Chapter 3
Opening her eyes, Regina quickly regretted it. Her head throbbed with vengeance and her stomach was queasy. She must have drunk more than she thought. She could only remember having one drink and she was sure she didn't even finish it.
There was a shift in the bed behind her as an arm was draped over her waist. The brunette's eyes widened. She glanced around the room trying to figure out where she was. Who had she gone home with? Panic was setting in as she waited for the person behind her to move again. When they didn't, she gently picked up the arm from her waist and slowly slid from the bed. She stood wearing only her bra and panties.
The room was very dark, making it hard to see. A small hint of sunlight strained through a crack in the curtains as she looked around. The room was small and the musky smell alone told her it was cheap. An old analog television sat on a makeshift desk at the foot of the bed. There was a small round table with two chairs near the window and a door on the other side that must have led to a bathroom.
Regina turned her attention to the sleeping form still beneath the covers. Coincidentally, the sheet was over their head. She tiptoed closer and could only see the crown of the person's head. They were blonde, but that was all she could make out.
She scanned the floor for the dress she had been wearing. She saw her shoes by the door and what appeared to be the other person's clothes on the table. Stepping closer to the pile on the table, the brunette searched for identification.
Temporally forgetting her own lack of clothing, she moved the pile around. A pair of slacks was on the bottom, she hesitated for a moment when she noticed how petite in size they were. She let the thought go when she felt a wallet in the back pocket.
The wallet was filled with several credit cards, but no cash. At first, she wasn't seeing a driver's license. She then realized it had been stuffed behind a tattered photo of a dark-haired woman and a little blonde girl. She slid the plastic card out and nearly dropped the wallet at what she saw. She closed her eyes to steady herself. Opening her eyes back up, she looked back at the card.
The blonde woman she had met in the bathroom of the club. Her eyes moved down to the name and she nearly shrieked. Emma Nolan. She was speechless. How had this happened? She could only remember talking to the woman briefly, but it was completely innocent.
Movement from behind pulled her attention to the bed. Her breath caught as she watches the nearly naked blonde stand and yawn. She wore hot pink boy shorts but was naked above the waist. The brunette snapped her head back around. She had hoped she would be gone before the other woman woke up.
Regina watched as the blonde walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She wanted to run. She needed to get out of there fast. Her cheeks flushed when she thought of what they might have done last night.
Her eyes moved to a rack that hung above the mini fridge and spotted her dress. She hurried over and snatched it from the metal rod and started pulling it on. She had no memory of what happened after she walked out of the bathroom last night. She wasn't sure what was worse. The fact that she had gone to a cheap motel with a strange woman, or the fact that that woman was the notorious Emma Nolan.
Once the dress was in position, she glanced over to the door for her shoes. Something wasn't right. She doesn't do things like this, ever. She let out a shaky breath as she slipped her feet into her heels. She didn't even know where she was.
Grabbing her purse from the table she pulled her cell out. Her head was still killing her. She must have drunk more than wine because she never got a headache like this with just wine. Hell, she couldn't remember the last time she had gotten drunk.
"Shit." She said out loud as she looked down at the time. She had told her father she would come into the clinic for a few hours today so he could go play some golf. She was running behind.
Opening the door she heard the blonde's voice, "Hey wait. I can give you…"
Regina cut her off, "There's no need. I can manage."
"Yeah but, I wanted to talk to you about last…"
This time the brunette cut her off by shutting the door behind her. What could they possibly have to discuss? The blonde had a reputation for her one night stands and that list was long.
She would just call a nearby cab company and have them take her home. She hoped she could just forget the night had ever happened. This would not be hard for her since she already had no memory of it. She found herself embarrassed and ashamed. The blonde was a very beautiful woman. She was finding it hard to get the other woman's half-naked body out of her mind. What in the hell was wrong with her? She was straight.
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Emma walked into the tall building that her father owned. Her thoughts were on the beautiful brunette. She had just wished she would have listened to her before running off, but she could see how it looked. The woman had thought she and the blonde had slept together.
The elevator door opened pulling her from her thoughts. She hadn't realized how far she had made it into the building. She was going to have to talk to the older woman and soon. Not only to clear up the air on their sleeping arrangements but also to warn her about the guy had roofied her.
She sighed as she walked into the waiting room. She smiled when she saw the familiar eyes of the nine-year-old she had met the day before. Yep, he was definitely Regina Locksley's son.
"Hey kid, what's up?" She asked as she plopped down in the chair next to him.
He shrugged, but smiled, "Nothing right now, but later my dad is supposed to take me to the zoo."
She nudged him gently with her elbow, "Well that's cool."
"Yeah." His smile faltered slightly, "It would be fun, but I know how it goes. The longer he is in there," He said pointing to the double doors, "The more the chances of our actual going lessen."
She let her smile drop. This kid was wise beyond his years, and she couldn't help remembering herself at his age. She had been let down more times than she could count and she could sometimes still feel the pain.
The double doors opened with a bang causing the blonde to jump. Her brother, father, and Robin walked out. As they made their way to her she stood up pulling the rolled up folder out of the waistband of her jeans.
She had sat at the little table in the motel staring at the papers for several hours while the brunette slept. Emma had finally made the discussion that she needed to do this. Her brother's words had hit her hard. Not that he thought she would die because she hadn't cared about that. It was the part where he said she needed to grow up. She thought back to Anton and the rest of the old crew. If she didn't do this, they could all lose their jobs and her father wouldn't care.
She passed the curled up folder to her father as she let her eyes drift to her brother, "They're all signed."
She didn't miss the smile that pulled at August's face, but he didn't say anything. Her father stared down at the paperwork as he thumbed through them. Robin glanced over his bosses shoulder to ensure that she had signed them all correctly.
Once David Nolan was satisfied, he passed the folder to Robin and looked up at her, "I am pleased that you have agreed. Now you just hold up your end of the deal and all will go smoothly."
She clenched her teeth giving a tight-lipped smile, "I guess we'll both see. I'm sure you have eyes everywhere."
David glanced over at her brother and then back to her, "You will start at the club tonight. Robin will finish the paperwork up and swing it by the club later. I will have August alert Killian, he is the manager there."
She nodded her understanding. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Henry hang his head. The Nolan's had done it again.
"I guess this means we aren't going to the zoo," Henry said softly.
"It happens, Henry. Maybe some other time." The lawyer said turning back to the folder. "I will call one of my assistants to come and get you.
Emma's brother had been speaking, but she never heard a word as she was listening to the boy. It made her heart clench to hear the sadness in his voice.
"I can take him to the zoo." She blurted out before thinking.
Everyone's head snapped to look at her. For a moment she was afraid that she had grown a second head before Robin spoke, "That is not necessary Emma. Henry will be fine with my assistant."
"Besides that, you need to get some sleep before your first night." Her father said as he started for the double doors.
She glanced at the boys whom actually looked hopeful. "You want me to be responsible, right? I can't get into any clubs with a kid, and there aren't many chicks that are interested in other chicks with kids."
Her father stopped and turned to face her. He looked her straight in the eye, "That is completely up to Robin, he is his son after all." He looked over at his lawyer.
Robin looked as though he were about to say no, but then Henry said. "You said that I was completely capable of taking care of myself. If Em isn't doing her job, I can call your assistant to come and get me."
The lawyer sighed, "Fine, but if your phone rings, you pick it up."
A huge grin washed across both Henry's and the blonde's faces. Emma was glad she could make the kid smile again.
Robin leaned in close to his son, "You better behave. If I hear about you being anything other than on your best behavior, you will be sorry."
The blonde narrowed her eyes at the man's remark, but Henry answered, "Yes sir." He scooped up the folder and papers and started back towards the double doors.
"Emma, I'm counting on you." Her father's voice called out, but he didn't turn around as he followed the lawyer and her brother back into the office.
He was counting on her. She wanted to roll her eyes and tell him to fuck off. Instead, she turned to the overly joyed boy who was vibrating with his excitement and looked down. "You ready?"
"Yep!" He grinned up at her.
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The waiting room of the clinic had been overflowing with patients since she had arrived. By noon, she had to have her nurse practitioner see the less serious cases so she could take a break. Her headache had eased, but her queasiness remained.
Something definitely was not right with her. She walked into the break room and found the head lab technician she knew and trusted eating her lunch. "Hey Millie, can I ask a favor?"
"Sure Dr. Locksley, what do you need?" The pink haired woman asked wadding her sandwich wrapper up and tossing it into the trash.
"I wanted to see if you would draw some blood for me and run a tox screen." Lab techs were not trained to draw blood, but Millie also happened to be an RN and completely capable.
Millie raised an eyebrow but replied. "Okay." She then asked, "Who's the patient?"
Regina chewed slightly at her bottom lip, "Me, but I need it to stay between the two of us."
The pink haired woman nodded her understanding, but the concern was swimming in her eyes. "Is everything all right Doc?"
The brunette smiled, "I hope so."
The woman's eyes widened and she grabbed the doctor by the elbow. She hurried them out of the break room and down the hallway to the small lab. Once they were inside, the pink haired woman closed the door behind them locking it.
Regina watched Millie rushed around grabbing up the supplies she needed. Once she had them in her hand she laid them out on a metal roller tray and pushed it over near two stools.
"Have a seat doc." She said as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves.
The brunette did as instructed. She held out her arm, wrist up as the other woman tied the blue piece of rubber around the upper part of Regina's arm.
"So what are we screening for?" Minnie asked as she continued to work.
The brunette chewed her bottom lip, "Anything out of the ordinary. Maybe Flunitrazepam."
The tech's eye shot up to meet the brown ones, "Rohypnol?"
The brunette swallowed and nodded, "Yes."
The other woman knitted her brows together, "Do you think you were date raped?"
Regina hated the way that sounded, but something wasn't right with how she was feeling and she knew herself. She would not have drunk that much to not remember, "I'm not sure. I just know that when I woke up, I couldn't remember much from last night. I can only remember having a glass of wine at this club and then everything is a blur after that."
The tech had put the needle in place and was now drawing the vials. She glanced up with concern as she waited for the vial to fill, "But you made it home?"
Regina chewed more on her lip and sighed, "No." She wasn't sure how much she should say, but she didn't want to leave the other woman completely in the dark either. She was doing her a huge favor. "I woke up in a motel room."
The woman's eye widened. The last vial was filled and the Millie slipped the needle out. She placed a cotton ball over the almost microscopic hole it had made. After she put the band-aid over it she looked back at the brunette, "I'm sorry." Millie's said sadly.
Regina choked out a laugh, "Why are you sorry. You didn't do anything."
The other woman's mouth curled up at the corners. "No, but some sorry asshole is going around doing this woman and who knows how many victims there have been. Did you even see the guy?"
The doctor thought of the half-naked blonde and nearly blushed. She then tilted her head as she thought back to the club. When she had walked out of the bathroom, the blonde was still in there. She remembered walking up to the counter and then a tall dark haired man buying her a drink. It had to be him who slipped her the drugs, but how did she wind up at the motel with Emma Nolan?
"Doc? You okay?" The woman asked.
"Yeah, sorry I was just trying to remember, "I saw him at the club, but I can't remember past that."
The woman nodded her head and smiled as she stood. The four vials she collected were in her hands. "I hope these tests come back negative Dr. Locksley, but I will make them my first priority. I should have the results back in a couple of hours. Do I need to call over to the pharmacy for a morning after pill?"
Her eyes widened at the comment. She was positive that she didn't have to worry about being pregnant. The blonde had tried to tell her she needed to talk and she brushed her off for fear she wanted to talk about the two of them. She wanted to scream in frustration.
"I-I don't think so." She was unsure and her eyes welled up with tears.
"Hey, it's going to be all right. You got Millie taking care of you now. Why don't you go and find some lunch and I will call you as soon as I know anything."
The brunette smiled through her watery eyes and nodded. She didn't respond to the other woman, she just walked out into the hallway and leaned up against the wall. Why did it seem like everything bad was happening to her? She found herself wishing she had stayed home.
"Kathryn." She said out loud raising her head.
Regina hadn't heard from her friend since before she went to the bathroom at the club last night. Why hadn't she called? She dug around in her lab coat pocket and pulled out her cell. She dialed her friend's number and waited.
After several rings, Kathryn's voicemail came on. The brunette ended the call and dialed the number again. Still, the voice mail picked up, "No, no, no, no. Please let her be okay."
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The zoo was packed, but the pair managed to have a great time. They had spent nearly two hours now, roaming the massive park. She had been surprised to learn that Henry had an extensive knowledge of many of the animals.
They finally got hungry after visiting the snake enclosure. A vendor selling hot dogs and ice cream sounded good to them both. It had been a really long time since Emma had enjoyed simple things, such as hot dogs.
Emma took a bite from her plate, as she looked over at the boy. She snorted a laugh trying not to spit her food out. Henry must not have eaten these things much either. The chili now covered his face and had spilled down onto his shirt.
"Dang it." The boy grumbled as he sat his chili dog back down onto his plate.
Emma laughed but grabbed up some napkins and passed them to him. "Well, it's going to be hard to say we ate healthy when your mom sees your shirt." She grinned.
Henry looked up at her, "My mom?" He took the napkins and started wiping the glob off his t-shirt, "I'm going back to my dad's. I won't see my mom until next weekend."
The blonde couldn't get the other woman out of her mind. She knew that Henry would still be with his father, "Yeah right. I knew that."
The kid raised an eyebrow, "Then why did you say, 'my mom'?"
She stuffed the last bite of her hot dog into her mouth and shrugged, "It was an accident. I meant to say your dad."
The look remained on the boy's face, "I can tell when people are lying."
Emma swallowed the wad of processed meat and thick chewy bread down with a painful gulp. Who was this kid? She took a drink of her soda and then sighed, "I met your mom last night. Well, sort of."
"Really? Where?" He asked picking up his fork and cut into his messy dog.
Why she had admitted to that she would never know. Now she wasn't sure what she should or shouldn't say, "At my brother's club." She was pretty sure she would leave out the part about the drugging and sleep over.
"Was she nice to you? I mean you know she doesn't care for the Nolan's." He asked taking a bite off his plastic fork.
Emma thought back to the ladies room at the club, "She seemed to be nice. She was on the phone with you when I met her. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. After she hung up she talked to me about how excited you were to go to the zoo." She found herself thinking of the woman's scent. The images of them pressed against each other next to the paper towel dispenser made her cheeks flush.
Henry wiped his mouth off on a napkin and tilted his head, "Did you introduce yourself?"
Emma shook her head, "No I was having trouble even remembering my name."
"Why wouldn't you remember your name?" The boy asked perplexed.
She smiled taking another sip of her soda. She was not about to explain that to a nine-year-old.
"So what does your mom do?" She asked setting the paper cup down.
The boy's head was still tilted as he looked at her, but with a slight curl to one side of his mouth he answered, "She's a doctor."
"Really?" The blonde should have known she would be in a profession like that. She must be as smart as she was beautiful. Her mind had flashed back to when she first woke up this morning. The other woman was standing in her underwear at the table. She felt a flutter in her stomach.
She could feel the boy staring at her as she seemed to have zoned out. His face had a huge grin on it.
"You like her." It was a statement.
Emma blushed again, "No, I"
Henry laughed, "You like my mom. You think she's hot don't you?"
The blonde's mouth fell open. She didn't know what to say, "Are you sure you're only nine?"
"Yep, but when you've spent as much time around adult as I have you pick up on a few things." He said slurping loudly from his straw.
The blonde laughed. She knew all too well what it was like growing up without kids her own age. She had been stuck in that office waiting room for more time than she cared to remember. She could feel herself getting angry for a second. He was supposed to be able to be a kid, yet her father was helping to do it again. He was Stealing the childhood from another child.
"So back to what we were talking about. You think my mom is hot." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down as he smiled.
The blonde tried to suppress the new blush as she shook her head, "That's none of your business." A smile still played on her lips.
The boy stood up grabbing his trash. He paused for a moment and looked up at Emma, his features sobering, "It's okay if you do. My mom thinks that you're a hoe, but you should tell her. I think she forgets sometimes how pretty she is." He turned and walked over to a trash bin and dropped his garbage in.
Emma was taken aback by his comment. She wasn't shocked by everyone thinking she was a slut, it was to be expected. However, she didn't understand how a woman like that could not know how gorgeous she was? She thought back to her own mother. She had been a beautiful woman as well. She had dark hair and eyes, her skin was pale, but her beauty had been remarkable. She couldn't remember her father ever complimenting her mother on her looks. Hell, he barely spoke to her at all.
The blonde's phone went off in her pocket causing her to jump. She pulled it out and swiped the screen, "Yeah?"
"I need you to meet me at the club in an hour. We have a few things to discuss and go over before the doors open tonight." August's voice was rushed and distant and all she could picture was her father.
"Okay, I'll drop the kid off at the office then I'll be there." She said watching the boy who looked back at her with disappointment.
"Don't bother. Just bring him with you. Robin will be here in a few minutes." He said and then ended the call before she could accept or decline.
Emma slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked up at Henry, "Well, I guess you're going to get to see the club kid."
A huge smile crossed the boy's face. The blonde found herself chuckling. She had never wanted kids. She used to tell herself that it was because she would never settle down, let alone start a family. Thinking back on it now, she realized it was because she didn't want to screw them up like her parent's had screwed her up. It killed her to think a child could look at her with the same disappointment that she looked at her father with.
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Regina sat behind her father's desk rubbing her temples. She ate some crackers from the vending machine and it eased the nauseous feeling in her stomach. Other than the dull ache in her head, her only worry was waiting for the results. She didn't know at this point if she should feel violated.
A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts, "Yeah?"
The door opened revealing one of the nurses, "Sorry to bother you doctor, but there is someone here to see you. She said it was important."
She raised an eyebrow, "Okay send her in."
The nurse stepped out of the way allowing the person to enter. Regina had closed the folder she had been looking over. Her mouth fell open when she looked up.
Standing with her arms wrapped tightly around her middle, was Kathryn. Her hair was messy and there were bags under her eyes.
"Kathryn, oh my God!" She said moving quickly to the other woman. "What happened?"
The blonde flinched when Regina reached out to touch her. Upon closer examination, the brunette could see a split in the other woman's lip and her stomach dropped. She hurried over and closed the door to allow them privacy.
Tears filled the other woman's eyes, "I was raped."
Regina closed her eyes. Her nausea was back with a vengeance, "Tell me what happened."
The brunette guided the blonde over to the chair and ushered her to sit. Regina quickly pulled the other chair up closer as she grabbed Kathryn's hands.
"I don't remember everything. I remember you telling me that you were going to the bathroom to talk to Henry. Some good looking guy came over and started talking to me. He bought me a drink and everything is fuzzy after that." The woman was shaking as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I remember waking up in some house and there were two other guys there. They were taking turns." A sob escaped her throat and Regina leaned forward pulling the woman into her arms as she continued. "I couldn't do anything. I couldn't fight them off."
"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now." She cooed as she found herself rocking the other woman as her own tears were falling.
Another knock came from the door. Regina gave the blonde a slight squeeze before she released her and wiping her own eyes. Opening the door Millie pushed passed her and closed the door behind her.
"Okay, Doc I have the report." She said not noticing the other woman.
Regina stepped to the side and Millie's eyes widened, "I'm sorry. I'll come back."
The brunette shook her head, "No, you can read it in front of her."
The pink haired woman nodded as she let her eyes linger for a moment on the blonde in the chair. "You had high traces of Rohypnol in your system. You were indeed roofied."
Kathryn's watery blue eyes shot up to the meet the brown ones, "You too?"
"Yes I was drugged, but I'm not sure if anything happened." She said letting her eyes move between the pink haired woman and her friend. "You need to do a rape kit as well as an STD screening."
Millie's eyes looked up at the doctor, "You should have one done as well. You said you woke up in a motel. Who knows what the jerk did to you."
Regina flexed her jaw, "My situation is a little different. I don't think…"
"Different? You were either raped or you weren't and there is only one way to be sure." Millie said raising her voice,
Kathryn had more tears falling, "This is all my fault. I should have never talked you into going out with me last night. I'm so sorry."
Regina stepped closer to her friend and squeezed her shoulder, "No, it's not your fault. It's the assholes that did this." She looked back at Millie, "We will worry more about me later. Right now I need Nurse Ratchet to drop what she is doing and meet us in room five for a rape kit."
"No Regina. I want you to do it. I don't want anyone else to know." The blonde said as she grabbed the brunette's hand.
Regina bent down so that she was eye level with the woman. "I will stay with you while it's done if you want, but I can't perform the kit. With our friendship and the current situation, it would be unethical if I do it. I trust Nurse Ratchet and you can too."
The blonde slowly nodded her head. The once vibrant and untamable woman was now quiet and docile. The image alone was breaking the brunette's heart. She did wish she could take the night back, but she would never blame her best friend for this.
Millie left the room as fast as she could. Once the door shut again, Regina put her arms around her friend, "Everything will be okay, I promise. I will get to the bottom of this and someone is going to pay."
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Emma and Henry walked into the club about an hour and a half later. She planned to keep her word to her father and brother, but she wasn't going to break her neck for them. Besides, she wanted that three scoops of vanilla ice cream cone she and Henry had.
She walked the boy up to the bar, "Why don't you take a seat kid and I'll see what the ass hats want."
The kid giggled as he climbed onto the tall bar stool. The short-haired blonde from last night was there with her flirtiest smile, "Hey you? If I would have known you were the boss, I would have welcomed you properly."
Emma's eye widened slightly, but she smiled, "Thanks." She glanced over at the boy who was looking at her curiously and then back to the bartender, "A simple hi will suffice. Can you get the kid a root beer?" She felt uneasy. Being sober was ruining her. She was the queen of charm, but now, she seemed broken. She found herself not interested in what the attractive blonde was offering.
"All right kid. Let me go see where these guys are. I'll see in a bit, okay?" She said before tousling his hair as she walked towards the back.
"Em, back here," her brother called out.
She walked up to the table where Killian, August, Anton, Robin and an attractive brunette sat.
August stood up putting an arm around his sister's shoulders as he addressed the table. "As most of you know, this is my little sister Emma. Em, I'm sure you know everyone here." He pointed towards the brunette, "This is Ruby, and she is head over the bartenders and waitresses."
Emma smiled and nodded her head, as the brunette did the same. She watched her brother as he continued, "Anton, as you know is the cooler. He is head of security and also helps bounce. Killian is the manager of the entire club. He handles most of the paperwork, payroll, and dissatisfied customers."
She nodded her head in understanding. He dropped his arm from her and sat back down in his chair. She followed suit and pulled out her own, "So, what do you need me for? I mean you already have capable people."
Robin sat up straighter and cleared his throat, "First of all, you are the face of the club. All meetings will need to have the owner present. Second, someone has to oversee the club's more delicate situations. We need to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Lastly, you have the final say so in all club matters." She could tell from his tone that it pained him to see her in such an empowering position.
Emma didn't miss the worried look that crossed Anton's face and she sighed, "I'm in this, okay. I sold my soul this morning." She said with a huff.
The giant seemed to relax as Robin slid another folder over. "Before we come to a close here and get out of your hair, there are a few more things we need to go over."
She opened the folder and could see what looked like invoices, "What's this?"
"Those are invoices of the vendors that we use here. Father wants you to sign a contract saying that you will keep these vendors at all costs." August said pulling a pen from the inside pocket of his coat and handing it to her.
"Why does he care what vendors get used? And If I can find a cheaper place to get stuff I would be stupid not to get it from there." She said raising her eyes to meet those of her brother's.
She seemed to notice the immediate tension that filled the area. She watched as her brother looked from her to Robin.
"These vendors have been supportive of your late brother's business. In turn, deserve our loyalty." Robin said with an arrogant smile.
Emma looked over at Anton, who lowered his eyes and then to Killian. The bearded man looked back at her, but there was apprehension in his eyes. Something was strange about this whole situation and she would find out what was going on. She would just have to wait until the other two left.
"Okay, I will look them over tonight and get back to you tomorrow." She said looking at her brother.
August cut his eyes to the lawyer again, but this time stood, "Very well. Mr. Locksley and I will get out of here and let your crew fill you in on the rest."
The blonde sat back in her chair and watched the other two men walk away. She wasn't sure what she had gotten herself into, but she knew it wasn't good.
"Bye Em!" Henry called out from across the bar. "Thanks for today."
She stood up and waved back, "Anytime kid."
Anton walked up beside her as she watched the boy follow her brother and Robin out of the club. The giant bent down and whispered, "So? How did this morning go?"
She looked back at him, "I'll tell you about it later?"
"If you will follow me into the office, I can start filling you in," Killian said as he motioned toward a staircase to her left. She hadn't noticed it last night.
She nodded and then patted Anton on the arm, "We'll talk, okay?"
Emma followed the crew up the stairs into a glass office. Two walls facing the club were glass. The two that did not, were brick.
Killian walked over to the large mahogany desk, "This is your office, mine's downstairs."
She looked around the room. On one wall there was a collage of picture frames which pulled her attention. She walked over as Killian continued, "We don't have to go over everything today. There's a lot to learn, and it's probably best to ease you into it."
A lump formed in her throat as she let her eye move around from frame to frame. They were photos of Will and her. Some were from when she was little. By her age and the smile on her face, she could tell it was back when their mother was alive. There was one of her in her cap and gown at her high school graduation. Will had taken a photo with her before graduation had started. He hadn't been allowed to attend because their father and he had been fighting about something. She fought back tears as she came to the last frame. It was a newspaper cutout of her college graduation. She hadn't told anyone about going to college. She had gotten a full scholarship and didn't need her father's money.
"Will was very proud of you." Killian's voice said from behind her.
She swallowed and wiped her eye as a single started to roll down her face.
"Well, I'm sure I quickly squashed that for him." She laughed out.
Killian gave a sad smile, "You meant more to your brother than anyone. He was worried when he learned about New York, but he never stopped believing in you or being proud of you."
She blew out a breath in order to push the rest of her tears down, "Let's get back to business, shall we?" She wasn't in the mood to deal with these emotions right now. She was surrounded by entirely too much alcohol.
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Regina was livid. She had just learned that her friend had a large amount of vaginal tearing due to being gang-raped last night. She had never seen her friend look like that before and it was tearing her up. The kit had been summited to Millie who was making it her first priority.
This was the kind of stuff you heard about happening to naive college girls, or so she thought. It was at least the kind of things that happened to other people, not her or her friend. She would have never imagined this could happen to them.
She climbed out of her car and hurried up the street towards the club. She had to find Emma Nolan and find out what the hell happened last night. How could the club allow this to happen to their guests? She had many questions, but right now her anger was getting the better of her.
A horn blew as she darted across the street towards the club, "Watch where you're going, lady!" A man yelled out, but she was too far in her thoughts to interact with him.
She wasn't sure if the door would be unlocked yet since there were still at least three hours until they opened. She grabbed the handle and to her surprise, it opened. Regina went in, passing the bar and ignoring the tall brunette.
"Can I help you with something? We're not open yet."
Regina glanced around. She wasn't seeing the person she was looking for, "Where is she?" She asked sharply.
"Where is who?" The brunette asked as she rounded the edge of the bar.
"Emma Nolan?" She asked, but then her eyes flicked upstairs and she could see the blonde through the window. "Never mind, I found her."
Regina stormed towards the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye and saw a very large man coming from the restrooms, but she didn't care. She jogged up the stairs and swung open the office door. Without thinking, she stormed up to the dumbfounded blonde and slapped her hard across the face.
The giant had made it up the stairs, slightly out of breath, "I'm sorry Emma, she came through before I could get to her.
The blonde put her hand up towards him, "It's all right Anton." She took a deep breath and then looked at the bearded man, "Can you guys give us a minute?"
The brunette stepped back slightly. She couldn't believe she had just slapped Emma Nolan. She must have lost her mind, but she wasn't sorry.
The door closed and the blonde walked over to the desk rubbing her cheek, "Please sit down. Can I get you something to drink?"
"I didn't come here for a social call Miss. Nolan. I want you to tell me what the hell happened last night?" She hissed.
Green eyes were now on her, "Oh, now you want to listen to me?"
Regina rolled her eyes, "Just tell me. This isn't a joke. My best friend was gang-raped last night and I want to know why you haven't done anything."
The blonde's eyes widened, "What!?"
She watched the younger woman closely. She looked genuinely shocked, "I didn't know you were here with someone last night." She ran a hand through her golden locks as she began to pace back and forth, "What's the last thing you remember."
Regina thought back, "When I left the bathroom after talking to you, I went back to the bar to find Kathryn. Some guy was at our table and told me that she was dancing with his friend. He bought me a drink and I remember laughing at something he had said, but then nothing."
The blonde walked over to the window and looked down into the club. Making the 'come here motion' with her index finger to someone down below."
"I saw you talking to the guy when I came out. Then I saw him lead you to the back door and you looked completely smashed. I knew something was wrong because there was not enough time to go by for you to drink that much." Emma was explaining as the office door opened revealing the large man from a few minutes ago. "This is Anton, the cooler here. He went with me when I followed you. You must have fallen and the guy was trying to get you up, so I stopped him."
"Yeah, he probably won't be able to piss the same, but she stopped him," Anton said shrugging his shoulders as if this sort of thing happens all the time.
"Okay, where is he?" The brunette asked.
Emma looked up at the giant questionably, "He had a lesson in respect, but then he was dropped off somewhere off I10."
Regina couldn't believe what she was hearing, "You let him go? Why in the hell didn't you call the police?"
This time she noticed the big man look at the blonde for an answer. "I was afraid that if Robin caught wind of it, he would give you a hard time."
The brunette shook her head, "What? What do I care about what Robin thinks?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, "So you thought taking me to a cheap motel was a better idea?"
The blonde swallowed, "No, it wasn't like that. I didn't want my father to find out. If the police were called on my first night at the club"
"So you did this to protect your own ass from daddy dearest?" Regina interrupted.
The blonde rubbed an annoyed hand down her face, "No. I took you to the cheap motel so my father wouldn't find out. Not only would Robin know about what happened, I didn't want my dad to think that I had broken our deal. You had vomited on your dress, so I took it off you and put you to bed. I washed the dress and hung it up to dry. We didn't do anything."
"Then why didn't you have clothes on?" Regina snapped.
Anton raised an eyebrow towards the blonde. She sighed, "I didn't lay a finger on you, I swear. I can't sleep well in clothing and just for the record I had my underwear on." The last part she seemed to be saying to the giant.
Silence fell over the office. Regina's phone went off in her pocket causing to jump, "Hello?" She said as she fumbled it to her ear.
"Kathryn tested positive for Rohypnol as well, but I have some bad news," Minnie said.
Regina closed her eyes. "There was no DNA was there?"
"No." The woman said sounding as defeated as Regina felt.
Regina didn't respond, she just clicked the end call button and dropped the phone back into her purse. She was on the verge of tears again as she looked into the green eyes of the blonde, "We have nothing. The bastards must have worn protection."
The blonde looked down at the floor and then back up the doctor, "I'm so sorry."
"I don't want to hear that you're sorry. Those assholes will get away with it now and it is your fault." She snapped.
The blonde looked confused, "My fault? I was trying to help."
"Yeah well don't. Everything you Nolan's touch turns to shit." Regina couldn't stop the tears that were now running down her face. She turned and walked out of the office and down the stairs.
When she reached the bottom she heard the blonde's voice call out from behind, "I'm going to fix this, you have my word."
Regina didn't turn around. She snorted in disbelief, who did this woman think she was? She just told her that her friend had been brutally raped after being drugged in her club. She concealed the fact that she knew about the drugging just to protect herself from her father. That was just what Houston needed. Another Nolan running things.
