Page 31 of Laila Manning (Shadeport Crew #3)

“Fucking perfect.” I cursed under my breath as I started weaving through the crowd, trying to find anyone from the crew I knew to ask if they could find Jed for me.

My phone was in Zeke’s pocket because sexists fucks that made dresses never sewed pockets into them.

I ducked around a group and tried to cut back toward the edge of the room to where it wasn’t so crowded, but a figure stood up from a table and I slid on the skirt of my dress and smacked straight into it, hard enough to rattle my teeth. “Oof.” I grimaced.

“Careful now.” A smooth voice called out as two hands grabbed my upper arms to steady me. “Don’t want to fall on your ass in the middle of a crowd.”

I was anything but steady as I jumped backward, fighting the tight hold on my arms until he let go. My ears rang violently as my heart seized completely in my chest, creating a catastrophic pain to ricochet through the empty cavity where my heart used to beat.

That voice.

“Are you okay?” he asked again, stepping back into my personal space as the darkness of the outer edge of the room cut us off from most of the other guests.

That fucking voice.

Darkness crowded my vision, blocking anything in my peripherals until all that existed was him.

It felt like I was back in that room.

Tied down.

And gagged.

As a monster mutilated my body because of this man standing in front of me .

Ruined me because of this man. Stole my future because of this man.

His inky black hair, styled to perfection, seemed poised to take flight like a toupee in a gale.

His fake-tanned skin and his ultra-bleached teeth contradicted each other as he smiled down at me.

“You alright darling, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He said with that sadistic humor he loved to use when he was torturing young girls.

But as I fought the urge to throw up on his shoes, and forced myself to focus on escaping his clutches, I realized he didn’t know who I was.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” He asked, reaching out to touch me again, and even though I tried, I couldn’t control the flinch as I evaded his touch.

“Don’t touch me.” I snarled, feeling a rage inside of me like I’d never felt before. All my adult life, I had experienced such tumultuous emotions that most days felt like they controlled me more than I controlled them.

Fear.

Pain.

Disgust.

Anguish.

Pain.

Grief.

Sorrow.

Pain.

But right now, facing off with the man who single-handedly destroyed my very body and soul—all I felt was rage.

Blinding rage that left me imagining what it would feel like to stab something sharp into the fleshy part of his neck, severing the arteries and veins necessary for blood flow to and from his brain, and then watch him bleed out at my feet .

Would I feel justice?

More grief?

Perhaps pain?

“Whoa now.” He smiled and held his hands up theatrically as a man passing by heard my snarl and looked on curiously. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t fall, that’s all.”

“Move out of my way.” I demanded, realizing he was blocking my path back to the bar where I at least would be in the glowing lights of the party again, and not tucked into a dark corner like I was.

I watched him closely as the entertainer’s smile slid off his face and a more serious look clouded his eyes. “You look familiar.” he said, squinting and tilting his head like he was trying to see me clearer. “Have we met before?”

“Ah, there you are.” A female voice cut through the buzz of the crowd as Elora pushed past the man who was blocking my path.

“I’ve been looking for you.” She said pointedly to me as she slid her arm through mine and stood at my side.

“Senator Lupold.” She addressed the monster in front of me.

“Harassing one of my guests. Again . Why am I not surprised?” Elora didn’t mince words, nor did she cover the disdain in her voice as she addressed him.

I reveled in her strength and power, witnessing the Queen in her element for the first time since meeting her.

“Elora.” The monster replied, adjusting his jacket as he stood up to his full height, like he hadn’t just been cornering me in the dark.

“ You may call me Mrs. Lawson.” She whipped her retort back at him, reminding him who and where he was. “I don’t care for your bought title, but here,” She glared openly at him, “Amongst my people, you will respect mine. ”

I flicked a glance at the man who had haunted my dreams for years as Elora knocked him down a dozen pegs of manhood and power with words alone, in awe of her.

“My apologies,” He replied, but I could feel the barely restrained anger in his words, “Mrs. Lawson. I was simply chatting with your friend here—” He paused, tipping his head and waiting for one of us to give him my name, which was obviously sought after.

“No, you were harassing her.” Elora snapped, “And make no mistake, Charles,” She spit out his name like it was disgusting, “There are no less than a dozen men in this room watching you right this second, ready and very, very fucking eager to make a worthless, greedy, pathetic man like you disappear.” She stood up even taller, “For good.”

His face reddened, and his jaw clenched as he looked from her to me and then out over the crowd, like he was looking for proof of her threat.

“I’ve always been in good standing with Ryker,” He challenged, as though that would give him any credit in the conversation, “You simply don’t know what your—”

“Enough.” Elora snapped and pulled me away from the corner and the sniveling man, who she handled in ways I always dreamed of. “Get out of my sight or I’ll make sure you never talk through that disgusting mouth of fake teeth ever again.”

He sputtered, but Elora didn’t wait for any rebuttal he had to give at her dismissal and walked us across the busy floor.

“Easy.” She said soothingly, “Deep breath.”

I realized then that I was clinging to her like a life raft in a hurricane and nearly hyperventilating from the entire scenario.

“Jed.” I whispered, closing my eyes, and fighting for control of my body and emotions, but I was losing.

Spiraling directly into a panic attack that would rival any other I’d ever had before.

“Carly needs Jed.” I needed to finish my task of helping my friend, and then I needed to get the fuck out of this event and out of this dress. “She’s in the bathroom.”

“I’ll get him, but what about you?” she asked firmly, leading me through the tables like she had a destination in mind when all I could do was manage to put one foot in front of the other on autopilot. “What do you need? What happened?”

“I need to find Zeke.” I cried, losing my grip.

“He’s right here.” She turned, and we cut to another dark area of the room where Ryker was conversing with men in the shadows, reminding me that so much of the men’s lives were shady and dangerous.

But at that moment, all I could see was Zeke’s serious face watching us as we approached. He didn’t say anything, simply moved through the crowd of men and was on me in an instant.

He slid both hands over my cheeks and around the back of my neck as I buried my face in his jacket. Embarrassment and grief didn’t even have a chance to take hold of me as I fought the terror of memories and flashbacks, trying to stay on my feet.

“Get her out of here. Take her home.” Elora commanded, but Zeke was already pulling me, still wrapped in his arms and shielded from any prying eyes as he opened a door I didn’t even notice and pulled us through into an empty service hallway.

“Dove.” He groaned as he scooped my legs out from under me and held me to his chest as he flew through the hallway away from the party. “I’m sorry. Hold on to me. Hold on to me, Laila.”

“I’m so broken.” I whispered as every bit of sorrow crashed over me, consuming me, and drowning me in it until I didn’t think I’d ever reach the surface again.