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I order another beer to stop myself from filling in the blanks. Turning my attention to the dance floor, I ignore the blonde sitting next to me. This works until the man who harassed her on the dancefloor resurfaces beside her. He's intoxicated and touches her shoulder while letting his eyes wander lustfully over her.
"Hey doll face, you're looking mighty fine."
She sends him a warning glare. "Thank you. You mentioned it earlier, but I'm not interested. Please, keep your hands to yourself."
The man does as she asks, but he doesn't surrender. "Let's dance, sweetheart." He grabs a strand of her hair and slides it through his fingertips.
Her head snaps to him. "Hey! I'm not dancing with you. Go find another woman who will."
My muscles tense as I sit and watch her getting hassled by this dipshit.Is he fucking blind and deaf? She's not interested.
For the second time, she turns away from him, but he stops her by placing his palm on her thigh. Before she can react, I shoot up and place myself between them.
"Get your filthy hands off her. The lady told you multiple times she's not interested. So, fuck off!"
The guy mutters something under his breath and takes a step backward. There he refocuses his attention on the beauty behind me. "See you later, doll face." And he leaves.
Satisfied, I turn only to find her folding her arms across her chest and saying in a sharp voice, "I could've handled him myself. I don't need a man to save me."
Dumbfounded, I stare at her for a couple of seconds, but when my mind catches up with her words, I react. "So, your way of handling it is letting Mr. Scumbag touch you inappropriately?"
She slides off her stool, tilts her head, and stares straight in my eyes. "No."
"Well, your approach didn't work, mine did. So… why don't you say thank you?"
Her nostrils flare. "Why in the world would I do that? Did I ask you to come in and help me?" Her fiery gaze holds mine as she continues, "No, I didn't. You choose to waltz in as the goddamn bulldozer you clearly are," she says, pointing to my sizable frame. "You can wait all you want, but you're not getting a thank you out of me."
She grabs her drink, and after two substantial chugs, she slams the empty glass back on the bar. "Goodbye, Grumpy!"
Dumbfounded and in a fog for the second time by this blonde, I watch how she disappears into the crowd with swaying hips.
"Damn, you need to put your gloves on to handle a woman like her. She's got fire," Darius states after a whistle.
A picture of those emerald jades gazing at me as I shift her dress up invades my mind.What the hell?The woman called me a bulldozer and grumpy, and I'm thinking of undressing her? I run my hand over my face. "Where is Brian? I haven’t seen him, and he hasn’t responded to my messages."
"He’s dealing with a complication in the camera-security system."
"Okay. I'm calling it a night. Tell my friend I came by."
Walking out, I find myself in search of the firecracker in the crowd. But she's gone.
2
ALISHA
6 months later
"Please. Stop,"I plead after he removes his dirty hand from my mouth.
He smiles, but it is the wrong sort. This man runs on hostile malice instead of any form of positive feelings. Sharp pain lances through my head and colorful spots flash in front of my eyes as his fist hits my face. The moment he lets go of me, I fall to the floor like a bag of potatoes. He takes hold of my clothing, drags me away from the wall, and drops me on my back. The hard, chilled concrete makes me shiver, but when he bends and his palms touch my breasts through the fabric of my dress, and they move south, my mind and body scream.Please, no!
A sudden loud bang makes him jump up and turn to scan the alley. I take this opportunity and roll on my side. Pain spears through me, and I stop crawling when his boots connect—full force—with my back repeatedly. I grunt in agony while his dark, evil laugh fills the air.
After what feels forever, he whispers, "I'll see you later, doll face."
Footsteps retreat, and I try to move, but every movement causes a muscle or bone to ache. I keep still as the deep, warm, nauseating pain throbs inside my body. I attempt to collect them, but there are too many too fast. They come in waves, and when they increase in intensity, I hold still and inhale and exhale slowly until they wane. There is no blood, but my everything hurts with every breath. It is as if a nail bomb is exploding in my innards. Gradually, a black mist swirling at the edges of my mind takes over, and I let it draw me into sweet oblivion.
"No!" I shoot out of bed and hit the light button on my nightstand. My breathing is high, and tears beg to be released, but I push them away. I will not cry. I slide off the mattress, walk towards my kitchen, and turn on the coffee machine. While the espresso pours into the cup, I glance up and huff: 3 a.m. Just great.
