by Lara Swann
There was no one there.
“Where’s—”
I stopped as Jorge closed the door, and it suddenly hit me.
No. Fuck no. Not now.
Jorge had a grin on his face, a strange gleam in his eyes, and I backed away a little.
How the hell had I been so stupid?!
“I thought we needed a little time alone, baby.”
Ohh god.
I swallowed hard.
“Jorge…I don’t think…”
Every instinct I’d ever relied on deserted me. I didn’t know whether to be stand-offish, to let him down lightly - the guy seemed to care for me half the time, especially when others weren’t around to see - or to swing for his face.
Fuck.
He approached me slowly, but the triumph in his eyes was obvious.
“I’m sorry, Jorge. I’m not interested. I don’t want this.”
I tried to make that clear, to give him the chance to back down if he wasn’t planning on forcing me, even as my mind ran through and dismissed a dozen different escape options.
Fuck fuck fuck.
One hand came to stroke my cheek and I forced myself not to flinch away. I didn’t want to make him angry…but I didn’t want to seem interested either.
I was terrified, and all I could think about was how much I wanted Jason here, how I couldn’t stand anyone else touching me - especially Jorge.
Jason!
Through the hazy fog of fear and approaching panic, I remembered my only way of contacting him. The phone he’d given me, hidden away in a pocket of my med kit.
I bit my lip as Jorge started talking, trying to work out how on earth to access it without him noticing.
“It’s time to stop playing these games, girl. I know what you really want.”
“Jorge—”
“Stop denying it now - don’t think that I haven’t seen the way you’ve been smiling at me lately. The way you’ve started dressing up. Hell, Lottie, your father’s debt was done weeks ago and you’re still here. Hanging around. Trying to see more of me…”
Oh my god.
I suddenly saw the last few months through his eyes, and everything in me froze.
How could you have been so fucking stupid?
Of course he’d notice. Of course he’d jump to the wrong conclusion. Fuck.
I didn’t know whether part of me should be grateful that his assumptions had probably given me more opportunities than I should have had, but at the same time…
Please no.
As his hand drifted down to grip my chin, my eyes caught on the grubby white bandage under his top, and somehow I managed to pull myself out of the wave of despair for long enough to think.
I grabbed his hand, pushing it away as I met his eyes and shook my head firmly, making a show of disagreeing and stepping back.
“It’s not games, Jorge. I don’t want this. Just let me go home.”
His eyes narrowed and he folded his arms as I continued backing away. He wouldn’t like that. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to play this, but hopefully—
“Come here.”
The order snapped out in irritation and my heart thumped hard in my chest, a faint stream of hope igniting.
“Jorge—”
“I mean it, girl. Get your ass back here. I told you I’m not playing games.”
“It’s not a ga—”
“Here. Now.”
There. That was his fucking obey me now look. The familiarity of this game almost reassured me. Push, object, then at that…submit.
I lurched forward, almost reluctantly, then caught myself on the tattered rug across the floor, tripping forwards.
I let myself fall naturally, the speed and force almost dizzying, but managed to latch onto exactly what I wanted to as I flailed for balance.
Jorge cried out with a harsh grunt as my fingers tore at the still healing cut on his arm and he jerked backwards. That forced me off balance and to the ground, but as I glanced up, I saw that it had had the intended effect.
My eyes widened and I gasped at the beginnings of red appearing on the thin material covering his arms.
“Shit. I’m sorry. Ugh…”
I got to my feet slowly, wary of the pained, angry look on his face.
“Fuck, Lottie. You clumsy bitch.”
“God, I’m sorry. Honestly - fuck.”
I started rummaging around in my med kit.
“Let me fix it.”
Distracted, he rolled up the sleeve on his arm and scowled.
“I’m fine. It’s probably alright—”
“I can’t leave it like that - the stitches must have torn.”
My fingers found exactly what I was looking for, and with my heart in my throat I started typing on keys that had become familiar to me, taking bandages, thread and needles out with my other hand.
“It’s not important, we were—”
“Let me fix it, Jorge. Please.”
It was an effort in coordination, and Jorge’s irritation had my nerves on fire, but as he started towards me I finally hit send.
When I glanced up, hoping that my guilt wasn’t written plainly across my face, his expression was twisted in frustration and I actually thought he might be more annoyed by the interruption to his seduction attempt than the jagged pain in his arm.
He just looked at me for a moment, then shook his head with a rough chuckle.
“You’re a pain in the ass, Lottie. Never could stand to see an injury you hadn’t fixed yet, could you?”
I didn’t say anything, but he relented, gesturing at the cut.
“I think it’s one of the things I like about you, you know - no matter how inconvenient, you never back down from wanting to do your job. More people should be like that, don’t you think?”
As I started my deliberately slow attentions, I breathed deeply, trying to calm my racing heart and failing utterly as he continued saying things I wished I didn’t have to hear. At least he seemed in a talkative mood now, the brief anger faded as he no doubt focused on how he imagined this was going to go. The idea made me shudder, but I didn’t dare react.
There were two ways I figured I could play this; nice and conciliatory, keeping him talking and drawing it out - or shooting him down and putting up a fight. The first could land me in a whole host of trouble if Jason didn’t hurry, but with the second…it would be over quickly, one way or another. And there was no coming back from it. As much as I hated the idea, there was only one way that made sense.
I set about to stall as long as I could, praying that Jason had seen my message. That he was on his way.
Please Jason…hurry.
Chapter Seventeen
Jason
Benny’s Motel.
I glanced at the message again, a dozen different options going through my head. There was nothing more, no detail.
Lottie was usually specific - if she’d wanted to change the location of our meet to another place, she would have said Meet at Benny’s Motel tomorrow.
Which meant this was more urgent. This meant now.
Unease crept up my back. Either she was in trouble, or there was a sudden opportunity that she couldn’t stop to tell me about.
The thought of either of those propelled me forward, even if I didn’t know what was going on. I knew the chances of it being about a sudden opportunity were incredibly low. Which meant…I had to move fast.
If Lottie was in danger…
Fuck.
The thought of that almost derailed me, ice cold fear threatening to shut out anything else, but I was out of my small home and grabbing my bike before I let it take hold. As I revved the engine and put it in gear, almost violently shooting down the street, I felt the usual adrenaline kick in and some small relief washed through me.
I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get in the way of things - couldn’t think about Lottie or what might be happening to her now. I just had to get there, and fix it. And I could do that. I was good at i
t. This wasn’t my mother and sister, where I wasn’t even in the country when…
Fuck. Stop thinking about that.
I forced my mind into analysis mode, detaching myself in the same way I would for a top priority mission. Consequences, outcomes - they didn’t matter. Just getting the job done.
I should call Valentini - get help, support. He’d promised it. But…I didn’t know what I was walking into here. And he had no idea about Lottie and I. It was too dangerous - I couldn’t wait for them, and getting him involved risked everything.
The place - Benny’s - was twenty minutes from where I lived, but I did it in ten - recklessly risking my life along with others in my rush to get to where Lottie needed me to be. Hoping I was in time. Not daring to consider any other possibility.
As I swung off the bike and glanced around, I steadied myself, forcing ice calm into my veins as I shifted my attention to what I needed to do.
The plan we hadn’t made.
Shit.
My eyes scanned the parking lot and didn’t see anything, so I approached steadily as options and actions started forming in my mind. I could think on my feet. I didn’t need a plan.
My heart thrummed again as I considered Lottie - we weren’t coordinated and didn’t know what the other would do. Maybe I didn’t need a plan, but we should have had one, if only to work together.
Why didn’t we discuss this?
But I knew why we hadn’t. Neither of us wanted to consider it happening, or what that meant - and if we had, I probably wouldn’t have let her step near Jorge’s guys again.
Damn stubborn idiot.
I tried to shut off the internal voice that wanted to blame me for every little thing that had gone wrong in my life, everything that had ever hurt those I loved. I didn’t have time for the guilt, the darkness, the endless fear.
As the guy behind the desk looked up at me, eyes widening at whatever he saw on my face, my training snapped back into me. It had been two years, but you didn’t forget that shit.
“You seen a girl, this high, brown hair and eyes, slim build?”
His gaze flickered past me, to the dim corridor leading off to what was presumably the motel’s rooms, and I smiled.
“Thank you.”
I was already headed in that direction before he called out.
“H-hey! Wait!”
Fury rose at the idea that whoever I was going after might have heard, and I turned back abruptly, moving to loom over his small frame.
“Don’t say a word. Got it?”
He hesitated, but a quick glance up and down my form had him nodding. Irritated with the delay, I made to move away, before pausing.
“Tell me who was with her.”
This time he swallowed, shaking his head despite the obvious intimidation.
“I—I don’t want any part—”
“Then answer my question.”
My voice surprised me with how menacing it sounded - but then, this was Lottie we were talking about.
“I—they…okay, don’t tell—”
“Now.”
I wasn’t wasting time with this bullshit.
He swallowed again, nodding quickly.
“Three guys, one tall and—”
Three guys.
That was all I needed to know. I left before he could finish those descriptions, heading down the corridors as fast as I could without actually running.
I could take three guys.
Hell, the way I felt right now - I could take on a fucking army if it would keep her safe.
I paused before rounding the corner, hearing a couple of muttered comments up ahead. My heart thumping hard, I took a quick glance and saw two thickset men standing opposite a closed door.
Oh shit…
The thought of what might be happening beyond that door made everything turn red. All my plans and training and careful actions disappeared in a haze of fury as I rushed forward.
They weren’t even good enough to notice me before I was on them, and then one fist to the side of a head had one man down, and my hands were wrapped around the other’s neck, squeezing, before he could utter a word.
He spluttered in front of me, face turning red as his hands flailed and he tried to get a grip on my own neck. With the murderous rage rising inside of me, I had no hesitations about ending him. He was in my way. Getting between Lottie and I.
But this was also taking time, precious moments that I didn’t have. I slammed him up against the wall and brought my forehead down on the bridge of his nose, appreciating the immediate crack I heard. He tried to cry out, but I still had him in a death grip, and one sharp blow to the head had him falling.
Forgetting him immediately, I turned to the door.
Lottie…
I burst through it before I even had a chance to think about how to approach this.
I caught a brief glimpse of Jorge sitting next to her on the bed before she screamed, leaping up and backing away - from both of us.
Ohh good girl.
Don’t make it seem like I’m on your side - keep that distance, that element of doubt.
I could have kissed her for that. Actually, that was my next plan. As soon as…
“What the—”
Jorge’s reaction time was slower, obviously distracted as I charged forward, pure rage and hatred filling me. He rose just in time for me to grab him and throw him up against the wall. His frame was muscular and strong, but he was no match for me, and one-on-one, I had him.
Drawing my fist back, I pummeled his face, then switched to his stomach, drawing immense satisfaction from the way he groaned and doubled up. Any attempt to fight back ended there and I watched as he sunk to the ground, righteous anger written all over my face.
I had wanted him dead from the moment I first saw him. He deserved it. The fucking bastard had touched my girl. My Lottie. Mine.
He’d hurt her, and tonight…he’d dared to try worse. He was dead in my eyes, as cold certainty poured through me.
I pulled out the knife that I kept hidden behind my belt, belatedly realizing I should have drawn it from the first, and hauled him up again. He was almost a dead-weight in my hands now, moaning incoherently through already swelling eyes. I grinned darkly at the sight of that. The bastard deserved to taste that himself.
“No!”
I could tell that the voice was loud, but it only dimly pulled at my awareness. I was too lost in blood and death and vengeance. For everyone who had ever thought they could hurt me, or anyone I cared about.
Then Lottie’s hand tugged at my arm, and reluctantly I turned to look at her, staring almost blankly into pained eyes.
“Jason - don’t.”
I tried to shrug her off.
“Stay out of this, Lottie.”
It was muttered, but it fired her up.
“Stay out—what the fuck, Jason?! How am I not already in this?”
I blinked as awareness slowly came to me. I looked down to see she was pulling hard at my knife arm, trying to draw it back from Jorge’s waiting body - and I was fighting her. Fighting to get to the exposed throat in front of me. Grinding my teeth, I relaxed the struggle just a little.
“Let me go, Lottie. He deserves to die.”
“No. I don’t want you killing for me, Jason. Not now - or ever.”
I wanted to curse at her. There was a time and place for do-good morals, and this wasn’t it.
I must have muttered something to that effect because her eyes narrowed.
“This is exactly the time and place, Jason. Let go of him.”
I couldn’t believe she was defending him. After everything she’d been through - all the things he’d done, she…wanted him to live. It didn’t make sense.
As I stared at her, disbelieving, something there cracked and tears came to her eyes.
“Please, Jason. I couldn’t live with myself, knowing he died because of me. That’s not me. I can’t do it.”
Vague understanding came slow and har
d, but looking into those oh-so bright and pained eyes, I saw the essence of what she was saying. And as much as every part of me lusted for an end - for vengeance - I couldn’t do that to her. I relaxed my arm fully, flipping the knife back into its small pocket behind my belt.
As I let Jorge go, she sighed deeply, collapsing against me.
“Please, let’s just go. I want to go.”
A wave of guilt swept over me at the idea I’d made her stay here a moment longer than she needed to. Somewhere along the way, my need to keep her safe had morphed into a need for vengeance and death. And I didn’t know what that said about me.
I squeezed her tight, one quick glance at Jorge making it clear he was out cold. Unable to see what had happened between us.
Good.
The part of me that was still calculating impact relaxed just a little. She’d done the right thing. If she’d run to me, it would have been difficult - he would have known this for what it was. This way…it was just me who’d face his wrath, not her - and not those she cared about. I hoped.
“Yes, baby. We’ll go.”
I brushed my lips across her forehead and swept her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest.
I kept her head into me as I crossed the threshold and walked past the men sprawled there. They’d be fine - battered and bruised when they woke up, but no more. I wasn’t sure whether I was relieved or disappointed about that.
“I can walk, you know. I’m not hurt.”
I glanced down at her, met that intense, brave gaze and smiled softly. I wasn’t sure how true that statement was, but it didn’t matter.
“And I can carry you. Given the time you’ve spent on your legs instead of in my arms, I think it’s only fair I get a chance.”
Her mouth quirked up at the edges, and my heart melted a little, before a shudder wracked through her and a sob escaped.
Ohh girl…
I didn’t know what had happened in there - or what it was going to mean. I already feared the worst. It seemed like I’d arrived in time, but…even my beautiful, brave girl might need more than I could guess at to recover from this. The fear sent shivers through me, but I was determined that whatever she needed - I’d make sure she had it. I couldn’t even imagine what she must have gone through, waiting…