Savage Cinderella

Chapter 14-Dark Memories

The strong scent of alcohol permeated the car. Justin's gut twisted in visceral response. He cracked open his window. It was too cool a night to put his top down, though the fresh air would probably do them all good. He resisted the urge to lecture the couple in the back seat about underage drinking or how they'd left Brinn alone. It wasn't his place, and they were in no shape to listen. 

Abby sat sullenly between Cody and Phillip, obviously angry with her date and even more so with herself. She phoned her parents again to tell them she was staying the night in the city with friends. After a few minutes of arguing and whining from Abby about trust, being able to take care of herself, and her being a grown woman, she hung up the phone. 

It was decided that they would get two rooms—one for the guys and the other for the girls. Brinn refused to set foot in the enclosed space of the elevator and, rather than cause a scene, the stairs seemed the best option. Justin paid for the adjoining suites and led the group up the three flights of stairs in the newly renovated luxury brownstone.

It was one of the few buildings in midtown that had survived the Great Fire of 1917. The remnants had been renovated many times through the years but the latest creation was the perfect mix of old and new. The building, once a tenement of apartments, now had eight floors of luxury suites decorated with antique furnishings in deep reds and golds.  

When they reached their floor, Cody ushered Phillip into one room and led Abby to the other. If Phillip had planned to ply the girls with alcohol and take advantage of them, the plan had backfired. He was dead drunk. Abby stumbled into her room and fell onto one of the queen-sized beds, fully clothed and already snoring as Cody removed her shoes. He pulled a comforter over her and joined Brinn and Justin arguing in the hallway.

Justin tried to leave Brinn at the girl's hotel room door.

"You need to go to sleep now," he said. Brinn grumbled and clutched the door frame. "C'mon, Brinn. You'll feel better tomorrow." He doubted the truth of his own words, but he pried her hands from the wood and wrapped an arm around her waist. He wished he could sleep beside her again. Thinking of her and worrying for her safety had kept him from a good night's sleep since his return from the mountains. He knew tonight would be another one of those nights.
Brinn protested when he pressed his hand to her lower back, trying to nudge her gently through the door. She acquiesced but stumbled straight for the balcony, sliding the door open and plunging toward the fresh air. Justin followed in pursuit.

"I can't sleep in that room. It smells like smoke. It smells like—him," she whispered, clutching the railing and drawing deep breaths.

Justin tensed, "Who, Brinn? Who does it smell like?"

"Pa, Roy." She whispered again, her gaze unfocused. Justin caught the girl as she tipped, holding her by the arms to steady her. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grasp. 

"Let me go!" Brinn stomped on his foot sending a jolt of hot white electricity through him.
Justin cried out in pain. She tore her arms free of his grip and bolted straight for the fire escape. She launched herself up the ladder and toward the roof.

With a searing shock of pain that shot through his injured foot, Justin hobbled backward and nearly tumbled over the railing to the pavement below. He regained his balance and swore under his breath. "Brinn, stop! Don't run away."

Not fast enough to stop her, even in her condition, Justin followed. He watched her climb the narrow stairs upward like a treed bear. He took to the ladder but his own progress was slowed by the throbbing pain in his ankle. Each step sent pins and needles through his foot and up his leg.

"Damn it!" he cursed. She wasn't going to make this easy. Her first time into the city and she'd found all kinds of trouble to get into. Her friend should have known better. It wasn't Brinn's fault. His temper cooled by the time he reached the roof, despite the throbbing in his foot. "Brinn!" His voice caught in his throat.