My blotchy face turned upward to land on Anika. I blinked a second before I whispered, “Thank you.”
To my further surprise, she helped me off the ground and sat me down on the leather sofa. Nas brought me a glass of water and a couple of aspirin. “We’ve still got a full night ahead of us. You may as well lay down and sleep it off, boozerella.”
My head was whirling, and I didn’t need to be told a second time. I lay my head down just as my stomach gave a sharp pinch of disapproval at my night’s choice of drinks. I groaned, “I am never drinking again.”
“That’s what they all say,” she muttered as they both moved toward the door, turning the light off and leaving me to sleep off the night that never should have happened.
***
Lev
It didn’t take long for me to notice that Mina was no longer working the bar. Nas had taken over for her.
I waited. And waited. And the longer I did, a cold feeling passed along my spine.
An irrational protectiveness passed through me.
Standing, I strode across the floor, moving around tables and patrons to get to the bar. Nas saw me just as I leaned over the bar. I hadn’t meant to, but I growled, “Where is she?”
She put her hands up in a placating gesture. “Don’t you go off on her too. It wasn’t her fault, okay? I forgot to tell her about the house blend.” She sniffed a laugh. “She’s had a couple of aspirin and is sleeping off the liquor.”
It had been close to half an hour since I noticed her missing. My eyes immediately went to the side of the stage.
“Shit,” I barked. Eyeing Nas, I asked accusingly, “How long has Jeremiah been away from his station?”
Her face paled.
I shook my head in disappointment, moved behind the bar, through the door, and made my way down the long hall, finding myself behind the closed door to the backroom. Lifting my hand, I tried to turn the knob, but felt resistance.
“Open the door,” I sneered.
“Occupied,” he called back in annoyance.
My chest began to heave. I breathed heavily through my nostrils, my anger burning, bubbling like a river of molten lava in my gut. “Open the door,” I uttered through gritted teeth.
“Fuck! Piss off!” Jeremiah called back.
That’s when it happened.
Everything shut down. My pulse slowed. The lights dimmed around me. The sounds turned dull in my ears until there was nothing.
The silence took over.
I had always feared it would arise again. I controlled it so well. It hadn’t struck me in years. Not like this.
But I wasn’t scared this time. I embraced it and let it empower me.
My hands balled into fists, and I took a single step back before rushing the door with my shoulder.
I felt it crack under my weight, but it did not break.
My legs walked me back and I threw my shoulder at the door again.
Another whining creak, and the wood prepared to give way under the slightest amount of pressure.
Nas yelled from behind me. “Lev, what are you doing?”
Jeremiah called out in disbelief, “You’re fucking crazy!”
I pulled back, lifted my leg, and kicked as hard as I could.
The door came apart from its lock and flung inwards. My eyes swept the room and I found him standing by the leather sofa, tucking his tee into his pants.
I saw red.
Nothing could have stopped me from getting to him then.
Nothing.
Mina groaned quietly and squirmed weakly on the couch, passed out, and Nas ran to kneel by her side.
“What did you do?” I asked the startled man, gripping his shirt in my hand.
Jeremiah stood his ground. “Nothing,” he said behind his beard. “We didn’t do anything.”
“Lev,” Nas spoke quietly. I turned to her, watching her run her fingers over the side of Mina’s neck. “She’s got a hickey.”