Out of Time 01 - Out of Time

Cross sing, much less sing with such emotion. The tentative vulnerability and need in him only made her want him all the more. They shared a few more longing kisses before it was time to get back to work.
    The hour seemed to pass quickly enough, even though she had to weather the constant gaze of King Kashian. Thankfully, he didn’t ask for another command appearance at his table and before she knew it, Charlie made last call. Slowly, the bar emptied. The poor, dear man who’d asked Simon to play for his son had long ago passed out at his table.
    Charlie gently shook his shoulder to wake him. “Come on, Frank. Time to go home.”
    The man mumbled something incoherent and ran a hand roughly over his stubbled chin.
    Charlie patted him on the shoulder and looked over to Simon. “Professor! Gimme a hand, will ya?”
    Simon helped the older man to his feet, but he swayed precariously and leaned against the wall.
    “Ah, a real snootful tonight. Do me a favor, Professor?” Charlie said. “Take old Frank home for me? I let Lester go early. Wife’s ailin’ and I can’t leave the club.”
    Simon frowned. He did feel an odd responsibility for the old man’s well-being. It was a strange sensation—concern for a stranger’s welfare. Before, he wouldn’t have given the man a second thought, but now, it was simply the right thing to do. However, he didn’t want to leave Elizabeth alone with King, and his eyes quickly sought her out.
    Charlie nodded his understanding. “I’ll keep an eye on things. It’s not too far down on Delancy. Four twenty, right Frank?”
    The man grunted and licked his lips. “I can make it.”
    “S’alright. Professor here’s gonna give ya a hand.”
    Simon looked anxiously at Elizabeth, who set down her tray of dirty dishes and walked over to them. “Something wrong?” she asked.
    “No, I just have to,” he glanced at Frank who was softly humming to himself, “make sure he gets home. I won’t be long.”
    Elizabeth squeezed his forearm. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    Simon looked over her shoulder at King, who lounged idly in his chair. “I’ll be back soon.”
    Charlie helped Simon guide Frank to the door, and Elizabeth resumed her chores. Once the dishes were stacked and the tables wiped down, she was ready to change. She had to pass by King, whose table was near the door to the stockroom. His eyes continued to follow her, but his expression was dispassionate, even a little bored.
    She shut the door behind her and draped Dix’s robe over her shoulders. She usually felt completely safe changing in the back, but with King in the bar, being totally naked felt, well, totally naked.
    She turned her back to the door and began to undress. She’d barely managed to slip off her costume when she heard the creaking of a door opening. She wrapped the robe tightly around her body and spun around, ready to tell King a thing or two about privacy. But it wasn’t King, and the door to the club remained shut. Then she heard the cough and wheeze and looked to other side of the room. A rail thin man stood in the doorway to the alley. His face was sallow, covered with a sheen of sweat. In his trembling hand was a black revolver, the thick muzzle pointed right at her.
    “D-don’t scream,” the man sputtered. His fingers clenched spasmodically around the handle.
    Elizabeth went cold with fear and held up her palms and, insanely, tried to keep the robe from falling open. Modesty even in the face of death. “Okay.”
    The man’s cheek twitched and his blood-rimmed eyes blinked at uneven intervals. “The money. Heard there was money here.”
    It was like a scene out of a movie. A bad movie. She tried to make her voice as calm as possible. “Take it easy, okay?”
    “The... The money!” he blurted out loudly with another severe twitch.
    Elizabeth’s mind raced. What the hell was she supposed to do? “All right. Just put down the gun.”
    He shook his head so hard she thought it might swivel off his shoulders. “They said there was money here.”
    His hand trembled so badly, he had to grip the gun with both hands now to steady it.
    Elizabeth was about to say something when the door to the club slammed open. King filled the doorway.
    The next few moments passed in slow motion. The man with the gun panicked. He looked at King and then back to Elizabeth. His shoulders hunched as he braced himself. With a wild look of panic in his eyes, he pulled the trigger.

Chapter Nineteen
    T he world