“Sobri – ?” Big Nick mouthed the word.
“It means I’m sober and I’m going to kick your ass, dumb fuck.”
“Stop it.” Emily spoke and scuffled upwards, trying to regain her composure. She didn’t need either man dead in the gutter – it’d be too much for her conscious and a run in with the cops was out of the question.
Big Nick grinned wide and reached out to dust off Emily’s shoulder. “Better keep that merchandise clean. I don’t like no dirty girls.”
Chase pounced, bringing his arm down and smacking Nick’s away with a surge of power. Emily tottered back a few steps and the bouncer’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Now, you’re gonna get –”
But Chase met his ire with a cool look and reached round the back of his pants, as if to unholster a gun hidden there.
“I’m leaving.” Nick shot her rage reduced into a single expression. “You’re late for your shift, Candy Lane. And you can bet I’ll be watching. This prick won’t be around to protect you forever.”
“Lemme make this clear, ol’ buddy ol’ pal,” Chase intercepted Nick’s scowl and continued, “you touch this woman again and I’ll have you up for assault. Trust me, I have the funds and the contacts to have you jailed for a very long time.”
Big Nick didn’t reply, but turned on his heavy-booted heel and strolled around the corner, keeping his back straight in confidence, though there was tension in his shoulders.
“What was that about?” Chase helped her off the wall and held her a second longer than he had to.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Sure looked that way.”
“Just leave it.” Emily snapped at him, then evened out her breathing and redid her jeans. “Thanks for your help. I guess we’re even now.”
“Nah, I think you owe me one.” Chase dusted himself off and looked back down the road. Cars began streaming by. Typical.
“What?!”
“You’ve been nothing but antagonistic ever since we met. The first time we spoke, you insulted me.”
“Hello, the first time we met you flicked my nipple!” Emily huffed and folded her arms to shield her breasts.
Chase didn’t skip a beat. “And what fine nipples they were.”
“Asshole.”
“Aha! Now, you definitely do owe me. How about dinner tomorrow night? I’ll pick you up at eight.”
So that was his ploy. Emily blushed and scratched the back of her neck. This was dangerous territory.
“I won’t take no for an answer, by the way.” Chase interrupted her preliminary ‘no’.
“All right.” Emily sighed. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“I’ll walk you to the corner.”
They reached the corner and Chase gave a cheery wave to the bouncer hovering beside the door. Emily gave him her address on a scrap of paper and he folded it up carefully and placed it in his top pocket.
“Tomorrow at eight.” He nodded and moseyed off in the opposite direction without a backward glance.
Emily’s heart beat at a mile a minute. Chase was a distraction she didn’t need.
What had he been doing outside the strip club?
CHAPTER EIGHT
“You look beautiful tonight.” Chase said it softly, but she still caught it over the raucous laughter in the Mexican restaurant, El Paso.
“Thank you.”
She’d chosen a spicy red number which clung to her form, with a low neckline and for the evening. He’d phoned ahead to tell her they were going to El Paso and she’d been overjoyed.
This was her kind of scene. She’d always wanted to teach Latin ballroom.
A waiter appeared with their El Paso Margaritas and she buried herself in hers to steady her nerves.
“I didn’t think you’d come out.” Chase snacked on his grilled shrimp quesadillas and took a sip of his drink.
“And miss this?” She waved a hand to encompass the vibe in the restaurant. It was open, friendly and hopping with vibrant guests and waiters. It was fantastic.
“I’m glad you did.”
The conversation had slowed after the mains had arrived, but Emily didn’t want to care. She did, but she didn’t want to. He’d swept her off her feet and she couldn’t figure out why.
This man was out of her league.
She had so much to worry about, Nick, her past, the people she needed to protect and rescue, but she was drawn in by this guy.
Could she trust him? Did she want to?
“Chase, thanks for this, I really appreciate it, but I don’t think I’ll be able to come out with you again.” She needed to get this out of the way, so she could enjoy the rest of the evening with him. “I’ve got too much on my plate right now.”
He glanced at her meal and chuckled. She’d finished her quesadillas ages ago.
“You know what I mean.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t. You talking about that bouncer guy, what’s his name?”
“Big Nick. But he’s one part of it.” The waiter removed her plate and refilled her Margarita.
“What’s the other part of it?”
“Other parts,” she corrected him and threw back more of her drink. She was already tipsy. “It’s not a topic I want to discuss right now.”
“I get it.” He pushed his empty plate aside and wiped his perfect lips with a napkin.
“I think I’d better go.” Emily scraped backwards in her chair, but Chase stopped her with a frown.
“Relax. I’m not asking you to marry me, Emily. I want to hang out and get to know you better. What’s the harm in that?”
“There’s too much risk.”
Chase waved and a waiter brought their bill. He slipped the guy a couple hundred dollar bills with a smile, then got up, walked around and pulled Emily’s chair out for her.
She stood and he slipped an arm around her waist. Those sparks were back instantly, and she swayed against the heat of their attraction – though that might have been the tequila.
“This is a discussion for another place. Let’s go back to my place,” he whispered, setting off goose bumps down her neck. He nuzzled her hair lightly, then slipped past her and gestured for her to follow.
They arrived at his apartment on the Upper East Side, and he led her inside.
It was immaculate, sparsely decorated with down lighting and rich oak furniture. The sofa was a dark maroon leather, almost as dark as the low coffee table in the living room.
“Would you like a drink?” Chase ambled to his walk in fridge and brought out two ice cold bottles of beer.
“Thanks,” she said and accepted it graciously. She was out of her comfort zone here, but she plopped down on the sofa anyway. Fake it until you make it, baby.
“So, where were we?” Chase sat down beside her and touched her thigh lightly.
Emily crossed her legs in an effort to shrug him off and bit her lip. If only she could afford this distraction. If only he could be trusted.
“I was saying there’s too much risk for us to be anything but casual acquaintances.”
“And I say that’s bullshit.”
The wind rose outside, matching the swell of anxiety within her.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know what’s at stake.”
Chase slammed down his beer bottle on the coffee table and the liquid sloshed out the top, but he didn’t jump up to get a dishcloth. “I hate that.”
“Hate is a strong word.”
“You’re letting fear rule your life. That’s the problem here.” Chase didn’t pick up the bottle again.
“You don’t know anything about my life.”
“Maybe I want to.”
Emily’s breath caught and she leaned back slightly. “Don’t say that.”
“You’re the most difficult woman I’ve ever met. I like that.”
There was nothing to say to that, but he saved her a fumbled sentence.
Chase crossed the distance between t
hem, and kissed her once on the lips, light as a feather.
Excitement and fear sprang up in equal parts, mingling with the chemistry between them. He slid his hand round the back of her neck and up into her hair, and she sighed softly.
Chase leaned in again and the kiss was longer this time. He parted her lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth, massaging hers gently, caressing it in a slow a crescendo of pressure.
It amazed her, smacked her breath away, but that fear was still there.
What was she doing?
This couldn’t go further. If she let Chase into her heart, she’d get hurt again. She hardly knew him, so how could she trust him?
His lips tasted sweet. Arousal joined the fear, doing the dance that would send her over the edge or bring her to a stark realization.
She had to go.
“Chase.” she broke away and placed a hand on his defined chest. “You have to understand – ”
The rasp of a key in the front door’s lock made Chase lean to the side. Emily scooted back on the sofa and rearranged her revealing red dress. She’d thought it would suit the restaurant, but now it looked like she’d asked for more than a friendly dinner and a drink.
The wooden door sprang open, and Chastity stood framed in the entrance her hand on the golden doorknob, wearing another black dress. Apparently, that was her uniform.
“Hello, brother.” Chastity swept into the apartment and tossed her sequined clutch onto the square entrance hall table. “Glad to see you’re,” she paused and studied Emily, “up and about.”
Emily colored slightly and took a measured sip from her Heineken. Who was this woman to judge her? God, she was pretentious. That ruthlessness lurked beneath that thin veneer of civility, still.
“I didn’t give you that key so you could barge in any time you want, Chas.”
Her nickname was ‘Chas’? ‘Tit’ would’ve been more appropriate. Emily restrained a giggle at her private joke, and the siblings glanced at her.
“You didn’t answer your phone. I was worried you’d fallen over in the shower and knocked your head again. But I see I shouldn’t have worried, your resident rescuer is here in case of mishap.”
“Hilarious,” he remarked, but he didn’t seem angry at the joke. There was fondness in his expression when he looked at his sister.
“Perhaps I’d better leave.” Emily replaced the beer on the coffee table and stood.
Chastity made a show of checking out her dress. “Oh no, please don’t leave on my account. You’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble.”
“Chastity,” he warned and his sister snapped her bright red lips shut. “Don’t be silly, Emily. Stay, please.”
She sank back into the maroon folds of the sofa reluctantly.
“What do you want, sis?”
“I’ve got a message for you. From Janet.” Chastity placed emphasis on the woman’s name.
“Oh. And you couldn’t have told me this tomorrow morning?”
“I figured this was the kind of message you’d like to receive in person.” Chastity ran her finger along the edge of the marble island in the open plan kitchen. “If you know what I mean.”
“I really have to be going now.” Emily tried to get up, but Chase laid his hand on her leg again and she was crippled by his touch. In a good way.
“Give us a second, Chas?”
“Oh sure, I’m on my way out. Places to go, people to see. That’s how it is when you’re this popular.” She winked ostentatiously and shut the door behind her with a curt click.
“Janet is just a friend.” Chase jumped in immediately.
“It doesn’t matter, really it doesn’t.”
“Of course it – ”
She rose from the sofa and refused her mixed emotions. It was imperative she stay focused on what was important: not falling for a man who’d break her heart or land her in a whole mess of trouble.
“I’m going now. Thanks for a lovely evening.”
Emily left without looking back.
CHAPTER NINE
At least the street next to the strip club was busy this time. That meant less chance of Big Nick raping her in a side alley somewhere.
Emily’s dark humor tickled her funny bone, but she leered at the dark corners and alleys. She jumped once when a stray cat knocked over a trash can and burst with hysterical laughter.
She’d finished her shift as usual and had tucked the $750 she’d made into her shoe, in case she got mugged. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice her balance was slightly off because of the wad of cash lodged in there.
A couple days had passed since the date, but she was still on edge about it. Chase had thrown her off track completely, and that was a massive concern, given that the track led to an end goal of getting her life back. Her old life. Her real life. But even better. A life filled with the love she’d deserved and the safety she longed for.
A Hyundai slowed beside her and a dude with dreadlocks peeked out of a crack in the window.
“Sorry,” he said, and she tightened her grip on her handbag, “do you know where I can find a gas station? I’m not from around here.”
She hid her relief by answering with a smile. “Sure. There’s a station a couple blocks over that way.” Emily pointed and he gave her thumbs up and sped off again.
Footsteps rang out behind her. They were heavy and coming on fast.
She flinched and looked back, but the sidewalk was clear. The street fell into stillness again, but the beat of her heart deafened her, blurring the noises of the night.
Emily peered into the wide window of a 24 hour Laundromat where a red sign hung in the doorway: We’re always OPEN! A young couple stood together, joking over a laundry machine, separating their whites and colors, and the scene set off a strange twanging sensation inside her chest.
She wanted that.
No. She wanted to get home safely and that was it.
Emily checked the road behind her and crossed quickly. The sooner she got into the main road, where there were plenty of cars and witnesses, the better.
There was quiet for five minutes, and then she turned into an alleyway between a pizzeria and a coffee shop. The pursuit returned. The heavy footfalls sped up behind her, turning from a jog into a sprint.
Emily rushed for the opening at the end of the dark alley. Cars rushed by, out of reach and oblivious of her plight. She had to get out before he got her. It was Nick, it had to be, but she didn’t look back.
Freedom was a rectangle of light. His breath was on her back now. Fingers scraped the back of her neck and tugged at her collar. She’d never make it! He had her.
“No!” Emily shrieked it and pumped her arms back and forth.
She tore out of his sweaty grip and erupted into the street. A group of tourists backpedaled and raised their cameras in defense. They took a couple snaps of her, but she didn’t care.
She spun to glare into the alley, but it was empty.
Where the hell had he gone? It wasn’t possible she’d imagined that.
She gripped her knees and bent over double, breathing like a winded rhinoceros.
“Fu-u-uck.” This couldn’t happen again. She couldn’t spend her nights terrified that she’d get accosted by that gorilla. She had to pay him to get out, but she couldn’t make ends meet if she did. She’d be out on the street.
Chances were he wouldn’t care if she paid him now. The thought sent spines of terror through her. She had to get out of the the strip club, but she couldn’t envision and escape from the fresh hell which was the pole, the stage and the sweaty hands of strange men filled with lust.
It was a Catch 22 and her life was in the balance.
Emily swung her handbag off her shoulder, brought out a bottle of water and swigged back some. She started the slow walk home. She tried hailing a cab a few times, but none of them stopped and she’d have been freaked out about removing her stiletto to pay the guy.
Thirty minutes later, she bashed into her apartment and s
lammed the door shut behind her. She tripled locked it and slid the chain into place, then leaned her back against it and dropped her handbag on the floor.
She’d had enough.
This had to stop somehow.
Beep, beep.
The message tone on her phone went off in her bedroom. What now?
Emily made sure everything was locked a final time, then strode into her bedroom and flicked on the cheap beside lamp. She’d left her phone on the pine bedside table to charge while she was at work.
She picked it up and selected the message icon.
You owe me. I’ll be watching. BN
Emily dropped the phone on the flowery bedspread and clutched at her throat. There really wasn’t an escape from him.
She paced up and down in her bedroom, desperate to work out some kind of plan. Maybe if she moved to another city or town. But no, she couldn’t leave New York. It was impossible with what she had here.
A sharp knock sounded at the front door.
“No way.” It couldn’t be him.
Emily walked out of her bedroom like a criminal walking to the electric chair. She checked through the peephole, but there wasn’t a soul there. The hallways outside was empty, and there wasn’t a chance she’d open up to check.
Was this some kind of sick mind game?
Beep, beep.
Another message came through on her phone, but she refused to go back and check it. Instead, she went over to her solitary window and inched back the blinds.
Cars drove by in the street below and a light drizzle had set in, speckling the passing windscreens. She searched for signs of him. And there he was, standing across the street with two other men.
Three bald men wearing leather jackets and flexing their biceps. They were about as inconspicuous as bikers in a gay bar. Big Nick pointed up to the window and his friend made a lewd motion with his crotch, humping the air in her direction.
Emily let the blinds fall back into place.
She tried to refuse the terror, but tears stained her cheeks. There wasn’t an escape.
CHAPTER TEN
Emily’s phone had gone off five times in the last half hour.
Never Say Never, Part One (Second Chance Romance, Book 1) Page 4