Glass empty, I set it down on the table and stand from my chair.
I walk around the table and Lucifer’s hand snatches out, grabbing my hand.
“Where are you going?” he asks, his eyes full of suspicion as he tugs me closer to him.
“I need to use the ladies room,” I snap. “I’m sorry, should I have asked your permission?”
He stares hard at me, his icy eyes bright and piercing. Spine stiffening, I hold his gaze and give as good as I get.
With a sigh, his grip loosens and he nods his head as if giving me permission. “The ladies room is next to the bar. Do you want me to go with you?”
“No,” I grit between my teeth and yank my hand back.
Chin lifting into the air, I head towards the bar and hear Lucifer snapping his fingers behind my back. A moment later, James peels away from the shadows and follows behind me.
“For shit’s sake, am I not even allowed to use the restroom by myself?” I mutter.
James chuckles and I shoot an angry glare over my shoulder. He’s lucky I don’t have a glass to throw at his head.
“Wait here,” he tells me when we reach the bathroom and uses his thick arm as a bar to block me from walking in.
“Is this really necessary?” I ask.
He doesn’t even look at me as he answers, “Yes.”
Damn. If there’s a worry that I could be taken out in the ladies’ room, my life has seriously gone in the wrong direction.
With a huff, I take a step back, cross my arms over my chest and wait for him to finish his inspection.
“You’ve got five minutes,” he tells me when he’s finished. He plants himself in front of the swinging door, blocking anyone else from coming in.
“Make it ten,” I call out as I hustle in. “I need to touch up my makeup.”
“Eight, and you’re pushing it.”
I flip him the bird and hear him mutter, “Little hellcat,” under his breath.
I take care of my business in under a minute, wash my hands and check my makeup. With fives minute to spare, I walk over to the lone window in the room and try to shove it open.
It doesn’t give.
Shit.
Head tipping back, I peek up at the ceiling. It’s completely solid. There has to be a way out of this place…
“You can’t go in,” I hear James tell somebody.
“It’s just me, you know I won’t try anything,” I hear Cherry purr.
“It’s not up to me, take it up with the boss.”
“Okay, I’ll go get him…”
“You do that.”
I hear Cherry snort and then her heels are tapping away.
Shaking my head, I put her out of my mind and check the other stalls for an escape option.
“Two minutes!” James calls out.
“I’m almost done,” I call back.
I swear, this crap makes me feel like a little kid.
There are no other ways out, only the window. Walking back up to it, I push and shove with all my might but it won’t budge. I check the seal; it’s been nailed shut.
Dammit.
I don’t even know what I would do if I could get it open, I just want to get out of here. I feel the need to at least try to get myself out of this mess, even if it’s hopeless.
He has my kids locked up in his compound. Even if I did manage to somehow to get away, there’s no way I could leave without them.
“Everything alright?” James asks, his head popping in.
Leaning against the sink, I wipe at my eyes and nod my head.
“Shit,” James curses and takes a step back out, looking very uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. Take as long as you like…”
Shaking my head, I push away from the sink. Tearing off a paper towel, I use it to dab at the corners of my eyes and blow my nose. “I’m sorry, I just needed a minute but I’m ready now. Do I look okay?”
James swallows and looks me up and down. “You look beautiful,” he says gruffly and turns away.
“Thanks,” I say to his back and follow him out into the club.
The first thing I see as we walk back into the main room is Cherry leaning over Lucifer’s chair, the two of them laughing and talking. Her fake breasts are all up in his face and her ass is sticking up in the air, inches away from his hand. She’s freaking shameless, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered by her behavior.
The way he’s looking at her, the way he lets her get so familiar with him is like a knife to my heart. My feet just stop. I can’t keep walking.
James notices immediately and turns towards me with a worried look.
Tearing my gaze away from the two lovebirds, I plead to James. “Take me home, please.”
James casts his worried look towards Lucifer then back to me. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that…”