Savage Cinderella (13 page)

What if the man was out there? What if he
found her? So far she was safe—as long as she stayed in the truck.
But what about when she had to get out and join the rushing crowds?
Her stomach somersaulted. She hummed softly as she rocked to and
fro. It’s now or never, she reminded herself, gripping her elbows.
And then her mind was once again drawn to the new world that
surrounded her.

The buildings were tall with windows that lit
up the darkening skyline like a million bright stars. She was
entranced by the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, a place
that she had viewed as a small cluster of hazy lights in the
distance from her mountaintop. A place she had sworn she would
never come back to.

Once the truck was parked, the threesome
walked along Moreland Avenue. Brinn watched all the people pass her
by. They didn't seem to notice her at all—almost like she was
invisible. There were no funny stares and no one spoke to her. She
started to feel a little less vulnerable, if not entirely safe, as
the faces rushed past. She clung to her friend's side, not willing
to relinquish the girl's arm, especially as they entered a building
through a door shaped like a large human skull.

"The Vortex has the best burgers in the
city," said Phillip, dragging the two young women through the open
doors beneath the crazy orange swirled eyes and the monstrous white
bony face.

When they nudged their way through the hive
of people and settled into their seats, Brinn let out a breath. Not
willing to admit her fear, she sat numbly in her seat and stared
wide-eyed around the room, taking in the cacophony of sights and
sounds. Clutching the bulge at the side of her leg gave her a small
measure of comfort. Her senses on over-load, Brinn focused on her
breathing and barely acknowledged Abby when she agreed to order
their dinner.

Abby ordered a burger and fries, which Brinn
wolfed down with enthusiasm. She’d never tasted anything so
scrumptious in all her life. Until the nice young girl with the
name tag “Susie”, placed a frosty, thick drink in front of her that
exploded in her mouth with sweetness. Before Abby could warn her,
Brinn had sucked down half the chocolaty shake. Then her eyes
blinked hard and a knife of stabbing pain ripped through her head
and nearly knocked her off the chair. "Ahhhh!"

Phillip and Abby said in unison, "Brain
freeze," and laughed.

"Drink this." Abby handed her a glass of
water, which, to her amazement, relieved the pain almost instantly.
"You have to take small sips," her friend said. She handed Brinn
another napkin and showed her by example to wipe her mouth after
eating and drinking. Brinn followed suit and wiped the frothy
liquid from her upper lip.

Full and just beginning to relax in the
chaotic surroundings, Brinn was whisked away as Phillip paid the
check and ushered the girls out. "Let's go downtown. There are some
great clubs we can go to.”

Brinn piped up, recalling a conversation
she’d had with Justin about places he liked to frequent in downtown
Atlanta. “Is there a place that has a horse in the name?”

“
You mean the Black Horse
Tavern?” Phillip asked.

“
That’s it.” She was
certain of it. Just the thought of being somewhere Justin had been
made her feel closer to him. A warm tingle rose along her skin. She
sniffed the air, half expecting to catch his scent.

“
I have a buddy that works
the door there. He'll let you girls in even though you aren't
twenty-one." Phillip wrapped his arm around Abby's shoulder and
pulled her close for a hard kiss.

An uncomfortable heat swept through Brinn.
She dropped her friend's hand and quickly found her way into the
back seat of the truck. Twenty minutes later, they filed into a
little brick building on the other side of the city, a sign with a
galloping black stallion hanging above the door.

A brawny young man with dark skin stood at
the entrance. Phillip whispered something in his ear. The two
grinned and nodded at each other until he waved the group on,
smiling slyly at Brinn as she passed. They made their way through
the restaurant and down the stairs to a room packed with people.
Her muscles grew taut as she was dragged through the crowd, Abby
towing her along as Phillip parted the mass of people and led the
way to an empty table at the far side of the bar. With so many
people pressed against her, she felt choked and trapped. Her heart
thumped against her chest, the pulse in her ears booming with the
rhythm of the music.

"I don't like it here," she whispered loudly
in her friend's ear, trying to be heard over the pounding
vibration.

"It’ll be okay. I’m right here with you."
Abby yelled back. "Phillip will get us some drinks. That will help
you relax.”

Brinn’s nails scored sharply into her palm.
She closed her eyes and searched for a safe place within herself.
The external chaos yanked her back. Light and sound bombarded her
from every direction. Her eyes flew open and darted around the
room, searching for something to focus on. Noticing everything at
once, her eyes fell on two older men at the end of the bar who
stared blankly at the giant television screen on the wall. A
comforting familiarity smoothed the edges of her frayed nerves as
she stared at the baseball game, mesmerized.

Memories of her father flashed behind her
eyes. He used to watch this game. She remembered him calling the
men “Braves.” Like the Native American Indians in her books, she
thought, and smiled. The memory quickly faded as a big man brushed
past her, bumping her chair and making her jump. A renewed twinge
of panic tightened her chest. Restless and apprehensive again, she
wished she were back on her mountain where at least she could hide
if she needed to. Hiding here was out of the question. People
crowded in around her on every side.

Before she could express her intense desire
to leave, Phillip returned and placed a drink in front of each of
the girls. "Drink up, ladies. There’s more where that came from."
He smiled a wide grin and poured a bottle of beer into a frosty
mug.

Brinn tasted the drink and swallowed hard. It
was sweet and fruity, but left a harsh aftertaste in the back of
her throat, making her tongue feel numb and tingly. “What is this?”
She asked, examining the peach-colored beverage.

“
It’s called an Alabama
Slammer. Do you like it?” Phillip asked, chugging his
beer.

Deciding it wasn't entirely an unpleasant
flavor or sensation, she nodded and drank slowly at first. She
waited to make sure she didn’t repeat her earlier mistake with the
milk shake. By the time she’d finished the second drink, Brinn was
feeling very fuzzy and not at all herself.

Abby looked at her watch. “It’s getting late.
I’d better give my folks a call and let them know where I am. I
need to step outside,” she shouted over the noise. “Phillip, could
you stay here with Brinn?” She smiled up at the man and kissed his
cheek. “Thanks, Sweetie. I'll be right back, I promise," Abby
added, turning to Brinn. The promise left an odd spike of wariness
in Brinn's foggy mind as her friend disappeared into the crowd.

From where she was, seated in the corner with
Phillip across the table, she had a good view of the whole place.
There was a game room where people congregated, cursing and
laughing loudly enough to be heard over the din. The large screen
on the wall had several more interested onlookers. Young men
slapped each other on the back and drank down glasses of beer as if
they were dying from thirst.

Phillip finished his fourth and slammed the
mug down on the table, grinning broadly at Brinn. “I need a refill.
Can I get you anything?”

Brinn looked down into her empty glass and
shook her head as a woozy feeling settled in. “No—no more for
me.”

Phillip nodded and headed for the bar,
leaving Brinn uncomfortably alone. Two young men at the bar caught
her attention and she averted her gaze.

The men wavered through the crowd, headed
straight for her table. Brinn shrank in her seat, feeling dazed.
Helpless, she watched as they closed in. One young man wore his
dark hair long, curved over his ears with long sideburns and a
scruffy face. The other was taller and more muscular. He had a
sparse moustache and dark hair on his chin that made him look as
sinister as any villain in the stories she'd read.

"Hi, gorgeous, are you all alone here?" The
one with the sideburns asked. Not waiting for a reply, he added,
"Can we buy you a drink?"

Cornered behind the table and unable to
escape, Brinn replied nervously, "I'm not thirsty anymore."

The two men laughed and darted a glance at
each other, some unspoken message passing between them. Mr.
Sinister piped in above the music, "How about a dance?"

He reached out and grabbed her hand to pull
her onto the dance floor. His touch sent a shockwave into her spine
that ignited a primitive response. She pulled out of his grasp,
hopped onto the seat beneath her, and crouched, ready to spring. In
merely a breath, she held her knife in hand and was ready to
attack. The two men jumped back.

"Whoa, Sister, you don't have to get crazy!
You could have just said no." By now, people were staring. Brinn
saw herself through their eyes as she always did. As an outsider
who didn't fit in—someone to be feared, despised, and shunned.
She’d taken her sandals off under the table and was now barefoot,
crouched on a chair and wielding her long, sharp blade dangerously
in front of her. People spoke loudly and pointed at her, but she
couldn't move. The room spun. Terrified, she gripped her knife with
both hands, a guttural growl rising up from deep inside as she
bared her teeth.

Stunned to further inaction, Brinn saw the
two men being dragged away by two sets of large hands. A face
appeared from the shadows. Squinting, she focused hard. She must be
dreaming. It couldn't be him. She blinked, and blinked again.
Justin's face came into view. Brinn caught his profile as he spun
the bearded man around and pushed him into the crowd.

Sideburns was being manhandled by a very
tall, square-jawed man with light-colored hair cut in short spikes
on his head. He wore a tight tee shirt stretched across his broad
chest. She recognized him as the man in the car who had picked
Justin up at the hospital.

In a deep, commanding tone, the big man
shouted. "Get lost. The lady doesn't want your company."

She stared blankly at him, wary of his
menacing tone. When Justin swung back around, Brinn caught his
gaze. His eyes widened. Before he could speak, he froze in
recognition. His jaw dropped at the sight of Brinn crouched on the
chair, ready to spring, buck knife poised for attack.

Dark Memories

Brinn jumped off the seat, over the table and
landed in Justin's arms, knife still in hand. "Justin! It's you! I
found you!" She hugged him fiercely, clinging to his neck.

"I take it you know this little warrior?"
Cody smiled crookedly.

Justin acknowledged his friend with a broad
grin of his own, unable to hide his pleasure in seeing her. He
looked down into Brinn’s wild-eyed expression, and then pulled her
closer. He felt her tremble in his arms.

"Yes, it’s me.” He steered the weapon away
from his ear, but didn’t try to take it from her. “What are you
doing here?" He asked in astonishment as he pulled back to see her
more clearly.

"I wanted to see you...Abby and Phillip
brought me here, but they left me..." her voice broke. Just then,
the abandoning duo appeared.

"Oh, Brinn, I'm so sorry I left you alone.
Please forgive me. It was stupid of me...I didn’t think...are you
all right?" Abby gushed apologetically. The fiery little blonde
eyed Justin and Cody as she reached for Brinn’s hand protectively.
“Who are you?”

Brinn had obviously never told her friend
about him. He reluctantly released his hold and Brinn fell into
Abby’s arms. Seeing how the two girls wavered slightly as they
hugged, and noting the flushed cheeks of their companion—presumably
Phillip—Justin stepped in. "Brinn and I are friends. I think I
should get you two out of here. My friend Cody and I will make sure
you all get home safely.” Cody looked down at Phillip with an
expression that immediately quelled the potential argument on the
younger man’s face.

After sheathing her knife and gathering her
shoes, Brinn made a quick side trip to the ladies’ room with Abby.
The girls returned slightly less disheveled but still staggered
across the packed room. Justin put an arm around Brinn's shoulder
and guided her through the crowded bar. Amidst stares and whispers,
they parted the masses, Brinn huddled close against him.

Once outside, she relaxed slightly and sucked
in a few deep breaths. As he helped her into his car, he paused and
took in how shockingly beautiful she was—a far cry from the girl
he’d met in the woods. He knew in that moment that if they’d met
under any other circumstances, she would be exactly the girl he
wanted. But now wasn’t the time or place to give in to a crazy urge
to kiss her. With her history, maybe there would never be one. His
heart squeezed at the thought. People recovered from trauma, right?
If there was even the slimmest hope, he had to believe it was
possible. As he looked into her long-lashed blue eyes, he
whispered, "You look beautiful, Brinn."

Rewarded by a brief, shy smile, Justin closed
her door and packed the rest of the crew into his BMW. Cody and
Phillip sat in the back with Abby between them and Brinn swayed in
the bucket seat next to Justin, who drove them to a local hotel. It
was too late to drive all the way out to Abby’s house and there
wouldn’t be nearly enough room for all of them at his tiny condo. A
hotel would suit their needs just fine.