What Zak didn’t know, what no one knew was that she was planning her escape. She wanted to tell him, this man who had made himself her protector. She wanted to fling her arms around his neck and beg him to take her away but he could never know the truth.
“Please Laura, you have to get out.”
His green eyes were so full of concern that she felt guilty for keeping him in the dark but it was for the best. Darryl would bring serious retribution down on anyone who helped her.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Really.”
She closed herself off then, the sunny smile returning and he felt frustrated. He hated it when she shut him out. Tess was making her way back to them and he just wanted a few minutes to himself so he wandered off to the gents.
Tess bought Laura another drink and they continued their conversation until a drunken man flung an arm around Laura’s shoulders, almost knocking her off her stool and slurred in her ear.
Darryl appeared out of nowhere, wrapped a thick arm around his neck and squeezed, eyes blazing with anger.
“She’s mine,” he growled in the unfortunate man’s ear, causing him to gasp for air.
“Darryl please stop, he’s just pissed,” pleaded Laura as the man’s eyes started to bulge.
But Darryl couldn’t hear her. The red mist had descended.
“Darryl stop, please,” she begged, Tess stood beside her, looking appalled. Then Laura spotted her protector emerging from the bathroom. “Zak,” she cried helplessly.
Divining the situation instantly he raced across the room and dragged Darryl off the man. At first he resisted but when Darryl felt his right arm twisted painfully up his back he released the drunk.
“Alright,” Darryl growled. “I’m calm.”
The drunk scrambled to his feet, horror-struck and staggered away.
Laura had her hands clamped to her face, eyes wide with fear. Tess put a soothing arm around her, endearing her to Zak a little more.
“Look at Laura,” Zak whispered in Darryl‘s ear. “You’re scaring her.”
His blue eyes softened and he went to Laura and pulled her into his broad chest. “Let’s go home,” he said.
She remained rigid against him, her body language screaming that she didn’t want to leave with him but she knew she had no choice.
The room was deathly silent as Darryl and Laura left together, everyone regarding
her sympathetically. Just before she went out the door she looked back at Zak with fear in her eyes and he had never felt so helpless in his life.
XXX
Half Life Page 11