by J. A. Howell
“I don’t need to know any more, Shayne. Now get the fuck out of my hotel room!”
I didn’t even bother grabbing my bags. I just wanted to get out of that room. Tears streamed down my face as I waited for the elevator to reach the lobby. People got on but took no notice of my silent tears or the trembling that I couldn’t stop from running through me. I shoved past them when the elevator finally stopped and made my way outside, hailing a cab. Unsure of where I was going, I wiped away the tears that were now flowing freely down my cheeks and texted Darren.
:I think I’m slipping off the edge again.:
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
I’m Sorry…For Everything
“I can’t believe ya gave her anythin’ at all. But I suppose I understand. Better ta be rid of her.” Liam shook his head as we walked back to his hotel.
“Yeah. Just wish I hadn’t been such an idjit. Why couldn’t I see what she was doin’ from the beginnin’?”
“Because ya loved her. Ya didn’t want ta see it.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “So ya gonna go talk ta Shayne?”
“Ya, I need ta apologize. I texted her but she hasn’t answered me. Maybe she just came back here and crashed.” Liam nodded at the hotel. I hoped that was the case at least.
“When ya talk ta her, tell her not ta feel bad. I don’t think any less of her after seein’ her like that. She’s been through a lot.”
Liam tilted his head at me quizzically and his lips pursed together. “It wasn’t just sex with ya two…was it?”
I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t. I made a mistake leavin’. She’s an amazin’ woman. Even if she can’t see it sometimes.”
Liam smiled, a thoughtful look moving through his eyes. “I’ll tell her.” He said, then gave me a hearty pat on the back. “I’ll call ya and let ya know she’s alright.”
“Thanks.” I nodded and turned to leave just as someone barreled into me, nearly knocking me onto my arse.
“Watch it, arsehole!”
The man spun around and when I met his gaze, I recognized him at once. So did Liam.
“Ian? Are ya drunk, man? Where’s Shayne?”
Ian let out snort and the pungent stench of alcohol hit me like a brick wall. “Fuck her. I don’t know where the hell she went. Probably out blowing some asshole for all I know.”
Liam and I both exchanged concerned looks.
“What happened?”
“She told me she fucked some guy at a bar, then said she didn’t want to be with me. Fucking whore. I should have listened to my friends about her.”
My jaw clenched and I lunged for him, but Liam gripped my arm, yanking me backwards. Ian looked at me, unfazed, and gave a derisive snort. “Oh, I see we got Prince Charming here. Going to defend her honor? A little late for that, don’t you think?”
“Feck ya, ya feckin’ gobshite!” I pulled against Liam’s grip. Ian’s face screwed up as he glared at me.
“The fuck is that?”
“It means yer a feckin’ idjit.” I spat at him.
“I’m the idiot? You’re the one defending her. Doesn’t take an idiot to see what she really is.”
“Say another thing about her and I swear ta God I’ll—” Liam jerked me back again, this time nearly sending me off balance.
“Enough! Where’d she go?” Liam pressed on, staring at Ian. He managed to keep his own anger at bay, but I noticed the twitch of agitation around his mouth.
“I don’t know. I told her to leave and she did. I left her bags outside your room in case she decides to bring her miserable ass back here. Either way, I’m not fucking staying.”
Ian shoved past us toward the valet and handed them a ticket. I started for him again and Liam gripped the back of my shirt.
“Don’t. We’ve got bigger things to be concerned with.” He warned me. I looked back to him, then Ian, and a heavy sense of foreboding churned in my stomach.
“Where do ya think she went?” I asked. He too, looked like he might be sick. He touched two fingers to the swollen bruise on his cheek and I knew he was entertaining the same fears I was.
“I don’t know. She came back here, and told him about it?” He looked down at his phone again, feverishly texting, then clicked send. “Christ, I yelled at her fer stringin’ Ian along, called her horrible things, and she came back here and confessed ta him?”
“She must have felt guilty.”
“Come on, let’s go up ta the room. Maybe she came back?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged, but a tightness in my chest made me think otherwise. She’d told me how bad things had been for her before, how out of control things got with her. I prayed that wasn’t the case now. But what would set her off the edge like that? Surely not just seeing me. No, something else must have happened. I followed Liam up to his hotel room, and sure enough, luggage was sitting outside his room. I grabbed her bags and pulled them into the room. Liam’s phone rang and I breathed a sigh of relief—but it was only temporary.
“Darren? Kieran’s here with me too. I’m puttin’ ya on speakerphone. What’s goin’ on?”
“I’m worried about Shayne. She found out her mother was killed last night.”
Liam’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “What do ya mean she was killed?”
“Some assholes from a gang shot her. She left treatment a few months ago and she was at her dealer’s house last night when they came and shot the place up.”
A sinking feeling settled through me and the expression on Liam’s face only mirrored my own fears.
“What else did she tell ya?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Darren sighed. “She was frantic, kept going on about being just like her. I tried to calm her down, but she said she needed a drink and hung up on me. Honestly, I haven’t heard her that upset in a long time. She hasn’t answered my calls or texts since. It’s been about an hour now.”
“Feck…did she say where she was?” Liam asked.
“Not sure. She said something about going into a club, but it’s fucking New York… I have no clue.”
“The Meatpackin’ District isn’t far from here.” I said.
Liam looked up at me then, with a wary but hopeful look. “Maybe we should start there. Keep tryin’ ta call her, Darren. We’ll let you know if we find her.”
“Will do. It’s not off at least, so maybe she’s just ignoring me right now.”
“Let’s get goin’.” Liam nodded to me and shoved his phone into his pocket. We wasted no time getting back down to the lobby and caught a waiting cab to the Meatpacking District. Liam continued calling Shayne’s phone, leaving message after message to no avail. Each unanswered call only ratcheted up my anxiety another notch. This area was packed with clubs and lounges. There was no telling where she was—or worse—what sort of trouble she was getting herself into. I’d only heard a few tales about her life before, but they were enough to drive my deepest fears home.
Liam handed the cabby cash and we climbed out, scanning the street. “Where the hell do we start?”
“Check with the bouncers. See if anyone’s seen her.”
“Right.” Liam grunted and headed straight for the nearest line of people. The bouncer lifted a suspicious eyebrow at our approach and stood up straight, letting his biceps bulge as he crossed his arms. Liam pulled out his phone and held up a picture of Shayne.
“Sorry ta bother ya, but we’re lookin’ for this woman. She’s a friend of ours. There’s been a family emergency and we have ta find her.”
The bouncer, an older black man with a baldhead, eyed us for a moment, then glanced down at the picture.
“I see a lot of girls come through here.” He shrugged. Liam gave me an annoyed look and I pulled out a couple bills and handed them over.
“I think ya should take one more look. Ya sure ya haven’t seen her?”
He stuffed the cash in his shirt pocket and casually glanced back down at the picture. “She didn’t come here. Judging from her look though, you mig
ht want to head down that way. There’s clubs more her speed over there.”
I didn’t bother to ask what he meant by that. The line of people waiting outside this club were a mix of neon clothes, platinum blonde hair and unnaturally orange skin that most definitely came from a bottle. With a few drinks in her she’d be ripping out hair extensions and fake eyelashes in no time.
“Thanks, man.” I nodded to him and motioned for Liam to follow me. “There’s a club down this way with graffiti everywhere and a tattoo parlor inside. I have a feeling she might be around there.”
If not for the current situation, Liam might have laughed. Instead he just nodded and called her phone again. Still no answer.
We reached the club, a grungy place with loud rock blaring out from the entrance. When we got to the bouncer, Liam held the picture up and asked him if he’d seen Shayne. The man chewed at his lip thoughtfully, tugging at a lip ring, then nodded. “She might still be here. Saw her a while ago.”
I thanked him, handed him cash for our cover, and Liam and I hurried inside.
“You look around that way, I’ll go this way.” Liam shouted to me, then proceeded toward the opposite end of the club. The music blared in my ears and I searched the faces as the strobe lights hit the crowd. I didn’t see any sign of Shayne.
“Dammit, Shayne, where the feck are ya?” I headed toward the bar. Maybe she would still be there drinking herself into oblivion. After everything that had already happened tonight, I wouldn’t blame her. A few women stood at the bar, several with black hair like hers, but none of them were Shayne. “Feck.” I growled, and slouched against the bar. Maybe the bartender had seen her. I waved the stocky man with a buzz cut down, holding out more cash.
“What can I get for you, man?”
“I’m looking fer someone. Pretty girl, black hair, bangs, red lips, lots of tattoos?”
He laughed. “You’re describing half the women here.”
“She was probably upset. Drinkin’ a lot.” I tried to recall what she’d been wearing earlier, though I couldn’t see much when she was in the dark. “She had on boots, a short black skirt and a ripped up black t-shirt.”
The bartender nodded. “Oh, her. Yeah she was here for a while. Sitting over there. Some guys were chatting her up about a twenty minutes ago but I haven’t seen her since.”
“Shit.” I thanked him and looked toward the end of the bar he’d been talking about. Still no luck. The lights flashed toward the bar and I noticed something pink resting on the black graffitied bar. It lit up a second later and I grabbed it up. Liam’s name flashed on the phone’s screen.
“Shayne?” My brother’s relieved voice answered.
“No. It’s me. I found her phone, but not her.” I shouted over the music. Still, if her phone was here, she couldn’t be far, could she? I surveyed the room once more for Shayne, but didn’t get one glimpse of her amongst the mass of writhing, sweaty bodies. Hanging up the phone and pocketing it, I walked toward the restrooms, keeping an eye out for her. As I came around the corner, I was met with a sharp glare from a pair of deep-set brown eyes before the man slipped into the restroom. Something about the look of him didn’t sit right with me.
Concerned, I strode toward the door just in time to hear the lock click in place. I leaned close, straining to hear anything.
“Hey, I’ve got ta piss. Open up!” I banged my fist on the door. Maybe I was being paranoid and the man just liked to do his business in private, but the cold chill that trickled up my back made me suspicious.
“Fuck off!” A shout came from the other side, along with the rustling of clothing and a thud. Undeterred, I banged again, harder. Fabric ripped and I heard a groan—a painful groan, a female groan. Regardless of who he had in there, it didn’t sound like she wanted to be there. Panic and rage tore through me and I banged my fist against the door one last time.
“Open the feck up! Now!”
“Go fuck yourself!” Another voice shouted in reply.
With no more hesitation, I backed up, lifted my foot, and kicked hard below the lock. The door swung open, slamming against the wall and chunks of wood scattered across the tile. Shayne lay a few feet away, limp on the floor, and I met the wide, startled gaze of the man positioned between her thighs. Three other men stood around her, scowling at me.
A vicious sound tore from my throat as I charged at them. I grabbed a piece of broken wood off the doorjamb and swung hard, catching the man hunched over her under his jaw and knocking him to the floor. Someone’s fist came at me from the left and caught me under the eye before I could dodge it, but I didn’t feel it. Rage pulsed through me and I kicked the man on the ground with another growl. Another fist came at me and I swung to the side, throwing my shoulder back. He slammed into the bathroom stall and I swung around grabbing him by the hair and bashing his face against the metal partition.
“Ya motherfeckers!” I kicked the man on the floor again, hard in the groin and he curled into a ball.
“Stop! Please!” He cried out, but my boot caught him in the ribs.
“Oh, ya want me ta stop? And what the feck were ya plannin’ ta do a minute ago?!” I lifted my foot again, but someone else barreled into me, slamming me against a mirror on the far wall. Glass shattered and dug into my shoulders, but I ignored the pain.
The man punched me in the gut, and I winced, then lifted my foot, kicking him off of me. He stumbled back and I caught Liam’s form standing in the bathroom doorway. He glanced around the room and down at Shayne. She was conscious, but barely. She groaned again. Her eyes opened then rolled back with a pitiful whimper. The other man came at me again, and I slipped to the side. His shoulder slammed into the mirror and I grabbed him, punching him low in the side with a jab to his kidney.
It didn’t take Liam long to realize what was going on. Liam was bigger, much more built than me, and with the menacing look that took over his features, any sane, smart man wouldn’t dare feck with him. But it was already clear those weren’t the type of men we were dealing with. The brown-eyed man charged at him and Liam didn’t miss a beat. He caught him in the throat with a heavy fist, sending the man crumpling to the floor. The man in front of me lifted his fist once more, but froze when he noticed Liam a few feet away. He gulped, but Liam flashed him a wide grin.
“Oh no, go on. Please continue.” He laughed and cracked his knuckles. The man took a step back from me just as another man in a black security shirt appeared in the doorway.
“What the hell’s going on here?” He looked around the room from Shayne lying on the floor to the man still curled in pain with his pants around his ankles.
“They attacked her. I was just stopping them.” I said, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. The man’s eyes darted to Liam.
“I was just helping him.” Liam nodded to the brown-eyed man still gripping his throat and letting out gurgled curses.
“You know her?”
“She’s our friend.” Liam said.
“Get her out of here.” The security guard said, his gaze softening for a moment. “I’ll take care of them.”
I knelt on the floor, gently shaking Shayne. She mumbled and her head lolled to the side as her eyes fluttered closed once more. The security guard called for back up over a walkie-talkie then looked back to me and Liam.
“Do you need to take her to the hospital?” He asked, staring down at her in concern.
I lifted her in my arms gently shaking her once more, but she remained slack against me. “I’m not sure. I don’t know if they gave her anything.”
“Jim, hold a cab. I got a few coming to you.” The man said into the walkie-talkie then moved out of our way. Another security guard came down the hall to meet us and cleared a path, leading us back outside. I ignored the stares and mumbling around us. My only concern was the woman in my arms right now.
“They might have slipped her a roofie.” The man leading us outside said. I gritted my teeth and held her closer, listening for her breath. It wa
s even but slow.
“The bartender said he hadn’t seen her fer about twenty minutes. Whatever they gave her, it couldn’t be that long ago.”
“Kieran?” Shayne’s voice was shaky. One dull eye squinted up at me and I looked down at her, cupping her cheek.
“Shayne! Are ya okay?”
“I don’t feel good, Kieran.” She blinked, her eyelids closed in a sluggish motion, and a tear ran down the side of her cheek.
“Maybe ya should get her ta throw up whatever they gave her.” Liam suggested.
I lowered her to the sidewalk and her hand gripped my arm, shaky and weak like her voice.
“Come on, love. If yer feelin’ sick, it’s best ta just get it out.” I coaxed her, pushing her hair out of her face. Some snotty woman made a comment about not being able to hold her liquor and I shot her a venomous look before returning my attention to Shayne.
“I can’t. I don’t want to. I want to lie down.” Shayne whimpered, more tears dripping down her cheeks. Helpless, I looked up at Liam. He held two fingers in front of his face, miming a gagging motion. I shrugged and wiped the stray tears away from Shayne’s cheeks.
“Try. It’s important.”
“I can’t, Kier. I don’t feel well.” Her words slurred off and her eyes rolled back once more. Panic rolled through me and I whispered an apology, before slipping my fingers down her throat. She grunted and fought back, but her feeble grip couldn’t find purchase against my chest.
“Come on, Shayne.” I pressed harder and she gagged, then with a lurch, heaved the contents of her stomach on the sidewalk in a messy puddle that wreaked of liquor. She sniffled and whimpered, trying to push me away, but I did it once more. More liquid came out before she dry-heaved, unable to bring up anything else.
“Please…stop.” She pressed her face against my chest and my heart broke into a million pieces.
“Come on. We need ta get fluids in her. Let’s take her back ta the hotel.”
I shook my head. “My apartments closer.”
Liam nodded and I lifted her up, carefully getting into the cab. “Where’s yer place at?”