The Texan Quartet (Books 1-4) Omnibus

by Claire Boston

  She shook her head. “How did he die?”

  “You should ask him about it,” Rayen said, pursing her lips together.

  She wasn’t going to say. Piper didn’t mind. She was right. She changed the subject but it stayed in her thoughts. There was a lot she didn’t know about this man.

  ***

  The concert was being held in a classy, dimly lit nightclub. There was a huge dance floor in front of the stage with a few discreet booths and tables to the sides. Most of them were full except for the table reserved for George. The music was loud.

  “I’ll buy you a drink,” Piper said as they approached the bar. “What do you want?”

  Rayen named her drink and waited next to Piper as she ordered.

  “Hey, Pocahontas. I’ll be your John Smith.” The voice came from the other side of Rayen and Piper turned as a Hispanic man ran his hand over Rayen’s shoulder.

  She shrugged him off, but didn’t turn.

  “Come on now, baby. Don’t play hard to get.”

  Rayen’s face set hard, staring straight ahead.

  Piper leaned over and said, “Get lost.”

  “Don’t be jealous, sweetheart. There’s enough of this to share.” He pointed to himself. “The three of us can have some fun.”

  She couldn’t tell whether he’d been drinking or if he was just an egotistical asshole. Either way it didn’t matter. “Not in this lifetime,” she told him, and handed Rayen’s drink to her. Then she let the younger woman walk ahead to where George’s table was. She ignored the quick butt squeeze she received when she turned her back on the jerk. It was tempting to throw her drink in his face, but she didn’t want to waste it or cause a scene. The quicker they got away from him the better.

  Rayen reached the table first and took a seat. As Piper arrived a staff member was saying to her, “You can’t sit there. It’s reserved.”

  Rayen glanced at Piper.

  “This table is reserved for George Jones, isn’t it?” Piper asked.

  The guy nodded.

  “We’re George’s guests, Piper and Rayen. You can check with him if you like.”

  The guy looked at the two of them and then backed off. “I will.”

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Rayen said. “He would have kicked me off no matter what I said.”

  “That’s not true,” Piper said, hoping she was right. “He backed down when we mentioned George’s name.”

  Rayen looked at her with pity. “If I had said that, he would have told me to stand somewhere else until George arrived.”

  Piper didn’t know what to say. She had no experience with racist behavior before, but it was obvious Rayen had. And there was Piper thinking they were living in the twenty-first century.

  They sat listening to the music until Adahy was introduced. The crowd applauded loudly as Adahy hit the stage. A few minutes later George joined them.

  “Ladies, you both look gorgeous tonight. I’m glad you could make it.”

  George was one of Piper’s favorite people.

  Rayen blushed. “Thanks for letting us sit at your table.”

  “Any time,” he said.

  They listened to a couple of songs before Rayen said, “I love this one. Do you want to dance?”

  “Sure.” Piper got to her feet and followed her onto the dance floor. She hadn’t been dancing for months and she closed her eyes, getting into the rhythm of the music. Adahy certainly had great beats. The music was easy to dance to and made her want to move her body.

  Opening her eyes again she noticed the Hispanic guy from earlier spot them and dance his way over.

  Piper groaned.

  Why did some people not know when to give up?

  Before Piper could warn her friend, he was behind her, grinding up against her back. Rayen turned, saw who it was and moved away.

  Piper glared at him, but he paid no notice, instead following Rayen around the dance floor. Rayen yelled at him to go away but he stuck close. In the end they both returned to the table.

  Rayen’s face was troubled.

  Piper squeezed her hand. “I can ask the bouncer to have a word to him.”

  “There’s no point,” Rayen said. “Let’s just listen to Ada.”

  Piper was upset for her friend. She had a right to dance unmolested and that jerk was ruining it for her.

  George ordered them more drinks. He hadn’t seen what had happened; he’d been watching Adahy’s performance.

  A few songs later Rayen stood. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

  “Do you want me to come?” Piper asked.

  Rayen shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine.”

  Piper watched her walk through the crowd toward the bathrooms, then she noticed the Hispanic guy follow her. Her instincts went on high alert. She stood. “I’ll be right back,” she said to George.

  Going through the dance floor was the most direct route but it was crowded. Piper pushed her way through, yelling apologies as she did. It took forever to reach the other side and she checked the signs for the direction to the bathroom.

  It was down a corridor. The women’s bathroom had a short line outside it but Rayen wasn’t there. Piper pushed into the room and called her name but she didn’t answer.

  Worry hit Piper in her stomach.

  Where was Rayen?

  She moved to the men’s bathroom, calling her friend. A man came out of the room.

  “Can you check if my friend Rayen is in there?” She might have been desperate for the toilet.

  The man shrugged and went into the room, calling Rayen’s name. He came back a moment later, shaking his head.

  Had Piper missed her as she came off the dance floor? Perhaps Rayen had spotted someone she knew and was talking. Piper hurried down the corridor past an offshoot hallway with an emergency exit sign on its wall. There was a crack of light coming from the doorway.

  Without hesitation, Piper turned that way.

  Chapter 12

  Piper turned down the corridor, her heart beating rapidly, and pushed through the door out into the alleyway. “Rayen!”

  “Help!”

  Piper’s heart leaped to her mouth as she turned and saw Rayen against the wall. The bastard who had followed her had his hand up her shirt and she was struggling to push him away, sobbing.

  Fear and rage intermingled in Piper and her reaction was instant. She ran to the guy, grabbed the back of his hair and yanked him back, kicking him in the back of one knee as she did so. Rayen pushed him too, and he lost his balance and fell backward onto the ground.

  Piper pressed her stiletto against his windpipe. “Move and I’ll break it,” she growled. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breath came in gasps.

  The guy swore and struggled.

  She pushed her shoe harder against his throat. “Just try me,” she dared, almost not recognizing the flat, cold voice that came out of her mouth. She wanted to hurt him.

  The guy’s eyes widened and he stopped struggling.

  “Are you OK?” Piper called to Rayen.

  Her friend was slumped down against the wall, hugging her knees and crying. Piper wanted to go over and put her arms around the girl, but she wasn’t letting this asshole get away.

  Piper pulled her cell out of the clutch purse hanging over her shoulder and called George. It would be a miracle if he heard his phone in there. She huffed out a breath when he answered.

  “What’s wrong?” George asked.

  “I need you to go out the emergency exit near the bathroom,” Piper said. “I need your help.”

  “Be right there.”

  That’s what Piper loved about George. He didn’t ask any unnecessary questions. She hung up and called the local police station. She had it on speed dial from when she’d worked at the local paper in this area. She recognized the voice of the guy who picked up.

  “Piper, I haven’t heard from you since you left the paper.”

  “Chuck, can you send a police car to Whitewash? Alleyway down th
e side: there’s been a sexual assault.”

  “You OK?” he asked.

  “Yeah, but my friend isn’t.”

  “Should be one there in five.”

  Rayen was staring at the ground. Piper hoped George would hurry up.

  George exited the nightclub, took one look at the situation and swore. “What the hell?”

  “This guy forced himself on Rayen,” Piper said. “I’ve called the cops.”

  George glanced at Rayen and then at Piper. “Let me take over,” he said and hauled the guy to his feet, throwing him against the wall. The guy slid down to the ground, no fight left, and George stood over him.

  Piper rushed to Rayen and pulled her into her arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have been faster.”

  Rayen clung to her and pushed her head into Piper’s chest.

  Now the danger was over, Piper’s heart rate returned to normal and the guilt flooded in. She should have gone to the bathroom with Rayen. That guy had been bothering them all night.

  She could have stopped this from ever happening.

  Rayen shuddered as the police car pulled up in front of the alleyway and the officers jogged down. The creep wasn’t going to get away. Piper kept her arms around Rayen and let George explain what he knew of the situation.

  The officers cuffed the guy.

  “That bitch is crazy. She tried to kill me. She said she’d break my wind pipe,” the guy cried.

  “Well, if you’d assaulted one of my girls, I would have done a hell of a lot worse,” one of the officers said.

  The guy paled. “I didn’t do it. She wanted it.”

  One of the officers read him his rights and took him to the police car while the other took down their details.

  “We’re going to need statements from y’all. Do you want to come down to the station?”

  Rayen hadn’t said a word.

  “I’ll take Rayen down,” Piper said.

  “I need to tell Adahy,” George said. He checked his watch. “He should be almost finished. We’ll be there after.”

  The police officer nodded.

  Piper helped Rayen to her feet. She didn’t resist, but walked silently next to Piper as they were accompanied by the officer out of the alley and to their car.

  Worry washed through Piper. She needed to get Rayen to talk.

  On the drive over to the police station, Piper said, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  Rayen shook her head.

  Piper was at a loss as to what to say or do.

  She pulled up in front of the station and together they walked in. Chuck was at the front desk.

  Piper gave him a small smile. “We need to make statements.”

  Chuck came around the desk and escorted them into a small room. “Can I get you a crappy coffee?” he asked.

  Piper glanced at Rayen. “Maybe a couple of glasses of water.”

  “Sure.”

  A few minutes later a female police officer entered the room, carrying the glasses of water. “We need to take your statements separately,” she said with an apology.

  “Can we wait until Rayen’s cousin arrives?” Piper asked. “I don’t want to leave her by herself.” Piper’s phone beeped and the text from George said, On our way. “They won’t be long.”

  “Sure. When we’re done here, we’ll take Rayen to a doctor,” the woman said. “She’ll need to be examined and we’ll need to take photos of any damage.”

  “He didn’t rape me,” Rayen said. “Piper stopped him in time.” She shuddered.

  “That’s good, but there might still be some bruises we need to record. There are other types of sexual assault and they can have as much of an effect on their victims,” the officer said.

  The door opened and Adahy rushed in. He’d come straight from the stage.

  “Little flower, are you all right?” He wrapped Rayen up in a hug and she started crying again. She clung to her cousin.

  “How about you take my statement first?” Piper suggested. It would give Rayen more time to work through her emotions.

  “All right.” The officer took Piper through to another room.

  Piper spoke about the evening, starting with the pick-up line at the bar and ending with her discovering Rayen in the alleyway. The officer recorded the interview but took notes as well, asking questions, going over points until she was satisfied. “I’ll get this typed up and you can sign it. It’s good you were taking care of your friend.”

  It was then Piper remembered Tai. She’d promised to look after Rayen and this had happened. She should have called him immediately but she’d been too concerned about Rayen to remember. Some girlfriend she was.

  She left the room and saw George in the corridor. “I need to call Tai.”

  “Adahy did. He’s on his way,” George told her.

  Piper was relieved, but she wasn’t looking forward to explaining how she hadn’t been able to care for his cousin like she’d promised.

  She closed her eyes. She should have listened to her instincts earlier.

  The officer went into the room with Adahy and Rayen. A minute later Adahy came out.

  “Rayen wants Piper in the room with her,” he said.

  Piper walked in, not sure whether she was supposed to be there.

  “We have your statement now,” the officer said when she asked. “And Rayen wanted you here rather than her cousin.”

  Piper sat next to Rayen and squeezed her hand.

  Rayen began slowly. Explaining how the guy had approached her, then danced too closely next to her, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. “He said he’d had women of all different races but he’d never had an Indian before,” she said.

  Piper felt sick.

  “I went to the bathroom, but before I got there, he grabbed me and dragged me down the corridor. I yelled but either the music was too loud or people didn’t want to help. He pushed me up against the wall in the alleyway and kissed me. He tasted like alcohol and cigarettes.

  “I tried to push him away but he was too strong. He groped my breasts so hard it hurt, and then he shoved his hand up my shirt …” Rayen squeezed her eyes shut as if willing the image away. “That’s when Piper came out, grabbed him by his hair and threw him to the floor.” She looked at Piper then. “How did you do that?”

  “Mom insisted Imogen and I took self-defense lessons before we were allowed to go out at night,” Piper said. She would thank her mother for it at dinner tomorrow.

  “Your mother’s a smart lady,” the officer said. “Then what happened?”

  “Piper put her foot on his throat so he wouldn’t get away, and rang for help. I’m not really sure what happened after that.”

  The officer took Rayen through her story, asked more questions and got her to repeat what the guy had said. When the officer was satisfied, she explained they needed to go to the local hospital to have a doctor examine Rayen, and then let them leave.

  Outside the room Adahy, George and Tai waited.

  Piper’s steps faltered. She wasn’t ready to face Tai yet. Bracing herself she met his eyes, expecting accusations, but all she saw was relief. He swept Rayen up in his arms after checking her over and she clung to him for a moment.

  “I’m OK,” Rayen said.

  She was calmer than she’d been earlier. Maybe talking about it had helped. Adahy put his arm around her and led her to a chair.

  George entered the room to give his statement.

  Tai turned to Piper. “What about you?”

  Piper wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m fine. I should have got there sooner.” She shouldn’t have let Rayen go to the bathroom by herself.

  “Hey. It’s not your fault that asshole tried something,” Tai said.

  “He’d been bugging us all night. I should have known.” If she’d been quicker she could have stopped him from dragging Rayen outside. If she’d gone with her in the first place, he wouldn’t have tried anything.

  “You can’t blame yourse
lf.” Tai pulled her into a hug.

  Tears pricked Piper’s eyes as the composure she’d been holding on to crumbled.

  When she’d pressed her foot on the guy’s windpipe, she’d been so angry she really could have killed him, and the idea terrified her now.

  “It’s all right,” Tai soothed. “You’re both OK.”

  He rubbed her back and she focused on the sensation. It was silly to be so upset. She wasn’t the one who had been assaulted.

  George came out of the interview room with the police officer. “Can we leave now?” he asked.

  The woman nodded. “Rayen needs to go to the hospital. There’s a doctor waiting to examine her and take the necessary photos.”

  “Do you want me to take you?” Piper asked.

  Rayen nodded.

  “We’ll come as well,” Tai said, speaking for himself and Adahy. The guys weren’t going to let Rayen out of their sights for a while.

  “I’ll head home, if you don’t need me,” George said.

  Piper hugged him. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

  “Any time. You call me if I can do anything.”

  Tai and Adahy hugged him as well, and Rayen smiled shyly.

  ***

  It was very early morning by the time they all got back to Tai’s house. Both Adahy and Tai fussed around Rayen, making her a hot drink and tucking her into bed. Piper waited in the kitchen, not wanting to get in the way, but she could hear Adahy was crooning what sounded like a traditional lullaby.

  She sipped her tea and looked around the kitchen. She’d been excited about visiting Tai’s house before everything had gone wrong and now it didn’t seem so important. It was a family kitchen, much like the house was a family house. It was large and had all the mod cons she’d expect a chef’s kitchen to have. The dining table was fit for a banquet, with long bench chairs – it was big enough to seat at least twelve. Did he entertain here often?

  He lived much further away from the restaurant than she’d expected. It was on the outskirts of Houston in an area where the blocks were big and the neighbors weren’t close. She wanted to wander through the house and get a feel for who Tai was when he was home, but it wasn’t an appropriate time.

  So she sat and sipped her drink and considered how differently the night could have turned out if she’d acted sooner. If she’d insisted on telling the bouncer the guy was bothering them, or if she’d accompanied Rayen to the bathroom, or if she’d squashed the guy’s windpipe. Her mind was a crazy, nasty loop of what ifs and her skin was tight.