I definitely needed to splash water on my face.
Definitely.
“I’m going with Sadie, we’ll be back.” I heard Roxie say but I didn’t wait for her.
I moved forward, the room seemed to be swaying, the huge crowd of people going in and out of focus.
Something was really wrong, terribly wrong and because of that I was on a mission, pushing through, sliding by, evading, weaving. It was easy for me, even though I was in pumps, I was small and the men were stationary, eyes on the stage. I nearly made it to the hall where the bathrooms were when I ran headfirst into someone.
I felt arms go around me and I looked up at the man I ran into but I couldn’t keep him in focus.
I was almost certain he was smiling at me then the smile faded.
“Hey babe, you okay?”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
His fuzzy face got closer. “You gonna puke?”
And I knew, somehow, this wasn’t drunk, this was something else, something bad, really, really, really bad.
Something that happened to Veronica Mars!
I shook my head.
“Sadie, hold up!” I heard Roxie call from what seemed like far away. I looked over my shoulder, trying to find her and thinking I saw her fighting the crowds to get to me, Tex close to her back.
I turned to the man whose arms were around me.
“I’ve been roofied,” I said to him.
“What?” he asked.
“Roofied. Someone slipped me a date rape drug.”
I felt, vaguely, his body going solid and I saw, in a fuzzy way, his head whip to the side.
“Jamie, see that big black guy? He’s the owner. Get to him, fast. Tell him someone’s slippin’ date rape shit in his drinks.” He started pulling me back out of the crowd to the hall, “You got friends here?” he asked me.
“Yes.” I tried to lift my arm but it didn’t work, still I said, “Over there.”
I felt my body collapse into him because I couldn’t hold myself up anymore.
He took my weight, his arms went tighter around me and he muttered, “Fuck. Hang on.” Then something happened, I couldn’t tell what but I heard the man say, his voice sharp, “What the fuck?” Then there was an ugly thud, he was falling and, as his arms were around me, I was falling with him.
I was on the floor, tangled up with him, I heard my name shouted then screamed but I was being lifted in the air, arms holding me tight, someone running with me.
I tried to control my head, look to see who had me, I was jostled when the person turned, he shoved a door open with his back and I felt the cold night air.
All of a sudden, I got scared. The cold night air didn’t alleviate the weird feeling or the fuzziness and it didn’t give me my strength back. Instinctively, I knew it wasn’t a member of the Hot Bunch who had me or Tex, Duke, Buddy, Ralphie, Tod or Stevie.
“Let me go,” I mumbled.
“Now, Sadie, darlin’, why would I do that?” Jerry replied.
Darn it all to heck.
* * * * *
I woke up and I was cuffed to a bed.
I didn’t feel great, I didn’t feel bad. I didn’t feel entirely awake but whatever drug I’d been given, which made me pass out about two minutes into the ride in Jerry’s BMW, had worn off.
I looked around the room and knew I was in a hotel. I could tell the sun was weak but it was coming in around the curtains and there was a light on. I looked down at myself and saw, thankfully, I still had on my jeans, wide, tan belt and cream cashmere sweater with a deep V and three-quarter sleeves. I even still had on my gold cuff at my wrist. However, my tan, peek-a-boo-toed pumps were gone, my feet bare.
The bathroom door opened and Jerry walked out.
Damn and blast.
“Does my father want to talk to me again?” I asked, my voice snotty.
He stopped at the foot of the bed and grinned. He was in a pair of well-fitting gray suit trousers with a tailored, low-sheen, soft-gray shirt, no tie, sleeves rolled up his forearms. I found myself thinking, stupidly, that he was handsome. Not Hector “Oh my God” Chavez handsome but someone at whom you’d look twice. For some reason, I thought this was a crying shame.
“No,” he answered then he leaned down and his fingers curled around my ankles.
My body froze.
He pulled my ankles apart.
My body unfroze and I twisted viciously
He was stronger than me, he kept me where I was with little effort, put a knee to the bed between my legs and then moved forward, planting himself on me full body except his hips and legs were between mine.
My breath suddenly coming in sharp gasps, I put my free hand to his shoulder and shoved at the same time I bucked.
He ignored this, buried his face in my neck, I opened my mouth to scream right before he said, “You make a fuckin’ sound, I give the order, your Dad’s breakfast gets Harvey Balducci’s special sauce.”