Chapter 123 A best friend duty

Chapter 123 A best friend duty
Chapter 123

RAVENNA

"I think we should go home now," Samantha slurred, leaning heavily against the wall.

I nodded, the room spinning slightly around me. "Yeah. I am spent. Let us get our things and leave."

We had drunk far too much. My head felt fuzzy and my legs were not quite working the way they should. But we had needed this. Needed to let loose and forget about everything for a while.

I looked around for my bag. "Where did I put it?"

"You had it earlier," Samantha mumbled. "By the snooker table maybe?"

I turned to look for Caleb, thinking maybe he had picked it up for me, but he was nowhere to be seen. The crowd had thinned out somewhat, but there were still enough people that finding anyone specific was difficult.

"I will be right back," I told Samantha. "Stay here."

I started searching, weaving through groups of people and staggering slightly. My vision was blurry, making everything harder.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I bumped into a couple dancing. "My apologies."

I knocked into a table, sending empty cups clattering. "Shit. Sorry about that."

Where was my bloody bag?

I searched the area near the snooker table. Not there. I checked by the bar. Not there either.

Finally, after what felt like ages, I spotted it tucked under a chair near the drinks table. I grabbed it and headed back to where I had left Samantha.

But she was not there.

"Sam?" I called out, looking around. "Samantha?"

No response.

Panic started building in my chest. Where had she gone?

I pushed through the remaining party-goers, searching every corner of the room. My eyesight was still blurry from the alcohol, making it even harder to spot her blonde hair in the crowd.

"Samantha!" I called louder. "Where are you?"

Nothing.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement near the staircase leading down to the lower level of the club. Something about it seemed wrong. Urgent.

I turned my head to get a better look and saw two large men dragging someone down the stairs. A woman. She was struggling but not making much noise.

"Hey!" I shouted, stumbling towards them. "What are you doing with her?"

The men stopped halfway down the stairs and looked up at me.

"Mind your own business," one of them growled. "This does not concern you."

"Let her go!"

"Walk away, girl. Before you get hurt."

I ignored the warning and hurried down the stairs as fast as my unsteady legs would carry me. As I got closer, I saw the woman more clearly.

She has blonde hair, of slight build and struggling weakly against the men's grip.

My blood ran cold.

"Samantha?"

I gasped as I realized it was her. My best friend being dragged away by these men.

"Let her go!" I screamed. "Let her go right now!"

The men did not respond. They just hurried faster down the stairs, practically carrying Samantha between them. I followed as quickly as I could, but by the time I reached the bottom, they had disappeared.

"Where did they go?" I spun around, looking in every direction.

The lower level was darker than upstairs. There were several doors leading off from the main corridor, all of them closed.

Before I could decide which way to go, hands grabbed me from behind. One clamped over my mouth, cutting off my scream. The other wrapped around my waist and dragged me backwards. I was pulled into a room on my left that I had not even noticed in the darkness.

The hands released me and I stumbled forward, nearly falling. I caught myself and spun around. Two men stood blocking the door. The same two who had been dragging Samantha.

And there, on the floor in the corner, was Samantha herself. She was conscious but barely. Blood ran down the side of her face from a cut on her head.

"Sam!" I rushed over to her and dropped to my knees. "What did they do to you?"

"Raven," she whispered. "Run. Get out of here."

"I am not leaving you."

I looked around frantically for something to use as a bandage. My hands were shaking as I tore a strip of fabric from the bottom of my dress. I pressed it against the wound on Samantha's head and tied it as tightly as I could to stop the bleeding.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" one of the men demanded.

I stood up and positioned myself between Samantha and the men. "Stay back. Do not come any closer."

The men looked at each other and laughed.

"Or what?" the first one sneered. "What are you going to do about it?"

My hand went to my pocket. My fingers closed around the small knife I always carried. Mother had given it to me years ago and told me to never go anywhere without it.

I pulled it out and held it in front of me with both hands. The blade was small but sharp.

"Stay back or I will cut you," I warned.

The men stared at me like I had lost my mind.

"Are you serious?" the second man asked. "You are going to threaten us with that tiny thing?"

"Drop the knife," the first man ordered, taking a step forward. "Drop it and we will be easy on you both."

"No."

"Drop it!"

"No!"

I screamed as loud as I could, hoping someone upstairs would hear. The men's expressions changed from amused to angry.

"Shut her up," the first man snapped.

They both rushed at me at once.

I slashed wildly with the knife. The blade caught the first man's arm, cutting deep. Blood welled up immediately.

"You bitch!" he cursed, grabbing his arm.

But he did not stop. He grabbed my hair with his other hand and yanked hard, throwing me against the wall. Pain exploded through my back and head as I hit the concrete. I grunted and slid down to the floor.

Everything hurt. Everything was spinning.

I forced myself to stand up, using the wall for support. I still had the knife.

But before I could do anything, they were on me again. The second man kicked me hard in the abdomen. All the air left my lungs. I doubled over, gasping.

He raised his foot to kick me again.

I grabbed his ankle and sank my teeth into his calf as hard as I could. I bit down until I tasted blood. Until I felt his flesh tear.

The man howled and jumped back, clutching his leg. "She bit me! The crazy bitch bit me!"

I spat blood onto the floor and grinned up at him through the pain. "Delicious."

"I am going to kill you," he snarled, raising his fist.

The slap came so fast I did not see it coming. His hand connected with my face with enough force to snap my head to the side. Blood filled my mouth. I spat it out onto the floor.

Behind me, Samantha was crying. "Raven, please. Just leave me. Save yourself."

"No," I managed to say through my swelling lip. "I will not let them molest us and get away with it."

Both men stood up now, advancing on me together.

I reached into my other pocket and pulled out the second item. The gun I had taken from the second man when he was hitting me.

I pointed it at them with both hands, trying to keep it steady despite my shaking. "Stay where you are. Do not move or I will shoot."

The first man's eyes went wide when he realized what I was holding. He patted his jacket frantically. "That is my gun. How did you—"

"I said stay where you are!"

"Give it back," he demanded. "You do not even know how to use it."

"Want to bet?"

I aimed for his leg and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot was deafening in the small room. The man screamed and fell to the floor, clutching his leg where the bullet had entered.

The second man held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Just calm down. Do not shoot."

I kept the gun trained on him with one hand and reached down to help Samantha up with the other. She was barely conscious, her weight heavy against me.

"Lie down on the floor," I ordered the second man. "Face down. Hands above your head."

He hesitated.

"Now!"

He got down on the floor slowly, putting his hands above his head.

We started moving towards the door. I supported Samantha as best I could while keeping the gun pointed at the second man.

Just as we reached the door, I saw him reach for something. My knife tossed a few feet from him.

I pulled the trigger again. The bullet hit his hand and he screamed, dropping the weapon. I grabbed the knife, pulled the door open and we stumbled out into the corridor. I locked it from the outside, trapping them both inside.

"Come on, Sam," I urged, half-dragging her towards the stairs. "We need to get back upstairs."

Samantha was crying, her face pale. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me."

"Do not thank me yet. We are not safe until we get out of here."

We started up the stairs, but it was so slow. Samantha could barely walk and I was not much better. My vision was getting darker around the edges. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was setting in.

Unconsciousness was creeping in. I could feel it pulling at me.

"Stay awake, Sam," I told her, though I was really telling myself. "Almost there. Just a few more steps."

The lights at the top of the stairs were so bright and blinding. I could not see properly.

My phone. Where was my phone? I needed to call for help.

But my bag was gone. I had probably dropped it somewhere while searching for Samantha or the men had confiscated after they dragged me into the room.

Samantha passed out completely, her full weight collapsing against me.

"Sam!" I tried to hold her up, but I was too weak, hurt and exhausted.

I dragged her body as far as I could into the main room, but my legs gave out. I fell to my knees, taking Samantha down with me.

I tried to get back up to call for help but the darkness was too strong. Just before I passed out completely, I heard voices.

"Are they okay?"

Then the darkness claimed me entirely, and I knew nothing more.