Page 19 of Bones

Part of it was just your typical pent-up frustration, but there were times, like now, when I had a difficult time dispelling the feeling. I tried distracting myself by watching some television and fiddling with my phone, but the unease and disquiet remained in the background. I needed something more, so I turned off the TV, got up from the sofa, and headed to my room to change clothes. I put on a black button-down with a pair of black slacks and black shoes, then grabbed my keys and headed out to my truck, leaving my Fury cut behind.

An hour later, I was in the city, parked at one of the most popular nightclubs around. There was a time when I’d avoid a place like this at all costs. The loud music and flashing lights would send me straight into sensory overload, and I would shut down. I hated that something so trivial had such an effect on me. It made me feel powerless and weak.

I refused to let anything have that kind of control over me, so I forced myself to listen to the music, face the strobe lights, and mingle with the large crowds. At first, it was brutal. I could only take a few minutes at a time, but with each attempt, I was able to withstand it a little longer and a little longer. Some might call it torture, and in some regards, it was.

I couldn’t process it. I would experience extreme agitation like my nerves were being ground down with sandpaper, and it wouldn’t be long before the panic would set in.

My entire body would tense.

My pulse would quicken.

My palms would sweat.

My head would pound.

It would take every ounce of determination I could muster to fight the urge to lash out and cause someone else the kind of anguish I was feeling.

But I didn’t give in to those urges.

Instead, I stayed and faced my demons.

I let them push me to the brink, time and time again, and the second I fell off that cliff—when I finally broke, it was like exhaling a breath I didn’t know I was holding. All the anxiety and panic would fade, and I was finally able to reset.

I needed that reset tonight. It was the only thing that could distract me from the growing knot in my stomach. I knew I could find it here.

I inhaled a deep breath, then got out of the truck and headed inside. As soon as I opened the front door, I was hit with blaring music and flickering lights. I pressed forward, and it wasn’t long before I could feel my senses getting heightened. I made my way over to the bar and sat down. One of the female bartenders came over. She was attractive, petite, with long blonde hair and fake eyelashes.

She leaned forward, revealing a hint of cleavage as she said, “Hey there, handsome. What can I get ya?”

“I’ll take a club soda.”

“You sure I can’t get you something a little stronger? We’ve got Blue Moon on tap tonight.”

“The club soda will be fine. Thanks.”

“Sure thing.” She gave me a wink, then turned to get my drink. Moments later, she returned, placing the glass down on a napkin as she purred, “Let me know if you need anything else.”

I gave her a quick nod, then turned to face the dance floor.

A popular song came on, and the crowd went wild. Young and old, gay and straight, black and white, all rushed for the dancefloor. I, on the other hand, stayed put. I never danced. I simply sat back and soaked in my surroundings. There are so many people, all dancing like they don’t have a care in the world. The flashing strobe lights made each of their movements seem like they’d paused between blinks.

I just sat there, fixated on the mirage of bodies, and I finally was starting to decompress when I saw her. She was dancing with Lacy and several other club hang arounds, and I’d never seen her look quite so beautiful. She was wearing a little black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, and her fiery-red hair cascaded down her delicate shoulders.

I’d always liked watching Elsie, and tonight was no different. The music seemed to move through her like she was a puppet on a string. She looked so free, so alive, as she swayed her hips to the rhythm of the music, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her smile the way she was tonight. It felt good to see her look so happy. I could’ve sat there watching her for hours.

But then, everything went to shit.

She was dancing with the girls, minding her own business, when a guy came up behind her. He reminded me of Taylor Kitsch with his beach-bum hair and surfer build. He didn’t come off as a threat until he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. At first, she just smiled and went with it, dancing to the rhythm he set for them, but then, he pulled her a little closer—too close. Shaking her head, she gave his hand a shove and took a step away from him.

Noting Elsie’s struggle, Lacy stepped up next to her, trying to block the guy from getting close again, but he didn’t take the hint. He came back over to her, snaked his hand back down around her waist, then pulled her back against his chest. She tried to break free from his hold, but he was too strong.

This wasn’t like the night Savage overstepped.

This guy was a stranger in a crowded bar. There wasn’t a clubhouse full of bikers there to protect her and make sure the asshole didn’t go too far. And to make matters worse, she looked like she’d been drinking. Elsie gave him another shove, and rage surged through me when I saw her say, “Let me go.”

The guy refused, and I was done.

I lunged from my seat and charged towards them.