“No worries,” she said, taking Bella’s hand. “I’ve got her.”
“Thanks.” He was annoyed. Everly could see it in the firm press of his mouth and the anger in his eyes. Someone called his name from the crowd. Austin caught the attention of one of the security guards and waved him over. “Stay with them until they’re back out on the patio, please.”
The man named Ramon nodded. “Yes, sir.”
While Austin returned to the guests, Everly led Bella into the resort’s main building and down a hallway toward the women’s bathroom. “Did you see how impressed Daddy was with your manners?”
Bella smiled up at her. “Uh-huh. More gummies?”
Everly laughed. “I’ll have to look in the bag when we get back outside.” She opened the door to the restroom, and when Bella slipped inside, Everly turned to thank Ramon.
His fist came out of nowhere, connecting with her jaw and snapping her head sideways. Shocked, she fell off balance and hit the opposite wall with her shoulder. Her reflexes kicked in immediately, but her ankle gave on the unstable heel, and Ramon—if that was his real name—shoved Everly into the bathroom.
Bella was twenty feet away, skipping along the long aisle between individual rooms for each toilet and a row of sinks. As soon as she saw Everly, she stopped, and fear widened her eyes. “Everyee?”
Everly put her hand up to Bella, signaling the girl to keep her distance while Ramon spoke into his earpiece. “I’ve got them in the bathroom.”
“Stay away, Bella,” she said with force. “Get into a stall and lock it. Now.”
Her yell echoed off the tile walls and scared Bella into a stall with a whimper. Everly kicked one foot back and pulled at the bow on her ankle, then the other. Then kicked the shoes beneath the sinks to clear her path.
“Won’t matter.” Ramon approached with a cocky smile and an arrogant air. “We’ll just go in and get—”
Everly took a step and put her whole body into a forceful snap-kick—a direct hit to his groin. Ramon grunted, grabbed his balls with both hands, and bent in half. Everly swiped a decorative ceramic pot off the counter beside the sink and smashed it over his head. She was back in her fighting stance as he slid to the floor, dazed.
But this was far from over.
With her heart hammering, she ran to the end of the bathroom, noting the frosted glass panels on one wall. She pushed at Bella’s stall door and wasn’t surprised when it swung open. Bella was backed into a corner behind the toilet, both hands fisted at her mouth, eyes terrified and glistening with fear. “Everyee!”
Her name came out part terror, part hysteria, and twisted a knife in Everly’s gut. She crouched and reached for Bella with one hand and pulled the toilet seat down with the other. She settled Bella there. “Cross your legs, sweetie.”
Bella obeyed.
“Now be really, really quiet. Pretend we’re playing hide and seek and don’t make a sound.”
Everly was breathing hard. Adrenaline surged through her body, making her fingers shake as she pulled her phone from the elastic band on her thigh. She touched the face to bring it to life.
But then all Everly could do was stare at it for two excruciating heartbeats while Bella whimpered.
Did she call Austin or Roman?
Did she listen to her heart or protect her soul?
Fuck.
“I want to go home.” It was the first full sentence Everly had ever heard come out of Bella’s mouth unassisted. And her little voice wavered with fear. “I want Daddy.”
That was all the direction she needed. Everly tapped the number programmed with Austin’s speed dial just as the main bathroom door slammed open with so much force, the stalls shook.
“What the fuck?” a guy bellowed. “Ramon, you piece of shit. You let a girl beat you?”
Everly huffed one dry, silent laugh. Hold on to your balls, fucker.
She pushed the phone into Bella’s hands. “It’s your daddy. Tell him where you are in a whisper, then stay quiet.”
“Ramon’s down,” Eric said, conveying the news to the enemy team, she was sure. Then: “I know you’re in here, bitch.”
Everly pushed to her feet and turned toward the door. She pulled the knife from the band on her other thigh and pressed the button that opened the blade. Every inch of her body hummed with ferocity.