Blackout: A Romance Anthology

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  The world would be a better place without a man like me anyway. I’d do everything to survive, to keep my promise, but if I failed, at least I knew she was safe.

  Tony’s eyes bulged, the thick raised vein on his forehead pulsed, and I watched the rage takeover his features. “You think I’m joking?” he spat, pulling a handgun from beneath his pristine suit jacket. He pressed the barrel to my forehead just as the rope around my right wrist loosened enough to slip my hand through.

  My hands were free, but I kept them behind my back, waiting for my opening. One wrong move and I’d be dead before I hit the floor.

  He opened his mouth to say something else, but never got the chance. A whooshing sound echoed through the dank space, the lights blinked out and we were plunged into darkness.

  “What the fuck?” Tony shouted, his voice echoing in the otherwise silent room.

  The cool metal of the gun disappeared, but it was pitch black inside the windowless room, there was no way to tell if Tony was still standing in front of me or not, never mind the other two men with guns. If I made a run for it, they might start firing into the darkness, but if I didn’t and the lights came back on, I was a dead man.

  My body and face ached, but thankfully my legs were fine. Tony had stuck mostly to head and body shots, turning out to be less sadistic than I’d imagined. He was a wannabe tough guy who preferred the use of fists over torture devices.

  Thank God for small favors.

  “I’ll go check it out,” another voice said, followed by the sounds of shuffling feet.

  Deciding to take my chances, I slowly stood, careful not to make a noise as I sidestepped away from the chair. I could hear the whooshing of my blood pumping in my ears, creating a sort of white noise that heightened all my other senses. I closed my eyes, or eye rather, since one was completely swollen shut from the beating I’d taken. I couldn’t see anything anyway, but for some reason it helped me focus. I tried to recall what the room had looked like when they dragged me in here the night before.

  It was a sunken basement in the warehouse, there was a set of steps on the left side of the door, if I could get to them, I might be able to slip out. I stood stock still, keeping my breathing steady and silent despite the pain in my ribs wreaking havoc with every breath. Listening carefully, I counted the guard’s steps and tried to gauge which direction he was going in.

  “Did someone forget to pay the bill or somethin’?” the other guard asked, followed by a rustling noise I couldn’t place.

  “No, you idiot,” Tony snapped.

  Someone else started walking around, making me lose count of the first set of footsteps. If they were moving around, they might bump into the empty chair and then I’d really be fucked. One set of footsteps evened out and the sound of rusty hinges squeaking sliced through the room.

  Now or never.

  Slowly as I could manage, I inched back toward where I remember the door being, my hands sweeping back and forth to make sure I didn’t run into anything. I don’t remember any other furniture besides the chair I was tied to, but I’d dozed off or passed out more than a few times over the past day or so. There was no telling what they could’ve brought in beyond my view while I was out.

  My boot made a slight squeak and I froze. The other set of footsteps didn’t falter, so I kept going, taking extra care with each step to avoid a repeat. Between the fights in the pit and being used as Tony’s personal punching bag for the last however many hours, I wasn’t exactly prepared to take anyone on. The only way I made it out of this situation was if I did it quietly and without incident.

  “What if we can’t get the power on?”

  “What are you talking about?” Tony barked.

  “The dude, if we can’t get the lights on, what do we do with him?”

  Shit.

  I picked up my pace, still trying to be as silent as possible. If they kept talking about me, they might talk to me. If that happened, I had two choices; not answer and risk them finding their way back to the now empty chair, or answer and pray they couldn’t tell I wasn’t where I was supposed to be, neither were viable options.

  “We take him somewhere else,” Tony gritted out.

  My finger grazed something and I paused, feeling around until my fingertips landed on cool metal. It was the railing to the stairway. I was almost there.

  “I wish I had my phone, at least then I’d have something to do,” the guard grumbled.

  I hadn’t thought about phones. All he had to do was use the flashlight and I’d be dead to rights.

  “You don’t bring your cell phone with you when you’re going to kill someone. Now, please, shut the fuck up.”

  They were just as blind as I was, at least something was starting to go my way. I let my hands glide along the railing until I found the end. Carefully, I made my way around the bottom of the stairs.

  One, two, three…

  I counted the steps trying and failing to remember how many the guard had taken. I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the railing bow and even out, indicating I’d reached the landing.

  So fucking close.

  Finding the handle, I took a steadying breath, knowing what would come next. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it through the warehouse and outside before they caught up with me, but I had to try.

  Twisting the handle, I pulled open the door, the hinges screeching loudly as I slipped through the door. I turned to head down the hallway where I remembered the makeshift lockers were and was instantly blinded by light.

  I blinked, my eyes trying to adjust. “Are you fucking crazy?”

  Marco.

  “I gotta get the fuck out of here,” I whispered, hoping Tony couldn’t hear us.

  “Hello? Joey, is that you?” Tony’s voice called from the other side of the door.

  “Fuck,” Marco hissed, shutting off his flashlight app and plunging us back into darkness. The hinges squeaked again. “No, it’s Marco. Joey’s grabbin’ the flashlights, hang tight,” he called before the door slammed shut.

  The dark hallway was illuminated once again by Marco’s phone. “Don’t know how long that’ll hold ‘em off so you better get gone.”

  “What about the other guy?” I asked, trying to see down the hall with blurry eyes.

  “I took care of him. Here,” he whispered, handing me a set of keys. “Joey’s Escalade is parked out back. You remember my old place in Savannah Heights?”

  “Yeah.” I’d practically lived at Marco’s when we were younger, I’d never forget it. I purposefully ignored the comment about ‘taking care of’ the other guard, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be indebted to him any more than I already was.

  Marco nodded and pulled out a folded stack of cash, shoving it at my chest. “That’s where they went. Get the fuck outta Vegas and stay gone, you got me?”

  I took the cash, shoving it into the pocket of my jeans. It wasn’t the time to argue with him over how I didn’t need the money. If I was adding one more to our gang of runaways, we could probably use the extra cash.

  “Yeah, thanks man,” I said, giving him a grateful smile I hoped he could see in the dim light.

  “Just keep Callie safe, that’s thanks enough.”

  “Callie?” I asked, confused.

  “She’s comin’ with you guys. I want her away from this shit, so do me a favor and keep an eye on her for me, yeah?”

  I should’ve known, Callie wouldn’t let Ellis disappear without her. “Of course,” I agreed.

  “Good, now go!” he hissed, giving me a shove for good measure.

  Letting the wall guide my way, I hurried down the hallway. Taking a left, I crept into the main room of the warehouse where the fights were held, the faint moonlight streaming in from the windows lighting my path. My ears still straining for any sign I’d been found out.

  Nothing.

  I made my way out of the warehouse easily enough, but finding Marco’s rig took far too long in the shadows of an unlit evening. Climbing ins
ide, I winced at the pain in my ribs the whole way. Letting out the first full breath in what seemed like days, I started the Cadi and pulled onto the darkened street.

  I just had to get to Ellis. The idea seemed simple enough, but the fact that the entire city seemed to be dark made my getaway infinitely more complicated.

  CHAPTER 8

  Ellis

  “What the fuck is going on? I still don’t have service,” I said, checking my phone for the thousandth time in the last two hours since the lights went out. I was already losing my shit stressing about Nix, I didn’t need some fucking super blackout ratcheting up my anxiety any more.

  Sawyer walked in from the kitchen with a flashlight tucked under his arm and carrying a bag of chips. He collapsed onto the couch beside me with an audible grunt. “I don’t know, blackouts don’t usually fuck with the cell towers, this shit is next level,” he said on a yawn.

  Tony had Nix and after the chaos at the underground last night, none of us had been able to wind down enough to catch any shut eye. We were all going on thirty-six hours without sleep and utterly exhausted.

  When we got to Marco’s place after our hasty escape, I was pleasantly surprised to find Callie had the forethought to pack me a bag. We took turns showering and collapsed in the living room to stare at the ceiling and wonder what kind of torture Nix was suffering through. Occasionally, one of us would wander into the kitchen for something to eat, thankfully Marco kept the freezer well stocked with frozen pizza otherwise we would’ve starved.

  It was an excruciating waiting game, but when the lights went out, our collective anxiety went through the roof. My stomach twisted with worry and regret as the hours ticked by, the darkness making me feel more desperate somehow.

  “Look, babe. I know you’re totally spinning out right now, and I get it, I do, but we have to trust Marco. He promised he’d find a way to get Nix out, and he will,” Callie promised.

  I could see the trust shining in her eyes, she truly believed Marco would save Nix, but I wasn’t convinced. He’d always looked out for his own ass first before lending help to anyone, it was practically his code. Marco had walked in on Tony strangling me and did nothing, I had a hard time believing he’d stick his neck out to save Nix.

  Headlights flashed across the drawn curtains in the small living room, immediately setting me on edge. “Did Marco say he was coming to check on us?” I whispered, pushing off the couch.

  I briefly wondered if having the lantern Sawyer had found in the garage on was a good idea. The lantern was enough to bathe the small living room in a soft light, but shown through the curtains, announcing our presence to anyone on the street.

  “No, he was at the warehouse the last time I talked to him,” Callie said, following me to the window.

  Each taking a side, we pulled the curtain aside and looked out just as a black Escalade pulled into the driveway. The too bright headlights made it impossible to see the driver, but it was the same kind of car Tony and his guys drove around town. Letting go of the curtain, I carefully backed away from the window.

  “Shit! It’s Tony,” I hissed, my throat constricting around the words. After everything we’d been through, he still found me.

  I was halfway through the kitchen, headed for the back door when Callie called out. “No it’s not! It’s Nix,” she said, rushing to the front door.

  Bone deep relief washed through me as I switched directions, sliding a bit on the old linoleum floor. I was hot on Callie’s heels as she flung open the front door to reveal a beaten and bloody Nix.

  “Oh my god,” I breathed, my hand coming to cover my mouth. His face was covered with fresh bruises making him nearly unrecognizable. One eye was swollen shut, blood trickled down his chin from a split lip, and he was favoring his right side.

  “Hey,” he said, looking past Callie to me. He tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

  “Come on, let’s get you inside,” Callie said, stepping aside. Sawyer was at Nix’s side in an instant, helping him to the couch.

  I had so many questions, so much I wanted to say, but I couldn’t find the words. Unable to do anything else, I followed silently behind them as Callie closed the door and locked up.

  “What happened?” Callie asked. I could’ve kissed her for taking control when neither Sawyer or I seemed capable.

  “I got out when the blackout hit,” Nix said, groaning as he tried to get comfortable.

  Callie chewed on her lip, eyes far away. “What about Marco? Where is he?”

  “Still at the warehouse, I think. He gave me the keys to the truck and told me to get out of Vegas as soon as we could. I got away from Tony before I ran into Marco though, so I don’t think they know he helped,” he said.

  Sawyer came up from behind me and handed Nix an ice pack. I hadn’t even noticed him leave the room. Shaking my head, I tried to clear the fog in my brain. I needed to pull it together and we had to figure out how we were going to get out of town.

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Sawyer asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He’d been more stressed than he wanted to admit and it was starting to show.

  Nix shook his head and sighed. “The blackout took down everything, even the traffic lights, it’s a fucking zoo out there. Took me two hours just to get here.”

  “Okay, then we should wait here until the power comes back on,” Callie said, taking a seat on the black leather recliner.

  I hated the idea of waiting any longer now that we had Nix, but they were right. Trying to leave now wouldn’t do anything but put us out in the open and make it easier for Tony to find us. Sitting tight was the right call.

  “Are you hungry, or do you want something to drink?” I asked, finally finding my voice.

  Nix gave me another half-smile, half-grimace, and nodded. “Some water would be good.”

  Thankful to have something to do, I grabbed our only flashlight from Sawyer and hurried into the kitchen, searching the cupboards for a glass. The emotional rollercoaster of the past few days weighed heavily on my mind, making it hard to focus. I thought of what came next as I pulled the ice tray out of the freezer and dropped a few cubes into a glass, surprised they hadn’t started to melt yet.

  Were we together now? I didn’t think so, no, definitely not. There was too much still left unsaid. Eventually we’d actually have to talk about everything that had happened, try to make sense of our past and see if there was even a future to be had together. It would be a long journey, full of rough patches and road blocks, but if I was being honest with myself, it was what I wanted in the end. It’s what I’d always wanted.

  I didn’t care where we lived or what we did, the dream had always been him, the details didn’t matter. Nix wasn’t perfect, far from it, but looking back, he’d always been exactly what I needed when I needed it. The realization gave me pause, my brain struggling to make sense of it.

  When I first moved to Vegas I was scared and lonely, and despite my protests, Nix wormed his way under my skin, befriending me anyway. Sawyer, Nix and I did everything together, he even introduced me to Callie when we were twelve, he gave me my tribe.

  We fell fast and hard in high school, and he taught me what love was when I had no real example of it. After my parents divorced, my mom cycled through boyfriend after boyfriend, each relationship a special brand of fucked up. Nix showed me what it meant to sacrifice for those you loved, how to show someone you love them, not just say the empty words.

  He broke my heart when we were barely old enough to call ourselves adults. I didn’t understand it at the time, I was furious and hurt, unable to comprehend loving someone and letting them go. But Nix proved me wrong again.

  I was older now, I’d lived, experienced things, things I wouldn’t have had I been tethered to my phone waiting for a collect call from the state penitentiary. He understood that I needed to live my life. He’d gone about it the absolute wrong way, but the intention was there and I was finally beginning to see it.


  What I still didn’t understand though, was why he didn’t come back for me after he was released. It was the last piece of the puzzle I couldn’t quite figure out. When we were finally safe and away from all the chaos and drama, I’d ask him. Whether we were going to be together or not, I needed the closure, to lay that piece of our past to rest so we could all move on.

  I filled the glass from the tap and walked back into the living room with a new sense of peace inside me. Whatever happened, or didn’t, I’d find my happiness because of the lessons Nix had taught me, even though he probably didn’t even realize it.

  “Thanks,” he said, when I handed him the water.

  Without giving it much thought, I took the only seat left, sandwiching myself between Nix and Sawyer. The awkwardness of doing something that had been so normal at one point, ate at me. I hated that even sitting next to Nix made me feel uncomfortable.

  “Sawyer, come help me in the kitchen,” Callie ordered, climbing off the recliner.

  “What? Why?”

  “Just come on,” she gritted out, eyeing Nix and me on the couch.

  He groaned, sinking further into the couch. “But I’m tired.”

  I wasn’t sure if Sawyer was just sleep deprived or if he was truly clueless, either way, he wasn’t picking up on Callie’s not so subtle hints and she looked as if she’d had just about enough of it.

  “News flash, we’re all fucking tired. Nix and Ellis need some alone time, so get your ass up and help me in the fucking kitchen,” she bit out.

  Sawyer rolled his head to the side so he could glare at us. “Why can’t you guys just go in the other roo—”

  “Sawyer Miles Davis, I swear to Christ,” Callie snapped, her tone brooking no argument.

  Curling my lips around my teeth, I tried to hold in my laughter, but my shaking shoulders gave me away. Nix wasn’t so subtle, not even trying to hide his chuckle. Sawyer hated his middle name, and everyone knew it, much to his dismay.