“Trust me, Sarah. Take my hand.” Her fingers slid in mine and I pulled her between the other people and against my chest. She curled into me, so fragile and scared.
“I thought everyone left me.” She sobbed and I held her tighter.
“I wouldn’t leave you, Sarah.”
“I couldn’t find any of you.”
I clenched my jaw as I wondered where Derek was and why he hadn’t kept her safe. I nodded to Chris, who now had Terry by his side. They started to clear a path and guide us back to the table where I’d left Donna.
She pushed up from her seat and wrapped her arms around my neck as Sarah stepped out of the way. My eyes fell on hers wishing I could hold her and comfort her, but it wasn’t my place. I rubbed my hand over Donna’s back as I whispered in her hair that everything would be all right, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Sarah’s sad face.
“I didn’t think you’d make it back in one piece,” Donna whispered against my neck, and I swallowed hard, knowing our friendship was going to suffer from tonight.
“Me either.”
I watched as her throat moved and she swallowed hard, fresh tears in her eyes.
“We need to get the fuck out of here. Cops are coming,” Terry yelled, and I nodded to him, tucking Donna against my side as he put an arm around Sarah. Chris pushed a way through the crowd to the door and we followed behind. Sarah stopped as we reached the exit, her face turning to mine as she struggled against Terry’s grip on her.
“We can’t leave Derek.”
“The fuck we can’t.” Terry pulled her back against him and stepped out into the cool night air. She twisted in his grip, her eyes pleading and begging for me to help her. I had no choice.
“Go with Chris and Terry. They will make sure you get back safe, okay?” I tried to keep my tone light as I talked to Donna. She looked petrified, but I didn’t want her to keep me any longer. I needed to get in and out of the club before the police showed, and I could already hear the faint sounds of sirens in the distance.
“You can’t go back in there.” She shook her head.
I brushed the hair back from her face, running the pad of my finger down her cheek. “I’ll be fine. I promise.” I nodded. “Do you trust me?” She hesitated, knowing she could answer honestly and let me go or she could lie. She slowly nodded and I grabbed the sides of her face in my hands and pulled her toward me to kiss her forehead.
“Take them back to the hotel,” I barked at Chris as I headed back into the club.
Terry leaned in close to me with a stern look on his face. “He ain’t worth it.”
My eyes flicked to Sarah’s. “She is.” I turned and made my way back into the club before I could hear any more protests. My head throbbed from the blow to my temple and I had to steady myself to keep from doubling over. I knew I had to find Derek because she needed me to, but I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t kick his ass when I finally saw him.
My eyes scanned the club and it was impossible to see who was who. I pushed my way into the mess, catching a blow to the ribs and having to swing against some asshole. I caught him under the jaw and shoved him back into a group of men behind him, who yelled like wild animals.
It took me a full five minutes to reach the bar, but it felt like hours and I knew I would be too sore to even move tomorrow. I pulled myself up onto the bar and looked down at the people below. It was a tangled sea of limbs. I couldn’t find Derek anywhere in the mess and I was about to give up, but I didn’t want to disappoint Sarah.
I looked behind me to an open doorway that led to another room. I jumped down and fought my way over to the hidden space. The fight had spilled over into the doorway, but the majority of occupants were bystanders huddled around pool tables and watching as all hell broke loose.
That was when I saw him. And I saw red. Derek was leaning against a wall with some dumb blond bitch pressed against his body and his tongue in her mouth. He was oblivious of my presence, but he wouldn’t be for long. I shoved out of the way some asshole that squared his shoulders, looking for a fight. When I reached Derek, I didn’t hesitate to grab the slut’s shoulder and pull her back while I swung with my right arm and my fist connected with his left cheek-bone. The crack of knuckles against bone was only mildly satisfying as I drew back to hit him again, but someone grabbed my arm and I was pulled backward and stumbled to the ground, my blood pumping so hard I nearly blacked out from the pain in my head.
“He’s not worth it. We need to get the fuck out of here.” Terry held out his hand for me and I took it, blinking back the pain that radiated through my head.
Chapter Six
SARAH
I PACED THE FLOOR of my hotel room playing nervously with my silver chain necklace as I waited for E to return with Derek.
When a knock came at the door, I rushed to open it, and Eric stood in front of me, blood spattered on his lip. He looked as if he had just run a marathon.
“Where’s Derek?” I asked as he ran his hand over his face and stepped inside the room. I closed the door behind him and hurried into the small kitchenette to get him a drink of water.
He gulped it down, looking pained as he tried to swallow. “I need something . . . for my head.”
I rushed over to my purse and dug through it, looking for anything that might ease his migraine. “Fuck, E, I can’t find anything.”
“I have something in my room.” He took an unsteady step toward the door and I rushed to his side, grabbing his arm to help him. “I’ll walk you.” He only nodded as I pulled the door open and we slipped down the hall toward his room. He glanced over his shoulder toward Donna’s room as Terry stood outside it, ready to knock. He tilted his chin up to E, who nodded as I pulled him to his room.
“I need your room key.”
E patted down his pockets but his hands flew up to his head as his face contorted in pain.
“I’ll . . . I’ll get it.” I hesitated before slipping my hand in his front right pocket, coming up with a lighter. His eyes opened, locking onto mine. I held my breath as I pulled my hand back and stuck it in his other pocket and pulled out the plastic card.
I slid it in the card slot, and the little green indicator light flashed and then I pushed down the handle and shoved the door open. E leaned against my side and I wrapped my arm around his lean, muscular waist and guided him inside until we stood at the foot of his bed. He groaned and fell back onto it and stared up at the ceiling.
I scanned the room. “Where are your pills?”
He pointed in no particular direction and I took off into the bathroom.
A label-less orange medicine bottle sat on the edge of the sink. I tried three times with shaky fingers before removing the childproof lid and grabbing him one of his pills.
When I made it back to him, he was shirtless and my gaze immediately fell to his thick chest and the rippled muscles of his abdomen. He was unbuckling his dark jeans and my eyes slowly slid back up his body and locked onto his. I was embarrassed he had caught me staring, and he smirked knowingly as he shoved his pants over his hips.
“I . . . I found the pills.” I held out my hand to show him, and he sank down on the bed in only a pair of black boxer briefs. I tried to look anywhere but at him as I made my way over and extended my arm.
“Thank you.” His voice was rough and low as he popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed.
“I should have gotten you a drink.”
He shook his head, his eyes closed as he fell onto his back. “It’s fine. I take them dry all the time.”
I was wringing my hands together as I watched his chest rise and fall. I forced my eyes not to venture any lower. My heart rate was finally beginning to settle to a normal rhythm after my worry for him. Then my mind froze as I realized that in my worry for Eric, I had forgotten Derek.