Five #3
“I’ll eat it when I get home. Besides, it’s not easy eating noodles in a car.” I place the bag on the floor beside my feet and lean my head back on the headrest. “This is a really nice car. I think I like this one better than the Batmobile.” I close my eyes a little. I’m so damn tired.
“You look exhausted. I knew I should have made you take the day off today.”
My eyes pop back open, glaring at him. “I’m sorry if I look exhausted and am not up to your level of expectations of how one should look, but I just finished a twelve-hour shift in the emergency department.
I didn’t even get a proper lunch break. And just so you know, there is nothing you could have done to make me take a day off.
You don’t own me, and I certainly don’t answer to anyone! ”
Zac looks over and smirks at me. Dammit, I’m mad at him, and it’s really hard to stay mad at him when he looks at me like that.
“Yet,” he mumbles under his breath, almost like he’s telling himself something.
“Sunshine, I wouldn’t have to force you to take a day off.
I can be very persuasive when I want something, and sunshine, I will stop at nothing to get what I want, even if that’s you taking a day off to rest when you need it.
” I’m gobsmacked, my mouth hanging open.
I don’t even know how to respond to that and before I can even contemplate a half intelligent thought, he adds, “And as for how you look, you could wear a hessian sack and still be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. ”
I just stare at him. Who is this man? And where the hell has he been all my life? I pinch my leg. Yep, definitely awake, and this Zac far surpasses anything I could dream up. I’m racking my brain for something to say to him when his phone rings over the speaker system in the car.
The screen reads: Bray calling. Zac looks over at me and says, “Sorry,” before answering the call. “Be careful with your words.” That’s how he answers the call. As I’m contemplating why not a simple hello, a rough voice fills the car.
“Zac, man, you gotta get to the club, NOW!” The guy on the other end sounds like he’s yelling.
“Bray, for the love of god, tell me you haven’t burnt down my club in the hour I’ve been gone?” Zac demands.
“No, it’s Ella.”
Zac’s entire body tenses. Who is Ella? Whoever she is, she must be important to both men, as I can see the worry overtake Zac’s features and can hear it in the man’s voice on the phone.
“What happened? Where is she, Bray?” Zac’s voice is strained as he grits out the demands.
“Bro, you have to fucking get back here now. She was in the VIP section, went to go to the bathroom and the drummer from the band fucking attacked her—the about to be dead fucking drummer.”
Zac’s body vibrates as he listens. He spins the car around going faster than what is probably safe. I stay quiet, not sure what’s going on. Whatever it is, whoever this Ella is, he cares about her.
“I’m ten minutes away, Bray. What do you mean he fucking attacked her? What the fuck did he do?”
I can vaguely hear the sounds of someone crying in the background when Bray speaks again.
“She’s okay, Zac. I’m with her in your office.
Dean has the fucker downstairs; he’s only keeping him on ice until you get here.
I had to make him promise not to go lethal until you got here, man.
I’ve never seen Dean like this. He’s a caged lion at the moment, bro.
But Ella, she’s banged up, cut on her head, black eye.
From what I can see, bruises on her arms and legs.
She’s not speaking, won’t talk to anyone.
When Dean found her in the bathroom, she clung to him.
She wouldn’t even let me fucking take her from him and carry her up here.
I don’t know what to do, Zac. Tell me I can finish this.
I don’t think I can wait for you to get here. ”
“Bray, stay with Ella. Don’t let anyone in the office who isn’t Dean until I get there. I’m going as fast as I can. Just stay with Ella, okay?” Zac sounds like he’s trying to calm Bray with his words—whatever he says must do something because Bray agrees.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you to get here, but then the gloves come off. I’m going to fucking kill him.” With that, the phone disconnects.
Zac turns to look at me; he looks torn. “I’m sorry, sunshine. I have to make a detour. I promise I will get you home. I can have one of the security guys drive you once we get to the club if you want.”
I don’t really know what’s going on back at the club, but I know right now, Zac is struggling and I don’t want to add any stress to his night.
“Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. If you want me to wait for you, I’ll wait.
If you’d rather I go home and let you deal with whatever it is you have to do, I’ll do that too,” I say, giving his hand a squeeze.
“What I want right now is to get my hands on the fucker who thought he could touch my baby sister!” Looking across at me as we pull into a carpark, he says, “I want you to stay. Wait for me. I want to take you home tonight. I will take you home tonight.”