Isaw the moment his fingers curled into his hand, creating afist, but there was no time to avoid it as he swung out, hitting me in my cheek. The sound of bone colliding with bone reverberated through my skull and Icried out in pain as Iautomatically pulled my hand out of my purse, my stiletto firmly in my grip. Iswung my shoe at him, feeling the heavy wedge hit the side of his head. Istumbled back, momentarily blinded by the pain that lanced through my face from Jeff’sfist. But more than anything, Iwas annoyed he’dgotten the jump on me.
“Idon’tthink I’mbetter than you—Igoddamn know it! And you ever touch me again and I’mgoing to gouge your eyes out and shove them up your ass, got it?” Istepped over his prone form and headed for the door.
Reaching the doorway, Ilooked back one last time, ready to give him another blast of my red-hot anger. Noting that Jeff was still on the floor, curled into aball and completely silent, Istepped back into the room, closing the door and drowning out the sounds of Hazy Nights.
“Jeff?” Iwhispered his name as Idrew close. My whole body was tense, waiting for him to jump up as Igot close and grab me again. “Jeff? Get up…”
My face throbbed, and there was no way Iwas getting away with anything less than ablack eye, though Ihad afeeling abroken cheekbone might also be in the cards. Imoved around the other side of him, nudging his still body with the toe of my boot, ready to dive away from him the second he moved. But he remained motionless. Looking down at my hand, Irealized my stiletto was still in it.
Mybloodystiletto.
“Oh shit…”
Idropped the shoe as Inoted that the blood around the heel went all the way up to the sole of the shoe. Those shoes were nine inches, thin as aknife, and made of steel. They stood up to the weight of my dancing, the twists and turns of my body, the jumps Imade from the pole to the stage. Those damn shoes had cost me asmall fortune, and Ihad never regretted spending afull month'swage on them.
Until now.
As Icrouched down, my bloody shoe next to me, Ipushed Jeff over with my free hand, gasping as he stared up at me blankly. Blood spilled from his open mouth, and my hand shot to my own mouth to stifle the scream that was desperate to escape.
