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Warning: This chapter contains a semi-explicit scene of sexual assault. Continue to the next chapter after the story returns to focus on Alice if you do not wish to read this section. Consider yourself informed.
Excitement tingled through Alice as she felt the heavy bass vibrate through the floorboards. No matter what kind of terrible mood she was in, a night out dancing always lifted her spirits. Laughter bubbled through her when she glanced sideways at her best friend. The look of pure terror on Bella's face amused her more than it should. "It'll be okay, Bell. Edward will take care of you," Alice said cheerily, wrapping her arm around Bella's shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze. They both stood in Edward's office which overlooked the lower floors of the club.
Bella stretched her mouth into an odd looking smile and nodded, her fingertips white where they pressed against the glass in her hand.
Alice shook her head and turned her gaze back to the fabulous party below. She had to hand it to her brother, the place was impeccable. Swaths of deep plum fabric radiated out from the disco ball in the center of the ceiling in big loops to the edges of the room and drifted down from there to the floor as the color faded to black. It reminded her of The Arabian Nights, but with a disco ball and dance music.
The club itself was shaped like a hexagon with the entrance and the bar at opposite sides of the room. There were three floors, the first being the main dance floor with the largest bar and lots of high-top tables lining the four intermediate walls. The second floor appeared much smaller because most of it was hidden behind partitions, leaving only small balconies that acted as the VIP sections and the music stage. Behind the partitions were the holding areas where the belligerent drunks were taken to sober up in lockdown until closing time. The offices made up the third floor and Edward's was special because his had a small apartment, really only a bedroom and a bathroom, attached for use by family and close friends in the event of too much fun. All of his clubs had one. He had made it a requirement since Alice and Emmett had spent more than one night wandering the streets absolutely hammered after a party. Alice shook her head. Ah, college. She flashed another look at Bella.
"You're going to break that," she said, deftly removing the glass from Bella's grip and setting it on the desk.
Bella suddenly turned and gripped Alice's arms with surprising force, her lovely chocolate eyes wide in distress. "Pretend to be sick! I want to go home!"
"Bella," Alice said gently, dislodging Bella's death grip and taking hold of her shoulder. "There is no way in hell that I am missing this party, even for you. That said, you will be fine. Once we get on the floor, Edward will be permanently attached to your side and I know he's not going to let anything happen. Relax." She went up on tiptoe and kissed Bella's forehead. "Now let's go."
They turned to head down to the party, but Bella grabbed her glass and sucked the contents down her throat in a desperate play for courage. She coughed and wiped her mouth. "Okay," she sighed. "I'm ready."
Alice's laughter was muffled by the pounding beat of the music that swelled through the building and through the office as they opened the door. Already, the strange cold feelings of the day were melting into nothing as Alice drew closer and closer to scene that had always brought her comfort.
Edward met them at the second floor landing, an appreciative glow in his eyes as he looked them over. His grin widened as the familiar flush spread across Bella's face, lending a ravishing pink tint to her creamy skin. He pulled her close against his side, leaning down to whisper naughty things in her ear.
Alice gagged and let go of her friend, ignoring Edward's chuckle. As much as she would love to stick around and watch Edward attempt to set Bella on fire with the heat of her blush, she had better things to do. She smoothed her hands down her dress, loving the feel of the silk against her skin. With a wink at the couple, she slipped out into the crowd.
There was always a good sense of the party from behind the scenes, but nothing compared to the first taste. Vibrations shivered through Alice, making her skin tingle. She hopped down the stairs to the ground floor, sparing a quick smile for Terry, the VIP bouncer, on her way by.
The bar was packed with all kinds of people trying to muscle their way to the front of the line to get the next drink. Lucy, Edward's close friend and premier bartender, caught Alice's eye through the crowd and nodded toward the end of the bar that was roped off.
Alice wiggled her way through the throng, wary of stray elbows and aggressive girlfriends as she ducked around people. She blessed Lucy's tough little heart as she ducked under the ropes and snagged the drink sitting just beyond the reach of the greedy club-goers. That woman was a master of mixology, Alice thought as she took a sip of the tart beverage. Perfect, as always.
She moved back into the crowd, determined to mingle, hoping that at least one of the cute guys wandering around could dance. The night would not be complete if she didn't stumble to the limo dripping with sweat and ready to pass out. It would be even better if she found someone with whom she could leave and still end the night dripping with sweat and ready to pass out. Bonus points if he had blonde hair and intense green eyes.
Hours passed and alcohol flowed, loosening her body and her inhibitions. She flitted around the club, chatting it up with anyone brave enough to introduce themselves. A few asked her to dance and she threw herself into it, drowning out everything but the music and the heat and the friction of another person pressed close. Sometimes she would join Edward and Bella on the second level where they watched the festivities, Edward with the edge of a business man and Bella with frown of discomfort.
Once she even managed to drag her friend down to the floor for three songs and got her to smile while they were there. Edward soon cut in, taking advantage of the opportunity, and Alice let them be. She knew exactly where they were headed next and she was on a mission to find her own kind of distraction.
As she made her way back to the bar for another of Lucy's brilliant concoctions, a man she had noticed several times caught her hand as she moved past the table at which he sat. His dark hair was cut close to his scalp and his eyes held the promise of something more as he drew her closer. "Hi," he said close to her ear so that she could hear him.
"Hi, yourself," she said back with a smile. He wasn't exactly what she had hoped for, but he was definitely not unattractive. She liked his confidence.
"I'm Jason," he told her, his mouth stretching in a smile meant to entice. "Would you care for a drink?"
She giggled because the smile was a little cheesy, but nodded anyway.
He pulled her along without a backward glance at his friends.
Lucy was not behind the bar, presumably on her break, so Alice decided to pretend to be a normal girl and wait in line for her turn. There were definitely advantages to knowing the staff. Lucy was the only one of the bartenders that she saw on a regular basis, so it was understandable that the others didn't know her on sight.
"Shot or regular drink?" Jason asked, leaning close.
She inhaled the scent of his subtle and expensive cologne and smiled. "How about a shot?"
His answering grin sent little butterflies fluttering around her midsection. She studied him as he leaned over the bar to order the drinks cataloging his good features: well-muscled (cut, but not huge; nice and lean), reasonable height, very easy on the eyes, great smile, smooth voice, good taste in clothes and cologne, and he was buying her a drink. If he could dance, she decided that she had found her distraction.
Her attention snapped back up to his face as he turned back around to pull her to the edge of the bar. He pushed one glass into her hand and took the other for himself.
"Ready?" he said.
"As I'll ever be," she replied. They touched glasses and poured the contents down their throats. Alice made a face. Shots had never been her thing, but the burn wasn't unpleasant as it heated her throat and stomach.
Jason watched her shifting expressions with a look of amusement. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Alice said. "I'm not much for shots. It just takes getting used to." She sidled up close, winding her arms around his waist. "Dance with me?" she asked, smiling sweetly, putting in some effort to charm him. The drinks definitely helped her feel more like her old self.
He placed one hand on her hips and the other under her chin, tilting her head back for easy access as he kissed her once. "I'd love to," he told her.
She led him out on the dance floor, happy that her state of intoxication had never impaired her ability to walk in heels. Bella had always hated that Alice never seemed to have any trouble walking no matter how drunk she got. Alice laughed as one of her favorite songs blasted through the speakers. This night was going to end well.
It was nearly two a.m. by the time Jasper was able to make it to the opening of his latest investment. He'd had a meeting with some overseas clients and the timing was a bitch. But here he was, ready to see if his money had been put to good use.
The length of the line, which reached down the block even at one thirty in the morning, surprised and pleased him. His new partner obviously knew what he was doing. He glanced up at the neon sign above the door, the name making him smile. Luster. It was okay.
The bouncer immediately opened the door as he approached and Jasper was assailed by deafening music, flickering lights and incredible heat. He stood still for a few moments, absorbing the scene before him, his admiration for Edward Cullen growing exponentially as he noted the precise planning evident in every detail of the place.
From the corner of his eye he saw the man standing at the bottom of the stairs wave him over.
"Mr. Cullen's upstairs in the office," the man said when Jasper went over. "Head up this way and take a left at the end of this section of the balcony."
Jasper nodded and made his way up the stairs, still watching the pulsing crowd with admiration. He wove through the tables and ducked through the carefully concealed opening just where the man had said. A woman stood there with a shy smile on her face and a welcoming look in her eyes.
"Jasper Whitlock, right?" she said, her soft voice difficult to hear over the noise. "I'm Bella. Edward was just on the phone, so he asked me to come get you." She shook his hand and turned to lead the way.
She took him around the back of the partitions to another set of stairs and started up them. Halfway up, she caught her foot on the lip of a stair and pitched forward.
He lunged forward and pulled her back, keeping his hold on her until she was completely steady. Her skin instantly flushed and she mumbled a quick thanks as she hurried up the rest of the steps. Seeing Bella blush brought to mind the woman from earlier and a small knot of longing tightened in his chest. He wished he had asked for her name. Hell, he wished he had asked for a lot more than just her name. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, Jasper followed Bella into the office.
Edward stood by a window, his face pulled into a mask of concern as he stared down at the club below. He looked up as Bella entered and the expression smoothed away, though Jasper noticed that the concern was still there beneath the surface. He pressed a quick kiss to Bella's forehead as she moved to his side and held out a hand for Jasper to shake.
Though they had only met a few times, Jasper truly enjoyed being around Edward. It was very evident that there was little that the man didn't notice and he was always mindful of the needs of the people around him. That kind of vibe was hard to fake.
"Jasper, glad you could make it," Edward greeted him with a smile. "I see you've met Bella, my girlfriend." His smile shifted into something else entirely when he looked at her and Jasper wondered that such a love that radiated between them existed. "So, what do you think?"
Jasper joined the couple near the windows and nodded. "I think I made a good choice." He watched the churning mass of people move in time with the music, drinking and dancing to forget their normal lives. This would indeed be a lucrative business.
Edward's smile faded a little as he peered into the crowd. He picked up a walkie talkie from the table behind him and depressed the talk button. "Hey, Allan. Will you keep an eye on the blonde in the lace-up cat suit? Things look like they could get ugly with the guy she's hanging on. Separate them if we have to hold them. Can you see Alice?" The last was spoken to Bella.
She leaned forward to look out and shook her head. "Nope, she's probably in the middle with that one guy. He looked promising."
Edward's little frown of concern came back. "Alice is my sister," he explained with a glance to Jasper. "She's quite the social animal."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Relax. She'll be fine." She forced Edward to look at her. "She needs to let go tonight and blow off some steam. Don't go all protective on her. It's annoying," she said with a meaningful glance.
Jasper just gazed through the glass. He could stand to blow off a little steam himself. "I'm going to head down and see just how good a job you've done for myself," he said.
Edward clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. "You do that. If you happen to see Alice, could you have her check in with Allan or Terry? She's about five feet, um – five four with her heels, short dark hair, short dark grey-"
"Pewter," Bella interjected.
"Short pewter dress," Edward amended with a little glare at his girlfriend.
Jasper smiled. "Will do. I'll see you later." He waved as he left the office. The noise assailed him as soon as he left the office. The club scene was one familiar to him, but not entirely comfortable for him. With a little head shake, he dispelled the memories of the past that threatened to ruin this experience.
He emerged from behind the partition, his eyes scanning the crowd, curious about the one called Alice.
Damn, the man could dance. Alice closed her eyes and leaned back against his body for support, her body still moving with the beat. Only a few songs in and she already needed a break. She pushed herself upright and took hold of his wrist as she started the fight to get back to the edge of the crowd. She quickly realized that she had underestimated her level of intoxication as a wave of dizziness that blackened the edges of her vision swept over her as she broke through the edges and she stumbled forward, nearly losing her balance.
Jason hauled her upright just in time and wrapped his arms around her waist to support her. "Why don't we move away from all the people?"
Alice barely heard him over the music, but she nodded anyway.
He guided her toward the edge of the room with a firm grip on her shoulder, ignoring the hitches in her steps as she caught her toes on anything and everything in her path.
Alice fuzzily wondered if this was how Bella felt all the time. She tried to halt their progress when a free table came within reach, but he wasn't paying attention and continued past it. A sudden feeling of foreboding solidified in her chest and she started to struggle against his grip. Another wave of dizziness crashed over her, rendering her almost helpless.
Jason finally stopped when they reached the perimeter and in a quick motion that sent her head reeling again, he spun her around and pressed her back against the fabric draped wall. Ignoring her whimper of protest, he forced her head up with his hand and crushed his mouth against hers.
Alice wanted to scream, but the breath just wasn't in her lungs. The vertigo stole her strength and slowed her cognition, that coupled with her small stature made her the perfect victim. She flinched away from his rough kiss, reacting to the pain as her thoughts remained just out of reach. No was the only word that made sense in her head. Her mouth opened in an attempt to force the word out, but he was already there, his tongue filling her mouth, cutting off her voice.
His hands slid all over her body, pinching and squeezing wherever they went. He seemed to delight in her feeble resistance, taking pleasure in eliciting small gasps of pain when he closed his hands on her flesh in a crushing grip.
She tried to force her hands between them to push him away, but it was like pushing against concrete. He only pressed closer.
A low chuckle rumbled through him at her soft cry when he sank his teeth into her lower lip, breaking the skin and causing a gush of blood to fill her mouth and spill down her chin.
She leaned her head back against the wall as he left her mouth, all hope fading that someone would notice before it was too late. The club was dark, the music was loud and there was no doubt that there were many other couples hidden in the corners as willing participants in their activities. Her face contracted in an involuntary wince as his hands moved under the short hem of her dress to anchor themselves on her hips. She didn't bother to hide the tears dribbling down her cheeks. There were going to be some serious marks.
An odd numbness began to spread through her body, slowly drifting up from her feet, taking away the pain, removing her from the present. She closed her eyes, welcoming the oblivion, thankful that she could barely feel his vice-like grip on her breast and his other roaming hand. The numbness reached her shoulders. Somehow she heard the sharp rasp of his zipper. She felt his fingers hook in the lace of her panties, the muscles in his forearm bunching in preparation to tear them from her body. There was nothing else she could do.
Suddenly, she pitched forward as the oppressive force of the man's body vanished from around her. The sharp pain as her knees hit the concrete cleared her head a little and she opened her eyes.
The scene playing out before her only confused her muddled thoughts more. She could see Terry and Allan, two of her favorite bouncers, wrestling a man, Jason, she remembered, to the ground. Another man, tall with blonde hair, who looked familiar seemed to force himself to turn away and look at her. She squinted at him, trying to remember where she might have seen him.
He crouched down in front of her, a fearsome scowl on his face. He inched closer, his hand extended, palm up. His lips were moving, but she couldn't hear anything. She tried to move closer to him as a wonderful feeling of safety at his proximity spread through her, but her limbs wouldn't obey her commands. It was so hard to think.
Finally, she was able to extend her hand and place it in one of his.
He moved slowly and carefully, mindful of her instability, as he drew her to her feet. His beautiful eyes never left hers, watching carefully for any change.
Suddenly, she knew where she had seen him. There was no mistaking that intense gaze. "Jasper," she whispered and collapsed.