Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Oh! Crap! Is this the men’s room? I’m so sorry. I just really had to pee, and I thought–”
“How’d you get back here?” Marvin steps to her and reaches for her arm.
I pull her away from him, keeping her tightly against me. For some reason, I don’t want him–or anyone–touching her.
“There was a man who let me through the door. I thought he–”
“A man? What did he look like?” Marvin goes pale.
“Kind of mean, honestly.” She shrugs sheepishly.
“Oh, shit.” When Marvin looks past me down the hall, his mouth drops open.
Instinctively, I push the blonde to the ground and cover her with my body as a torrent of bullets rip through the air above us.
Turning, I see the man who opened the door for the woman beneath me, the man who came here with one goal in mind–to kill Marvin.
Marvin’s already dead. I know that before I hear his body hit the ground. “Sorry, but you’ve seen my face,” the killer sneers and points the gun at the blonde and me.
I’m already firing before he can pull the trigger. A slug hits him in the upper chest, and he staggers back, then darts to the left and out of view as I fire two more shots that should end him.
“What is happening?” the blonde screams.
“Stay here.” I get to my feet and rush toward the connecting hallway. But the gunman is long gone, only a trail of blood drops left behind, and a mass of clubgoers running for their lives from the gunfire.
2
ZOEY
My mind screams for me to run, but I stay on the floor like the big man demanded. I’m not sure if it was his hard commandeering order that left me paralyzed here or the fear of gunfire that has finally died off.
The screams, however, have only grown louder. They overpower the loud thump of the music. I lift my head, peeking around. I don't see the man that shielded me from the gunfire with his body or the man that was hellbent on killing me seconds ago anywhere.
Slowly, I push up off the floor, using the palms of my hands to brace myself. I get to my knees but wince when something cuts into one of them. A burning sensation licks across it. I ignore the pain and climb to my feet. I wobble a bit in the stupid heels I’d put on, but I’m able to steady myself.
I give Marvin’s office a good glance around, making sure I didn’t miss my sister when I first came stumbling in here. I’m not sure if I should be thankful or not that I don’t see her. I have no clue where else to look for her, and I know I can’t go back to our apartment. I turn, knowing I need to get the hell out of here, but my heel catches on something, and I start to fall.
Two arms catch me before I can hit the ground, but not before I see what I tripped over.
Marvin’s dead body lies on the floor, his eyes staring up at me. A whimper leaves me at the sight. I try to fight whoever has their hands on me, needing to escape, but it’s useless. Whoever it is only squeezes me harder as he lifts me off my feet and into his arms.
“Don’t fight this,” the deep voice rumbles into my ear, and I know it’s the same man that ordered me to the ground before.
I relax to a degree. If it weren’t for him, I’d be in the same situation as Marvin. He saved me, shielding my body with his own when the gunfire exploded all around us. I have no clue who he is, but I think he’s trying to help. Then again, he was in Marvin’s office. Nothing good comes from him or this club.
His hand comes down on the back of my head, pressing my face into his neck. I tense as more gunfire starts to go off. I cling to the man carrying me now. I try to lift my head when the gunfire once again cuts off and the cool night air touches my skin, but once again, the man presses my head down.
I hear doors opening and closing as my mystery man shifts me around, and another door slams. I know it’s a car door this time. My body jolts as we start to move, the vehicle taking off. Slowly, I lift my head again. This time, though, the man doesn't stop me.
My eyes lock with his, and my breath catches as I stare into his dark gray eyes. I’ve never seen anything like them before. I sit there transfixed for a moment as he stares right back at me, not saying a word.
“You saved my life,” I finally say. “Thank you.”
“I wouldn't thank me just yet, little one.”