Page 112 of Bad Enough

“Gendry must have found me. He tracked me to Tabitha and the club. She’s got an obsession with Lobo, and she’s using him as a way to get rid of me. Claims Lobo is in love with me, and I’m stealing him from her or something. It sounded like she was planning on handing me over to Gendry.”

Suddenly, the lights went out. From inside the lounge, they could hear the collective gasp and light screams from the patrons at the surprise, then the general hubbub of people as they stumbled around in the dark. Sylvan felt Medusa grab onto her arm.

“Listen to me very carefully,” she whispered. “I want you to go into one of the stalls. Climb up on the toilet. Do not close or lock the door. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Sylvan whispered back.

“Do not make a sound, and no matter what you hear, do not come out of there until the lights come back on. Trust no one except me or Lobo. If anyone comes in and tries to take you out of here other than one of us, don’t leave.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. Go. Go now!”

Sylvan hurried into the restroom area, went to the second to last stall, and climbed gingerly onto the toilet seat. Luckily, the toilets had tanks on the back, and she was able to sit. If she had to stand in the high-heeled boots she was wearing, it wouldn’t be long before her legs gave out or she slipped and fell.

She had no idea how much time had passed. It was probably less than a minute. Maybe two. But it felt like forever.

There was the sound of a door opening, but the noises from inside the club didn’t get louder, which was weird.

Please let it be TB! He should have been here by now. He would have known something was wrong when the lights went out, and even if he didn’t, he still would have come to make sure I was safe.

Because the lounge was carpeted, she couldn’t hear any steps. She did make out some sounds that might have been material rubbing against other material. Pant legs from someone walking, maybe? Whoever it was did not call out, so it was clear they did not have good intentions.

There was a thud, then a grunt, and Sylvan heard grappling noises. It sounded like punches and kicks were being meted out. One set of noises was clearly uttered by a male. The other was higher pitched and likely female.

Gendry and Medusa?

Sylvan literally bit her lip to keep from crying out to the woman. She was attempting to protect Sylvan despite not knowing her, and she worried that Gendry would be too much for her.

A crash sounded, followed by shattering glass, and a guttural groan escaped whomever had been slammed up against what Sylvan figured were the counter and mirrors. Medusa was little, but she looked like she was wiry and strong. Hopefully, she’d gotten in a good shove to her attacker.

The fighting sounds stopped, and all she could hear was heavy breathing. Looking up over the top of the stall walls, she saw a light reflect off the ceiling. A cell phone flashlight, maybe?

“Bitch. You’re going to get more than you bargained for.”

Obviously, Medusa had not outwitted her attacker. Sylvan hoped the woman was only knocked out, but she’d recognized that voice hurling the threat at her would-be protector.

Gendry! He’s found me.

The flashlight swept around the lounge area as if looking for something. Then she heard the sound of a call being made. The phone on the other end rang once before being picked up.

There was no greeting. “Get in here. We’ve got an extra prize to take with us.” Then he disconnected the call.

Hard-soled shoes began to click on the marble flooring leading to the bathroom stalls, and she held her breath. She was going to get taken. It was inevitable now, so what should she do to help TB find her faster? Because he would come for her. Of that, she was certain. She didn’t know why he wasn’t here now, but once he realized she was gone, he would burn down the world to find her.

The shoes stopped at the first stall. She heard Gendry push open the stall door to reveal it as completely empty.

The outer door of the lounge opened, and she could hear the noise and see another sweeping light.

“Take the bitch on the floor. I’ll handle Jolie.”

Silent tears filled her eyes, and she felt her limbs begin to tremble. She wanted so desperately to be brave. She wanted TB to be proud of her for how she handled this moment. She wanted to be the strong woman that he deserved, but in these seconds, she experienced a paralyzing fear.

She heard the door of stall two being pushed open.

Stall three.

This is it.

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