Slow Burn - a Novel: The Elite (11 page)

“I’m shocked you remember, considering you were drunk off your ass and stumbling around so bad that you almost got run over!” My body trembled from the anger radiating through me. “You’re lucky we got there when we did!”

“Yeah, you’re my hero. Whatever.” Alesha started for the front door. “I’m out of here.”

“Where are you going?” I demanded, chasing after her with hurried steps.

“Why do you care? In twenty-four hours I’ll be someone else’s problem…”

“Because for now, you’re my problem!” I shouted, unable to keep my tone level.

“I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me, Carly. If I end up just like you and Mom, I promise I won’t blame you.” She stormed out the front door and the heavy glass door whipped back in my face. I stopped it from bashing my face and hesitated, watching Alesha stalk across the parking lot.

I started to push forward, but then stopped short, and turned away from the door. It wasn’t worth chasing her down. She wasn’t going to listen to me. And, like she’d said, in twenty-four hours she’d be someone else’s problem.

I hadn’t called my dad yet, mostly because of the time difference, but after locking the front door and flipping the CLOSED sign around, I stomped back to my little office and threw myself into my chair to write him a long email about Alesha’s antics. Before I hit send, I read it back through, and was struck with an echo of Alesha’s words “Dad already hates me.”

How could she think that? I shook my head. It didn’t make sense. She was and always had been his princess.

He was a workaholic and when not working, did a lot of traveling with Kelli, but that was to be expected. Wasn’t it? What did Alesha want? Surely she wasn’t pining for the days where her and Dad would go to the movies on the weekends, or take camping trips. Seventeen-year-old Alesha wouldn’t be caught dead camping. How would she do her hair and makeup without a bathroom full of supplies?

I stared at the screen, reading the message once more, and flicked the pointer to save the email as a draft instead of hitting send.

I’d make my decision once we’d both cooled down and had a chance to talk like adults instead of scream at each other in an abandoned coffee shop. Decision made, I pushed away from the small desk and went back to finish breaking down and scrubbing the espresso machine.

* * * *

Hours later, night had fallen, but Alesha hadn’t returned to the coffee shop. I’d cleaned the entire shop from top to bottom, taking the time to go through the master checklist of chores for the first time all month. It was better if I kept busy. Otherwise, I’d sit and obsess over the argument and get myself worked up again.

But I’d finally run out of things to do and knew I needed to go to the grocery store and get some things for the house. Maybe I’d get the ingredients for Alesha’s favorite dinner as a way to broach a peace treaty. I was making a mental grocery list as I shrugged into my light sweater, grabbed my purse, and went to the back door. The small alley behind the row of shops was lit by a series of security lights at each back door, but as I stepped into the alley and turned back to lock the door, an eerie feeling crept up my spine. I turned to look up and back and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary but still felt like someone was watching me.

I locked the door and tucked the keys back in my purse before starting down the alley to where the sidewalk would lead me to the beginning of the small shopping center. It was too small to be considered a strip mall, but there were three shops all next to each other, with
The Siren
on the end. A gust of wind kicked up and howled down the alley and I popped the collar of my sweater up to protect my neck from the chill.

Footsteps sounded on the gravelly alley behind me and I froze in place.

“Where’s the other girl?” A low, rumbling voice called to me.

I whipped around and found myself staring up at a huge man with a broad chest and a mean snarl on his face. His eyes were fixed on me and my heart stopped beating in my chest. “Who are you?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice from quivering.

“None of your business.”

I drew in a breath, forcing my lungs to open again. I wanted to turn and make a break for the sidewalk and run as fast as I could until I got home and could barricade myself inside. I had no idea who the hulking man in front of me was, I’d never seen him in the shop before, but there was a menacing glare in his dark eyes and unless someone else was working late, I was all alone.

“Where’s the other girl?” he repeated, more forcefully.

“You have no business with my sister. I don’t know who you are but if you don’t leave, I’m going to call the cops.”

“Oh really?” His lips pulled back in a cold smile and my heart sputtered and then sank to my feet.

At my sides, my hands fisted into tight balls. I tucked my thumb alongside. Ready to strike if needed. The man had a good six inches on me and probably eighty pounds but I needed to be ready in case I couldn’t outrun him. “Yes. You’re trespassing to start with.”

He laughed. “You’re feisty. I like that.”

Something told me that was a very, very bad thing.

He took a step towards me and I took a matching step back, only to find my shoulders pinned up against the brick wall. “I was hoping for the other one…your sister you said…but you might be a lot of fun too. Come here, baby. Let’s have some fun.”

“Fuck off,” I spat. “One more step and I’m going to scream.”

At my threat, he lunged. I screamed but even as it tore from my throat, I prayed someone would still be around to hear me.

The man grabbed my wrist and tugged me towards him as though I were a rag doll. I reared back my other hand, snatching it out of his grip. He was big, but he was also slower than I was. He made another grab and I cocked my fist and rammed it into his gut. He grunted at the impact of my knuckles against his fleshy side, but instead of releasing me, his grip on my wrist only locked on tighter.

“Get off of me!” I growled, spitting with rage. “Someone help me! Ra—”

He clamped a hand over my mouth and shoved me hard against the wall. My head hit the brick and stars swam before my eyes. That moment was all it took for him to get a hold on my other wrist. I screamed again and he shifted both wrists to one hand and forced my arms above me head so he could cover my mouth once again. Muffling my next attempt to scream for help. I kicked at him and tried to wrench away, but he had me immobilized.

“Listen, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. But I promise if you keep fighting, I’m not going to take it easy on you…” he growled, his face mere fractions of an inch away from mine. The smell of cheap beer and cigarette smoke poured from his mouth, making me gag.

“Mother fucker, get off of her!”

My eyes went wide at the sound of Nick’s voice. His footsteps thundered onto the path and the attacker froze at the sound. He dropped his grip on my mouth.

“Nick!” I screamed.

At my call, the man turned to follow my frantic gaze and hesitated just long enough for me to strike. I ripped my wrist free of his grip and connected an uppercut to his side. The blow landed and he doubled over, a moan mixing with a surprised gasp. I didn’t wait for him to recover before sending a right hook for his temple.

Nick got there as he was reeling from the second shot and took over. He pulled him off of me by the back of his jacket, whirled him around, and punched him in the face. A sickening crack broke the tense air and blood spurt from the man’s nose.

“Carly, go inside. Call the cops!”

I lunged for the back door. I fumbled in my purse for my keys and then threw myself inside the kitchen. I dug my phone out next and with shaking hands dialed 911. I worked through the details with the operator as waves of nausea rolled over me. Once she assured me that officers were on the way she directed me to stay on the line. I cradled the phone against my shoulder and went back out into the alley.

Nick had the man on the ground, his arms pinned behind his back. From the grunts and moaning of the guy on the ground, I wondered if he was only partially conscious.

“Nick!”

Without looking back at me, he replied, “Go back inside, Carly.”

“Fuckin’ bitch,” the man on the ground growled.

Nick slammed his face back down against the concrete.

My heart was slamming against my ribs as both my adrenaline crashed and relief flooded me. I couldn’t believe Nick had shown up to help when he did. I tried to put together words and say something, but before I could get anything out, the wailing sound of sirens cut through the night. Nick muttered something at the man on the ground, still keeping his arms locked behind his back as he crouched over his squirming body.

As the sirens neared, I sucked in a deep breath and sagged against the brick wall, staring into the bushes lining the walk, with completely oblivious eyes.

Nick

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” I asked, reaching out for Carly as she paced in front of me for the dozenth time since the cops left with the perp in the backseat. “Gemma could look you over, just to make sure…” the rest of my statement fizzled out at the flash of fire in her eyes.

I held up my hand and shut my trap.

She paced back once again, checked her phone, and then repeated the pattern. “I’m not going anywhere until I know where Alesha is. That man—no, that’s too generous—that
asshole
was here to get to her! She could still be out there, in danger. God only knows what she’s been getting herself into.” She stopped and heaved a pained sigh. “I’m sorry. I know, you’re just trying to help. But right now, this, it feels a little beyond help. I just need her to call me the fuck back!” her last words were growled down at her phone.

I sat there in silence. My own nerves were just as fried. It was sheer luck that I’d even shown up at
The Siren
when I did. I shuddered to think what might’ve happened if I hadn’t been there to help. Once the perp got distracted, she threw in some good punches, but the guy she was up against would have gotten his way in the end.

Tough chick.

The thought of her getting hurt terrified me—no matter how tough I thought she was.

“Can you come here?” I asked, holding out a hand.

She stopped her pacing again and met my eyes from where she stood, three feet away, her hands clenched like talons. One around her phone, the other just frozen in a fist. After a beat, she relented, and came to my side. I wrapped my arm around her and cradled her to my side. To my surprise, she sagged into me. A second later, a loud, gut-wrenching sob broke the silence.

“Carly,” I held her tighter, bringing my other arm around her and moving her against my chest. She broke down against me, her sobs wracking her entire body. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s over.”

She nodded but her tears didn’t stop.

Inside my chest, my heart beat out a frantic pace, wanting nothing more than to take away her misery and throw it out across the ocean.

Or—at the very least—find a way to get her fuckin’ sister back in line.

Teenage girls were a mystery that was impossible to solve. When I was a teenager, I naturally found them fascinating—but now—they exhausted me. The drama, theatrics, and rebelliousness were like bottomless pits from my point of view.

Heaven help me if I ever have a daughter.

Carly stilled against me, still clinging tight around my waist, but her crying seemed to have stopped. I tipped her chin up and wiped at the tears that had streaked down her cheeks with my thumb. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, shaking her head once my thumb was removed.

“For what?”

“For being a basket case.” She laughed softly.

“You’re not.”

“Well, it sure as hell feels like it right now.”

I replaced my hand on her waist, surprised she hadn’t jumped out of my arms yet. I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation, but at the same time, I wasn’t quite ready to let her go.

Despite the sucky circumstances…it was nice to hold her.

“Come on, let’s get you back home. Alesha will probably show up there anyway, now that business hours are over. You can call and leave her a message on the way so she knows where to go.”

Carly thought about it for a minute, then nodded, and let me lead her down the path that led away from the place all the shit had gone down. When the police had arrived, I’d handed over the attacker—piece of shit—and they’d gone through the myriad of questions they were required to go over, again and again. The entire thing had taken just over an hour.

When we reached the parking lot, I realized I didn’t have my truck. I’d walked down the bluff after another frustrating conversation with my little brother. And Carly didn’t bring her car to the shop.
Shit
.

“Do you want me to call someone to give us a ride? Aaron would no doubt come down?”

She shook her head. “Walking is fine. My place isn’t all that far from here. I understand if you need to get back though…”

“Get back? To do what?” I shook my head. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I got nothing going on tonight. I’ll stay until you feel better.”

She didn’t put up a fight. We set off down the sidewalk and Carly checked our surroundings every few minutes, sweeping the area like a trained soldier, each glance methodical. Calculating risks. Noting the dark, shadowy places.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, hoping to provide some comfort and take the edge off of her nerves.

She rubbed her eyes with her fists. “This is so crazy—it feels like a really bad nightmare. Nothing like this ever happens here in Holiday Cove. We are nothing if not sleepy, quiet…and safe.”

I nodded. I hadn’t been a resident all that long, but I knew what she was saying was true.

“Probably some drunk,” I said, thinking it the only solution. “And you’re safe now. With me.”

Carly nodded, but something about her drifted away, and made her feel farther away—even though she was neatly tucked under my arm. She turned down the next street and I recognized the area, reorienting with the night we’d gone to Harvey’s—and I’d nearly crashed into her sister on my way to drop her back home.