Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Can I help you with something?” the bigger guy asked.
I took several deep breaths to try and control my anger and then said, “There was a guy sitting here—black hair, blue eyes, dressed in all black. Did you see him or was he already gone before you go here?”
The twink giggled. “Oooohhh, yes. He’s a pretty one. He yours?”
“Just answer the fucking question,” I hissed.
“Easy,” the big man warned. “That’s mine so show the same respect I’d show to what belongs to you.” When I turned my glare in his direction, he didn’t back down at all. “The guy you’re talking about was here, but he was sick. It was pretty evident he’d had way too much to drink—couldn’t talk and definitely couldn’t walk on his own. Some other guys from your group helped him get up and said they were taking him home. They told us the table was open and then moved on.”
“What?!” I roared. “When did this happen?” Terror gripped every inch of my body. Baker hadn’t drunk enough to be incapacitated. He’d been drugged. Fucking drugged, right under my nose.
The big man looked alarmed. “Just seconds ago, man. Were those guys not with you? Your man didn’t act…” He stopped talking. “Hell, he couldn’t act like anything. He was too far gone.”
I was surprised when the giant stood up. He had about three inches on me and was nothing but solid muscle. “It pisses me off when shit like this happens. Mischel, stay here and don’t drink anything or let anybody touch you. Blow your whistle if anybody comes near you. I mean it.” He turned to me and said, “They went toward the front exit. Let’s go.”
I had no idea why he was offering to help or if he was leading me to my death, but didn’t particularly care at that moment. If he led me to Baker, I’d deal with what happened when we got there. Between both of our sizes, people cleared a path for their own safety.
“They couldn’t have gotten far,” the man muttered. “This shit is happening more and more often around here.”
We burst through the doors and the cool night air did nothing to help my burn—it was from the inside out. I looked in one direction and he looked in the other. Within a second, I heard him yell, “There they are!”
I turned toward his voice and just started running. He was already racing down the sidewalk. I looked ahead of him and saw three guys practically dragging a lifeless Baker toward a large black SUV. I roared loud enough to wake the dead and as soon as they heard it, they dropped Baker onto the sidewalk and made a wild dash for their ride.
It felt like it was in slow motion as I watched Baker’s body tumble lifelessly to the ground. The back of his head smacked against the concrete hard enough that I heard it from where I was, even over the loud nightlife noise of Miami. Once he hit, there was no movement at all.
I’d passed the guy who’d helped me and was on my knees, cradling Baker in my arms, and calling 911 before he made it to where we were. After giving the information to 911, I hung up and started checking Baker’s vital signs, whispering words of encouragement and love the entire time.
His eyelids fluttered, and he mumbled, “Stop screaming at me.”
At least, that’s what I thought he said. I was just so damned happy to hear him talk that I almost broke out into a chorus of Hallelujahs…and nearly cried tears of joy.
Big guy finally got to us and asked, “You call an ambulance yet?”
“Yeah, they’re on their way,” I answered. When I turned to look up at him, he gave me their plate numbers and a description of their vehicle. “There’s a lot of this bullshit going on around the clubs right now. Date rape drugs are still rampant, but they have a new technique they’ve added to their arsenal. It’s an EpiPen that injects heavy doses of GHB mixed with Ketamine. It’s fast acting and deadly. Get him to a hospital for some IV fluids.” He stood back up. “I need to get back to mine. Good luck.”
I watched him go, shocked that someone would step up the way that stranger had. Fuck, if it hadn’t been for them telling me about Baker, I could have lost him. If it was the same people responsible for the abductions related to Javier’s club, my partner…my sub would have been abused, defiled, and tortured while under my protection. Nausea caused the contents of my stomach to roll and tumble.
“Easy, babe,” I whispered as I cradled his head in my lap. “I’ve got you. I shouldn’t have left you alone. Shhh, you’re safe.” I kept talking, trying to reassure Baker he was safe. I wasn’t sure what he heard or if he heard anything, but I wanted to him to know I had him. He wasn’t conscious and was sweating profusely. His breathing was labored, and it hurt me to watch him gasping for air. After a few more minutes of waiting for the ambulance, I felt his body start to tremble with seizures. The vomit followed shortly after that. I was thankful the drug was being purged from his body but frightened he might choke on the poison flushing itself from his body.