by Cat Miller
The rear door to the kitchen banged open and Tony filled the portal. His suit jacket was gone and the pale purple shirt he’d worn under it was torn and half unbuttoned. The hair that had been oiled and neatly slicked back before now hung in his flushed face. Blood dripped from a gash in his forehead, and his eyes blazed with rage. It seemed he’d taken quite a tumble.
“There you are you little bitch! I’m going to kill you when the boss is done with you!”
All of the kitchen staff gasped and dashed off to escape Tony’s fury as he charged across the kitchen.
Everly ran around the massive cooking ranges in the opposite direction. Dolce’s furious shouts mingled with Tony’s. She’d just pushed the door open and stepped into the dining room when Tony caught up with her. His crushing grip on her wrist stopped her in her tracks. He jerked her back toward him. Everly let out a cry of pain and frustration as she was yanked backward. She swung her free arm in an arch, using her momentum to add force to her swing. The hefty frying pan struck Tony across the cheek and jaw with a crack. Her petite stature and short reach only went so far, so he was spared a direct head shot from the solid pan.
Her body was already in motion, and she couldn’t stop. Her much smaller body slammed into Tony and they both fell back into the kitchen. She landed on his chest with a thump and a whoosh of air from Tony. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.
The right side of his face was covered in blood from the open wound on his forehead and the left side was red from his run in with her pan. Tony blinked twice before finally releasing his punishing hold on Everly’s arm when he passed out.
Everly scrambled to her feet and tugged her dress back down around her thighs. She recovered her pan from where it had slid across the room and struck the wall when she and Tony hit the floor. She had to get to Dolce now.
Hurrying back into the dining room she found Dolce fending off Marco with a chair. The other patrons were either hiding in their booths or rushing for the exit. Archie was hanging back, letting his men do the dirty work, but his hand was tucked into his jacket’s inner pocket. Everly feared he had a gun at the ready, but she doubted he’d use it with so many witnesses looking on.
There were tables flipped and chairs scattered around the elegant dining room. Dolce had been busy making a clatter and avoiding being captured while she demanded to see Everly. It was impressive to say the least. Dolce was no push over.
Dolce’s eyes shot toward Everly for just a second before she refocused her attention back on the thug. “There you are. You left before I could buy that drink I promised you,” Dolce said casually. As if they weren’t facing armed criminals.
“I ran into a little trouble, but I took care of it in the kitchen,” Everly replied as she hobbled over to Dolce.
Archie looked toward the kitchen incredulously. That’s right, asshole. I knocked out your boy.
“Oh, good. You’ve evened out the odds for us then. It’s two on two now.” Dolce smiled at the thug.
They had to shout to be heard over the beautiful music floating up from the dance floor below. The expertly played instrumental pop music was so incongruous with the scene before Everly. The music was like a movie soundtrack to her unfolding nightmare. It was all very surreal for a girl used to ranch life. Gun wielding villains with New York accents and thugs weren’t something she thought she’d ever experience.
Archie stepped up behind his henchman, using him as a shield. “I’m afraid not ladies.” His hand came up and he pointed his shiny black gun right at Dolce’s head.
Dolce gasped but stood her ground.
The remaining diners all fled the scene with the appearance of a firearm. They didn’t mind a good fight, but she guessed the chance of getting caught in the crossfire was far less entertaining. Everly’s heartbeat slowed from a thundering pace to a crawl. Her lungs felt frozen. Fear crawled up her spine and clouded her vision. He won’t shoot Dolce, would he? For what? To get at Everly? Fuck! How much money did her father owe the man?
“Let me assure you ladies that I’m a very good shot. I will put a bullet in her head and not lose a wink of sleep.”
“You’ll go to jail. You might anyway after this scene,” Everly challenged, and she was proud that her voice didn’t sound as shaky as she felt.
“You would think so, wouldn’t you, but no. You see, I just recently purchased this establishment,” Archie admitted looking smug.
“Fuck!” Dolce cursed.
Great. So if Dolce had called the police when they arrived they would’ve been told there was no trouble. It was a false alarm or a prank. The cops had probably already had a look around the busy club, seen that all was well on the public level of the building and moved on.
“Fuck, indeed. You see, your friend here came barreling through my club and threatened my life. I have no idea who she is. When police arrive, I will explain that my bodyguard had no choice but to shoot the woman.”
Marco pulled the gun he’d seemed reluctant to whip out with a room full of witnesses. Now that his role had been explained to him, the man stood ready to shoot either or both of them.
“She will be carrying a gun, of course, and you, my dear, will be long gone and waiting for me to come teach you a lesson in manners. There will be an investigation, but all of my employees will swear to my story, and I have plenty of loyal customers downstairs who will verify it as well. Not to mention, I have friends in somewhat high places. It’ll all blow over fairly quickly.”
Everly believed him, considering the number of people who’d seen her carted off to be raped and murdered and no one ran for help.
Feeling far more confident of his victory, Archie stepped out from behind the thug. He licked his flabby lips and ran his bulging eyes over her and Dolce. It made her want to vomit on the spot.
“Two for one. I’ll have to take you both now.” He looked back and forth between Everly and Dolce with a leer that made Everly’s skin crawl. “Looks like the boys won’t have to wait for me to finish with you, Ms. Parker. Your brave but silly friend here will regret interfering.” He patted his now grinning henchman on the back.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Tony and me’ll take good care of ya.” Marco looked very pleased to inform Dolce in his thick accent. As if he were comforting her. Dolce didn’t look reassured.
Archie’s jovial tone didn’t match the wrath burning in his eyes. The man looked crazed but his gun hand was steady. Everly was sure he would shoot Dolce if they didn’t comply.
“Make no mistake, Ms. Parker. I will receive payment for the money owed to me tonight. It’s time your father paid the piper. The boys were going to pay him a visit in Colorado tomorrow. It’s fortunate that one of my men recognized you first. Fortunate for me that is, because I much prefer the use of your body until I’m feeling good and satisfied to his painful and prolonged death.”
Everly shivered. She was angry with her father, but he was her daddy, and she would always love him with the heart of the little girl who worshipped the strong cowboy he used to be before the death of her mother shattered his will.
Archie didn’t have a quick death planned for her father. No, he’d instructed his thugs to make Dean Parker pay for his debt in blood. Now it looked like that blood would be Everly’s.
“Christianson should really be more careful who he pisses off. It was one of his boys who verified your identity, Ms. Parker. If not for the positive I.D., you would have walked away tonight. Now you belong to me.” Archie’s nostrils flared, and he took a step closer to them in a threatening move with his gun extended.
Dolce took a step back and pulled Everly with her.
“It’s a fucking insult that Dean gave you to Christianson first.” He started out calmly, but his rage had built by the end of his statement. He was shouting as he continued. “Do you have any idea how much fucking money your cow shit shoveling father owes me? I’m going to destroy him for insulting me this way! Since he’s been whoring you out as payment to Christianson for
weeks, I’m going to have my fill as well. Christianson should be glad he got you first! There won’t be much left when I’m done! Dean will pay! I’m going to fuck his pretty daughter until she can’t move. Then the real fun will begin. After that we’ll see what his other daughter has to offer.”
“You son of a bitch!” Everly lunged at him, but Dolce yanked her back. She dropped her chair. It was a useless shield against a gun anyway.
The threat to her baby sister was more than Everly could handle. Kennedy was a sweet, innocent girl with a bright future. There was no way Everly would let this monster touch her. In the back of her mind she wondered how Archie knew about her deal with Luc. Did everyone know? If one of Luc’s employees sold her out to Archie, it couldn’t be much of a secret. It was no wonder Luc had moved on already. He’d never have a serious relationship with her.
“Luc will kill you if you touch her,” Dolce spoke up. Everly didn’t agree with Dolce’s assertion that Luc would defend her. It seemed he was done with her already. Why would he bother getting his hands dirty?
Dolce tried to pull Everly behind her, but Everly wouldn’t allow it. She wouldn’t let Dolce suffer for Dean Parker’s sins. Dolce was a good friend and good person under her hard ass don’t-fuck-with-me exterior. Everly had the feeling she wasn’t going to survive her experience with Archie. She wouldn’t take Dolce with her. Everly needed someone to warn her family to protect Kennedy, and Dolce was her only hope, but they were trapped between the gun wielding men and the railing that looked over the busy crowd in the club below.
With Dolce and her family’s safety in mind, Everly attempted to make a deal with the devil. She’d accused Luc of being the devil before, but was so wrong. Luc wasn’t evil. He was just egotistical and self-centered. This man, Archie, was evil.
“I’ll go with you . . . if you let Dolce go.” Her voice shook. She was afraid but resolved to do what she could to get Dolce out of there untouched. Everly put herself between Archie and Dolce.
Archie laughed. “You’re under the misapprehension that you have a choice here, Ms. Parker. You don’t. You’re both coming with me.”
Archie nudged his henchman without taking his aim off of her. The gun that had been pointed at Dolce was now aimed squarely at Everly. It was just the four of them in the dining room. Dolce had been moving backward toward the railing that overlooked the club below and pulling Everly with her as she went.
Dolce pressed closer to Everly and whispered, “Over the railing. Jump.”
Oh God! She wanted her to jump? It was a long drop, maybe two stories to the floor below. There were people down there. What if she hurt someone? Could this night get any worse? Everly didn’t see a better alternative though. They’d have to scream and hope the people would hear them and move out of the way. A broken leg or two was far better than what Archie had planned for them. Once they were among the crowd in the club, would Archie come after them? If they begged for help, would anyone listen? Everly had to believe not every person down there was under Archie’s influence. She and Dolce had gone there with no idea who owned the place, and they would never ignore a cry for help. It was a risk worth taking. Damn it! Everly knew this was going to hurt.
One more step back and Dolce was against the railing. “Now,” Dolce said, and she tried to simultaneously climb the high railing and drag Everly up with her.
“What are you doing?” Archie shouted.
“Move! Move!” Dolce instructed Everly again as she grabbed the vertical rail and climbed up and over the wooden shelf that served as a table for drinks and slid down to dangle above the floor far below. Everly had to drop her only weapon, that wonderfully heavy pan, to follow Dolce. Instead of just letting it fall to the floor Everly gave the pan a swing and let it fly at Archie. The thug tried to stop the hefty projectile from striking his boss, who ducked.
Everly had bought herself a few seconds to get her round ass over the rail and slide down so she was nearly out of reach, but those seconds felt like an eternity when she was waiting for Archie to make good on his threat and shoot her in the back at any moment.
Everly made it over and slid down so fast that her hands were burning. She and Dolce were hanging side by side with their legs swinging. One of Dolce’s shoes fell off and hit a man on the floor. He looked up and saw the tableau above him. Two women hanging over the crowd. One rotund man shouting and cursing while another tried desperately to get his hands on Everly. The man on the floor was pushing people out of the way when through the crowd emerged a familiar face.
On the floor directly below now stood Rourke. “Let go, Dolce!” he shouted and she did immediately. Dolce dropped, somehow still managing to look graceful in her freefall to safety, and landed right in Rourke’s outstretched arms. He set her on her feet. Dolce kicked off her other shoe and held out her arms, as if she would now catch Everly. As strong a woman as she was, Everly was sure her falling weight was more than Dolce could handle. She’d crush her friend for sure. Rourke nudged Dolce out of the way.
Movement in the crowd drew Everly’s attention. Luc was forcing his way across the crowd of upturned faces. He was looking up at Everly with anger and maybe fear in his dark eyes. Was he frightened for her or just Dolce? Was he angry that his romantic evening with the striking brunette had been interrupted?
The men above her were attempting to get a hold of her through the bars of the railing. Their task was made difficult by the tall security railing with a ledge to hold drinks. It would be very difficult to get to her over the railing without falling. She was clinging to the bottom rung. Her hands were the only visible part of her body unless you leaned over to look down at the long drop below her. Marco made another grab for her hands but Everly shifted and twisted away yet again.
Rourke drew her attention back to him.
“Let go, Everly. Let go right now. It’s time to let go.” Rourke gave her the command with every ounce of military bearing he possessed. Which was a lot. His tone brooked no argument. His pale blue eyes urged her to trust that he wouldn’t let her fall to the floor. He would catch her just as he had Dolce. He expected immediate compliance, but she couldn’t let go.
Damn, Dolce. When Everly told her to get help she’d meant the police, not the Inferno cavalry. But hadn’t Everly already decided that the police wouldn’t have done them any good in Archie’s crooked club?
Everly was looking down at her friends as they pleaded and demanded she release the bar. She was imagining herself crashing to the floor as she dangled there high above the very hard, gleaming wood surface. Her throat felt tight. Her heart thundered in her ears. Her knee throbbed intensely from the beating it had already taken during her struggle with Tony. She was shifting from bar to bar in an effort to evade the clutching hands of Archie’s henchman.
Everly’s arms ached under her own weight. She had moved a few more bars over to avoid a near capture. She was sure the skin of her palms was torn. She was terrified, but she wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. Everly had never before been aware of this petrifying fear of heights. Dolce was shouting at her to let go. Rourke stood waiting to catch her, but she couldn’t do it.
Archie was threatening her and every member of her family from above. Marco was chasing her back and forth as she used the railing like monkey bars to move out of his reach. Everly’s fear mounted to an unreasonable level. Every time she looked down it seemed the distance to the floor had doubled.
Luc broke through the throng of people with outstretched arms and called to her.
“Everly, let go! I will catch you, baby, let go!”
She looked into his eyes and saw his determination to see her to safety. The last few hours and the pain of losing him momentarily faded away. She trusted him with her life. Looking into his handsome face she knew he wouldn’t let her down now. Luc would catch her. She trusted him to save her life, even if he’d already broken her heart. She swallowed her fear, closed her eyes tight and released the bars, but she was a millisecond too late.
Marco had anchored his leg around one side of the railing and straddled it. He bent over far enough to grip her wrist just as she released her death grip on the bars. Archie himself had gotten down on his belly and reached through the bars and grabbed a handful of her long, thick hair.
She screamed and looked to Luc for help. She could see Dolce trying to get past the security guards blocking the way to the private level. The insane woman was trying to climb back into the trap she’d just escaped.
Rourke ran after Dolce and joined the fight to break through the wall of resistance provided by Archie’s security staff.
Again, Everly felt a sense of unreality. The music never stopped for the drama unfolding in the club. The lights flashed rhythmically. The people who had been dancing and lingering over drinks at the bar and round tables all over the posh establishment looked on in horrified amazement, but nobody rushed in to help. They stood in fascination, as if this was all a part of the evening’s entertainment.
Luc cursed loud and long, promising to take Archie apart for touching his woman. Something caught his attention, and Luc yelled to Rourke. They moved off in the opposite direction. Rourke was dragging Dolce away from the clashing with club security kicking and screaming. Her insults to their manhood were worthy of the saltiest sailor.
Tony appeared along the railing above looking quite battered to help haul Everly back up and over the rail. She was dumped on her ass between the three men.
“I love a challenge, Ms. Parker.” Archie panted with his exertion. “You’re going to be quite a treat.”
Everly glared at the man. He rubbed a hand down the front of his pants and she realized the disgusting man’s dick was hard. He was excited by her defiance. Sick fuck!
A meaty hand reached out to strike her across the face. Tony didn’t seem to care what Archie’s plan was at the moment. He wanted his pound of flesh. Everly’s world spun. Agony lanced through her cheek. Her neck snapped, and she fell backward to sprawl on the plush carpet.