Melissa took Alexis’s hand and pulled her toward the bar on the far end. It was crowded, but they moved their way into an open space as soon as someone walked away.
Alexis couldn’t help but look around, hoping to see Lonnie despite her hesitation to ever let someone in again. The bass of the music thundered around the room, making her feel like it was vibrating her chest.
Once they had drinks in their hands, they moved through the club until they found a few of Melissa’s friends standing off to the side.
“Hey!” Melissa shouted over the music.
The girls all hugged, while Alexis stood off to the side watching the exchange. It reminded her of her friends back home. God, how she missed them. Being in the program meant she couldn’t contact anyone from her past, not that they’d want to talk to her, anyway. Vic had alienated her from all her friends and what little family she had. She hadn’t realized what was happening until she was suddenly alone with no one to turn to. Her options had been to stay with Vic or go to the police and hope they could protect her.
So many times she wanted to contact them and explain everything. To apologize for disappearing from their lives when she began seeing Vic, but it would put them in too much danger. Staying in witness protection meant leaving your past behind. She hoped someday the threat would be eliminated, but she knew it was unlikely. As long as Vic lived, she’d have to be in hiding.
“These are my friends, Katie and Shannon,” Melissa said.
Alexis waved. It was hard to talk over the music, so they all moved to the dance floor, taking their drinks with them. Different men approached them, dancing right along as if they had come together. It brought Alexis a lot of old memories of dancing with all her college friends.
Melissa nudged Alexis and tipped her head to gesture to someone. Alexis turned around and spotted Lonnie. He had already seen her and was walking through the crowd, joining them on the dance floor. Two other people joined him—a man and a woman who Alexis thought looked vaguely familiar.
They danced as one large group, and at one point, Lonnie dipped his head down and spoke next to her ear so she could hear him. “You look beautiful.”
Alexis blushed. She wore a strapless, tight black dress that stopped mid-thigh. When Melissa showed it to her, Alexis hesitated at first. But she didn’t have much of anything she could wear to a club and not stick out like a sore thumb. She had relented and put it on. She had to admit it looked good on her, accentuating her slender frame of a small chest, but a plump butt that most men liked to comment on.
“Thank you.”
They danced to another song before Lonnie leaned close again. “Need another drink?”
She nodded, and he led her off the dance floor toward the bar. She could spot her friends still dancing and smiled. They pulled out a phone and took a picture of them all together, and Alexis was thankful she didn’t have to avoid their cameras.
“What are you drinking?” Lonnie asked.
“Vodka cranberry.”
Lonnie leaned across the counter and gave the bartender their orders. Then he smiled down at her, but his head immediately whipped up at the commotion behind her. She turned around just in time to see a man falling toward her. Lonnie pulled her out of the way and then jumped into the fight, pulling the men apart.
Lonnie’s two friends joined in, keeping a larger fight from breaking out. The club security ran over and escorted the men out. Alexis watched wide-eyed at the exchange. Seeing Lonnie and his friends in action was wild. They knew how to deflect and defend themselves. It was impressive, to say the least.
Once Lonnie joined her again, he leaned across the bar and paid for their drinks before taking them and handing one to her. Then they walked toward the outdoor patio.
The cool night air felt good on her skin after being in the hot club. She still couldn’t believe everything that had just happened and looked at Lonnie, who casually sipped his drink as if it was a normal night out, not even out of breath.
“So how’s your night going?” he asked.
She blinked. “You just broke up that fight and are acting like it’s no big deal.”
He shrugged. “It isn’t a big deal. It’s what I do for a living. Mostly, anyway. Normally, I’m just trying to keep people from going after the people I’m protecting.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
Lonnie leaned forward, resting his arms on the railing as they stared out into the park across the street. “I work in security. I’m usually a bodyguard for a band, but I’m in Cupid City working with Cass temporarily.”
“A band I would know?”
Lonnie looked at her, and the smile on his face made her knees go weak. “Possibly.”
She smiled shyly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. What were they talking about? She couldn’t remember.
“So where are you from?” she asked.
“Austin, Texas. How about you?”
