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"Where are the girls?"
The four men all turned their gazes to Nora, who had voiced the question.
"They went to the ladies room," Kurt replied with an easy smile. "I'm sure they'll be back soon."
Adam, Jay and Shane all exchanged glances in turn. All three were sharing the same thoughts.
"They should have been back by now," the brunette said, worry creasing her brow.
Adam felt a horribly cold knot of fear forming in his belly. His injured friend was right... Something was very, very wrong. It was at least fifteen minutes since his wife had said she and the other two women were going to the restroom.
"Oh, Nora, I'm sure it's fine," Angle said, but this time his smile seemed slightly forced, uncertain.
"Kurt... I think she's onto something," the tall blond man said.
"Women take awhile longer," the bald man said, suddenly babbling. "You should see Steph in the morning, the way she takes forever fiddling with her hair and makeup, putting on her contact lenses... You know how it is, guys."
Shane swallowed visibly before speaking.
"I know how my sister is... but I also know that she and Torrie wouldn't take this long in a public bathroom." He swung his gaze toward Adam. "Something... happened."
"Oh, my God!" Nora exclaimed, her blue eyes wide with fright. "Paul... What if he-" She bit her tongue and then her lip, unable to finish the horrifying thought.
Kurt's smile finally vanished as a look much like Nora's came to his countenance.
"Holy sweet mother of God..." he murmured. "You don't think...?"
Adam made a dash for the door, Shane right behind him. Kurt followed them.
"Stay here," he told Jay, whose face was ashen as he too seemed about to follow.
Wordlessly, the Canadian nodded. His heart thundering with the fear he felt for his three shapely female friends, he turned back to his wife. He found it an impossibility to put on a false smile for her sake, but nonetheless, he had to try his best to keep her calm. He knelt by her bedside, affectionately taking her into his arms as best he could.
"Jay!"
"Shh... It'll be okay," he said softly. "They're gonna find the girls... And they'll be safe and sound."
Jay only wished he could feel as confident about that as he sounded.
*
Amy, Stephanie and Torrie all exchanged terrified glances in turn. How were they going to get out of this alive? What was going to happen?
Levesque still had the gun trained on them. The redhead and brunette had their hands up, but the blonde was shaking so badly, she could barely mimick the gesture.
"You bitches... Do you have any idea of how much you ruined my life? Any?!" the madman shouted. "This," he barked, pointing toward his leg with the hand that wasn't holding the gun, "is because of you!" He focused his furious gaze exclusively on Amy. "Because of you, your bastard husband crippled me for life!"
"Paul, please listen to me," Stephanie said calmly. She even dared to take a step toward him.
"Stephanie, will you just shut the fuck up?!"
The brunette visibly winced, not at the words but at the horrible inflection and sheer loudness of Levesque's voice. It echoed cruelly against the bathroom's tile walls.
"I'm sorry... Sorry," she whispered, taking the step back. She glanced sadly, even apologetically, at each of her friends in turn.
Torrie was still crying and shaking like a leaf. She hated herself at that moment. She was so scared, and she cursed herself for that and for the fact that, once upon a time, she'd actually had a short-lived affair with the man before them. She must have been crazy!
"Maybe not yet," Levesque said, a cruel, sadistic smile playing at his mouth. "But you will be." He edged closer to the three women, and to the brunette in particular. "You know something, Steph?"
Stephanie didn't dare to respond as she merely opted to keep silent, her gaze trained on the gun in his hand.
Paul chuckled a bit.
"I always used to fantasize about what it would be like to fuck your brains out... You too," he went on, directing his gaze to Amy. "And now... Now I get to actually live out my fantasies."
Stephanie's blue eyes widened with shock and fear. Amy, meanwhile, felt as though she might throw up. Torrie continued to weep.
Levesque grinned maniacally as he began to undo his belt buckle with his free hand.