Page 19 of Better Watch Out
The man’s shoulders heaved with an exaggerated sigh before he pointed to another sign behind him. “For customers only.”
A book was definitely not in her budget but there was a table filled with used children’s Christmas books and Frannie found one under ten dollars that would make a cute gift for Jisoo. Satisfied, the clerk pointed to a hallway near the back of the store.
With her new purchase in hand, Frannie walked through the narrow aisles to the dimly lit hallway. The first door she passed was an office, the second, a closet. She saw the sign for the unisex bathroom and had just reached for the knob when she was shoved forward.
“Hey.” She started to turn but another shove pushed her against the exposed brick wall before a gloved hand clamped tightly around her face.
“Keep quiet and I won’t make this painful.” A low voice spoke against the back of her neck, causing her skin to tighten in fear. “Move.”
“What?” Her voice was muffled by his hand but her confusion kept her cemented to the ground. Was she being mugged? Inside of a bookstore? “You can have my wallet,” she tried again but her attempt to negotiate was silenced by another rough shove toward the emergency exit door.
There was a sign that warned an alarm would sound if the door was opened and, fighting the panic, Frannie prayed the clerk had read enough action hero books to know how to come to her rescue.
Her hopes died when the guy behind her used her body to open the door with another shove and no alarm sounded. They were in the back of an alley and not even twenty feet away to her left was the city street where people and traffic were unaware she was about to be mugged, or assaulted.Or killed.
Fight, Frannie.How many times had Ryan warned her that in this exact scenario she needed to fight back? Make noise. Get attention.
Swinging her elbow back, she hit the guy and heard him grunt but his grip on her arm and face tightened until she squealed from the pain. She tried again, twisting until the man’s hand slipped from her mouth.
Screaming for help, Frannie twisted as hard as she could, breaking free of the man’s hold but losing her balance in the process. She fell backward, landing hard on the ground.
“Help!”
The man growled as he towered over her with a look in his eyes that terrified her.
“Hey!”
On her right, Frannie saw Andrew running toward her. She turned on her hands and knees, anxious to get to him.
“Are you okay?” Andrew’s strong hands lifted Frannie off the ground before he tucked her against his chest. “Who was that?”
“No idea.” Frannie dared to look over her shoulder. The man was gone. “He came out of nowhere in the bookstore and pushed me out the door.”
Andrew turned her so that she was no longer up against his chest as he looked her over. “Are you hurt?”
Frannie removed her gloves, checking the skin on her hands. They were red and sore but fine. Her backside hurt from hitting the ground but that wasn’t an area she wanted to discuss with Andrew. “I’m fine, I think.”
“I think we should get you back to your hotel.”
Frannie started to nod and then stopped. “Shouldn’t we go to the police?”
Something close to pity crossed Andrew’s face. “We can call them from the hotel and they’ll send someone to take a report if you want.”
His tone and the crime stats Ryan had sent her made her think the NYPD was unlikely to put much effort into investigating whatever just happened. Nothing was stolen so it wasn’t a mugging. She was barely hurt so it wasn’t assault.
“I guess I can cross that off my bucket list.” Frannie’s voice wavered in her attempt for humor and when she glanced into Andrew’s hard gaze, she shivered. “Sorry. I’ve never been almost mugged before.”
“You’re sure you’ve never seen that guy before?”
Frannie found his expression unsettling. “No, why?”
A darkness shadowed his eyes as he looked over her shoulder. “Let’s get you back to your hotel.”
ChapterEight
“Ithink you need to reconsider leaving New York.” Andrew thanked the doorman holding the door for him and Frannie as they walked into her hotel. “You might be able to catch a flight out tonight.”
“Why?” Frannie turned a sharp gaze on him, the look making her blue eyes shine with a spark that further justified his opinion that she had a stubborn streak that burned bright. A fact Ryan hadn’t mentioned—or maybe conveniently left out—when he asked his favor.
