AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“HEY, BLAIR.” CREATURE stood in my doorway, pushing open the door. “You feelin’ okay?”
I shrugged. “That’s not an easy answer. Why don’t you come in and shut the door?”
He frowned as he entered, pushing the door shut with his boot. “I’m not getting a good vibe right now, Firecracker.”
“That’s because I’m in trouble, Creature.”
He strode forward with determination and approached my bed, leaning down as his palms rested on the mattress. “Does this have to do with the motherfucker who hurt you?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, pushing off the mattress to grab a chair and shoving it close before he sat. “Tell me everything.”
And I did. I told him about Mateo, the party, and my best friend. How Bells told me she wanted to stay after I got tired, and I left her, returning to the room we booked for the night so we could crash at the hotel and not have to worry about an Uber. The Venetian was the fanciest place I ever spent the night. I thought it was incredible until I woke up and realized she never returned to the room.
“It’s all my fault,” I concluded. “I should have insisted that she come back to the hotel room with me. She would be safe right now.” My lower lip quivered as I fought the sting of tears.
Creature’s hand rested over mine. “You can’t blame yourself. The choices other people make aren’t your fault.”
“But she’s gone.”
“Yes. I’m sorry for that, Blair. I know it fucking sucks.”
“I’ve been so stupid,” I admitted.
He squeezed my hand. “Tell me what else happened. How did you end up outside Toxic Tonic? Who hurt you?”
“Mateo Ruiz. He’s the one who threw the party at The Venetian the night Bells disappeared.” I dropped my gaze from his discerning green eyes, tracing the pattern on my blanket. “I wanted to find out what happened to my best friend. She disappeared, and the cops weren’t doing shit about it. She was on the news a couple of times, but then her story faded. Everyone forgot about her.”
“But not you,” he replied quietly.
“No. I found a flyer that advertised Mateo’s next party.”
“Shit,” Creature cursed. “You went.”
“Yes. Multiple times. Hotels, bars, wherever Mateo went. I kept showing up and asking around about Bells. I showed her picture to bartenders and other people at the parties.”
Creature gently grasped my chin and tilted my face up. His intense gaze searched my soul with its piercing color. “Mateo hurt you.”
“Not at first, but yes, he did. He grew frustrated with my questions. A few days later, I realized that his men were following me around during the day. They watched as I went shopping for supplies for my online business and showed up at my apartment. I couldn’t lose them.”
“That fucking asshole tried to intimidate you.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I think he was trying to figure out how much I knew about him and Bells’ disappearance. But then he got pissed when we both ended up at Toxic Tonic, and I met a guy who remembered Bells and Mateo drinking together after I left the party at The Venetian.”
“Tell me you didn’t confront him.”
“I had to know the truth, Creature.”
“Did he admit anything?”
“No,” I replied with a sneer. “He followed me outside and slapped me when I yelled at him. It escalated from there.” A few frustrated tears leaked from my eyes, and I pulled my hand free, dashing my fingers across my cheeks. “His bodyguards watched him beat me, and they didn’t do shit to stop him or intervene.”
Anger blazed in Creature’s eyes. “That fucking bully is going down, Blair. He won’t get away with hurting you.”
“No. You can’t get involved. He already knows your name. I had to tell him when he called earlier.”
Creature scoffed. “I’m not afraid of that cocksucker.”
