After about fifteen minutes, Piper started paying attention to her surroundings. Slowing down, she realized she was the only person on the sidewalk. Pulling her jacket closer around her frame, she started looking around.
Dusk had fallen and the streets looked ominous. Rusty Rhett, I think I took a wrong turn. None of this looks familiar. Turning around, she headed back the way she had come. Behind her, she heard a bottle roll. Stopping, she looked back, but didn’t see anything. Please just be the wind. Facing forward again, she sped up, walking towards civilization as fast as she could, simultaneously trying to find her phone in her purse.
“Well, hey now. What do we have here?” A dark, raspy voice slithered from the alleyway.
Piper’s heart skipped a beat. Choosing to ignore the voice, she pushed her short legs as fast as they would go without flat-out running. She came to a sudden stop when a dark figure stepped in front of her.
“I don’t think she liked your greeting, Jeb.” The nasally voice didn’t match the outline of his thick shoulders and broad chest.
“Guess not,” the dark voice said with a chuckle. “That’s alright, it doesn’t really matter whether she liked it or not.”
Chills travelled down her spine at their words. Her breathing was shallow and her heart beat frantically. “Please...just leave me alone.” Her voice was small and she winced internally. I sound like a wimp. I need to act strong, unafraid. She whipped her head from side to side trying to keep both of the approaching men in sight.
“Aw, now that’s no fun. And I haven’t had any fun in a long time.” Jeb said, still slowly approaching.
He was getting too close. Piper found herself backing away from the men, unsure of what to do.
“I’ll scream if you come any closer.” Her voice was still shaky. So much for sounding stronger. She was surprised she had enough breath to speak. Her lungs didn’t seem to be working properly.She wasn’t even sure she could get out an actual scream. Fear stronger than she had ever known held her in a vice.
“Ooh, a threat. I like this one, Eli. She’s got spunk. You go ahead and scream, sweetheart. Ain’t nobody gonna hear ya.”
A nasally chuckle followed this announcement.
Her head spun as she realized she had been backing into an alley in her attempt to put distance between her and the men. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead and the back of her neck. She could feel it drizzle between her shoulder blades and her thoughts whirled as she fought to keep her focus. Slowly, she slipped a hand inside her purse and threaded her keys through her knuckles. I’ve never hit anybody before. I hope I can do this.
“You can have my wallet if you want. Promise to let me go and I’ll give it to you.”
The men were now shoulder to shoulder, blocking the entrance to the alley. Piper could see they both had stringy, unkempt hair that reached their shoulders. Their clothes looked old, worn and very dirty, as if they hadn’t been washed in weeks. She was surrounded by a terrible stench, but it was impossible to tell if it was the men or the trash lying beneath her feet. Both men were tall and broad; at least compared to her. Either one looked more than capable of subduing the diminutive librarian.
“Ah, shoot. We just might take that wallet, but only after we’ve gotten what we really want.” Jeb said, his lip curling into a leer.
Eli rubbed his hands together, his smile revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
Taking a deep breathe, she finally tried to put her lungs to good use. “HELP! ANYONE! PLEASE HELP!” Backing up two more steps brought her to the wall and she had nowhere else to go. Piper pulled her hand out of her purse, but her trembling fingers struggled to keep the keys in a locked position.
Snickering, Jeb reached out to grab her upper arm, easily deflecting her key-filled swing. Knocking her hand against the wall, her keys fell to the pavement as she cried out at the abuse. A crash at the front of the alley brought both men up short. Glancing over their shoulders, they peered into the night. A dark shape was moving quickly in their direction.
“What the—” Jeb was interrupted as his partner was tackled to the ground. Scuffling and grunting were the only sounds as the bodies rolled into the darkest part of the alley. Both Piper and Jeb stood still, shocked at the sudden intrusion. After a moment, the sounds of fighting stopped. Straining her eyes, Piper searched the shadows, praying the newcomer was the victor.
She gasped when an extremely large silhouette moved towards them. “Nash,” she breathed, as his face became visible. Tears of relief began coursing down her face and she tried to take a step in his direction.
Jeb, however, was not as happy as she was about the reunion. “Where’s Eli?” He shouted. With a sudden jerk, he pulled Piper in front of him, using her as a shield against the giant blocking his escape. His stubby hands were gripped around her upper arms as he held her in place.
Nash narrowed his eyes, but remained silent.
“I said, where’s Eli?” Spittle landed on the back of her neck as his shouting became more desperate.
She began to wiggle against him, trying to break free, but his only reaction was to tighten his hold. A whimper escaped her in reaction to his punishing grip. There would be bruises in the morning.
At the sound, Nash’s eyes darted to her and then to where Jeb’s hands gripped her. His nostrils flared and Piper could tell his anger was quickly gaining ground. With a deep breath, he spoke in a dark, controlled voice. “Let. Her. Go.”
Jeb’s hands remained locked on her arms, but she could feel his body begin to tremble. “Man...let’s just cool down, huh? This is all just a big misunderstanding. We was just having a little fun, is all. Ain’t that right, honey?” He squeezed even more, as if to get her to agree with his statement.
“Ow!” She cried.
Nash’s jaw tightened and his brows furrowed. A deep, growling sound came from his chest and throat.
Jeb’s trembling turned to full-out shaking. “Now...now, just wait a minute...” he stammered.
Taking advantage of his terrified state, Piper slammed her heel down the front of his shin. With a hiss of pain, he threw her to the ground. She gasped as the asphalt tore into the palms of her hands.
A loud roar took her attention, as Nash charged her attacker. She could barely follow their movements in the shadows of the alley. It was over quickly and silence reigned.
“Nash?” Piper’s voice was hoarse and trembling. She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t support her. “Nash?” She managed to raise her volume a bit. She frantically searched the ground around her for the keys she had dropped earlier. Aha! Clutching them to her chest, she prepared to defend herself. After a few moments, she heard footsteps heading her direction. Whimpering and scrambling backwards on all fours, she found herself, once again, trapped against a wall.
It didn’t take long for the footsteps to reveal the outline of a large man. When he squatted down, she was able to see his face clearly. “Nash!” She blurted in relief. Suddenly her legs found their purpose and she launched herself into his arms.
With an ‘oof,’ he caught her and stumbled backwards a few steps. Keeping his arms around her, he slowly stood up and, shifting her to the side, he swept her legs into his other arm and held her like a child. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed, allowing the terror of the night to soak his shirt.