Bring it on.
She put her hand on the knob and pulled in a slow breath, forcing her mind into hyperfocus. Everly drew the door open, stepped out, and closed it behind her, keeping the knife hidden in the folds of her skirt. Eric caught sight of movement and jumped back from looking into another stall. He held a Glock nine in his hand.
“Hey, Eric,” she said conversationally.
His eyes went wide. He took a step back, then pointed the gun at her and stood his ground. “Don’t move, bitch. Where’s the kid?”
She tipped her head. “What kid?”
As soon as Eric’s eyes darted around the room, Everly lunged. She grabbed his gun and twisted his wrist, flipping the weapon toward him, then she sank the knife into his arm.
He screamed and released the gun, letting it slip right into Everly’s hand. But before she could get her hand around the grip, he wrenched away from the knife and knocked the gun from her grasp.
Instead of fighting her head-on, the coward lunged for the gun. Everly fisted his blazer and hauled him back and into the knife in her other hand. Eric grunted, swallowing a sound of pain as he pulled away. Everly slipped her middle finger into the circle on her blade, turning the knife into an extension of her fist. And when Eric swung toward her again, Everly nailed him, knife first, in two quick, sharp jabs to his flank.
Eric howled and dropped to his knees. He grabbed his side as blood leaked through his fingers. He fell forward, his hands leaving bloody prints and smears on the light tile as his gaze frantically searched for the weapon.
“Don’t do it,” she told him. “You still have one good kidney. But if you move, you’re dead.”
He dropped to the floor, curling on his side. Everly hurried past him, picked up the gun, then returned to the stall. She heard Bella sobbing behind the door, and her gut turned over. She grabbed the doorknob and found her own hand covered in blood, the knife still open.
She flipped it closed and opened the door, then immediately crouched to look at Bella. The poor thing was terrified, clutching the phone to her chest. A sense of urgency pushed Everly. She didn’t know how much time she had before the other two came in search of Ramon and Eric.
“It’s okay, baby. Did you talk to your daddy?”
“No.” Her voice rose, and her teary gaze focused in on the blood covering Everly’s hand. “You owie?”
A little stress and all the language practice went to hell. “No, Be
lla, I’m fine.”
She pulled the girl into her lap, hating the way the blood marred Bella’s gorgeous dress. Details. In these high-pressure, hyperfocused situations, details always stood out in sharp relief.
“Look at me.” When Bella looked her in the eye, she said, “I want you to squeeze your eyes tight and put your head on my shoulder. Don’t open them until I tell you, okay?”
Her head went down, and a muffled “Okay” sounded against Everly’s shoulder.
She pulled open the stall door and turned toward the exit. Someone in the hall called for the men. Someone she didn’t know. “Ramon. Eric.”
Fuck. Everly fisted the knife, pivoted, and hurried to the other end of the bathroom.
“Plug your ears, baby.”
Bella put her free hand against one ear. Everly turned her back to the frosted glass panel, angled her body to shield Bella, and thumped the glass with the butt of the knife, which was equipped with a center punch.
The panel shattered. Bella muffled a squeal against Everly’s shoulder.
She did her best to avoid the glass as she curled her body over Bella’s and stepped outside. As soon as she started to run, pain stabbed the bottom of one foot.
“Shit.” She limped five feet from the opening and set Bella down. Then she knelt in front of her and aimed the weapon at the opening.
While she waited, she used her breath to slow her heart. Used Bella as her focus point. Her purpose.
“Everything’s okay, baby,” she murmured. “This will be over soon.”
“What in the fuck?” a voice yelled from the bathroom. Not Austin. Not Decker.
Everly’s stomach jittered. Her hand shook.