Chapter 5
Solomon
She was beautiful, a vision, and I wanted to watch her all night. Her. Not the hungry wolves slobbering over her and the ass that decided he had to have a piece of her instead of letting her enjoy her dance. Alone.
Why did he have to interrupt her, and why was seeing them talking causing me to clench my teeth?
I studied her face. In the flashing lights I saw her brows scrunch together. Her body language was loud and clear as she took a step back though her head stayed in place to hear whatever he was whisper-yelling into her ear. She smiled awkwardly, nothing similar to how she smiled when she was dancing by herself.
He was making her uncomfortable.
A waitress came over and smiled, leaning over the counter and giving me ample view of her breasts.
“Can I get you something sir?” she said, whispering into my ear. “I can get you anything.”
“Nah,” I said, waving her away and looking around her body to the other woman. “I’m good.”
The waitress was persistent.
“My friend’s here too. We could keep you company,” she said, trailing her hand across my scar. “You look lonely.”
I didn’t bother responding. She shrugged and went about her business.
My eyes found the girl once more. She looked around and behind her, scanning the crowd as if searching for someone before chewing her lip. She ducked her head close to him again while holding herself a distance away. Even if her brain wasn’t aware of it, her body wanted nothing to do with this man and that gave me more satisfaction than it should have.
He touched her arm and I almost growled aloud. I could only imagine how soft her bare arms were.
I turned around and ordered a new drink. I shouldn’t be watching them like some irksome reality TV show. I don’t even know her. I have to let her go.
My drink came and I tried to stare at it to prevent myself from turning around. I held the glass, relishing in the coolness of the ice against the glass. My fingers slid through the condensation before I regained my grip. Its chill wasn’t enough to hold me.
I looked to where I saw her last, but she was not there anymore. My eyes darted around the room quickly. Not by the bar, not by the restrooms, not at the entrance. There. By the staircase, being led by the same guy whom I knew she didn’t know.
If there was one thing I knew about safety in places such as this, it was that you don’t travel alone with someone you just met.
I watched her ascent. Her leaving was for the best. I needed to focus, and she was the worst distraction.
But I couldn’t tear my eyes away and, even though the guy she was with never touched her, I wanted to rip him from her side and be the one walking beside her. I wondered what could be sweeter than having her for myself.
Me having the patch—that was what. I couldn’t have both. Not right now, at least.
My heart thrummed loudly in my chest while I sipped my drink.
Don’t go up there.
What if the rumors you’ve heard are true?
That’s none of your business.
She doesn’t even know him. What if she’s in trouble?
If she is, it’s not my concern. I’m only here for one thing.
She’s so innocent.
She’s a grown woman.
Bandits don’t hurt women or children. Or allow others to hurt them. If something happens to her, it’s on you.
How could I know that something is wrong?
After five minutes of her not coming back down, I threw back my drink as if it were a shot, gulped down the liquid without tasting it, and took the ice between my molars and chewed. I slammed the glass down and slapped a fifty-dollar bill onto the corner for the bartender, who was watching me with a knowing look.
“She’s in trouble,” I said to myself and pushed through the crowd quickly to the stairwell.
A man with my height but not as heavy in weight stood at the bottom stair.
“What can I get you, sir?” he said, blocking the way.
“How much?” I asked, trying to expedite this entire process.
I knew I was going to have to pay because every pleasure has a price tag. I didn’t know for sure what was behind the door, but I was willing to bet it wasn’t a brand-new car.
“Depends on what you want,” he said, his face lifting into a sinister smile. “VIP is two-fifty.”
“An innocent little thing,” I said seriously. I couldn’t even pretend to be a creep.
The bouncer grinned. “We got something that just might fit that bill.”
He made it sound like a product on a shelf somewhere, as if he were checking inventory. All of it made my blood boil.
“Yeah. I got just what want you need. The cheapest room is five hundred,” he said as if we were talking about the weather.
I took the remaining bills from my pocket and handed it to him.
“If you’ll wait right here, a guide will come to–”
“I’m more of a free range kind of guy,” I said, pushing past him and stalking up the stairs two at a time.
I looked around and after making sure she wasn’t in one of the VIP booths doing shots or something that I couldn’t imagine she’d do, I pushed past a few people and walked down the hallway. I expected the bouncer to be somewhere behind me, but he had a job to do at the door. Was it worth arguing with a man who paid to be there? Probably not.
As many people were up here, the hallway was eerily empty. I didn’t know why, but I was expecting, at the very minimum, some kind of hall monitor.
The music was much quieter and the closed doors looked too much like bedroom doors. What in the entire fuck was back here?
I walked in measured steps, listening intently. Each door I passed had their own unique sounds coming from them, ranging from moans to pleading and slaps. Nothing that sounded unwanted. I couldn’t help thinking I might have gotten it wrong. I could have. I didn’t know that girl. Still, I couldn’t shake the lead ball in my stomach. My gut was never wrong.
I felt apprehensive, but unafraid. Whatever I was about to see, I was ready for it. In my twenty-seven years, I had already seen a lot of fucked up shit. I couldn’t imagine a woman I hadn’t actually met would top the list.
I took all that was calm about me and made it my aura. It was important to look like I belonged. I was up here for one thing and once I had her, I would leave.
A scream broke through my thoughts, squeezing my heart and tearing into me like shards of glass. It was desperate and terrified. Hopeless. A scream of wild panic. It was her. I would have bet my life on it.
Adrenaline surged through my veins. I moved forward frantically. There were too many doors, and I wasn’t sure which one she was behind.
I listened harder, moving on instinct. I needed something. Anything. Just one more clue. I was so close to her. I held my breath, centering myself to hear even the smallest noise.
Then I heard it. A sound that almost stopped my heart. From the other side of the door, was a sobbing sound, like a small child who’d lost a parent.
I knew screams and tears of terror and my girl was terrified. Somebody was going to receive all my fury tonight. Thinking the door could be locked, I burst through it anyway and my rage increased by what I saw.
He was covering her like a blanket, completely smothering her except for her beautiful, tear-stained face. Her breaths were uneven and hitched like she had put up a hard fight.
The sick pleasure on his face as he looked down on her was replaced by surprise at my intrusion. “What the—”
My body moved faster than my brain could process. I charged forward. He threw his forearms like an offensive lineman blocking a defensive back. Still, he was nothing against my weight as I slipped to the side and dragged him off her. I pushed his elbow down and away, caught his shirt and, with his momentum, threw him to the floor.
He moaned and had the audacity to sit up and appear upset.
“Hey man, what the hell are you doing here?”
His question didn’t deserve an answer—not a verbal one.
I slapped him with my left hand, open and full across the face. It rocked him and he took a step back. He quickly steadied himself, blinked his eyes, and stared at me. He must have been seeing stars. Blood dripped down from his nose down his lip.
A bitch slapping was fitting given what he was doing and probably did on a regular basis to women. That was a bitch move.
My right fist crushed his nose, shattering the bone. He was smart enough to cover his face, but it wasn’t soon enough. I kicked him in the side before dropping down to the floor on top of him. I caught his arm, threw it back, and with a clear shot, I punched his stomach over and over again, trying to release the tension in my muscles.
I wasn’t so gone in anger that I didn’t remember she was in the room, watching the violent display from the bed. I stopped before I could kill the man.
Calming myself down, I watched as pearl-shaped tears sat on her eyelids, suspended in air. I stood up and stayed still as a statue, relaxing my stance. Her captor was unconscious and I imagined she was assessing the situation, deliberating on whether or not she could trust me. Her dress was ripped and I could see she was trembling. I moved slowly until I was touching her.