“There’s more room inside than it looks from the outside,” he assured me as he moved toward the door.
“I don’t hear any music.” I hung back, reluctant to go in.
“You will once we get inside.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out some keys. Stepping toward the door, he fit a key into a lock and jiggled. The door opened with a creak. “Follow me.”
Instinct said to turn around and run the other direction. But what kind of adventurous attitude was that? Definitely not how wild Sharayah would behave. And I was here to have fun, right? Not act sensible and boring. Besides, I was in a strange city with only Mauve and Sadie for support, and getting separated from them could be disastrous. Given my infamously bad sense of direction, if I tried to find my way back to the crappo condo solo, I’d probably end up in another state.
So even though the sensible Amber-voice in my head screamed in protest, I followed Warren. We entered a dark, cave-like room with a rough cement floor and dank musty odor.
“Where is everyone?” I bit my lower lip.
“In the back.”
“This building didn’t look that big.” I was getting a bad feeling. “Weird place for a party.”
“Depends on the kind of party.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as he closed the door, shutting out sound and light. “Why is it so dark?”
He didn’t answer. I heard the shuffle of his feet, then the click of a light switch. The room burst with yellowy light from a hanging bulb. Score a point for my intuition, but subtract a hundred points for my stupidity. There was no party, no one else — only a dank warehouse with bikes stacked against the walls.
“Warren, you’re an ass!” I wheeled on him, spitting fury. “I am so out of here.”
I moved toward the door but he moved quicker, sidestepping to block my way like a muscular wall.
“Don’t rush off,” he said in this lazy, amused tone like he thought we were more than friends. “We can have our own private party here without any interruptions.”
“I do not want to party with you. I cannot believe you pulled this! Are you insane?”
“Come on, babe, play nice.” Grabbing my arm, he yanked me toward his chest. “I’ve been talking to some buddies and heard a lot about you.”
“You don’t know anything about me — and you’re a liar! Mauve and Alonzo never planned to come here.”
“So what? We’re here and that’s all that matters. I knew you just needed to get away from everyone so we could get to know each other better. I know what you really want.”
“What I want is to get the hell away from you!” I choked out as I tried to shake off his grip. But his arms were steel and his grip like handcuffs.
“Don’t be that way.”
“I’ll be whatever way it takes to get the hell away from you!” I was so angry I couldn’t think straight. With a fierce yank, I broke free of his grip, kicking hard and striking his knee.
“Ouch!” He grabbed his knee, jumping in pain. “Why’d you go and do that?”
“I meant to kick higher.”
“You little bi—” he swore as he lunged for me. I scrambled toward the door, but before I could grab the knob he grabbed me, his grip much rougher. “You’re not going anywhere until we have some fun.”
“Back off,” I cried, wincing as his gloved fingers squeezed my arm. More than ever I was sure he was a Dark Lifer, and I had to get out of here before he took off his gloves.
“You know you like this.”
“No way! Even if I was interested in you — which I’m totally not — I already have a boyfriend.”
“He’s not here.” He pulled me closer and I kicked and squirmed. “I am.”
“Get away from me!” I screamed.
“You’re starting to piss me off.” He grabbed a handful of my hair, jerking hard so my face was close to his. “I’m not asking for anything you haven’t done before,” he added in a softer, cajoling voice. “You wouldn’t want me to think you’re being a tease, would you?”
“I don’t care what you think. If you don’t open that door immediately, I’m going to press charges.”
“Then I better make this worth the trouble. Come on, baby.” He chuckled, his breath smelling like hot beer. “I knew you were into me when we first met. I could tell from the way you kept staring at me. But you didn’t want to upset your girlfriend, which I can respect. Sadie is okay, but she talks too much. I prefer the quiet, spunky type — like you.”
“Well, I don’t prefer you. Back off!” I aimed a kick that would have scored right where he’d hurt the most, but he blocked me.
“So you like to play rough? Me too.”
“You think this is playing? Can’t you see I am totally not into you? I don’t care what you’ve heard, I’m not like that and I have no intention of doing anything with you.”
“Don’t be such a tease.” He pressed his face close to mine and I struggled, but couldn’t get out of his grip.
But there was no whisper from the other side, only the disgusting breath of Warren pressing his face close to mine. I turned my head, squirming, kicking and screaming. I flashed back to my dream of Gabe attacking Sharayah by the ocean. I wasn’t far from the ocean now, and although not on the edge of a cliff, I was trapped with someone dangerous. Instead of a memory, had that dream been a warning? I should have known better than to go anywhere with Warren.
His gloves dug into my flesh, burning, the red dragon design blurring through my tears. What would happen when he took off his gloves? I didn’t have a chance against Warren’s brute strength. He’d suck my energy and soul until there was nothing left.
“No!” I sobbed as his lips crushed down on my own. Squirming, I grabbed the keys in my pocket and lashed out at him.
“Bitch!” He twisted my arm painfully as he reached up to touch his now-bleeding cheek. “That wasn’t part of the deal. Try that again and I really will hurt you.”
He came at me once more and I screamed as shrill and loud as I could. But he didn’t back off, pressing his face against mine, his lips crushing, stealing my breath so I couldn’t breathe. I was suffocating, alive. My head floated, pain and fear making me dizzy. Still, I kept kicking, struggling—
Then the door crashed open and someone shouted, “Let her go!”
“This is a private party — get the hell out!” Warren’s cruel grip dug into my wrists.
“I said to let her go.” The voice was deep, masculine with a hint of an English lilt.
Torn between fear and relief, I continued to cling to the keys clutched in my hand.
“I’m so scared.” Warren snorted like it was a big joke.
“You should be” was the reply.
“You want to take me on?” Warren laughed darkly. “I’d like to see you try.”
“No.” The English lilt dropped to a growl. “I guarantee you — you would
Then my rescuer stepped forward into the artificial yellow light of the cavernous room: a tanned young man with full lips, thick black brows, and a blue cap with an anchor emblem over a mid-length, dark-blond ponytail. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he had an indefinable charisma. He moved slowly, a sea of calmness despite the turbulence ahead.
Warren shifted, his grip on me loosening, and I took my chance and flung myself away from him with so much force that I stumbled against the wheel of a surrey. Something sharp poked my leg and I cried out with pain. Tears filled my eyes as I collapsed on the hard concrete.
“Who the hell are you?” Warren demanded.
“Someone who’s going to smash your face if you don’t stop abusing your girlfriend.”
“I’m not his anything!” I yelled out.
“I rather guessed that.” The stranger’s pale eyes narrowed with a focused intensity.
“Screw you,” Warren snapped. “Butt out — this doesn’t concern you.”
“It does now.” The words were spoken lightly, but the stranger’s gaze was serious.
