As Sydney started in on a blended drink, Lora added a wedge of lime to the rim of the tomato-based cocktail and glanced across to the other end of the bar, where Joel now sat on a nightly basis, rather than at a table out in the middle of the crush of people. He'd told her that he felt more in control, and more at an advantage, being seated up at the bar, where he could see everything going on around him. And, quite honestly, she felt safer, too.

He'd taken the seat next to Daniel, and over the past week the two had become friends as Joel alternately watched over her and carried on a conversation with Sydney's new guy. And despite Joel's numerous complaints and protests about dressing up for the Halloween bash.

Lora had to admit that Joel looked gorgeous and incredibly sexy in his simple '50s costume, like her own personal James Dean.

Then there was Daniel's outfit as a swashbuckling pirate, complete with a parrot perched on his shoulder, which made him and Sydney a perfect pair.

"Don't you and Daniel look cute," Lora said when Sydney finally turned off the blender. "Did you plan on matching costumes?"

"Of course not," she said with a shake of her head as she poured the frozen, frothy piña eolada mixture into a tall glass. "Daniel asked what I was dressing up as, and picked his outfit to match mine." She cast a quick glance over her shoulder at the man in question, a slow smile kicking up the corners of her lips. "I do have to say, he looks damn good with an eye patch."

Lora garnished the fruity drink with a slice of pineapple and a paper umbrella. "Ummm. I take it you're having wild and wicked fantasies of being ravished by a pirate?"

"Don't I wish." Sydney's tone was wry, and borderline annoyed. "I swear, I've never been so frustrated and sexually on edge in my entire life. I've been on three dates with Daniel, and I've made it very clear that I'm game for sex, yet we've barely made it to second base. He's driving me crazy."

Lora laughed, because it was so much fun to see her best friend so tied up in knots over a man, instead of the other way around. "Yet you keep going back for more, don't you?" That she hadn't dumped Daniel spoke volumes about just how much Sydney liked the man.

"Hey, at this point I'm counting on a huge payoff when we finally do the deed." She cleared off the empty glasses and put them into the sink behind the counter.

Lora couldn't help but wonder what kind of payoff Daniel was hoping for. Having gotten to know the guy a bit over the past few weeks, she was guessing that Daniel wanted the real deal with Sydney, and was willing to wait until she came around to his way of thinking-to accept that their relationship wasn't just about quick, temporary sex, but something deeper and more lasting.

"You know what I think?" Lora asked as the "Monster Mash" song segued into a beat-heavy number that had people heading toward the dance floor.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to enlighten me."

"I think Daniel Barnett is a good influence on you and your wild ways." Before Sydney could come up with some kind of smart-ass comeback, Lora picked up her full tray and headed back toward the sitting area to deliver her orders.

Over the next few hours, The Electric Blue swelled to capacity. The Halloween bash was a huge success, with a long line of costumed patrons waiting outside for customers to leave so they could enter and join the party. After a few drinks, the people inside lost inhibitions and grew rowdy and raucous, which made it difficult for Lora and the other bar waitresses to take and deliver orders, not to mention trying to squeeze their way from one end of the establishment to the other.

It was also strange to Lora to see everyone dressed in a costume, and while most of the outfits were fun, outrageous, and even eccentric, it was the customers who wore masks over their faces that bothered her the most. The gorilla, funky chicken, and Darth Vader all made her feel uncomfortable, and then there were the more gruesome disguises like Chucky, Freddy Krueger, and Jason from Friday the 13th that completely unnerved her and made her think of those two men who'd attacked her-both of whom had been wearing ski masks.

She tried not to think of that awful night as she cleared tables and attempted to keep up with the demanding crowd. But as a jester with a painted face bumped into her, then a werewolf with a hairy mask trapped her between himself and a guy dressed as a skeleton, she started to panic and wonder if those men were here tonight wearing masks, just waiting for the chance to get her alone again.

She was jostled from person to person, and each masked costume seemed to mock her. Too many people were touching her-a hand grazed her bare back, then another slid down her arm, and she shuddered, trying desperately to keep her growing anxiety at bay. Someone pulled on one of the veils attached to her costume and the opening of her genie pants caught on something, nearly yanking her off her feet. Her tray slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor, but she couldn't bend down to pick it up since she'd been pushed out to the middle of the dance floor, with an evil clown bumping and grinding against her, his depraved, leering grin sending chills down her spine.

Everything closed in on her and she suddenly couldn't breathe. With the thick fog curling around her and the strobe lights flashing, she felt as though the room was shrinking in size, and she had no way to escape. As she was shoved against a man wearing a Bart Simpson mask, and he caught her by the arms in a firm grip, adrenaline and terror spiraled through her.

It was all too much, and more than she could handle mentally. She'd been so strong since her attack, so determined to live her life as normally as possible and not let trepidation and fear rule her every thought or every move she made. But now, tonight, it all came to a head and she could no longer hold back all those emotions and feelings she'd bottled up tight inside of her.

Her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest, and she struggled out of Bart Simpson's grasp. Struggled to find a way out of the crush of people pushing and shoving and suffocating her with their bodies and masked faces. She started to sweat and gulped for air, but oxygen seemed in short supply, and she couldn't seem to inhale a sufficient amount into her lungs. Her head spun, her vision blurred, and a dry, frightened sob nearly strangled her.

As she was frantically pushing her way toward the bar, and Joel, she felt an arm snake around her waist and haul her against a hard, solid chest. Then she was being dragged away. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but no sound emerged.

Oh, God, she thought. Not again. Please, not again.

She grew lightheaded and dizzy, her entire body tingling in cold, stark terror as she kicked and clawed and did everything she could to escape this man's steel embrace. It was no use. The more she fought, the more the person behind her tried to subdue her efforts-and he was much bigger, and more powerful, than she was.

"Goddammit, Lora," a familiar male voice growled into her ear. "It's Joel. Stop fighting me so I can get you out of here!"

Her relief was so profound that her entire body went weak, and she let Joel pull her out of the thick mass of party revelers and into Sydney's office, where her best friend was waiting for the two of them to arrive. The whole scene had an odd sense of déjà vu to Lora, reminding her too much of the night she'd gotten attacked, and how Joel had come to her rescue then, as well.

Once they were safely inside the room, Sydney let her worry spill forth. "Jesus, Lora!" she said, her own voice shaking. "Are you okay?"

Lora couldn't answer. Couldn't talk. The pressure in her chest was still so painful, her throat raw and just as tight as she struggled to take big gulps of air and breathe normally.

"She'll be fine," Joel finally answered calmly, though Lora heard the concern in his voice, too.

The next thing Lora knew, Joel was pushing her onto a chair. Once she was seated, he cupped the back of her neck in his large hand and guided her head down between her legs. Then he crouched in front of her so he remained close by.

"Breathe slow and easy through your nose, sweetheart," he instructed in a low and gentle tone of voice. "Close your eyes, try to relax, and concentrate on taking deep, even breaths."

His voice was so soothing in the midst of her scare. Knowing she was well and truly safe, Lora did as he ordered, inhaling slowly, despite the rapid beating of her heart.

"What's wrong with her?" Sydney asked, pacing beside Lora's chair.

"She's hyperventilating." Joel's fingers stroked the back of Lora's neck, comforting her with his warm touch, his presence. "She'll be okay in a few minutes."

True to Joel's word, Lora's pulse gradually returned to a normal pace. When she finally felt as though her anxiety had subsided and she could breathe without feeling as though she was going to pass out, she lifted her head and stared into Joel's dark blue eyes. His jaw was clenched tight, his gaze narrowed as he searched her face for any other signs of trauma.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tipping her chin up with his fingers to get a better look at her.

Still unable to speak, she moistened her dry lips with her tongue and nodded. Minutes ago she'd been sweating and hot. Now, her skin felt cool. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her bare stomach, suddenly wishing her costume was more substantial than the bra top and sheer material it was made out of.

Joel straightened back to his full height, shrugged out of his leather jacket, and draped it over her shoulders, instantly enveloping her in his warmth and male scent. "Did anything happen out there?" he asked her. "Did anyone try and hurt you?"