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Authors: Kate L. Mary
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finally sank in, and when it did something else flashed in his eyes. Surprise. Not worry.
“Meg?” he said after a second.
“Didn’t get her name.” To be honest, I probably couldn’t have described her even if someone held a gun to my head. When I’d walked into the bathroom, all I could focus on was the rage. Afterward, when the prick had been dead and bleeding out, I’d done my best to avoid looking at the sobbing girl.
“Shit,” the guy in front of me muttered, then hurried off.
An Asian girl at the end of the bar ran after him, but I stayed where I was. I’d done my duty. Now all I had to do was wait and see if saving the girl’s life had earned me a one-way ticket back to DC.
“Get me a drink, Glitter,” I said, sliding onto a stool.
The waitress headed off without responding. She almost looked relieved to be free of the rich guy. At least she was smart. He may have been at the top of the food chain, but she was better off here where at least she knew what to expect from people.
I lost it the second Donaghy left. My legs gave out and I sank to the filthy bathroom floor. Shaking. Holding my tattered shirt against my body even though it didn’t come close to covering my breasts. The man who’d tried to violate me was lying on the floor less than a foot away. Dead. A bloody mess that didn’t even look human. I spit on his corpse, and then burst into tears.
Coming into this bathroom alone had been dumb and I should have known better. There was a reason DC was as overrun as it was. Men—and women—had turned feral. They were worse than the zombies.
I was still a blubbering mess when Jackson came rushing into the room. He paused in the doorway, his eyes going from me to the dead man as Charlie skidded to a stop behind him. The second she saw me she started crying.
Charlie ran back the way she came while Jackson dropped to his knees at my side. “Tell me Donaghy stopped him.”
I nodded, trying to get words out through my sobs, but finding it nearly impossible.
Jackson put his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, Meg.”
Slowly, I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs. When I blew it back out, I somehow managed to regain my composure. Crying and losing control, those were two things I didn’t typically do. I prided myself on being strong. It was how I’d been raised. Of course, this was a situation I’d never found myself in before.
“I’m okay,” I finally managed to get out.
Jackson sighed, but I wasn’t looking at him. I was staring at the corpse that had been my attacker, and it suddenly hit me that Donaghy could get sent right back to DC for killing this man. For saving me. Justice was swift and harsh these days, and self-defense was rarely an excuse. Especially if someone already had a reputation for being a troublemaker. He could get the death penalty this time.
Not if I had anything to say about it.
I dragged myself to my feet, brushing Jackson off when he tried to help me. “I said I’m fine, but Donaghy might not be.”
“Are you seriously worried about him?” Jackson shook his head. “After what you just went through?”
“Yes.” I turned my back to Jackson and slid the remains of my clothes off. The bra was done for, so I tossed it aside, but the shirt I slipped on backwards so the tear was in the back. “Tie my shirt closed.”
Jackson sighed, but did as he was told, and I took the opportunity to gather my strength. What had almost happened here was horrible and traumatic, but I was okay. Donaghy had gotten here before any real damage was done, and right now he was the one in danger. Not me.
“Let’s go,” I said when I’d turned back to face Jackson.
“Seriously?” He was still shaking his head when I headed out of the bathroom, but it only took him a second to hurry after me.
I wiped my hand across my face as I headed back down the dark and stinking hall, trying to get rid of any remaining tears. I needed to look as strong and put together as
“Meg?” he said after a second.
“Didn’t get her name.” To be honest, I probably couldn’t have described her even if someone held a gun to my head. When I’d walked into the bathroom, all I could focus on was the rage. Afterward, when the prick had been dead and bleeding out, I’d done my best to avoid looking at the sobbing girl.
“Shit,” the guy in front of me muttered, then hurried off.
An Asian girl at the end of the bar ran after him, but I stayed where I was. I’d done my duty. Now all I had to do was wait and see if saving the girl’s life had earned me a one-way ticket back to DC.
“Get me a drink, Glitter,” I said, sliding onto a stool.
The waitress headed off without responding. She almost looked relieved to be free of the rich guy. At least she was smart. He may have been at the top of the food chain, but she was better off here where at least she knew what to expect from people.
I lost it the second Donaghy left. My legs gave out and I sank to the filthy bathroom floor. Shaking. Holding my tattered shirt against my body even though it didn’t come close to covering my breasts. The man who’d tried to violate me was lying on the floor less than a foot away. Dead. A bloody mess that didn’t even look human. I spit on his corpse, and then burst into tears.
Coming into this bathroom alone had been dumb and I should have known better. There was a reason DC was as overrun as it was. Men—and women—had turned feral. They were worse than the zombies.
I was still a blubbering mess when Jackson came rushing into the room. He paused in the doorway, his eyes going from me to the dead man as Charlie skidded to a stop behind him. The second she saw me she started crying.
Charlie ran back the way she came while Jackson dropped to his knees at my side. “Tell me Donaghy stopped him.”
I nodded, trying to get words out through my sobs, but finding it nearly impossible.
Jackson put his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, Meg.”
Slowly, I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs. When I blew it back out, I somehow managed to regain my composure. Crying and losing control, those were two things I didn’t typically do. I prided myself on being strong. It was how I’d been raised. Of course, this was a situation I’d never found myself in before.
“I’m okay,” I finally managed to get out.
Jackson sighed, but I wasn’t looking at him. I was staring at the corpse that had been my attacker, and it suddenly hit me that Donaghy could get sent right back to DC for killing this man. For saving me. Justice was swift and harsh these days, and self-defense was rarely an excuse. Especially if someone already had a reputation for being a troublemaker. He could get the death penalty this time.
Not if I had anything to say about it.
I dragged myself to my feet, brushing Jackson off when he tried to help me. “I said I’m fine, but Donaghy might not be.”
“Are you seriously worried about him?” Jackson shook his head. “After what you just went through?”
“Yes.” I turned my back to Jackson and slid the remains of my clothes off. The bra was done for, so I tossed it aside, but the shirt I slipped on backwards so the tear was in the back. “Tie my shirt closed.”
Jackson sighed, but did as he was told, and I took the opportunity to gather my strength. What had almost happened here was horrible and traumatic, but I was okay. Donaghy had gotten here before any real damage was done, and right now he was the one in danger. Not me.
“Let’s go,” I said when I’d turned back to face Jackson.
“Seriously?” He was still shaking his head when I headed out of the bathroom, but it only took him a second to hurry after me.
I wiped my hand across my face as I headed back down the dark and stinking hall, trying to get rid of any remaining tears. I needed to look as strong and put together as
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