Off Limits (Off 2)

The bathroom starts clearing out until I'm the only one left. I am impatiently checking my watch when one of the waitresses comes in and sees me standing there.

"Are you Emily?" she asks.

I nod.

"Your boyfriend is out there waiting for you. And we're closing the club so you two will need to head out."

Oh, crap. I need to stall to give Nix time to get here. There is no way I can walk out of here with James.

"Ummm...I think I might be sick. Can you give me just a few minutes?"

She looks exasperated but says, "Fine. But we're locking up in about fifteen minutes. I'll tell your boyfriend you'll be out soon."

I mutter thanks and walk into one of the stalls, acting as if I'll be sick. As soon as I hear her leave, I open the door and walk back to lean against the sink.

My fifteen minutes goes by too fast and the waitress is back telling me I need to leave. I pick up my purse and catch a glance in the mirror. Wide eyes stare back at me and I realize I'm going to have to handle James on my own. That thought makes my stomach churn.

As soon as I open the door, I see James leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He gives me a devious smile. "Are you okay? The waitress said you were sick."

I nod. "Yeah. I think I drank too much and had to throw up."

Maybe that would gross him out enough to leave me alone. Or maybe it would make him think I was easy prey. His smile turns from devious to practically lecherous. Clearly, he sees me as prey.

"Well, let's get you home and get you to bed. In fact, my apartment is just a few blocks over."

I walk past him and head toward the club's exit.

"No," I reply, trying for nonchalance as if his offer didn't just make my insides squirm with disgust. "I'm going to my apartment."

He appraises me, one eyebrow cocked. "Sure thing, sugar. Let's go."

Unfortunately, the front doors to the club have been locked and we are pointed to an exit that leads out into the side alley. I was hoping there would be a crowd of partygoers loitering around but they've all dispersed and we are alone. At least there is some lighting attached to the top of the building that illuminates the place fairly well.

I turn to head in the direction of the main street but James grabs my arm. I wasn't expecting that and teeter dangerously in my heels. He steps into me, grabbing one shoulder with one hand and one of my breasts with the other. He pushes me back against the wall and doesn't even try any sweet talk before he tries to stick his tongue down my throat.

I start to immediately struggle, fear fueling my strength.

"Get off me you fucking, pervert," I yell at him. I manage to push him off of me but he comes back stronger than ever. His hands are squeezing me painfully and he's muttering disgusting words like, "You feel so good" and "Are you gonna make me feel good, baby".

What a slime! Part of me is thinking that he's just a drunk trying to feel me up and another part tells me to take this more seriously than I am. But I just can't believe a guy that I was hanging with peaceably all night would try to assault me in a well-lit alleyway just steps from a main street.

After we engage in a fruitless battle of me trying to push his body away and him trying to feel me up, I finally do what every girl should do in this situation. I try to bring my knee up into his balls. Unfortunately, he's too close and I cannot get enough room to make a solid connection. My knee glances harmlessly off his thigh.

I suppose he gets tired of our banter because he brings his arm up and braces it against my throat, effectively cutting off my supply of oxygen. Now I start to panic as I realize this is so much more than a drunk trying to feel me up. I really start struggling again. This time, when he sticks his tongue into my mouth, I react on pure instinct. I bite down as hard as I can and I taste blood.

CHAPTER 9

Nix

I'm driving through Manhattan as fast as I can but I don't want to risk getting pulled over by a cop. No telling what type of trouble Emily is in. I didn't bother asking her because I didn't want to waste time. As she was giving me the address of where she was, I was hopping into my jeans and slipping on a pair of flip-flops.

I was out the door and pulling a shirt over my head by the time I disconnected from her.

I make it to The Blue Room in twenty-five minutes and it looks deserted. I pull over to the curb and step out. I walk up to the doors but they are locked.

Figures!

Running my hand through my hair, I look left, then right. There is an alley that runs beside the club and I walk that way. As soon as I turn the corner, I see Emily heading towards me and sigh in relief. She looks fine.

Then I notice a guy behind her and my blood boils when I see him grab her arm. I take off toward them, murderous rage filling me when I see him mauling her up against the wall. She tries to knee him once but it doesn't hit the mark. He tries to kiss her and before I can reach them, the guy rears back from Emily and screams, "You bitch!"

Emily starts spitting onto the ground. He's holding his hand to his mouth and I can only assume she bit him.

Good girl and that thought alone diminishes a bit of my wrath.

Emily looks scared but she also looks pissed. I'm within just a few feet of them and I see the dude raise his hand like he's going to hit her. She sticks her chin out and stares him down and I am utterly amazed.

He starts to bring his hand down toward her face and that's when I lash out. I catch him by the wrist and shove him backward.

He's surprised and for a split second, I can see he thinks about charging me.

"Man...I wouldn't do it," I warn him. Emily comes to stand behind me and I'm glad I'm between her and this asshole. "You need to turn around and walk the other way."

I'm frighteningly calm despite my anger. There was a time in my life that I would probably have pounded the shit out of him, but I've learned to avoid fights if I can help it. It never seems to solve anything and only creates bruises and cuts.

More shit that needs healing.

The guy sneers at me and then looks at Emily. He thinks he's safe because I've given him a pass to walk away. "That bitch is a fuckin' tease. I was only takin' what she was offering." He punctuates that by wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, blood smearing across his face.

That's it. I'm going to kill the bastard.

I start toward him but Emily takes a hold of my wrist, lightly. It stops me in my tracks and I look over my shoulder at her.

"Please don't", she says softly. "Can you just take me home?"

Even though my blood feels like lava in my veins and I want to pound some respect into this douche bag, I immediately take in that Emily now looks completely overwhelmed by this situation. Her adrenaline is clearly waning and an urgency rises in me to make this all better for her. For once, I don't stop to analyze it.

I don't even glance back at the dude. Taking Emily's hand, I turn around and walk us out of the alley. She's wobbly on her feet and I don't know if it's because she's drunk or because she's teetering around in impossibly high heels. Which make her legs look freakin' amazing, by the way. I slow my pace so she doesn't end up breaking her ankle.

When we get to my Bronco, I unlock the passenger door. I reach in and grab a bottle of water I had sitting in there. I hand it to her and she doesn't hesitate when she takes a huge swig, swishes it around her mouth, and spits it out on the ground.

"Thanks," she says quietly.

It's quite a leg up into my Bronco so I hold onto her hand as she steps a crystal-studded foot up onto the running board then slings herself across the seat. I try not to notice her dress riding up and exposing her leg. I grit my teeth and close the door.

Once I pull myself up into the driver's seat, I look over at her. She's sitting with her hands clasped in her lap and her gaze looks a bit vacant as she stares out the side window.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

She just nods her head but I see her bottom lip start to quiver a bit.

My stomach clenches. Normally, a girl crying will freak me out and I'll do anything to get away. But now, I kind of want to take her in my arms and hold her...to reassure her that everything is okay now. My arm rises up on its own accord and as I reach out to her, I suddenly feel awkward. I'm not built for this. I don't do chivalrous and I don't do reassuring.

I do hard and tough.

My arm drops in my lap and I start the truck. Then I decide to be an asshole to prove I'm still me. "What the hell were you doing out there by yourself? How could you let yourself get in that situation?"

Emily's head snaps around so fast to glare at me, her hair flies in a fluid arc and comes to rest over her bare shoulder. I notice the bottom lip is no longer quivering and if looks could kill, I'd be oh, so dead. But I give myself some praise for my tough methods. She's angry now and doesn't look on the verge of collapse. At least I won't have to deal with tears.

"I didn't choose for this to happen, Nix." Her words are bitter and angry. "My friends ditched me and left me to fend octopus man on my own. I'm really sorry to inconvenience you tonight."

She spits those last words out and then turns her head back to stare out the window. Her shoulders are now stiff and not pitifully sagging the way they were just a few seconds ago. That should make me happy, but it doesn't.

I sigh. "Look, you're not inconveniencing me...I just--"

She cuts me off with another look, but this one is pleading. "Please don't. I've had a really bad night. I just got attacked and I don't need you to lecture me. Can you just take me to my apartment?"

"Is Fil there?"

"Yes. Passed out, I'm sure, but she'll be there."