But he creeped her out.
She turned around, scanning the area for the women’s restroom, wanting and needing a break from the heat, the noise, and the lustful stares. Without Travis at her side pushing his way through, it took her longer to reach her destination.
Inside, she stood in front of a mirror, trying to catch her breath. She almost didn’t recognize the image looking back at her. Her face glistened with sweat and heat and the color on her cheeks was bright, casting an unusual shine in her eyes. Where was the calm, elegant socialite from yesterday with hair perfectly in place and clothes tastefully tailored to impress?
She turned the cold water on and patted her fingers to her cheeks, hoping to lessen the flush that had probably started the moment Travis’s lips touched hers.
What had come over her earlier? Feeling the music pulsating around her, Travis’s appreciative gaze as he watched her, his hands touching her like he knew her better than she knew herself…it had been intoxicating. So much so that in an uncharacteristic moment, she’d gone with the flow of emotions simmering inside and kissed him.
And damn. It had felt good. Acting on her instincts instead of fighting them.
A girl almost fell out of a stall and stumbled to the sink, jostling Meredith. She had better get out there. She didn’t want to run the risk of missing Travis.
There were a couple of guys standing outside the men’s restroom, pushing on the door to no avail. They swore under their breath and tried again before leaving.
Had to be Travis’s doing.
The door swung open suddenly, and Matt walked out, his face tense and twisted. Beads of sweat driveled down his face. Travis appeared behind him, whispering something in his ear. At seeing Meredith, Travis said, “Matt here is going to take us to the place where he escorted Darcy.”
He didn’t venture more, and Meredith’s head screamed with a thousand questions. Matt knew where she was? He’d taken her somewhere? Was she…alive?
Travis had warned her about interfering with his investigation, but right then she didn’t care. She stepped directly in front of the kid, leaning forward to ensure he heard her. “You had better pray to God that my daughter is unharmed. If anything has happened to her, I swear on my life, I will bury you so far and so deep, you’ll be a fossil before anyone ever finds you.” Turning her attention to Travis, she asked, “How do you know we can trust that he’s not sending us on a wild goose chase?”
Travis smiled, slow and leisurely, but his eyes were cold. “Because he’s taking us there himself. And if I find that he’s holding back on us, I’ll happily break his other wrist, too.”
Meredith glanced down and saw Matt was holding his arm close to his body, his wrist at an odd angle.
Travis continued. “Oh, and then there’s that fact that, as I showed our friend a moment ago, I’m armed and not bound by any code of police ethics on what level of force I’m prepared to use. The only rules I follow are the ones that help my client. You understand that, don’t you, Matt?”
Travis nudged him with his leg, and Matt flinched.
“Now, I need you to relax, Matt. Think about getting yourself along the side of the dance floor over to the exit without arousing suspicion. If you race through the door or limp or whimper, you’re gonna catch the wrong sort of attention. And that will really piss me off and I’m bound to shoot you. My friend and I will follow close behind you, so don’t think of doing something stupid like making a run for it.” He paused. “You understand everything, Matt?” At his nod, Travis looked at her again. “Ready? Let’s get outta here.”
Matt darted through the crowd, and Travis swept his arm around her waist again. He leaned over and, for all appearances, looked like he was nuzzling her neck. He whispered, “You’re gonna need to pretend that you can’t wait to get me alone and have your way with me.”
Then he did it again. He kissed her. But this time she was able to keep her head when he pressed into her, because she couldn’t risk losing sight of Matt. She sensed the same with Travis, even as his hands traveled down her side. “Okay. Let’s go.”
They followed Matt, catching sight of him pushing the door open before it shut and he disappeared from view. Their pace picked up, and a few second later they were at the door.
What if Matt hadn’t believed Travis and his threats? What if he’d warned the guys at the door and they were about to walk into a trap? Her heart beat to a near crescendo as they pushed open the doors, and she waited for arms to restrain them.
But the guys barely bothered to look their way. Only…she couldn’t see Matt anymore.
“Shit,” Travis said and loosened his hold on her waist and grabbed her hand. They raced down the stairs, a feat made more difficult by the number of people still crowding them. The music, if possible, was even louder downstairs, and this time Travis used a little less finesse as he pushed their way through and out to the front door. They stood at the top of the stairs outside the club, their eyes scanning both sides of the sidewalk for any sign of their guy.
Travis bolted down the stairs, evidently seeing something that caught his attention, and raced across the street. He arrived at the SUV just as the headlights turned on. But Travis was fast, and he had the door ripped open before Matt could put the car in gear.
He pulled Matt not so gently from the car and held the back of his shirt as he pushed him ahead of them until they reached their car. Matt took one look at Bonnie and had the temerity to laugh. Until Tr
avis delivered an extra punch to his kidney that had him hunching over. With ease, Travis pulled Matt’s cell phone from a back pocket and powered it off, then slipped it into his own pocket.
“Wouldn’t want you to get any ideas about notifying anyone of our arrival,” Travis said over Matt’s objections. He opened the door and pushed the passenger seat down to allow Meredith to climb in the back. “Sorry, Meredith, but there’s no chance I’m turning my back on this guy.”
A sentiment she shared.
She climbed in and waited for Matt to take a seat on the passenger side. Travis grabbed the seat belt and not too gently crossed Matt’s body with it. With satisfaction, she watched Matt lean forward, clutching his wrist. She doubted he could release the seat belt latch if his life depended on it.
Travis climbed in and buckled up before starting the car. “Now that I have your full attention,” he said, pulling out of the parking space, “maybe you can tell me a little more about your operation. What’s your role, who’s your boss, what happens to all these girls you reel in.”