Chaos

~ Joan ~

Rhoda let out a choked laugh once we’d reached a safe distance, far enough to be sure those men weren’t on our heels anymore.

Throwing her head back, she laughed again, the sound disappearing into the night air. It was 10 p.m., and the sparse crowd around us stared like we’d lost our minds.

“Glad you find this funny,” I said dryly, though a faint smile tugged at my lips as I dangled my heels in the air.

I’d slipped them off earlier when we’d outrun the men. How we managed to sprint so fast remained a mystery.

At least I was lucky. My purse was still intact, though I was certain my fists and legs would be sore by morning.

“Jo—oh, goodness,” Rhoda stammered, wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks. I just stared at her.

Rhoda wasn’t one to stand up for herself. She’d have been forced to tonight if I hadn’t been there.

A shudder ran through me at the thought of Rhoda being dragged into something so vile. Worse still, Aaron would likely kill me if he found out anything had happened to her.

He was obsessively protective, and understandably so—Rhoda was the only close family he had left aside from distant relatives. I couldn’t bear the thought of her getting hurt.

“I’m so…” she trailed off, her adrenaline clearly ebbing. She stared at me with glassy eyes as we continued walking. The house was still a few miles away.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her gaze shifting from my face to the purse I clutched.

“Your fists…” she murmured. I just shook my head. I’d been through worse. Growing up in an orphanage full of boys had hardened me. Fights were a daily occurrence—until most of them got adopted, anyway.

“Just tell me you’re okay. That guy…” I inhaled deeply, trying to keep my voice steady. “Did he hurt you?”

She shrugged. “I think my wrist will be red tomorrow,” she said.

I clenched my jaw. That bastard. We were lucky to escape when we did.

“It’ll heal quickly,” I muttered. “I just don’t want your brother breathing down my neck.” I rolled my eyes, trying to lighten the mood. It worked—she chuckled.

We walked in silence for a while, each lost in thought. My relationship with Rhoda had always been unpredictable, but moments like this didn’t change things between us.

Like that time we got arrested… What started as a fun night ended horribly, thanks to Aaron leaving me in jail. That only fueled my abandonment issues.

Finally, the house came into view, and we both sighed in relief. Our legs were sore from all the running and walking.

“Tomorrow, same time?” Rhoda teased. I shot her a glare, which only made her laugh harder. Honestly, I wouldn’t have set foot in that club if I’d known the kind of trouble it attracted.

She unlocked the door, and we stepped inside. The cold marble floor pressed against my aching feet.

I dropped onto the couch while Rhoda went to the kitchen. When she returned with two glasses of water, I noticed the angry red welts slashing across my knuckles. By morning, they’d be purple.

“Here,” she said softly, handing me a glass.

I took a long sip, savoring the cool relief.

“Jo, I really am grateful for what you did back there,” she said after a moment.

I grimaced. A thank-you from Rhoda always felt strange.

“It’s fine,” I mumbled. “I did what I had to.”

She stretched her arms with a yawn. “Gosh, I’m so sleepy,” she muttered, setting her glass on the table.

“C’mon, let’s go to bed,” I said, rising to my feet. “We’ve had more than enough excitement for one day.”

She laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.

Tomorrow, we’d come up with something else. Chaos always had a way of finding us.