Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 08]

by Surviving theDarkness (epub)

  “Um…I’ll have a Cosmopolitan.” Deb responded while watching the creatures of the night dance on the brightly colored dance floor.

  “Beer, whatever’s on tap for me, and another kiss.”

  Obliging, Ginny leaned over and once again, took her time drinking in his lips.

  Deborah took that moment to watch the patrons as they danced and entertained. It was odd, being this close to vampires, werewolves and demons. Though she’d grown up knowing such things existed, she’d never seen one up close. They acted no differently than a human would. If it wasn’t for the fangs, horns and disfigured skin they’d almost seem normal.

  “I’ll be right back with the drinks.”

  Startled, Deborah nodded at Ginny then let out a long breath.

  “It takes some getting used to. I know.” Mitch laid a hand over hers, gave it a gentle squeeze. “But it really is a nice place and everyone knows to respect others. Zach demands it and anyone who steps out of line is promptly escorted from the place.”

  “My ears are ringing.”

  Deborah looked up and for a brief second she lost her breath. Before her stood a tall man, dressed in a very dapper deep-blue suit which if she were to guess would be an Armani. He was tall, thin and had the face of an angel. His long blond hair was tied back from his face which she thought was so that people would see how handsome he really was.

  When his gaze shifted to her, eyes an interesting shade of blue, her heart actually sped up.

  “Hey, Zach. I was just telling Deb here about your bar. Deborah Carmichael, this is Zach Adams. Ginny’s boss.”

  He held his hand out to her, never taking his eyes off of hers. She took his hand and when she expected him to simply give it a shake, he lifted it to his lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles.

  Her heart began to hammer.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Deborah.”

  He released her hand and she could still feel the heat from his lips on her skin. “The pleasure is mine.”

  “Mind if I join you?”

  “Sure, that would be great.” Mitch nodded his approval.

  Zach took a seat, releasing the button on his jacket as he sat. “Ginny tells me that you plan to stay for a while. Taking a small hiatus from your concerts?”

  “Something like that.” What had Ginny told him she wondered? And why didn’t she just come out and ask. Because she was chicken. “She’s told you about me, then?”

  “She has.” Zach looked up when Ginny stepped up to the table with their drinks.

  Deborah’s eyes met her friend and as Ginny set her Cosmopolitan on the table, she leaned into Deborah’s ear to whisper, “He knows about your ordeal.”

  But before Deborah could say anything, Ginny turned her attention to Mitch. “Wade wants to chat with you about his car, honey.”

  “Sure thing. I love car talk.” Taking his beer from Ginny, Mitch followed her to the bar.

  “That was conveniently planned,” Deborah muttered then sipped her drink. The first moment she had alone with Ginny, she was going to give her a piece of her mind. She was not ready to be hooked up with anyone.

  “It was, wasn’t it? She asked me to speak to you and I can see by your reaction that displeases you.”

  Hell yeah! “I know Ginny means well, but…”

  “You’d rather not talk to a stranger about your ordeal. Understood. I told her it was up to you to get help but I understand her feeling helpless. She loves you and she wants to help you.”

  “I know that…” She sighed heavily. “When did she talk to you about me?”

  “Today, actually.”

  Deborah frowned. “I scared her last night. I knew this was wrong. I shouldn’t have come here. I should have…gone somewhere else.” There was a loud crash that jolted Deborah, visibly. She jumped in her chair, her eyes going wild. Her heart began to pound, her head became light and suddenly the room began to swirl.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Give her room to breathe,” Zach shouted out as people gathered around the table. He’d gotten to her fast enough to prevent her from falling onto the floor. Scooping her in his arms, he pushed through the crowd and saw Ginny running toward them.

  “What happened? I was helping Wade clean up the broken glass and when I looked up there was a crowd around the table. Is she okay? Deb?”

  “She blacked out. I’ll take her to my suite. This might have been too much for her.” She was light in his arms, and he couldn’t help but feel protective of the small woman.

  As the elevator doors opened, he hurried inside followed by Mitch and Ginny.

  “I didn’t want to leave her alone at my place again. I knew she’d just stay in her car. I didn’t think it would come to this though. God, is she even breathing?”

  Zach stepped out of the elevator and hurried to his bedroom. “She’s breathing. She’ll be fine once I can wake her up. Grab a cold cloth will you, Ginny.” He laid Deborah on his bed, straightening her legs and arms and the instant Ginny entered the room, he took the cloth and laid it on Deborah’s face. “Come back to us now, Deborah.”

  He stroked her hand in slow soothing motion, running his fingers along the inside from wrist to elbow. Her pulse was slightly erratic but nothing dangerous. “Come on now, time to wake up.”

  “Her eyes are fluttering.” Ginny pounced on the bed, taking Deborah’s other hand. “Come on, Deb. Wake up now.”

  Her eyes fluttered open once, then twice before they shot wide open. She gasped, staring up at them with a great deal of fear.

  “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re safe.” Ginny leaned into her face, smiling. “You’re okay now.”

  “Ginny?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “What happened?” She tried to sit up but Zach held her down by her shoulders. Her eyes shot to him, wide and fearful.

  He released his hands. “You blacked out in the bar. I brought you down to my suite. You should rest a few minutes more, until your body has a chance to recoup.” Zack didn’t like how pale she was.

  She took the cloth from her forehead, looking around, confused. “I blacked out?”

  “I suspect it was the breaking glass that set you off. It was rather startling. Ginny, I have orange juice in my refrigerator. Would you pour Deborah a glass?”

  “Definitely. I’m sorry I pushed you to come here, Deb.” Ginny kissed her head before crawling off the bed. Mitch followed her from the room.

  “I’m so sorry.” Deborah sat up, her face a little red which Zach assumed was more from embarrassment than anything.

  “You have no reason to apologize.” He took the cloth from her and set it on his nightstand.

  “Oh sure, because I didn’t pass out on you and more than likely cause a scene.”

  “You didn’t cause a scene. Your eyes simply rolled to the back of your head before you slid from you chair,” he reassured her humorously.

  She looked up at him, blinked a few times before she finally smiled at his attempted humor.

  “You have a lovely smile. It really brightens your eyes. Ah, Ginny. Thank you so much.”

  “Here you go, Deb.” Ginny handed her the glass of orange juice then just stood at the side of the bed, wringing her hands.

  “Stop worrying, Ginny, and stop blaming yourself. If I didn’t want to be here I wouldn’t have agreed to it,” Deborah reassured before sipping the juice.

  “Still…I’ll get Mitch to drive you home.”

  “No!” Deborah took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m fine, really. And you should go back to work. I’m fine,” she emphasized a little firmer.

  “I’ll stay with her until she feels well enough to leave,” Zach reassured. The terror he saw in her eyes bothered him.

  “Okay…sure.” Wi
th a heavy sigh, Ginny turned, and with her arm around Mitch, left the room.

  “I really appreciate your hospitality, Zach. And I just have to say I feel completely foolish.”

  “Plenty of women black out in bars. It’s a combination of the heat, the dry ice and the alcohol. You’re not my first and I assure you, you will not be my last. Did your abductor break in through a window?”

  She cocked her head to the side, her face filled with confusion. “No, why do you ask?”

  “I assumed that might have been why the sound of broken glass set you off.”

  “It sounded like a gunshot,” she admitted quickly then took another sip from her glass.

  “Were you shot?” Ginny hadn’t said anything about her being shot. Why would she leave out something that serious?

  Resting the glass on her legs, she shook her head. “No, not me. What did Ginny tell you about what happened to me?”

  “She was vague, only said that you were abducted and held against your will for several hours and that it’s deeply affected you.” Though seeing her now, Zach would bet his fortune she’d endured something horrific during her ordeal.

  Deborah took another sip before she continued. “He tied me to the bed, stripped me and…the glass reminded of the gunshot. Long story short. My bodyguard found me and the guy shot him. I don’t feel so good.”

  Was it any wonder she was beginning to hyperventilate? He took the glass then swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed her head down. “Take a few deep breaths,” he instructed her as he rubbed her back with slow smooth strokes.

  She did as he asked and after several moments of calming her breath, she finally sat up. “I hate this. I hate it, hate it, hate it!”

  He took her in his arms while she wept. Her tiny body shook, but no sound came out with her sobs. His mind swirled with what could have happened to her and if she hadn’t been raped he would be utterly surprised. He held her, stroking his hand along her arm while she cried. When he felt her begin to still, he reached across her for the box of tissues. She took one, wiped her face then took another before sitting up.

  “And once again, I make a fool of myself.” She blew her nose.

  “I see no fool. All I see is a woman dealing with a horrendous ordeal.” One that was obviously still fresh. “Was your bodyguard—”

  “No! No, he wasn’t killed. The bullet went into his arm, and there was no major damage, thank God. But he saved me, despite his injury. That happened a week ago, though.” She sniffled and wiped her nose with another tissue.

  “And what? You think that’s enough time to get over what you endured?” he grunted.

  “Now you sound like Ginny.”

  “I’ve always said she was a smart woman.”

  Deborah snickered, which made him feel marginally better.

  “What you went through won’t go away overnight, or in a week, not even two. And if you don’t seek help, it may never go away.”

  “Help? Like a psychiatrist?” she snorted, then took the glass and gulped the remaining juice down.

  “Perhaps, or a self help group.”

  She snorted again. “Oh sure, I could join a self help group and maybe they can tell me why it is the bastard that did this to me was released.”

  “Excuse me?” Had he heard her correctly?

  She blew her nose then taking a fresh tissue, wiped beneath her eyes. “He was released on bail because he’s an upstanding citizen with no prior arrests. Not even so much as a parking ticket.” She tossed the tissue onto the pile accumulating beside her on the bed.

  There was anger there, but she was preventing herself from letting it out. “Is it any wonder we have vigilantes’ in this world? Is that why you came to stay with Ginny? Because he was released?” He just didn’t understand this world and how such animals were allowed to carry on their business after causing so much pain.

  She nodded. “I know he won’t find me here. No one except my bodyguard knows where I am. But I’m not sure I should stay. I’m causing Ginny nothing but stress being here.”

  “You’d cause her more if you left. She’d only worry about you more if she couldn’t see for herself that you’re all right. You’re safe here, and you’d be foolish to go elsewhere.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me foolish.”

  “Forgive me. I should have said it would be foolish for you to leave.”

  “Not any better.”

  “I can help you,” he stated firmly. “I teach self-defense to my waitresses. I could show you a few moves. It would make you feel like you have more control.”

  “I wouldn’t want to put you out.”

  He lifted his brow and his lips curved up in a smirk. “Would I have suggested it if I didn’t want to help? You have more color in your face now. It’s nice to see.”

  She touched a hand to her cheeks, sighed. “Thank you for helping me and for being so kind.”

  “Kindness and helpfulness are my middle names.”

  She laughed and the sound went right to his heart.

  Chapter Twelve

  Because the place was slow, Zach gave Ginny the rest of the night off. Deborah might have believed that if she hadn’t blacked out in her friend’s place of work two hours earlier.

  “I need to know something, Ginny, and I don’t want any lies,” Deborah insisted as soon as they’d entered the house and she felt safe her abductor was not hiding anywhere.

  “Okay…”

  “Did you ask your boss to let you go home early because of me?”

  Ginny set her purse on the counter then opening the fridge, pulled out a bottle of wine. “Nope.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “I am not.” Ginny poured two glasses then carried them to the table. “I’m not lying,” she insisted when Deborah gave her a sideways look. “Zach told me to go home. Who am I to argue with my boss?”

  Deborah didn’t like it one bit. Taking her glass, she sipped the wine. Maybe she’d believe Ginny if the fainting spell hadn’t happened. Her eyes narrowed at her friend.

  “He did.”

  “Because of me. This is why I should leave.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Ginny demanded, grabbing hold of one of Deborah’s hands.

  “All I’ve done since coming here is scare you, make you worry and have your boss send you home so you can babysit me—”

  “I’m hardy babysitting you. If you hadn’t come here to see me I was fully prepared to go to you. I was. I’d asked Zach if I could take a week off. Told him a friend needed me. I was worried about you, Deb. I could have…lost you,” she sniffled back the tears blurring her eyes.

  “Oh, Ginny. I’m so sorry I worried you.” She took her friend into her arms, stroking her hair and back.

  “I want you to stay, Deb. Please tell me you’ll stay?”

  How could she disappoint her best friend? “I’ll stay.”

  Sitting up, Ginny sniffled. “Great! Are you going to take Zach up on his offer to teach you self-defense?”

  Shrugging, Deborah lifted her wine. “I’ll think about it.”

  “He’s really good, knows what he’s doing. And he’s not bad on the eyes, either.”

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out the meaning behind her friend’s innuendo. “If you’re thinking of trying to hook us up—”

  “I’m thinking how much Zach could help you.”

  “Yeah…I bet.” That innocent look Ginny was giving her wasn’t working. Much. “I don’t know…”

  “Come on, Deb. What harm can it do to try?”

  ***

  Later the next night, as Deborah sat at the bar waiting for Zach—demons, vampires and god knew what those bumpy, brown-skinned creatures were around her—she thought just how much harm it could do.
Lord this bar was creepy and why any human being would want to come here and socialize with these creatures was beyond her.

  Why her friend enjoyed working here was another quandary.

  She spotted Zach the instant he entered the room. He wore a tailored gray suit and black shirt and tie. His blond hair was tied back revealing a soft and very handsome face. Ginny was right about one thing, he definitely was easy on the eyes. He was the type of man who commanded attention but didn’t go out of his way to achieve it. He just had that certain flare.

  She watched as he walked through the club, shaking hands, stopping for a brief conversation, laughing at whatever comedic yarn had been told. He kissed ladies’ hands, swung his arm around some in a friendly manner that no way indicated a sexual nature. And as he headed her way, those lovely blue eyes of his found hers and teased a smile from her lips.

  “You’re looking refreshed today.”

  Much to her surprise, he took her hand in his and holding it delicately, brushed his lips across her knuckles. Words escaped her.

  “I hope you’re ready to take charge?” he asked as he released her hand slowly.

  She gathered herself, nodding. “Though, I will admit, I’m a bit apprehensive about doing this.”

  “Oh…?” He raised a hand in greeting as one of the patrons waved at him. “Apprehensive about what?”

  “Learning to fight.” His eyes shifted back to hers and for a brief moment, she thought she saw something shift in the color. “My hands are my living. I don’t want to injure them.”

  One blond eyebrow lifted as did the corner of the left side of his mouth. “You think I’m going to teach you how to use your fists in defense?”

  “Well…yes.” How else was she going to defend herself?

  Taking her hand in his, he helped her off the stool. “Then you’re in for a world of surprise.”

  He led her down via the elevator, to his suite beneath the club. As before, she couldn’t hear a single note, or a voice from the club overhead. She supposed if he were to spend his time here away from work, he wouldn’t want work interfering with his personal time. Still, to have it that sound-proof was astonishing.