Pieces (21 page)

“I do like to dance,” she answered, wondering what it would be like to move with Jesse on a hot, dark dance floor with music pounding through her. She hoped it would be even better than her time with Finn. In fact, she was counting on it.

“Alright, then. Do you have shoes you can wear that’ll match?”

She nodded and pushed him out of the room. “Let me try it on. You go finish dinner.”

He grinned on his way out. “Alright.”

When the door was shut, she turned to the dress on the bed. The idea of loud music and lots of people wouldn’t normally appeal to her, but right now it did. She wanted to lose herself and all the emotions welling up inside her. Jesse had told her she was independent now, but what had he meant? Independent from her parents, yes, but from him, no. That would never have bothered her before. She wanted to be a part of him, to depend on him, but now there was the phone incident yesterday. She looked at it lying on the desk by the window. Had he planned to restrict her access to home all along? The very thought made her turn cold inside, but it also seemed ridiculous. He had only done it because he could see how much the texts and unanswered phone calls were affecting her. He wanted her settled and happy with her decision before talking to anyone back home. He knew as well as she did how someone might convince her to come back if she already doubted her decision. He saw her afraid to go outside on her own. He heard the panic in her voice whenever she spoke of her mother. All he wanted was for her to stand strong before anything else could move forward. That was all. It had to be all.

Stripping off her clothes, she pulled on the dress and looked at herself in the full-length mirror by the closet. The word that came to mind was
wow.
She looked hot, and surprisingly, it didn’t make her uncomfortable to wear such a thing. The only place she would wear it was a nightclub, but it would fit there. Unlike the jeans and T-shirt she had worn to go out with Finn, this outfit did scream
‘sleep with me!’
That wasn’t an issue with Jesse. She was already his. Smiling, she ran her hands down her hips. She would try to have fun and forget about the phone and the disappointment in Jesse’s eyes. She needed to let him protect her.

T
HE NIGHTCLUB
was packed with people. Naomi forced her mind to a place where she could let herself enjoy the constant feel of bodies surrounding her instead of wanting to escape. This was a place where she could be herself without anyone caring. With Jesse next to her, keeping her safe, she could dissolve. The music was loud and different from what she was used to, more techno and less pop and metal.

“You want to get on the floor right away?” Jesse asked close to her ear once they had paid at the entrance and were let in. He kept an arm tight around her waist.

“Sure,” she answered, but her quiet voice was lost in the noise. Jesse smiled, reading her lips, and led her into the throbbing crowd where they found a space next to several other couples. Some of the men looked her up and down, but as soon as their eyes met Jesse’s, they looked away. His face was bathed in alternating blue and red light. Naomi saw his tightened jaw and an expression so territorial she was sure no man would even consider touching her.

For a moment, she worried Jesse wouldn’t be a great dancer. He looked around the room while she stood stupidly in front of him. She wasn’t sure how he wanted her to dance, but she guessed he would want it a little dirty, just like Finn had. She cringed. She couldn’t start thinking about Finn. Not now.

Finally, Jesse turned to her and began to dance. He had worn a black T-shirt tight enough to show off his muscles, and his jeans fit him just right. She wished he would dress like that all the time. And damn, he could dance. Watching him, she matched his moves and inched closer. For the first time in days, she felt a spark she hadn’t realized was missing. She wanted him. Here, in a public place where nobody cared who he was or what he had done, she felt like she could sort through her feelings. There was no judging, no expectations from anyone, no silence giving her space to second-guess anything. It was freedom.

Jesse looked over every inch of her. He wet his lips. “I knew that dress would look great on you.”

“It feels great on me too,” she answered, her breaths coming heavier when he ran a hand up the back of her thigh, squeezing as he went along. They finished one dance and began another, and then another. Naomi’s body felt pliant and eager. She kissed Jesse whenever he leaned into her close enough. She loved the way he felt against her.

He put his lips to her ear. “I had no idea you could dance like this. You’re gorgeous.”

“And you’re hot. You need to wear black more often.”

Then she paused for a moment, remembering how she had always envisioned him in head-to-toe black as he robbed jewelry stores. Eric had worn black T-shirts all the time. She closed her eyes, trying to push Eric out. He had to leave. But she was back in the bedroom and he was holding her, and when she looked up his brown eyes pierced through her like arrows.
Not now. Not now.
She pressed her fingers to her temples. The music around her faded and the next thing she knew she was resting against a strong chest and the smell of Jesse surrounded her. She held on to him as tightly as she could.

“Naomi!”

She looked up into his face. His green eyes were almost black.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, sure he couldn’t hear her.

“Come on.” Still holding her, he led her through the crowd and to the bar. As she sat on a stool, Jesse spoke to the bartender in Italian and then leaned down to look her in the eyes. “Naomi?” He waved a hand in front of her. “Look at me.”

“I’m trying,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry.” He was blurry. She should have known better than to go somewhere so public so soon. She was too much of a mess. Too weak. She wished for Stacy’s couch and the smell of the beach as Stacy listened to every stupid thing she could say about her captivity.

“Naomi, drink,” Jesse said, pressing a glass to her lips. She felt lukewarm liquid and took a sip. Club soda. The carbonation in her mouth brought her vision more into focus. Jesse’s face was clear now and she reached up to hold the glass, taking several gulps.

“Just ... dehydrated,” she said with a nervous laugh. “That’s all.”

Jesse’s expression turned skeptical. “Yeah, okay. What was that, Naomi? You looked terrified and then you almost passed out.”

“I did?”

“Yes. Were you feeling too crowded?”

“I guess so.” She gripped the glass, savoring the feel of it against her fingers. Jesse opened his mouth to say something else, but then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. It was vibrating. He pushed a button to read an incoming message. Curious, Naomi tried to read the screen, but Jesse moved it out of her line of sight. His eyes narrowed before he shut off the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, annoyed he would hide something from her.

“Nothing.” He looked past her, searching the room. His face glistened with a thin sheen of sweat. “Listen, I’m going to leave you here for a minute, alright? I’ll be right back.”

She turned around, but nothing seemed amiss. “Jesse, I—”

He was already handing the bartender several bills and talking to him in Italian. She guessed he was paying the guy to keep an eye on her. The bartender, a thin, olive-skinned man with a ponytail, looked her up and down. A soft smile spread across his lips.

“I speak English if she need,” he said to Jesse, taking the bills and shoving them into his back pocket. He winked at her and she turned away.

“Don’t leave,” Jesse ordered, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Five minutes, okay? Get a drink and try to relax.”

She folded her arms and glared at him. “I almost pass out and now you’re leaving me?”

The muscles in his arms flexed. “Please, Naomi. Don’t argue.”

“Fine.”

She watched him disappear into the crowd. When she turned back, the bartender was looking at her chest. The dress’s wide, plunging neckline pretty much invited anyone to look, but it still annoyed her. She gave the bartender the dirtiest expression she could manage and then ordered a drink as Jesse had suggested. When she had it in her hands, she was sure she wouldn’t get through half of it before Jesse returned. She was wrong. She finished the drink and ordered another one. She finished it faster than she should, and ordered a third. It wasn’t a good idea, but she was caring less and less. The alcohol calmed her nerves, but she hoped she wasn’t dead drunk by the time she saw Jesse again. This would be her last drink, for sure.

The lights for the music changed to neon green and the room lit up brighter than before. Then she saw him leaning against a far wall half-hidden in the shadows. His back was to her, but she recognized his hair and the shape of his shoulders. He faced two men taller than him. They wore black suits, of all things, and Naomi felt something dark sink into her stomach. She finished her drink in three more gulps and sat stone-still on the stool, waiting. Her mind spun in circles.

“That your boyfriend?” the bartender asked, leaning forward. She could feel his gaze wrapping around her, studying every inch of her exposed skin now flushed from the alcohol.

“Yes,” she said, keeping her eyes on Jesse as he talked to the two men. She wanted to know what he was discussing and if it was something illegal. Whatever it was, she knew deep in her gut it was nothing good.

The bartender made a swishy sound like a low whistle, and Naomi tore her attention from Jesse. The bartender’s eyes were still on her.

“What?” she asked, her words slurring. “What do you mean by that?”

He shrugged. “Nobody ask questions. If you ask questions, you die.” He slid a finger across his neck and gave her a wicked smile. “You be careful with boyfriend.”

Naomi thought she might be sick. Pushing some hair away from her face, she stood up.

“You stay here,” the bartender said with a growl in his voice. “Boyfriend pay me to keep you here. You owe for drinks.”

She let out a heavy sigh and sat back down on the stool. Now a bartender was controlling her. All she wanted to do was go home. A headache began throbbing behind her eyes—the same rhythm as the music. She leaned forward and buried her face in her arms. The counter smelled like bourbon.

“You need more drink?” the bartender asked, a laugh in his voice.

“No, just leave me alone, please.” She allowed a nagging question to blossom in her mind. Had Jesse brought her here so he could talk to those men? She wondered why he hadn’t left her home and invented work as an excuse to go out by himself. Mostly, she kept thinking about the bartender’s finger sliding across his throat.

W
HEN JESSE
returned, Naomi was half-asleep with her face still buried in her arms. Jesse ran a finger up her left shoulder blade and leaned close to her ear.

“I’m so sorry.”

“How long were you gone?” she asked, keeping her face buried.

“Forty minutes.”

“That’s a lot longer than five minutes.”

“I know.”

Lifting her head, she glared at him. The sweat on his face had dried. He looked worn out, just like she felt.

“I want to go home,” she said, taking his offered hand to help her off the stool. The bartender approached with a curious expression. He said something in Italian and Jesse answered in cold, clipped words. He handed over some more bills to pay for Naomi’s drinks.

“We’ll go now,” he said, and pulled her close as they made their way out of the building. They stopped to pick up their jackets and were soon on the street. The moon was a sliver in the sky.

Naomi sucked in the crisp air as Jesse helped her into her jacket. She pulled it close around her middle, not bothering to zip it up. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many things to ask, but she couldn’t open her mouth for any words at all. Instead, she let Jesse wrap an arm around her shoulders as they started the walk home. Christmas lights twinkled everywhere, reflecting in countless rain puddles along the street. Everything blurred.

“Isn’t it pretty out here?” Jesse asked, his words pushing little white puffs into the air.