Page 42 of Burning Escape

Great. The guy who’d harassed her on the dance floor the night Orion had arrived. And the group looked even bigger this time. All bulky men with thick beards. All wearing camouflage. All fisting tall beers and focused on the game playing on the big screen.

“Maybe they’ll stay put to watch the game.” But probably for the best he and the girls were eating outside and away from them.

Orion tried to cover Tori and keep her from their sight. They settled in at a table on the edge of the decking. Orion took the seat that gave him an unobstructed view of the patio and the doors leading back into the restaurant. As busy as it was, it took a while for their orders to arrive, but the girls didn’t seem to mind. Tori relaxed, laughing at Raine’s story about growing up in the backcountry.

The band started playing Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.”

“I love this song!” JoJo jumped up. “Come on, girls.” She pulled Tori and Raine onto the dance floor.

Tori came back though. “You coming, Orion?”

“I don’t know how to dance, remember?”

She laughed. “We both know that’s not true. If you recall, you had an excellent teacher.”

That twinkle in her smirk almost had him, but someone needed to stand guard. To protect Tori of course, but also his own heart. “Go ahead and have fun. It’s easier for me to keep an eye on everything from here. I’ll hold our spot.”

“Come on, Tori!” Raine called from the crowd.

Tori looked at Raine and then back at Orion. “You sure, Ry? I could stay with you if you want.”

“Go dance. That’s why we’re here. I’ll watch your back.”

Her grin shining down on him was reward enough as it lit her eyes. “Okay, it will just be a few songs. I promise.”

Orion kept his word and watched the crowd, but it was a little disconcerting how often his gaze wandered back to Tori. Hands up in the air, singing with abandon and swaying to the music, she was gorgeous. She stayed with JoJo and Raine, but the trio moved closer to the stage where the band played.

Not that he was surprised. Toriwasmusic and action and energy. Of course she’d want to be closer to the source of it all.

A few songs turned to five, and by then, Orion felt bad hogging a table when a big group of people hovered around the entrance waiting for a seat. He stood and told the server they could clear the spot. None of the girls had purses, but he grabbed Tori’s jean jacket and Raine’s vest and stood at the edge of the dance floor.

“Ry, really you should come join us.” Tori came up to him, holding her long blonde hair off her neck and fanning her face.

“Afterwe take a run to the ladies’ room.” JoJo hooked arms with Tori and dragged her away, following Raine back into the restaurant.

“I’ll wait here,” Orion said. They probably didn’t hear him, but as a group, they should be safe.

But fifteen minutes later, he was starting to worry. He walked back into the restaurant, past the bar and down the hallway that ran along the side where the restrooms were.

A line of women waited outside the door, so maybe it was taking a while and he was nervous over nothing. But he’d wait here to make sure he didn’t miss them. He stood guard in the hall. Three more women exited the restroom, but no sign of his friends.

Finally, JoJo and Raine came out, smiled at him.

“You didn’t turn her down, did you?” JoJo asked.

He didn’t really care that he didn’t know what she was talking about, because panic started creeping down his spine. “Where’s Tori?”

Raine’s grin fell. “She’s supposed to be with you. Dancing.”

JoJo looked around, worry lines on her forehead. “Yeah, she said she felt bad leaving you alone out there, and she didn’t need to go, so she turned right around and didn’t even go in the restroom with us.”

Orion checked his watch. That had been over twenty minutes ago. “Split up. Raine, take the patio. JoJo, check the restaurant and bar area. I’m going outside. We’ll meet back at the entrance.”

Without waiting to see if they agreed or not, Orion sprinted through the crowd for the front door.

Shoving his way through the families and groups still waiting to be seated, he made it outside. More people loomed in the parking lot, but there was no sign of Tori.

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