Page 20 of His to Hunt

I close my eyes and a tear runs down my cheek. Maybe I just need to accept that a guy like Joe is the best I’m ever going to get. I didn’t expect the spell we cast on my birthday to work, but I was high and drunk enough to wonder what it would be like if it did. Instead, I’m cornered in an alley by a revolting old man. The guy at table ten probably isn’t really interested. I’m just so confused and overwhelmed by whatever is going on with me that I’m misreading everything.

“Fine, okay,” I relent, another tear trickling down my face. “I’ll go out with you.”

“About time,” he says, wiping away my tear, which makes me flinch.

I don’t open my eyes. I’m too scared to open them. I just sink into the corner, cowering while the disgusting, toothless geezer touches my face. His breath is sour and rotten. How can I ever kiss him? How can I…

“Get your fucking hands off her,” a deep voice growls, and then Joe’s hand pulls away from my cheek.

“Who the fuck are you? This doesn’t concern you!” Joe yells, then I hear a loud thud.

My eyes fly open and I see Victor. He looks even bigger standing up than he did sitting down. He’s easily six-five, maybe more. He towers over Joe, who is now pinned to the wall with Victor’s hand around his throat.

“A dirty old man has his unwelcome hands on her and she’s in tears,” Victor snarls. “That’s everyone worth a damn’s business.”

Joe tries to argue, but Victor’s hand tightens around his throat. The charcoal-haired brute lifts Joe off the ground until his toes are dangling. Joe looks terrified. I should be terrified too, but now the arousal is back, and it’s clearly not Joe who is making me wet.

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry!” Joe gasps. “I was just asking her out! She said yes!”

“You said yes?” Victor snarls, his head snapping in my direction.

“I… I didn’t want to,” I whimper. “I was… I was just scared. Plus, my boss…”

I realize how pathetic it sounds before I finish my sentence, so my words die in my throat. Victor turns his attention back to Joe.

“Consider the date canceled,” Victor barks. “As a matter of fact, I think you need to find somewhere else to work. Somewhere you don’t make her, or any other young lady, so fucking uncomfortable.”

He cares about my comfort? Why? I don’t know him. He doesn’t know me. He’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and my body certainly notices, but I’m nothing special. I’ve been a damsel in distress long enough to know there aren’t any white knights left in this world.

“Look, man, I’ll leave her alone. I need this job, though!” Joe argues, trying to get his footing against the wall so he can keep speaking with Victor’s hand around his throat. “I’m on parole!”

“Parole?” Victor asks. “What did you serve time for?”

Joe’s face pales and he swallows hard, his gulp stifled by Victor’s grip. Truthfully, I don’t know why Joe was in prison. I figured it wasn’t the kind of thing you were supposed to ask an ex-con. Frank hired him, so I assume it’s nothing horrible.

“You going to tell me before you pass out?” Victor snaps, leaning closer to Joe.

“Okay! Look, she said yes at first!” Joe gasps.

My heart drops into my stomach. Something murderous flashes in Victor’s eyes. He squeezes so tight I think Joe’s eyes are going to pop out of his skull before his grip loosens. But Victor doesn’t let go of the old man. He pulls him away from the wall, then slams him against it hard enough for his head to bounce against the brick, leaving a smear of blood.

“Forget finding another job. If I ever see your fucking disgusting face again, there won’t be enough of you left to identify,” Victor snarls, slamming Joe into the wall again before slinging him toward the door. “Go before I change my mind, you miserable son of a bitch.”

Joe looks horrified. He grabs his throat, gasps a few times, then coughs as he runs into the diner. I’ve never seen a man his age move so fast.

But as soon as he’s gone, I’m alone in the alley with Victor. I tremble and glance at the door, realizing I’ve got a massive, hulking man blocking my escape now. I’d like to believe he’s better than Joe, but when Victor’s dark gaze falls on me again, I’m not so sure.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“You shouldn’t let people treat you like that,” he is so angry I can tell he’s trying not to shout. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Apparently, he’s mad at me too. I look down at the ground, feeling foolish. I let Joe corner me. I didn’t stand up for myself. I didn’t even try to knee him in the balls, like my grandmother used to say I should do if a guy wouldn’t take no for an answer. I just… caved… to a rapist who should have never been working at this diner to begin with.

“I don’t know,” I answer quietly, unable to look him in the eyes. “Things have just been really difficult lately.”

“It doesn’t matter how bad things get, you should still have some self-respect,” he snaps. I glance up, just enough to see he’s removing his wallet from his pocket. He removes a few bills and tosses them on the ground at my feet. “That should cover the check.”

It’s more than enough to cover two burgers and fries. Probably enough to cover half my tips for the day. Normally, I’d be screaming for joy if I got a tip like that, but I don’t feel like I earned it. He just pities me. Somehow, that feels worse than him not paying at all.