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His face went angry-red. When he lifted his gaze to his sister as if seeking instruction, she ordered, “Slap her.”
His hand swung out, cracking against my cheekbone. I cried out from the shock and pain, totally not expecting that.
But what the hell? These psycho siblings were totally fucking crazy.
“Are you out of your ever-loving minds?” I started, only for Melody to motion a finger my way and simply say, “Muzzle that ugly mutt.”
“No! I—”
The bastard cowboy jammed his hand over my mouth, er, actually kind of into my mouth. The side knuckle of his index finger pressed in against my teeth, practically gagging me, so his thumb could wrap around my face and dig into a sensitive part between my jaw and ear. It hurt like fucking hell. Tears sprang to my eyes and what was worse, he could control the tilt of my head and keep me from biting him very hard.
I couldn’t move, struggle, talk, scream, bite, or anything, but stare up at him from wet, dazed eyes.
He smirked down at me.
Melody’s face appeared over his shoulder where she smirked at me too. “That’s better,” she crooned. “Now where we were?”
I lifted my hand to flip her off.
“Behave,” Chance growled, smacking the side of my head into the wall and making me see stars.
Unable to admit I was beaten, I fought harder, attempting to sink my teeth deeper into his hand, then rearing my head back before slamming it forward, right into his.
The impact was brutal. Oh God, so brutal. More stars. Lots of stars.
But it also caused him to curse and lose his grip on me. For the briefest second, he stumbled back, holding his head. I took a moment to lean into the wall and orient myself, before pushing away and lunging for the door. Hoarse air gasped from my lungs. I was three feet from making contact with the handle when a hand landed in my hair and yanked me backward, causing me to cry out.
“Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere yet,” Melody said, tossing me back to her brother, who flung me into the wall.
I hit so hard, everything went momentarily black. But I didn’t fully lose consciousness. I ducked my head down, protecting my face and squeezing my eyes against the agony. Chance’s head moved in closer, and this helpless surge of fear and surrender swept over me. I’d never be able to overpower him enough to escape. I might actually die in this bathroom.
A wave of images flashed through my head. Beck. Tess. Paige. My dad. Even my brothers. Everything good in my life swelled up and surrounded me, like a big hug, trying to protect me from harm. And I embraced it back, not ready to deal with what whatever the Fairfield siblings planned to do to me.
Except, whatever they’d planned never happened.
The door sprang open, and Beck’s voice cried, “Bailey?”
Chapter 37
BAILEY
With a roar of rage, Beck shoved Melody aside and launched himself forward, tackling Chance against the wall, much the same way Chance had just pinned me there. Since the wannabe cowboy still had a hold on me, I sustained enough of a jarring impact that I cried out, even though it also helped me break free.
Beckett’s gaze sought mine. Our eyes met, and I could only guess what he saw when he looked at me. My eyes were wet and something dripped from my nose, maybe blood. But the fear—absolute terror—in my expression is probably what prompted him to turned back to Chance and swing his fist into the guy’s face.
I wrapped my arms around my stomach and backed away from them, as I watched my tormentor become the tormented. Beck showed no mercy, pounding away at Chance’s face until the guy passed out.
When two hands wrapped around my shoulders, I jumped and spun, only to find Tess there, and Paige too, swarming me and hugging me, Tess crying and telling me how sorry she was. My gaze shifted around the bathroom until I found Logan corralling Melody toward door, keeping her back, while Jonah rushed past them to catch Beckett around the neck and drag him off the limp, bloody Chance.
“He’s out, man. No more.”
Beck puffed out an angry snort and kept glaring at Chance’s crumpled form, but he didn’t struggle against Jonah’s chokehold.
“Let me by,” Melody sobbed, shoving at Logan. “That’s my brother.”
When he stepped aside to let her through, she rushed to Chance and knelt before him, shaking his shoulder and repeating his name until he gave a weak groan and began to stir.
Beckett turned to me. Devastation flooded his face as he took me in. “Bailey,” he croaked, stepping forward. Tess and Paige parted so he could pull me into his arms and kiss my hair before setting his cheek against me and tenderly keeping me close.
