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She spun around, surprise lighting up her features, her eyes flashing. "Tony? What are you doing here?"
I found myself at a loss for words, my rehearsed explanations fleeing from my mind at the sight of her. I shook off the question.
“I saw those two guys leaving with Sally. I didn’t like the way it looked.”
I gave her hand a comforting squeeze, although I couldn't say I felt much better myself. For a brief moment, I contemplated having us split up to cover more ground, but the thought of letting Jude wander alone in the alley nixed that idea.
As we turned the corner, the sight that met us made my blood boil. The two men from the bar were steering a clearly disoriented Sally out of the alley, her protests falling on deaf ears.
"No, no," Sally's voice was weak and slurred, but there was an unmistakable edge of fear. "I... I need to go back... to find Jude."
One of the men gripped her arm tightly, his fingers digging into her flesh. She winced, trying to pull away, but he held on. "You're fine, sweetheart," he said, his voice filled with condescension.
Fury surged through me like a tidal wave. I stepped forward, Jude still clutching my hand, and barked at them, "Get your hands off her. Now."
Before I could react, Jude released my hand and stormed toward the men. She held her head high and her shoulders back, her fiery eyes blazing with indignant fury.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she spat, her voice a mixture of rage and disbelief. "You drugged her!"
The one holding Sally's arm laughed, a cruel and guttural sound. "Fuck off," he sneered. "Your friend said she wanted to go with us."
Sally shook her head feebly, her eyes wide and terrified. "N-no, I didn't," she stuttered.
Jude reached out to pull Sally away, but the second man stepped in front of her, blocking her path. His smug grin was infuriating, his eyes glinting with malicious joy. My fists clenched at my sides, itching to wipe that grin off his face.
I saw Jude's body tense up, ready to launch herself at the man if necessary. I admired her bravery, but it was a situation that could turn dangerous in the blink of an eye. I wouldn't let her risk it.
"Step aside," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "She's leaving with us.” I moved in front of Jude, putting myself between her and the men. "I suggest you get the fuck out of here before I call the police," I growled, my voice echoing in the alleyway.
The one not holding Sally chuckled, a menacing sound in the quiet alley. "You really think you can take us both on?" he taunted, rolling his shoulders back in a show of machismo.
I cracked a smirk, leaning casually against the brick wall behind me. "Absolutely," I replied confidently, my gaze unwavering. "I can beat both your asses without even breaking a sweat."
Meanwhile, Jude pulled out her phone and began snapping pictures of the men, the flash illuminating their surprised faces. The one not holding Sally squinted at her. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.
"Evidence," Jude replied nonchalantly. "For the cops, who are on their way."
The man's face blanched. He whipped his head around to his friend, who let go of Sally as if she were a hot coal. He took a swing at me, but I'd been expecting it. I dodged his fist with ease, sidestepping as he stumbled forward, off balance. I was just about to put him in a chokehold when suddenly, both men turned tail and started sprinting away from us down the alleyway.
"Fucking cowards!" Jude shouted after them, her voice echoing around us.
For a moment, we just stood there, staring at the retreating figures. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, my fists itching to throw a punch that never landed. Beside me, Jude sagged against the wall, her breaths coming in shaky gasps. But as I looked over at her, her eyes met mine, and I could see the fire still burning bright within them. I couldn't help but admire her even more in that moment. She was far stronger than I had initially given her credit for.
Sally had collapsed onto the dirty ground the moment the men released her, a small whimper escaping her lips. Instantly, Jude was at her side, helping to prop her friend up against the wall. For a moment, I thought about giving chase to the fleeing men, maybe getting a look at their license plate or some other form of identification. But then I realized they had bought drinks at the bar. The bartender would undoubtedly remember them, and there was likely a paper trail not to mention the photos Jude had taken.
I shook off my thoughts and turned my attention back to Sally. Crouching down beside her, I checked her over quickly. Her pupils were dilated and she was clearly disoriented, definitive signs of being drugged. But as far as I could tell she had no other maladies. Still, she would need to be examined to be certain.
"Jude, we need to get her to the hospital," I said looking up at her. Our eyes met, Jude’s full of fear and concern for her friend. I tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but I was seething on the inside.
I felt a cold fury settle in my chest, a promise to myself that I would do everything in my power to make sure those men faced the consequences of their actions.
Chapter 23
Jude
"Sally, you need to understand. They can't just get away with this," I pleaded. Tony was nodding in agreement beside me.
Sally was clearly confused, her protests weak and incoherent. But I was relentless, and so was Tony. The fact that we’d had to convince her to contact the police made my blood boil. It was infuriating that the men who did this to her might get away with it if we didn’t take action.
