It’s bright—too bright. I squint, confused, until I realize I'm in Alex's bed. I try to sit up, but pain shoots from the back of my skull straight through my eyes. I clench them shut and abandon the effort.
The side of the bed dips. "Take it easy," Alex says. He places one hand behind my head, holds my elbow with his other hand, and gently pulls me up. "It's okay. You just need to go slowly."
I open my eyes again as the pain dissipates some. Alex's caring, soft eyes are filled with relief.
"What happened?" I rub my forehead in an attempt to ease the dull throb in my head.
Alex stares at me for a moment and exhales loudly. "You were drugged. You've been out for about eighteen hours."
"Drugged? How? Who?" The words rush out of my mouth.
"Easy, baby. We're pretty sure it was John, based on the drug and the attempt to kidnap you. The how is more difficult."
I inhale deeply. I need to remain calm so Alex won't decide I can't handle the specifics and keep them from me. Plus, it already feels like someone is hammering inside my head. "What was the drug?"
"Rohypnol."
"The date-rape drug?" My chest tightens. My brain is fuzzy, making it damn near impossible to recall the events.
Jesus, if John was successful in getting me alone, he could have done anything to me, and I would’ve been unable to stop him.
We sit for a moment. Alex holds my hand, his thumb rubbing the back of it. "Do you remember being at the office? Anything odd that happened while you were there?"
I close my eyes and try to reconstruct what happened. But connecting the dots isn't that easy and frustrates the hell out of me.
"Everyone was in the conference room when I got off the elevator. I saw Lisa and went in to talk to her. I looked around for John, but didn't see him. Jack was telling us to get champagne.” The memories are distorted. “John was right next to me, but I don’t remember him coming up beside me. He had a glass of champagne in his hand and gave it to me."
And then he got a new one off the tray for himself.
I open my eyes and look at Alex. "What if he put it in my drink?"
"How?" Alex asks, and there is no mistaking the note of skepticism in his voice.
"He probably already had a glass of champagne and could've added the Rohypnol to it when he saw me come in." With the amount of people packed into the room, he could’ve been behind someone and easily added it without anyone taking notice.
Alex takes a deep breath in. He narrows his eyes, and shakes his head. "And—what?—just happened to have it on him?"
"Yes."
Alex gives me a sideways glance.
"Why is that so hard to believe?"
"Baby, you weren't at work."
"He wouldn't have known that until he got into the office, though. He probably had it in his pocket, so he could slip it into my coffee—which he could have done easily, by the way. I always have a cup on my desk. He could have waited until I stepped out to use the restroom, and I never would have known. The point is, he would have had to have it readily available when an opportunity presented itself."
"And you walked into the conference room and presented him with the perfect opportunity."
What a nightmare my life has become.
Tears sting my eyes. "It's never going to end. He'll never let me go."
Alex gently places his hands on my face and forces me to look into his eyes. "Listen to me." His voice is stern and serious. "This will stop. Now. I'll make sure he never hurts you again. Not ever. I'll protect you any way I can."
Darkness clouds his beautiful eyes and sends a shiver down my spine. I remember Alex's warning to John at the gala. He threatened to kill John if he ever hurt me again. "Please tell me you're not planning on following through with your threat."
His gaze softens, and his lips curve up slightly at the corners. "I'm not going to find a hit man and have him taken out, if that's what you're asking. There are other ways of killing a man. Ways that don't involve murder."
I narrow my eyes. "Such as?"
"Dismantle his life until he has nothing left." His voice is void of all emotion. "Ruin him financially.”
"A man who has nothing left to live for might become even more desperate and dangerous."
Alex brings his lips to mine and kisses me. His eyes return to the sea of blue that warms me, but they still have traces of unrest and ire.
"I'll take that under advisement." He stands and helps me out of bed. "Come with me, I have a surprise for you."
There's a gleam in his eyes, and his exuberance is infectious. Excitement replaces the fingers of fear that squeezed my chest. But I know it's only a temporary fix. I have to deal with John and his abusive behavior. Right now, however, I push the anxiety to the recesses of my mind and take comfort in Alex's arms.
We walk down the hall, through the kitchen, and into the family room. A baseball game is on the TV and reminds me of Alex loaning Ryan, Paul, and me his suite.
"Here she is," Alex says.
Ryan and Paul glance over the back of the couch at us. I cover my mouth with my hand and stifle the sob building in my chest. I gaze through the mist of new tears in my eyes at my two best friends.
Ryan runs to me, wraps his arms around my waist, and kisses me on the cheek. "Oh, darlin'. I am so glad you're okay." He pulls back, gazes at me for a moment, and pulls me into another embrace.
The tears roll down my face and soak into Ryan's shirt where my head rests on his shoulder.
Paul bear hugs me, lifting me off the floor. "Dammit, Kylie. You scared the shit out of me." His breathing accelerates and becomes ragged, and he buries his face in my hair.
"I love you, Paul," I whisper and choke down a sob.
He barely lifts his head from the crook of my neck. "I love you, too, K."
He finally sets me down and wipes the tears from my face. Paul doesn't get emotional often. In fact, the only other time I've seen him this upset was also because of John. The night he found me after I escaped from John’s home.
It's quiet, now that the tenderness is becoming uncomfortable.
Paul flashes his patented shit-eating grin. "Well, one positive came out of this. I don't have to go to that damn convention."
Ryan groans, and Alex shakes his head.
I punch Paul in the shoulder. "Glad I could help."
Ryan and Paul resume watching the game.
I wrap my arms around Alex's neck and gaze into his eyes. "Thank you. You have no idea how much having them here means to me."
"You're very welcome." He kisses me and whispers, "And I think I do."
Alex thoroughly astounds me. The protection, the support, and the acceptance of my friends are more than I ever anticipated or allowed myself to hope for. Even in the face of all the horrible recent events, in this moment, I am the happiest I've been in a long time, surrounded by the most important people in my life.