone kicks the door open, and it hits the side of the building with a loud crash. He finally lets me go when we get outside. His hand leaves my pits, and I lose my balance.
I eye Cori and Selene, then tilt my head to the side. They know what that means. Once they’re free, I book it and run, only to collide with a mountain of a man or a brick wall. I don’tknow which. I fall on my ass before rough hands lift me back to my feet.
