Page 61 of Passionate Defense

“It’s October, so I can’t guarantee either. Relaxing and fun you can leave up to me though.”

“You’re so good to me, Ethan. What would I do without you?”

“Hopefully you won’t have to find out for a long, long, long time.”

His arm tightened, and he pulled her in for a kiss. The public address announcer asking them to stand for the National Anthem and the thirty-seven thousand fans roaring with excitement, only allowed for a taste, however.

By the third inning, the game was tied, and they thought a pitchers’ duel was at hand, but the Yankees drove in three runs in the top of the fourth. The Sox rallied and came back in the fifth to tie things up again. In the sixth inning, the cleanup hitter cranked a solo blast to right field. The crowd went wild, the decibel in the open-air stadium so high she had to yell with her lips pressed against Ethan’s ear to be heard.

By the seventh-inning stretch, Lanie and Vicky had to make a bathroom run, although they didn’t want to leave and risk missing a play. But after they each had two twelve-ounce beers, they simply couldn’t put it off any longer. Ethan stood, intending to escort them, but the two women rolled their eyes at him.

“We can look out for each other, Ethan,” Vicky assured him.

“But it was a sweet of you to offer, honey,” Lanie added.

Although he clearly didn’t like the idea, he relented, cautioning them to stay together, needlessly pointing out that the crowd was getting rowdy. The beer was flowing, and a few fights had broken out in the stands between fans.

As they climbed the stairs and exited to the concession area, the drop in the noise level was a relief. They found the nearest women’s restroom and, as expected, the line was out the door. While they waited, both women observed the door across the way. It had no line and men were moving in and out in no time.

“This would be an excellent time to have an extra appendage,” Vicky commented wryly as she shifted back and forth.

In ten minutes, they made it to the inner sanctum and yet another line. There was no room to stand and wait, so Lanie told Vicky whoever finished first should wait right outside the door.

That turned out to be her. When several minutes passed and the judge still hadn’t come out, she decided to check on her. Before she took the first step, hard fingers dug into her upper arm and jerked it roughly. She cried out as much from pain as alarm and turned to confront whoever it was.

“Well, if it ain’t the Ice Bitch!” Walt Simons drunkenly asserted, spittle flying out of his mouth with each word. Lanie cringed at being sprayed in the face and tried to pull away, but he was on the move, dragging her with him.

“Let me go,” she cried out as a cheer rocked the stadium.

He ducked into an alcove behind construction partitions and shoved her hard against the wall. His malicious laugh sent fear down her spine, his fingers cruelly biting into her skin as he gripped her arms. Lanie turned her face away as his foul breath, reeking of beer and cigarettes, assaulted her nose.

“You’re drunk. Release me. Don’t make things worse for yourself by adding assault and battery to your charges.”

“Can’t get no fucking worse. You’ve ruined my career, cunt.”

Lanie flinched at his words and shrank away from the red face a mere inch away from her own.

“Help!” she screamed, struggling. She brought her knee up, but without room or momentum only brushed his thigh. “Someone, help me—”

Her pleas were cut short by his clammy hand brutally clamping over her nose and mouth. She gagged as his sweaty hand pressed against her lips. The heel of his palm covered her nose, making it impossible to breathe. Frantic to break free, she pulled on his wrist with both hands, but he was stronger than he looked.

Quickly becoming light-headed, everything around her started spinning. Where was security? Surely someone had heard or could see her struggling.

“Let her go! Security,” Vicky shrieked just as things started going black.

The next thing Lanie knew, her legs buckled, and she collapsed on the concrete floor. Pain shot through her hip and shoulder, but she could breathe. Desperate for air, she gulped greedily. A resounding thud and a sickening crunch sounded nearby. A high-pitched wail of agony followed, almost drowning out the low rumbling furious voice.

“Touch her again, son of a bitch, and I’ll rip off your useless prick and shove it down your throat.”

Lanie pushed herself to a seating position and saw Walt a few feet away, flat on his back, holding his nose, with blood spurting between his fingers. Ethan loomed over him, fists clenched, his body vibrating with fury.

“You broke my nose!” her old boss squealed, sounding a lot like the pig she had called him for years. Which wasn’t fair to the poor pig.

Ethan moved to her and crouched by her side. “Are you hurt?” he demanded, his concerned gaze sweeping over her face and down her body.

“I’m okay, Ethan. Just shook up a little.”

He helped her to stand, his hands running over her, checking for injuries as if disbelieving his own eyes.

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