I shook my head, and her face softened.
“Okay, but come get me if you need anything,” she said.
I forced a smile at her as she walked out, but I knew I wouldn’t be taking her up on that offer. If there is one thing I’d learned, it's that depending on anyone other than myself was a surefire way to get hurt.
I stared into the fogged up mirror. I wasn’t even mad at Sebastian. Not really. He was Luca Amato’s brother; it was inevitable I ended up hurt near him. No, what really pissed me off was that I’d been stupid enough to let my guard down last night. Pretended like the world beyond didn’t exist, and we weren’t on a collision course for disaster. But this morning had been a reminder that it was all just an illusion.
It was time for me to wake up.
I leaned onto the sink and closed my eyes, coming to the decision that I’d been putting off. It was time for me to squat in houses, and find a solution to my problems on my own. It was time for me to leave behind Sebastian.
I pushed off the sink and made my way back into the crowd. Shoving against the swell of bodies, I walked towards the back exit, already picking which neighborhood I would squat in.
A familiar face stepped in front of the exit. A face that made my stomach cramp up.
“Did you miss me?” Ray asked.
Chapter 35
Ray smiledat me, but his eyes were cold.
His threats from last time materialized in my mind. If I didn’t get away from him, he’d drag me out of this club straight into a brothel.
I took a step back right into a very solid body. Large arms circled around my waist, and I instinctively kicked my heeled boot into a meaty shin. His grip loosened, and I spun out of his range. The fact that I hadn’t heard a gunshot meant that they weren’t willing to draw attention by using guns in the club. Good.
I elbowed into the crowd as Ray called after me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Things will just end worse.”
Yeah, I’d prefer not to be doing this either. But I’d rather attempt to escape even if it meant risking a worse beating if they caught me. Another man reached for me, and I snapped his wrist.
“God damn it,” he growled, curling his body around his now useless hand.
I didn’t wait to see what else he’d say. I elbowed into the crowd. Without turning around I knew more men were following me. But all of this fighting was drawing the attention of the crowd around us.
Before I could figure out the optimal way to use that to my advantage, more hands grabbed at my waist. I swung my head back, and it connected. But this time, the man clung on.
“Fucking bitch,” an unfamiliar voice growled behind me. A voice that I had no interest in getting to know better. I needed to get out of his grasp. This time I tried elbowing him in the gut. It was like elbowing a boulder.
“Do that again, and I’ll break your elbow,” the man said. He gripped my elbow hard enough to bruise, and I knew he could actually follow up on that threat.
While he held me in place, I glanced around at the crowd of murmuring dancers. A bouncer was approaching.
“Help!” I yelled out. A large hand clapped over my mouth, but the damage was done. From the security guard’s expression, he’d heard me.
The crowd parted as he moved through. But instead of forcing the man to release me, the bouncer turned his attention to the crowd.
“They’re helping me throw out this drunk. Go back to having fun.”
With his words, the crowd’s attention and any hope I had of getting out of this situation disappeared. The man’s grip on my elbow tightened painfully as he picked me up like a sack of potatoes. I held back a wince, not allowing him to get the satisfaction. Instead I silently allowed my body to go limp as they carried me out of the crowd.
???
When we were outside, the man handed me to another lackey. I was tempted to fight back, but knew he’d be expecting it. Instead, I kept still as the new man wrapped his hands tight around me while the other men surrounded me in the alley. I couldn’t see anything beyond the puddles on the cement and their oversized bodies.
But I still smirked at the man holding his limp wrist against his body. If he gave me the opportunity, I’d break his other wrist.
The twitchy man holding me probably thought I was leaving my body limp because I’d given up. But the truth was that I was saving energy. Energy I’d need when I found an opening.
