The Geary Series Boxed Set (24 page)

“Thanks, Pete, I look forward to working with you, are you here tomorrow?” Lilly asked him.

“I’ll be here, I can show you the ropes.” Pete replied as he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

“I need to get back to Angie, I’m sure she is wondering where I have disappeared to.” Lilly told Elijah as she stepped further away from him and towards the door.

She knew that look he was wearing and if she weren't too careful, he would have her dress off in minutes. If she was going to have sex with him, she didn’t want it to be on the desk in a messy office. Feeling for the door handle behind her, she twisted the brass knob and walked forward with the door in her hand.

“Are you running away from me Lilly?” Elijah asked tilting his head to the side as he walked towards her.

Taking her free hand in his, he lifted it and kissed her palm, circling the centre with the tip of his tongue. Lilly closed her eyes half way and relished the sensual touch of the tip of his tongue.

“No,” she breathed out “I’m not running away, I like you Elijah.”

“Good, because I like you too,” Elijah confessed “if I don’t speak to you later in the bar, I’ll see you here tomorrow at ten in the morning.”

Wrapping her in his arms again, Elijah kissed her deeply, grabbing her bottom in his hands. He pulled her flush with him and swivelled his hips into her belly, telling her how much he desired her. Lilly hungrily kissed him back and matched the slow rhythm of her hips against his. After a few minutes kissing Lilly broke away, out of breath.

“I’m going before I take my dress off and demand you make me come with your tongue.” Lilly said and turned on her heel and disappeared down the hall and out of the door they came through twenty minutes earlier.

Elijah stood there opened mouthed at her declaration, he wanted to run after her and do exactly as she suggested. He instead closed the door and bounced his head repeatedly against the door. He wanted her desperately and needed to sort out his feelings about fucking his staff. He had a golden rule that he didn’t mix business and pleasure, he never had but Lilly was an exception.

Lilly rushed down the hallway before she changed her mind, her body was alive with lust and she desperately wanted to stop the throbbing between her legs but resisted the urge to go back.

Opening the door to the main bar, the light and sound stunned her for a second. She didn’t realise how quiet the corridor and office were in comparison. Her next move was to find Angie in the mêlée of people. Scanning the crowd she searched for the familiar jet black hair, it was like a homing beacon to Lilly. Finally spotting her friend in the corner talking to two very good looking men she pushed through the crowd to join them.

Her progress was halted every few steps by exuberant groups telling and listening to stories told by their ringleader. Eventually, after dodging being trodden on again she reached her destination and smiled at Angie’s beaming face as she caught her eye.

“Here she is, Simon and Steve, this is Lilly.” Angie said as Lilly shook both their hands and kissed their cheek at the same time.

Lilly breathed in their overpowering aftershave and suppressed a cough, it was too much and she instantly disliked the pair of them. Looking at Angie, Lilly gave the universal best friend look to say, what were you thinking? Angie answered with a quick look that showed her agreement of her assessment.

“It is great to meet you both, can I steal Angie away for a few minutes, and we’ll come and find you later.” Lilly said to the two men and she grabbed Angie’s hand and gently pulled her away into the crowd. The men tried to protest and pleaded with Lilly to stay, but she laughed and shrugged and stepped away. Lilly manoeuvred them to a quiet corner so that she could talk to her friend. There was a free table which they grabbed and they sat in the booth seat.

“So, Lilly, what did you and Dreamboat get up to, you looked all flushed and fresh from sex.” Angie gushed as she took a large gulp from her wine glass.

“Steady there Angie, we’ve got all night to get drunk,” Lilly cautioned, “we didn’t do anything and we certainly didn’t have sex.” Lilly declared a little too innocently.

“You’re talking bollocks Lilly, it’s written all over your face, look at your lips, swollen from being kissed so hard.”

“Oh hush, we just kissed that was all. What were you thinking with those two awful men?”

“I had to amuse myself while you were getting down and dirty with Dreamboat, even if they were deathly dull.”

“I’m going to get a drink from the bar, it looks like you already need another.” Lilly said as she watched Angie finish off her glass of wine.

She watched Angie grin and put her glass on the table. Even though it was her idea to come out and get drunk, she was no longer in the mood. Elijah’s kiss has sobered her mind, she had finished her career she had dedicated so much of her life to. To become a bartender, the panic started to set in and she needed some fresh air. The bar had become stifling both in noise and heat. She bolted from the booth and pushed her way through the crowd to the front door.

Lilly gained momentum as she progressed through the busy bar, gaining frowns as she bumped elbows and spilled drinks. Bursting through the doors into the fresh air, Lilly took in a lung full of air and rested her hands on her knees. The doorman asked her if she was ok, she nodded that she was and slowly stood vertical. Taking deep breaths she smiled at the concerned man and walked a short way down the pavement to the end of the wall where the premises ended.

Leaning her back against the wall Lilly knocked her head against the stone bricks, she needed to get a grip of her emotions. She had done the most-difficult part, she left her job and now she needed to embrace the next stage.

“Are you ok love?” a man’s voice said.

Lilly opened her eyes and focussed on the man standing in front of her, she smelt his aftershave and knew it was either Simon or Steve.

“Oh hi, its Steve isn’t it?” Lilly said, wishing she could be left alone for five minutes.

Her in-built manners dictated she was polite to the man who showed concern. She didn’t like him and was immediately wary.

“It’s Simon,” he said and smiled.

“Oh, I’m sorry, please forgive me Simon.” Lilly answered, she had a fifty-fifty chance and didn’t care she got it wrong.

“That’s ok, I’m always willing to forgive a beautiful lady,” he said and winked at her “keep me company while I have a cigarette?” He asked her.

“I don’t smoke.” Lilly replied.

“I figured as much, you don’t have to smoke just keep me company. We will have to nip around the corner as the doormen don’t like anyone smoking in front of the building.” Simon said.

Simon made a prayer action with his hands and showed his puppy dog eyes. Always the polite person she agreed but didn’t take his proffered hand as she pushed herself off the wall. Lilly thought that if he were up to no good the doorman would hear her screams from where they were.

He offered her a cigarette even though she had told him she didn’t smoke. Shaking her head, she felt awkward that she had agreed to chat to him.  Simon lit his cigarette, dragged long and blew out the smoke in rings, making a circular action with his mouth.

“I have these if you prefer a buzz?” He said and held out his hand and showed four small pills.

“No, that’s fine, I don’t take drugs, thanks for the offer though.” Lilly said, she couldn’t hide her tone of disapproval and knew as soon as she said it, Simon would be annoyed.

“Too good to take drugs are you?” His tone changed in an instant.

The menacing look he gave Lilly chilled her and she wrapped her arms around her body. Stepping to the side to move past Simon, she was pushed up against the wall. Simon had her pinned to the wall by his hips and had dropped his cigarette to grab her hands to her side. Lilly couldn’t move and opened her mouth to scream. She had no voice because Simon’s mouth was on hers and his tongue roughly ramming itself into her mouth.

Her heart raced as she felt what he had done, she felt the pills on her tongue and then drop down her throat. She had no idea what they were, trying to struggle, she screamed into his mouth. She screamed again only to hear the screech in full volume. Simon was no longer there, she swayed for a second to gain her balance and looked in front of her.

Lilly had heard the crack before she saw what had happened.

Elijah.

Simon was on his back on the floor with his forearms in front of his face trying to dodge the blows, but Elijah was too quick. With a quick jab to his ribs, Elijah was able to hit Simon with one hard blow as the second hit directly connected with his jaw.

Shaking uncontrollably, Lilly looked on in shock, it was all a bit fuzzy to her. Everything was happening slowly and quick as a flash at the same time. Elijah grabbed her arms and shook her hard. Lilly’s eyes half closed and she giggled at him coming to her rescue. She didn’t feel so good and her legs gave way and she slumped to the floor.

“Lilly, are you ok? You look pale, did he hurt you?” Elijah asked urgently.

“No, he fed me drugs, some pills of some kind, and he forced them down my throat when he kissed me. Elijah, I don’t feel so good, can you take me home?” Lilly asked.

Elijah let go of Lilly and stood as he heard movement behind him. Elijah drew back his arm and punched Simon, who had managed to stagger to his feet, square in the jaw, he knocked him so hard he started to fall backwards. Elijah caught him by his shirt mid-air and held onto him just inches above the ground.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to her?” Elijah snarled his words at Simon.

Simon shook his head to clear the fuzziness that was rushing through his head. The pain from Elijah’s punch had stunned him and made him dizzy, but he was aware of what was happening.

“I thought she liked drugs, you know because he does it.” Simon said.

“What are you talking about? Who is he?” Elijah asked.

“You know that guy she is with, I got them from him, she needed to loosen up a bit, all stuck up and proper. She looks like she would be a real goer in bed.” Simon goaded.

The crack of another punch echoed along the alley as Elijah dropped his limp body to the floor.

“Piece of scum” Elijah muttered.

Elijah crouched next to Angie, who was stroking Lilly’s face, sobbing words of comfort to her friend.

“The ambulance is on its way Elijah, why would he do this to her. She’s never taken drugs in her life so I know she would not have willingly taken them. What an arsehole.” Angie bit out through her tears.

The siren of an ambulance could be heard and Elijah scooped up an unconscious Lilly and held her tight as he walked her out of the alley. While waiting for the ambulance to come to a stop, Elijah muttered to his doorman Gareth that he should wait for the police to arrive and not to let Simon out of his sight until they arrived.

The paramedics lifted out the stretcher and let Elijah place Lilly on it.

“You go in the ambulance, I’ll follow you there.” Elijah told Angie.

The paramedics went to work on Lilly, they busied themselves with checking her heartbeat and breathing. Working silently they lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance and looked over at Angie and Elijah to see who was getting in. Angie nodded her assent and climbed in after Lilly and the paramedic.

Elijah, angered on so many different levels. He was angry that Lilly had been drugged by a regular at his bar. He was angry with Lilly for going outside with that man in the first place. He was angry at his violent reaction towards the scumbag. The evening had started off so wonderfully well and had all turned to shit.

He needed to get to the hospital but had already had a beer and couldn’t drive so he had to find his way there. Walking over to the man lying on the ground, he wondered if he had caused any permanent damage. He walked towards him as he was coming round, but his doorman stepped in front of him to stop his progress.

“Leave it alone man, the police are on the way and his mate is pinned up against the wall so he can’t take any drugs off him. When the police get here, they will find the rest of the pills on him so that we can leave it alone.” Gareth, his doorman, said, placing the palm of his hand on Elijah’s chest.

“Fine, can you take care of this while I head to the hospital?”

“Sure man, leave it with me and Pete, the place will be fine. Just get going.” Gareth said.

Jack beeped the horn on the car he had idling at the roadside, Elijah looked over to see Jack waving at him to get in the car. Elijah nodded to Gareth in acceptance and jogged over to Jack and got in the car. His mind was going into overdrive at Lilly’s health and wanted to be at the hospital already.

“How did you know to come here?” Elijah asked his brother.

“Gareth phoned me.” Jack answered, signalling to pull out onto the main road.

“Step on it brother, I need to be there already.” Elijah said and closed his eyes.

“Just waiting on you, I’ll get you there as fast as I can.” Answered Jack.

Jack drove like the wind to get to the Accident and Emergency hospital just outside the city and Elijah was grateful for the speed. Jack parked the car while Elijah ran into the hospital to see where Lilly was.

Waiting in line at the reception desk frustrated him no end, he wanted to find out where she was and how she was. Pacing back and forth until it was his turn raised his blood pressure higher and higher.

“Next.” The receptionist called to Elijah, he didn’t hear the first time she called out. Jack stepped forward, Elijah hadn’t noticed him there.

“We need to know where Lillian Harrison is, she was brought in by ambulance about half an hour ago.”

“Are you family?” the receptionist asked.

“No, we were the people who found her, she’s a friend of mine.” Elijah said, finding his voice.

“You will have to wait until her family has arrived before I can let you go and see her.” The receptionist informed them.

“This is ridiculous, I need to know she is ok.” Elijah yelled.

Elijah dragged his hands through his hair trying to think of a way to pass the receptionist to find where Lilly was. It didn’t take long for a solution to appear.

“Elijah, thank god you’re here, I don’t know what to do, her parents are not coming, they have a concert recital they need to be at and they won’t leave early. They are about an hour’s drive away and have said that if she is still here once it’s over then they will come. What kind of parent says that about their child? They think because she had quit her job that she is rebelling and taking drugs. I tried to explain, but they wouldn’t listen to me.” Angie said, her voice full of anguish.

Jack wrapped her in his arms and let to her cry out her frustration and despair. Elijah couldn’t believe what he was hearing, he hated her parents for being so cold, what party was more important than the safety of their child. He hoped he never met them, as he wouldn’t be able to control his temper towards them.

“Tell me Angie, what are they doing with Lilly?” Elijah asked.

“They said that they were pumping her stomach and then if her heart is ok, then she should be ok.” Angie answered what she knew.

“Ok, where is she, can we see her?” Elijah asked.