The Monhagan Chronicles: Prelude

Chapter 2

Audrey

“Hopeless.” I muttered, stumbling down the back stairs that led into the alley behind the club. “Should have known better.” 

I caught myself on the wall when my heel broke off my shoe. “Jus gets better n better.” I tugged my shoe off and eyed it dubiously. “Stupid designer peesh a shitty retail shit.” I pulled the other shoe off and let them dangle from my fingers. This would be the last time I let Nicki and Deon dress me. 

The alley opened up to a quiet street. It was nearing closing time for most clubs on the strip and most smart people had already headed for home, or at least a bed. I had barely escaped Nicki and Deon’s forced fun and was more than willing to find a bed for myself as well. Trouble was remembering which way home was. Out on the street both ways looked identically familiar, and there was no taxi in sight.

“Uhg. Bus stop. If I can find it I’m shure I can find home.”

“Hey beautiful.” a man called from across the street.

“Go away, I’m Irish, drunk, and pissed. You dun wanna mesh with me. I’ll either kick your ash or throw up on ya.” I noticed that my speech was more than a little slurred around the edges and completely lacking in menace.

The man chuckled as he crossed the road. “Now, now princess. Is that anyway to talk to your elders.”

“Elder, shmelder.” I hiccupped. No way this twenty-something was older than me. 

The man had reached me and was closing the last few feet between us. I felt the need to run, my fight-or-flight instinct kicking in. This guy was dangerous. Even knowing that I needed to get away, distinctly feeling that it was not safe, I couldn’t get my inebriated mind to function. Couldn’t make my body move like it should. 

He trailed a finger down my jaw. “So pretty. So wasteful.”

I smacked his hand away. “Not for you buddy. I’m not on the market, so back off or I’ll bite it off.”

He chuckled again and it sounded sinister to me, dark. “And fiery. I like that.” he cupped my cheek, pulling me closer than I wanted to be to him but I still couldn’t get my body to obey me. He bent his head down and inhaled at my throat. “Nice.”

“I’d step back if I were you. I have a very loud scream.” but my voice wavered with fear. Fear, more sobering than a pot of coffee.

“And who will hear it?” his whole body tensed seconds before he bit me.

The strike was a sharp pain in my neck. It throbbed as he sucked. I tried to push him away but he was the immovable object. Succumbing to fear I thrashed in his arms, feeling the pain as the wound in my neck opened further from my struggles. The blood flowed down my neck, coating my chest. I felt light headed and my struggles weakened. 

“Stop.” but my voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Let her go.” 

It was a miracle. Was someone actually going to save me? My attacker licked along the wound in my neck before pulling away. “Of course. She’s all yours.”

My legs buckled when he released me and I fell onto the concrete of the sidewalk. Despair gripped me at his words. No one had come to rescue me only to finish the job. This was it. The end. Thankfully my life wasn’t flashing before my eyes. No need to revisit that horror fest. 

No! A voice screamed in my head. I felt the fight come back to me. I was not going to die here, on a deserted street. I was a woman of dignity. I would fight. With this determination I fought the dizziness and pushed myself up, trying to get my feet under me. I would use what strength I had left to claw out the eyes of my attacker. I got my feet under me and stood, swaying. The new man grabbed my elbows as if to steady me.

“Whoa there.” he said, gripping me tighter. “Take it easy. I’ll get you home.”

Home? Was he joking? His hand still gripped my arms, but lighter now, as if he was afraid to hurt me. I twisted my arm out of his grasp, stumbled, then caught myself on the wall of the closest building.  “Nuh uh. I’m not gonna let you… uh… no, I’m not dying tonight buster, so you can just fag off.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You are in no shape what-so-ever to take yourself home. I’m not going to hurt you. I am just trying to help. Please, give me your address and I’ll get you home and in bed. You won’t even remember being attacked.” His voice was deep, a little rough, and did odd things to my body. But that could be the alcohol.

I snorted. “I’m not that drunk buddy. You’re not getting within 50 yards of my bed.” I stepped away from the wall and stumbled. This time I would have gone all the way down if he hadn’t caught me. “Don’t you take no liberties with me.”

The corners of his lips twitched like he was trying not to smile. “Your virtue is safe with me. I swear it.”

“Kay.” I sighed. I was too tired to fight, too exhausted to be afraid of this strange man who may or may not have come to my rescue, may or may not be intending to kill me. I was just too tired to care about anything but my soft warm bed. I mumbled my address to the nice stranger. He shifted to pick me up, cradling me close to his chest. I let my head roll to rest on his shoulder and wondered briefly to myself why I hadn’t yet passed out. The heroines in all those books always passed out when their heroes came to the rescue and they were safe. Didn’t they? The alcohol was making it awfully hard to remember. And it seemed rather trivial at the moment with my head so delightfully close to his handsome face. He really had nice lips. Full, kissable lips. And he smelled good too.

I blinked, a very long blink, hoping it would kick start my brain. It didn’t respond. Perhaps I shouldn’t have had that fourth Jager Bomb. I vowed that if I made it through the night I would never drink again… well maybe just wine.

As we passed under a street light I mused at whether or not he would carry me the entire way to my apartment. No man is that strong. It had to be twenty city blocks or more away. That’s a long way to carry someone, especially a stranger.

“My name’s Audrey O’Connor.”

My savior looked down at me and smiled. “I’m Dean. Nice to meet you, though given the circumstances I can understand if you don’t feel the same.”

“You smell good.” I groaned internally, praying I hadn’t just said that out loud.

“Well, thank you. I’m glad my smell pleases you.”

I buried my face in his shoulder and desperately wished I could just pass out already. Too bad life wasn’t nearly that convenient. When you want the earth to open up and swallow you it is disinclined to do so. As my eyes closed again there was a nagging sensation in the back of my mind that I was forgetting something, something very important. I shook my head.

“Why isn’t it spinning more?” I wasn’t quite sure what I meant by my question but apparently my rescuer/possible captor did.

“Because that’s not how this works.”

Now that I had something to focus on, something to ask questions about my vision started to tunnel. I tried to cling to consciousness but my body revolted and I was pulled down into darkness.