I kick my feet back, making it easier for him to carry me, and I don’t land a single blow that does a damn. He opens a door, throwing me into the darkened room before he joins me, slamming the door behind us.
I climb to my feet, coming face-to-face with a man I know and will never forget. “You,” I whisper, backing up even though there’s no escape.
“You owe me, bitch.” He licks his lips, looking at me in a way I never want to see another man look at me. His face is still messed up from Dylan’s beating, but I will never forget what he looks like.
“Please don’t do this,” I beg, not wanting to go another round with this asshole. “Let me go, and I won’t say anything to anyone.”
He laughs, moving toward me and pinning me against a table. “Not until you pay up.”
My chin trembles, and my breathing is fast, coming out through my nose and reeking of vomit. I lean back, almost flattening myself against the table to get away from his touch. “Name your price. I’ll pay anything.”
He pushes my legs apart, placing his body between them. “A rich bitch too.”
My chest burns more with each passing second and every agonizing, panicked breath. “Whatever it is, I’ll pay. Just let me go. Please,” I plead with him.
His hand goes to my jeans, and he grabs the button. “I only want a piece of the sweet pussy everyone seems to be fighting over.”
Oh my God. No. No. No.
I’m not weak. I know better than this. My father and uncles taught me how to protect myself, but that day at the Caves, he caught me off guard. That shit is not going to happen twice.
The fear leaves me, and anger takes over.
I reach up and dig my nails into the skin of his face, tearing at his flesh as I lift my knee, getting him right in the balls. “Fuck you,” I hiss as he rolls over, falling to the floor in agony.
He howls, holding his junk, his face bleeding again, but this time, because of me. I don’t stick around to rub it in his face that I was the one to take him down this time.
I run for the door, flinging it open, and smash into a tall, hard body.
“Wildcat,” he whispers, and I glance up with wide eyes. “What the…” He looks beyond me and into the room. “Go to your family, and I’ll take care of him.”
I grab his shirt, needing the contact and to give him the assurance that I’m okay. “I didn’t… He didn’t…”
He brushes the hair away from my eyes. “Don’t worry, Ro. Go to your family. I’ll take care of him. Go.”
I don’t waste another moment before taking off down the hallway, not looking back, and head straight for the table. By the time I make it, I’m out of breath, panting, and sweating.
“What the fuck, Ro?” Luna asks, her gaze moving from my face to my hands. “Why do you have blood on your fingers?”
“Man…” I point toward the hallway. “He…”
Every guy at the table stands and runs toward the hallway without another word or all the information. Based on the looks on everyone’s faces, I’m pretty damn sure no other explanation is needed.
Gigi stands and wraps an arm around me, comforting me.
“He didn’t…”
“Shh, baby. We got you,” she says softly.
“I got away,” I stammer as my body shakes, the reality of what happened and my escape finally crashing over me.
“Call Uncle James and Thomas,” Gigi says, rubbing my back slowly. “We need them here.”
“On it,” Rebel says, picking up her phone and walking away from the table.
“I kicked him and got away before he could…” I can’t say the word. He was going to rape me as payback for the other day.
“You’re okay,” Gigi keeps repeating. “You did good.”
And I did.
I did what I was taught, remembering to go for the face and balls if any man bothered me. Those are the two weakest points, and I used them to my advantage.
“Dylan’s back there,” I whisper to my sister as I look up into her soft eyes. “He found me.”
She rocks me back and forth for a moment until my body isn’t shaking quite as bad. “We should go wait outside for Uncle James and Thomas.”
I nod, sick of talking and still trying to slow down my heart, which has been pounding for what feels like hours instead of minutes. People in the bar are staring at us as Gigi helps me to the door, followed by every other woman from our table. The men are still busy doing whatever unholy things they want to the asshole who attacked me.
He deserves whatever he gets, too. I’m sure I’m not his first victim. He already has a track record, trying to drug Luna and then hitting me. Tonight is just another day in the life of a slimeball, but his extracurricular activities are about to come to an end.
Rocco’s right behind us as we all make it outside. “He’s secured in the storage room until James and Thomas get here.”
“Why didn’t we just call the cops?” Rebel asks. “I’m sure they could be of more help.”
Nick shakes his head. “Uncle Joe’s coming too.”
My stomach drops again. “Oh God,” I groan.
“Oh boy,” Gigi says, holding me tighter. “This is going to turn into a real shitshow in a hot minute.”
“Don’t let them get in trouble,” I beg my sister.
Gigi smiles down at me as we sit on the sidewalk like two drunkards. “Baby, Dad, Uncle James, and Uncle Thomas know what they’re doing. Don’t ask how I know, but have faith they’ll do the right thing…whatever they feel is the right thing, at least.”
Three cars come blazing into the parking lot like they were all racing to get here first. Dad’s the first one out, running to me with Uncle James and Thomas right behind him.
He kneels down, staring me straight in the eyes with such tenderness. “You okay, baby?”
“I’m fine, Daddy. I got away. I remembered what you taught me. Face and balls.”
He touches my cheeks, giving me a small smile. “Good girl.”
I smile back, some of the fear from earlier evaporating. “I listened.”
“I know, honey. You always do. You going to be okay out here while I go inside?”
I nod. “Don’t do anything…”
“Shh. You just worry about yourself. We’ll do the rest,” he tells me.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I mutter as he follows my two uncles into the bar. “This is bad. It’s going to be bad.”
All my female cousins are standing around guessing at what’s happening inside, but they don’t have to wait long because the rest of the men file out, minus my dad, James, and Thomas.
“What’s happening?” I ask Pike.
He shakes his head and sits down next to Gigi. “None of my business. It’s in their hands now.”
The gravel near my feet moves as Dylan sits down next to me. “I’m going to take her home,” he announces to everyone like it’s that damn simple.
“Um. No, you’re not,” I reply immediately, staring at him like he’s off his rocker.
His eyes search mine, but I can see the determination on his face. “Wildcat, we have shit to talk about, and I’m not waiting another minute to say what needs to be said.”