Ren

When I return to my table, Gio shoots me an agitated look, probably because he gleaned Charlie had likely spoken to me in the restrooms. Luckily, Bryce is still oblivious, waiting, and ready to go with my coat.

"Shall we?" he asks.

"Yes." I'm quite ready to get away from this uncomfortable situation.

The Roxy isn't far from the restaurant, so we just walk the three blocks to get there. It's an easy walk, but my heart rate notches up as we approach the club, and I'm not sure why... I guess it's because the last time I was here, I had been hoping I'd be moving forward with a different man—a different man who is still at the restaurant three blocks back...   

Let him go. Just breathe and have fun tonight.

Bryce opens the door for me, and I slide my arm through his as we ascend the stairs. The bass blasts my ears, the place is pumping, and he practically has to elbow his way in to buy us beers at the bar, and I wait patiently behind him, watching the couples dancing in the next room. Bryce returns a few minutes later with two Corona and shots—tequila shots.

"Shots?"

"Hope that's okay. I thought they'd be fun," he smiles, yet looking just a touch uneasy about his choice.

"Um..." A slight nervousness slides up my back, but I shrug it off. Thoughts of Gio going home with his date flash through my mind and make my stomach sour.

"Yeah, okay," I agree. 

We down our tequila and suck on the lime placed on top, then nurse our beers while we watch the other dancers. After a bit, a good song comes on, so we abandon our beers. He takes me to the dance floor and spins me, which should have been effortless, but I'm feeling past tipsy now, and I wobble a bit in my heels. 

He catches and steadies me, his hand on my hip as he finds the beat. I follow his lead and place my hand up on his shoulder. Bryce, being an excellent dancer, knows how to move his body. He's looking very attractive right now.

 I'm slightly surprised as I feel myself loosening back up. I'm liking this, so I turn it up a notch. He's smiling, watching me move my hips in time to the beat for him. I feel good. Desired. I throw a sexy smirk right back at him.

"You look hot tonight," he says in my ear, pulling me into him. One hand is on my hip and the other at the small of my back, so our bodies now press firmly together. He dips our bodies together suggestively, but suddenly I feel stiff, hesitating.

What's my problem? He's cute and available... and he wants me!

"But you always look hot," he continues, pulling me even tighter against him and grinding into me. I'm starting to feel way uncomfortable instead of sexy with him. 

He murmurs in my ear, "You know... I have to admit I was more than a little jealous when I saw how you danced with your high school friend on your birthday." Then kisses me softly on the neck, and I can feel him hard against my leg. All the hairs on my neck prickle up.

Uh-oh. Don't, Bryce.

"I think it's my turn with you tonight," he whispers seductively into my ear.

That hits me right the wrong way. I push him away.

"Sorry, Bryce. I can't." I hold my hands up, taking a step back.

"Come on, Lauren, are you kidding me? I've been patient for months now. You've been giving me all the green lights tonight!"

"I know, I just... I can't do..." I point toward the slight bulge in his pants. "That... with you." After the words leave my mouth, I realize I'm drunk, and I'm not yelling this over the music in the most tactful way. "I mean with a co-worker."

I don't know if that helped. I can tell he's so embarrassed and getting mad, but he doesn't know what to say.

"Fuck off," he utters low enough that I can't hear it, but I can see his lips form the words.

"Excuse me?" 

"Sorry. Lauren, I didn't mean that."

"You know what—" I don't finish my thought. That's it. I'm done.

I spin around and walk out of the club and onto the street, then immediately realize Bryce drove me downtown. Shoot. I take out my phone and try to call a cab three times, but the line is busy. It's prime time on Saturday night.

I'm nervous Bryce will come after me and try to change my mind and make me stay, but so far, he hasn't. I feel awkward about leading him on. I did give him quite a few green lights tonight. 

I try to call a cab again and walk halfway down the block. I look over my shoulder to check for Bryce. The club door opens, and I hold my breath, but instead, out walks Logan, looking wasted. He lights a cigarette, making eye contact with me. Crap!

I can't wait here with Logan around, so I head east down the street. I rationalize I can start walking to my mom's house, and I'll try to catch a cab on the way—a fifteen-minute walk in heels tops. I wrap my arms around myself, listening to the endless ring of the cab company's phone line.

Finally giving up, I end the call. I'm listening to my heels clicking on the sidewalk, and I start to get the weird tingling sensation someone is following me. I try to calm my hopeful case of paranoia and glance back just to be safe. My blood pressure skyrockets, and a sick panic floods my body as I see Logan's glassy eyes meet mine a half-a-block back.

Fuck! I start walking faster, which is nearly impossible in these boots. My heart is hammering in my chest with adrenaline. I'm calculating how much further to my mom's house.

Five more minutes to the park and then... oh fuck, the park.

The park is how I need to get to my mom's, but that is definitely not where I need to go with a guy like Logan tailing me. If I don't go into the park, the road turns across the train tracks into the industrial zone. I start to lose brain function as my pulse throbs in my throat. Do I call 911? My fingers fumble in my bag for my phone.

I unlock it. Who can I call?

My mom's asleep by now and sleeps with earplugs. My dad is too far away, as are all of my friends. I cross the street and turn the corner. I hope this is just a coincidence, and he's going somewhere else. But when I check over my shoulder a minute later, he's still there. He sees how freaked out I am, and he smiles. My finger flicks through my contacts, shaking like a leaf. 

Gio. Gio's the only one who's close by. I hit call.

Please pick up. Please, please, please pick up!

"Why are you calling me?" his voice comes through hard on the line. 

"Gio! I need you." My voice is trembling in my throat.

"Ren, what's wrong?"

"I'm walking home to my mom's, and that guy from the club is following me. Can you come? Right now?" I ask breathlessly.

"Where are you?" he says, urgency now evident in his voice.

"On B Street, I'm almost at the park."

"Ren, don't go in there. Just stay on the main road. Okay, baby? I'll be there."

"Hurry!" I say, but he's already hung up.

B street is the main road but is lined with just small commercial businesses, and they are all closed. It's 11:30 pm, and a car has hardly passed. The entrance to the park is just ahead, and then the road turns and crosses the train tracks behind B Street. I slow my pace as I reach the park's entrance. I hear Logan catching up.

"Hey, sugar. Don't run. It's Logan. 'Member me?" I hear him slur right behind me.

I spin around to face him. I see his bulked-up body slowing, too, taking heavy, unsteady steps toward me. I look him dead into his bloodshot, glassy eyes, and they appear slightly vacant and scare the living shit out of me.

"Don't come near me!" I shout, desperately trying to look fierce and stand my ground.

"Feisty. You're scared, though, aren't you?" A small, lopsided smile curling up the side of his mouth.

He circles around the side of me, edging in closer, making me want to escape him and back up into the park. I don't, though. I stay right where I am. I'm not sure if it's bravery or I'm too petrified to move.

My jaw is set tight, and I don't answer him. I try to look tough, narrowing my eyes.

God, I wish I had spray or something in my purse. I grit my teeth while my heart pounds. He steps up close, only a foot or so away from me.

"My boyfriend will be here any minute!" 

He laughs at my attempt to scare him off. "I've been watching you tonight. You don't have a boyfriend," he smirks, his eyes perving all over me. "You're even more beautiful when you're scared."

He draws a finger to my arm again, pulling it slowly up. It feels so perverse; nauseousness makes me gag slightly.

"Don't touch me!" I flick his hand away with my arm.

But quicker than I would have expected, based on how drunk he looks, he maneuvers his hand around my arm, grabs ahold of my wrist securely, and twists it around until I feel it pinch in pain, reaching the extent before he can break it.

"Ahh!" Oh god, it hurts! He's got me! He can easily snap my wrist or arm this very second. Spots start appearing in my vision. Breathe, Ren, Breathe.

"Quiet! I'll touch you if I want," he says roughly. "Walk with me." I stumble forward with him a few steps as we enter the park. I try to think of what to do, but my mind just spasms in response.

Right then, just when I go completely sick with the idea he could really hurt me, I hear the deep rumble of a car's exhaust coming up fast down a nearby street. I whip my head around as a black Corvette squeals tightly at speed around the corner into view.

"Gio," I utter through tears, the noise constricted, far quieter than I thought it was going to be.

The car screeches and slides to a stop, askew in the street in front of us. Gio bolts out of the car, door left open, and storms toward us. His jaw clenched, and a wildfire is burning in his eyes.

"Let her go!" he thunders.

"Dude, I wasn't doin' nothing'. We're jus' talkin'," Logan slurs his cocky denial, dropping my wrist.

I grasp it with my other hand, trying to rub the soreness out of it.

"Get in the car, Ren!" Gio orders, keeping his eyes locked on his target, stepping up to Logan. I'm still so in shock I don't immediately move.

"Go!" Gio grits, fixing me with his intense eyes firmly, trying to push me off toward his car by swiveling my shoulder. I snap out of it as he turns me, but out of the corner of my eye, I see Logan pull his arm back.

"No!" I yelp, but it's too late.

Logan grunts as he sucker punches Gio right across his face, and I hear the awful dull thud as his fist connects to the side of Gio's head, which then flies hard sideways.

My hands rush to my mouth as Gio covers his cheekbone with his hand. He pulls his hand away, and I can see blood on his fingers. Logan, meanwhile, is escaping into the park.

"I said get in the fucking car!" he roars at me.

I finally do as he says, run to his car, open the passenger door, and scramble in. Once I'm inside, I watch Gio through the window. He sprints to catch Logan, who's too drunk to outpace him.

Gio grabs a fist full of Logan's shirt, pulling him back hard, and Logan stumbles to regain his balance. With one hand, he holds Logan's shoulder steady and delivers three full-force blows to his head. I gasp as Logan doubles over, his hands over his face.

Gio gives him a final knee to the groin to finish him off, and Logan drops to his knees before collapsing on his side on the ground, groaning in pain, his face covered in blood. His nose is most likely broken—but I reckon he'll survive.

I watch Giovanni stalk back to the car. He gets in, slams the door, and blows a chest full of tension through his mouth. I grimace and tense, suddenly feeling like a child about to be scolded by their dad. But when he looks at me, I realize he won't.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asks me, his eyes full of concern for me, yet he's the one with blood smeared across the left side of his face.

"Yeah. I'm okay," my voice quavers.I'm shaking like a leaf, my breathing all over the place...but did he just call me... baby? The knots in my stomach are now being overshadowed by the dull ache in my wrist. I touch it tenderly with my cold sweaty hands. "Thank you for coming."

He starts the engine and pulls the car back out straight onto the right side of the road, driving slowly.

"Fuck, I'm so glad you called me when you did," he says fairly calmly. Then out of nowhere, his anger flairs up again. "Fuck Ren! Where the hell is that dude you were with at dinner?"

"I walked out on him at the Roxy," I admit, and grit my teeth.

"What the hell! Why?"

I look away out the window. "I don't want to talk about it." 

"And you thought you'd just walk home, by yourself, dressed like that at half midnight? Through the park?! Ren, are you fucking out of your mind?!"

"Gio, I'm sorry. In New York, I mean, you can—"

"In case you haven't noticed, we're not in New York!"

"I—" I couldn't really think why I had been so stupid to try to walk all the way home on that route by myself so late at night.

"That was so stupid! What if I hadn't picked up your call!"

My bottom lip wobbles as I try not to cry... and fail. "I know, I—" 

"Shh, never mind," he soothes me, moving his hand from the shifter to my thigh, giving it a reassuring brief squeeze. "Let's not talk about it now. Let me just get you home first."

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