Maybe, just maybe, things weren’tas bad as Ithought.
Voicemails had been left, at least twenty of them from Dom, and Iclutched ahand to cover my mouth as Ilistened to his concerned voice telling me not to be worried, that he was going to fix this mess and help me. That Gauge was alive and okay, if not alittle beat up, but that the club was working to get me home.
Iskipped to the last message, Dom’svoice filled with even more concern.
“Jolie, if you get this, God… Look, I’msorry for everything. Ijust need you to know that. I’msorry that this mess has come down on you. I’msorry that my club has fucked up your life. But Ipromise, it’sgoing to be all right.”
His words rang in my ears, confusion furrowing my brow. This was my mess, not his or his club’s…wasn’tit?
“You got alight?” avoice asked, coming from behind me.
“No,” Isnapped, my eyes focused on my phone as Iscrolled through the messages but not really reading them. How could Iwhen all Icould think about was Dom’swords?I’msorry that this mess has come down on you.Over and over those words played.
I’dthought it was all my fault. I’dbeen the one to kill Jeff. Or at least partially. Iguess Gauge had finished him off in the end, but it had still been all my fault. Hadn’tit?
“You sure ‘bout that?” the voice came again and Ilooked up with aheavy scowl.
“Idon’thave alight, now fuck off!” Isnapped, ready to cry and scream and yell. Ready to go to the clubhouse and tear my big brother into pieces. What had he gotten me mixed up in?
“Maybe you should take alook,” the guy replied, and it was then that Ifinally took him in.
Smart gray pants and jacket, white shirt that had either shrunk in the wash or they just didn’tmake them in his size so he’dhad to go for one two sizes too small. His hair was short, his skin clear. This wasn’tajunkie on the street looking to mug me. This was… Iturned to run out of the alleyway and into the street, but came face to face with another man'schest. My body ricocheted off him, and Ibounced backwards into the guy behind me who’dgotten closer, his hands now wrapping around my biceps.
“You’re going to want to take your hands off of me,” Ibit out between gritted teeth, and without waiting for them to respond Istomped down on his foot, feeling my sharp heel bite into his boot and hit his toe.
“Fucking bitch!” he cried out, releasing me.
There wasn’tenough time for me to run as the guy in front grabbed me, barely flinching as Ilifted my knee and rammed it into his crotch as hard as Icould. He grunted but his grip held firm, his face twisting into something ugly and violent.
“Jesus, do you have asteel crotch?” Igasped as Iflailed in his arms, my phone falling from my grip.
“Lenny always wears protection,” the first guy grunted. “Never can be too careful in this line of work.”
Ilooked between the two of them, not recognizing either, though Irecognized the look in their eyes. Isaw it every night at the club.
Greed.
Want.
Hunger for something they couldn’thave.
“And what line of work would that be?” Isnapped as Iattempted to twist and turn in his grip, despite not getting anywhere.
“The type that makes pretty girls real scared,” he sneered.
“Come on,” steel-crotch guy said as he started to drag me away.
Iflailed my body, kicking and yanking hard to try to free myself, but when that didn’twork, Iopened my mouth to scream.
It was broad daylight; surely Icouldn'tbe taken in broad daylight and no one do anything.
The first guy held out apiece of white cloth and my eyes went wide, intelligent enough to recognize that Iwas losing the battle and that things were about to get awhole lot worse for me. He grinned as Iwas pulled against the other man’sfirm chest and held still while the cloth was placed over my mouth. Itwisted my head from side to side, but it was no good.
As the world began to blur at the edges, Ifocused on anything but the man in front of me. Anything but the way his cold eyes bored into mine with alook of greed and desire.
