“Oh. You want someone to go with you?”
Noelle shook her head. “Nah, I’m good. Stay and have fun. I’ll be right back,” she reassured her sister.
Before she’d even finished speaking, Merry had already turned back around and was stepping onto a chair, then the table. Goddess help her if she fell and hit her head. Noelle wasn’t going to take her ass to the hospital. Shit, yes, she would, but she wouldn’t be happy about it.
The hallway was long and deserted except for a young girl who came out of the ladies’ room. She’d smiled down at Noelle pleasantly then continued on to the crowded bar. In all honesty, the Mayhem Bar was a really busy place. If it had it been any other night, she might’ve enjoyed herself. However, since it was the anniversary of the night, she’d killed the bastard who’d kidnapped her, she couldn’t do anything but fight off a sense of doom. Memories were crowding into her mind of the horrors she’d faced. Her sister didn’t seem to care that Noelle had issues from her captivity. Hell, she wondered if Merry had even missed her while she’d been gone all those years.
“Stop that. Of course, she did.” Only if she were being honest, she didn’t think Merry did. Since she’d been back, Merry was like a spoiled child who pouted any time her own captivity was brought up. She would yell and scream about how awful it was for her because she was human, unlike Noelle who was a freak. She’d make sure to shout how it wasn’t so bad for Noelle because she was...well she was a witch. Merry didn’t seem to think that it was bad for Noelle, not like her and her friends who were captured and held. For ten years, she’d suffered unimaginable horrors, the likes of which Merry and their parents had no clue. Nobody knew the extent of the things that had been done to her. Gah, she needed to stop thinking about the past.
The night air hit her the moment she opened the door, instantly cooling her. The door slammed behind her, making her jump. She took in her surrounding, noticing the dumpster to her right was full. The line of bikes directly in front of her were nothing like the cars that filled parking lot they’d entered. “Shoot. I think I came out the wrong exit,” she muttered.
“Are you lost, little girl?”
She spun around, shocked at the male voice coming from behind her. “Oh Goddess. You scared the Beetlejuice outta me.” She took a careful step backward, edging closer to the bikes. Her powers would allow her to lift any one of them, placing them between her and the man who seemed to be stalking her. He moved with predator-like grace, reminding her of Zelda’s mate Mac in a way.
“My apologies. I saw you walking out the door and worried you’d get locked outside.” He smiled.
Noelle didn’t trust him or his smile. “Thank you for thinking of me, but I’m fine. You can go back in. I was just needing some air.” She tried to appear calm when inside she was a roiling caldron of anxiety. He was setting off her creep meter.
“Now, a gentleman would never leave a lady all alone outside a bar, especially one with degenerates such as this one. I’ll wait with you, or better yet, if you’d like we can go somewhere else together?”
“Ah, I’m with my sister and friends celebrating her upcoming wedding. Thanks though.” She barely kept from rolling her eyes.
“They didn’t seem too concerned when you left. As a matter of fact, I distinctly heard a couple of them say good riddance as you walked away.” He pretended to appear sad, as if their rejection of her hurt him.
Noelle tried not to flinch at his words. She was sure a few of the ladies were a little uncomfortable around her. Although they didn’t know the extent of her true powers, all of them knew she was a witch. Hell, in Assjacket everyone who was anyone knew Zelda and Sassy and let us not forget Baba, who was the head witch of all. However, the ladies didn’t stare at those witches with fear or disdain like they did Noelle. They didn’t blame them for the horrors they endured thanks to Remdezevier. They blamed Noelle even though it wasn’t her fault. Had she been a better captive, they wouldn’t have been taken. She’d overheard them talking once, heard those words uttered by Merry, echoed by the others.
“Don’t fret, my pet. I’ll take you far from here and make all their hate disappear from your life,” he promised.
Noelle gasped when she realized he’d gotten far too close. “Listen, you need to back the fuck up and leave me alone. I don’t know you. I don’t want to know you. And I sure as shit don’t have any plans to go anywhere with you,” she snarled. His pet? She’d show him just how much of a pet she was not.
“Excuse me. Is there a problem out here?”
Noelle’s entire body did that zip, zing, bang thing like it had when she’d spied him from across the crowded room earlier, only this time it was ten times more powerful when the owner of the bright-blue eyes spoke.
“This doesn’t concern you, barbarian. Go on back inside and do your...thing.” The creeper waved his hand as if dismissing the other man.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the sexy stranger as he took a menacing step closer to the other man while keeping his focus on her.
“Too bad for you I don’t agree. Now, you got two choices. One, you turn around and hightail it back inside. Or two, you and I can have a discussion. Mind you, I don’t talk to idiots, and I think you’re the biggest
