Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Amanda Prince zipped her sweatshirt and hurried up the sidewalk toward the bus stop. She'd recovered pretty quickly after Vince had tossed out those two perverts. She'd dealt with her share of drunk and flirty customers, but those guys had pushed it too far, one with a few suggestive and disgusting remarks, the other with an accidental touch that still had her shuddering.

After they'd been kicked out, she'd planned to finish her shift, but the manager had opted to send her home early. Kind of him, but now that she was walking on the city streets alone, fear dripped down her spine. She usually left with her fellow employees.

She'd hoped that by working at the college bar, she'd learn a little about the restaurant business—and put away a little cash. So far, all she'd learned was the names of popular drinks and how to fend off flirtatious men.

She should've found a cooking job, one that required more skill than the once-a-week gig she had teaching a family of homeschool kids how to bake. With only one more year before graduation, she needed kitchen experience. At the bar, she made more money than she would flipping burgers. But the extra money wasn't worth what she'd put up with tonight.

Nor the danger of walking in the dark by herself. She should go back and wait for her friend's shift to end.

Behind her, the door to the bar opened, and the cacophony spilled out for a few seconds.

She expected to hear voices or laughter or something, but whoever had left after her was silent.

Except for the footsteps.

She looked. One man, walking the same direction as she was.

Her heart thumped with fear. Call her paranoid, but she wasn't about to turn and walk by him. So much for going back to the bar.

She moved faster, covering half a block before the bar door opened again, interrupting the stifling silence a second time before it swung closed. Again, no voices.

She reached the bus stop, but no bus was headed up the four-lane road. Few cars were on the street at this hour. No other walkers, either, except for the people who'd left the bar after her.

A quick glance showed her there were two men on the sidewalk now. One was about a half a block away, the other another twenty feet behind him, closing in fast.

She wouldn't stop long enough to let either of them catch up to her.

She turned at the corner, crossed the street, and angled toward her apartment.

The footsteps followed.

"Hey."

She turned at the shout, the action instinctive.

Both men were closer to her than before. One wore a black sweatshirt, the hood pulled over his head—she'd seen him around campus. The other was taller and built like a pro- wrestler or something. The guy who'd asked if she was okay earlier.

Were they following her?

The second reached the first and grabbed him.

The one in the hoodie took a swing, and the bigger one blocked his punch and landed a solid blow across his jaw.

Then one of them shouted. "Run!" The command didn't sound nervous or scared, just irritated.

The guy in the hoodie barreled into the other.

They tumbled to the ground.

Shaking off her shock, Amanda turned and bolted.