“Slick,” Dad said.
Slick pul ed out a knife.
“No more talkin’.”
Then everything happened so fast, I didn’t have time to think.
Dad pushed me back, yel ing, “Run!”
I would have run (maybe) but instead, I teetered on my slut shoes (this time, a pair of forties-style black sandals with peek-a-boo toes and a thin ankle strap) and fel down, hard, on my behind.
Dad charged forward and I saw the flash of a knife.
I didn’t think. I got to my feet, screaming at the top of my lungs and ran forward too. Dad had jerked Slick around, grappling with the knife and Slick’s back was to me. I jumped on it, wrapping my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist, and squeezed as hard as I could.
Slick disengaged from Dad, ran backwards and slammed me into a wal and my head flew back and cracked against the plaster.
“Don’t hurt my girl,” Dad shouted and lunged forward again.
“Go, Dad. Get out of here!” I yel ed.
Al of a sudden, there was a bunch of people. I was holding onto Slick in a death grip and he was jerking this way and that, trying to dislodge me. There were men shouting, women screaming, hands on me trying to pul me away.
Then Slick whirled and began to slash out randomly with the knife and everyone jumped back, including, I vaguely noticed, Vance, the hot guy who worked for Lee.
Then Tanya rushed forward and started beating Slick with her tray, using it when she needed as a shield. Vance grabbed her by the waist, picking her up bodily, her legs pedaling, stil hitting out at thin air with the tray, and he pul ed her down the hal .
Slick turned, ran to the fire exit, twisted his body so his weight and momentum both had me slamming against the door. The cross bar tagged my hip so hard, I cried out and let go, landing unsteadily on my slut shoes and Slick ran away.
I had no time to think or do anything. The fire alarm went off and it was blaring loudly.
Then Smithie had a hold of me, he shoved me and I landed in Lenny’s arms.
“Take her inside and do not f**kin’ leave her side,” Smithie said then took off after Slick.
Lenny pul ed me inside, Vance (without Tanya) passed us at a run, going out the backdoor.
I didn’t hesitate, I dragged Lenny around the whole club, looking for Dad. I was limping, kind of, because my hip and butt bone both hurt like hel .
There was no sign of him.
When I yanked Lenny back into the club from the dancer’s dressing room, the lights were on ful , the fire alarm had been turned off, the stage was empty, people were standing around and the cops were there.
I scanned the people to see if I could find my Dad, but he wasn’t there.
“Fuck!” I shouted, because it was definitely the time to say the f-word.
Smithie came in from outside, breathing heavy, and bore down on me. “You wanna tel me what in the f**k is goin’
on?” he yel ed.
“I don’t know! I have to find my Dad. He was here and Slick was after him.”
“Forget your Dad. We’re talkin’ about you. That’s twice you had some f**kin’ guy with a knife after you.”
“He isn’t after me,” I told him.
“No, from where I stood, it f**kin’ looked like you were after him,” Smithie shot back.