A body collided with Hannah, knocking her over. They both went sprawling across the pavement. Pain shot up Hannah’s spine as her tailbone hit asphalt. A body landed on her and rolled off. A young girl of about fourteen looked up at her. Slim and small, she was dressed in crotch-skimming spandex hot shorts and a tube top. Tears slid from terror-rounded eyes.

“Come back here!” Footsteps on pavement.

The girl grabbed Hannah’s shoulder. “Please help me. If he catches me, I’m dead.”

“Who?” Alarmed, Hannah scanned the lot.

“He’sgonnakillme.” Panic blurred the girl’s voice. Hannah could barely understand the words.

A man emerged from between a minivan and an SUV. He was a lean six two or three, with black hair and a goatee. His gaze swept the scene and locked on Hannah. He paused, hard eyes considering her.

Hannah untangled her legs and scrambled to her feet.

He focused on the girl. “Let’s go.”

Breathless and whimpering, the girl cringed on the pavement. The man moved toward her. “I said—”

Hannah scooped her purse off the ground and stepped between them. “I don’t think she wants to go with you.”

“I don’t give a fuck what she wants.” His dark eyes narrowed to mean slits. “You’re gonna want to mind your own business.” He leaned sideways to peer around Hannah and held his hand out toward the girl. His fingers curled in a Come here gesture. “Let’s go.”

“No.” The girl’s voice trembled.

His head tilted, as if he couldn’t believe she’d defy him. He shoved Hannah out of the way and grabbed the girl by the arm, dragging her upright.

Options raced through Hannah’s mind. Precious few of them. She wanted to run back to the club, but she couldn’t make her feet turn around. The pair would be long gone before she could return with club security or the police. Wanting more agility, she slid out of her heels.

The girl’s eyes pleaded. Her lips moved. Help me. The man started dragging her away. But she threw her butt backward and sank her weight low, fighting in earnest now.

Hannah sucked in a deep breath and screamed, “Help!”

“Fucking move,” the man shouted at the girl. He slapped her hard across the face. But she continued to resist.

Hannah dug her phone from her purse, her thumb already dialing 911. Come on. Come on. The dispatcher answered.

“Assault in the parking lot of Carnival. Send police.” She could hear the dispatcher asking questions. The man shifted his grip on the teen from her arm to her long ponytail and stalked toward Hannah, dragging the girl in his wake.

“Hurry,” Hannah said into the phone.