Ten Days of Perfect (November Blue #1)

In a flash, Bill was lunging past Bo and toward me. Bo threw up his forearm like a steel beam and stopped Bill from colliding with me; but he still managed to grab at my shoulder, knocking me off balance. Bo turned to steady me, giving Bill another swipe at me. He wrapped his hand around my arm.

“What’d he tell you, huh? Did he tell you about his slutty sister? Tell you how much money she owes me, that I took the job with DROP to get it back, but it wasn’t coming fast enough?” He spoke through adrenaline, as Bo was lunging toward him.

I tried to pull my arm away but he only tightened his grip. Tears threatened, but for some reason I couldn’t scream. I ducked in time for Bo’s fist to connect with Bill’s face, causing him to release my arm.

“Run, Ember! Go!” Bo hollered right through me. Thankfully, my fight-or-flight response chose flight in agreement with Bo, and I turned and ran. I heard nothing other than my heart beat and my heels on the sidewalk. My shoes did nothing to steady my frantic gait as I realized I had no idea where I was going.

Away.

My sight cleared as I focused on someone walking - no, running - down the sidewalk in my direction.

Adrian.

“Adrian! Adrian, help!” I managed a scream that tore through the quaint street.

I paid less attention to the scene behind me, and more attention to his face as we got closer. In one step, the pavement was no longer under my feet - it was under my face.

“Ember! What the hell is going on?” Adrian knelt beside me and grabbed my shoulders.

Stallion-like foot beats approached behind me as I pushed myself from the sidewalk. Ouch. For the first time since I ran, I looked back. Bo, Bill, and Max were a block behind me and Bo was holding them both back; but just barely.

“Those guys, Bill . . . and Max . . . they’re involved . . .”

“Jesus Christ,” Adrian fished through is pocket and produced a plastic credit-card looking thing, “here’s my key for The Centennial, room 323, go!” He pointed in the direction he came from as he helped me to my feet before running toward Bo.

I kicked off my shoes and kept running, leaving them where I fell.

*

Taupe. That’s the color I named the walls of Adrian’s room at The Centennial. There was only a digital clock in the room, but I could hear the ticking of impossible time. I was growing anxious at the unknown fates of the men I left behind on the sidewalk I must have been a real sight showing up to this classy hotel bloody and shoeless; keeping my head down as I ran to the elevator, praying not to run in to anyone as I opened his door.

My muscles started to ring from the fall I took in those damn shoes. I rose and limped to the bathroom to survey the damage; my skinned elbows and knees were crusted in dried blood. My eyes lifted to meet themselves in the wall-length mirror; a fairly deep looking gash oozed blood from my right eyebrow-I turned aimlessly back to the room and sat carefully on the bed.

Taupe. Tick. Tock.

A soft knock on the door didn’t startle me as it would have even two hours ago; I rose indolently and moved toward the door. There was another knock.

“It’s Adrian, Ember.”

I turned and walked back to the bed as I opened the door so he wouldn’t see my face immediately. Adrian closed the door softly; more to appease me than the other guests, I assumed. I heard a clunk on the dresser and turned to see him set my shoes down; I cracked a half-smile but winced against the pain.

“Fuck, Blue, hang on,” he said as he went to the bathroom and turned on the water. He returned with a wet washcloth and sat next to me on the bed, “I’m just going to clean off your face, OK?” I nodded, my eyes never leaving the infinite spot on the wall they chose. When the warm washcloth connected with my wound, I leaned in to Adrian’s hand and was able to finally start processing the events of the last couple of hours.

“Does anything else hurt?” he continued. I just shook my head.

“Where’s Bo? Did he get hurt?” I asked, not moving my head from his hand.

“No, Cavanaugh’s fine, don’t know why those pricks messed with him in the first place - he’s much stronger. They’re at the police station; Bill and Max will be staying the night. Bo hung around a while to make sure you didn’t have to come down and give a statement.”

“What? Of course I do, right?”

“You didn’t really have anything to do with the fight those three got into on the sidewalk; you ran away. Bo wants you as far away from this as possible.” Adrian draped his arm around my shoulder.

“But, in Barnstable the three of them-”

“The three of them were in Barnstable? When?” Adrian leaned back, forcing me to hold my own weight. I noticed Adrian was wearing a tight red t-shirt, and wanted to smile at our wardrobe telepathy. I chose, however, to remain at the task at hand.

I told Adrian the story of the night when I dropped my car off at the garage, and the events that transpired thereafter. He listened intently, like the lawyer he’d become; furrowing his brow, nodding, and rubbing his chin.