“I’ll scream.”
“Scream. The music is loud, and they’re singing Happy Birthday to someone at one of the tables. No one’s coming to save you.” He lunged.
I tried to scream but it caught in my throat. I dodged to the side, and he gripped my dress. He yanked me toward him, and I punched him in the head. It was an awkward hit, glancing off his neck.
He swung me, and I slammed into the marble counter. Pain flared in my hip, but I lifted a foot, with my heels on, and kicked him.
With a grunt, he stumbled backward. I tried to run around him, but he grabbed my dress again. There was a tearing sound, one sleeve hanging drunkenly off my shoulder. We both whirled and I bumped into the nice, elegant waste bin. It clanged to the floor, spilling out crumpled paper towels.
“Just leave me alone!” I tried to yank myself free.
He threw me down.
I sprawled on the cool floor, scrambling to try and get up.
A heavy knee landed in my back, pinning me down. I bucked and fought, but he was too heavy.
“Hold still,” he growled.
“Screw you!”
Then he shoved my hair aside. There was a sudden, sharp sting at the back of my neck.
Horror exploded inside me. I tried to hit him again and managed to smash my knuckles against his mouth.
“Ow, fuck.”
His weight lessened, and I scrambled away. I got to my feet…just as the room spun.
In his hand, I saw a syringe.
I slapped a hand to my neck.No, no, no. “What did you give me?”
He smiled darkly. “A little Special K. Should make you more agreeable.”
Ketamine. I blinked, feeling like I was floating out of my body. I had to get somewhere…no to someone. I blinked again. Everything softened, like I was in a dream. I pressed a hand to the wall, worried I was about to float off the floor.
“Leave me alone.” It felt like the words were said by someone else.
He tossed the syringe to the floor and headed in my direction. “The boss has offered a big reward for you. So let’s go. I’m planning to collect.”
I backed up until I hit the wall. Who put that wall there?
The man gripped the front of my dress, but weirdly, all the worry and fear had leaked out of me. Where did it go? I looked around, like maybe I could spot it somewhere.
He shook me. “Now, we’re going to walk out of here and you aren’t making a fuss.”
“You’re going nowhere.”
The man stiffened, but I smiled. I knew that voice.
I looked past the guy and saw Cole in the doorway. His jaw was tight, his eyes darker than I’d ever seen them.
“Hi, Cole,” I said.
The man whirled, then Cole moved. Wow, he moved so fast.
He slammed a punch into the guy who’d attacked me. And he didn’t stop.
