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His elbow rammed into my gut, causing more screaming pain to violate me as he pushed me off him, but at least he came back around to confront me instead of returning his attention to the hall. “You just don’t learn your lesson, do you?”
Summoning my inner Captain America, I wiped blood off my lip with the back of a trembling hand and panted, “I could do this all night.”
A demonic glow entered his gaze. “Is that right?”
Oh, shit, I thought, stumbling backward away from him just as his hands struck, catching me by the throat. He pushed me into the wall again, trapping my spine against Sheetrock as he squeezed my windpipe and hissed with violent glee. I choked and gasped, my mouth gaping as I pounded on his arm and kicked, struggling with all my might.
Shifting closer, he whispered into my ear, “Fight me now, fucker.”
I closed my eyes, unable to catch a breath as I struggled against him and tried to think.
I’d been taught how to get out of this very position before. If I could just gather my wits and remember…
But all I could think about was how this was the very spot where Vaughn had first kissed me. And I wanted him to kiss me again someday.
So I needed to think.
Going momentarily still, I stopped fighting Dax and played dead. He didn’t even consider letting up on the pressure. I knew I didn’t have much time left before I lost all consciousness.
Vaughn’s face flashed through my mind. And then Ava’s. I would see them again. Both of them.
I refused to go out like this.
Opening my mouth in a silent battle cry, I wormed my arms between our bodies, then linked my hands together and shoved both up on the inside of his arms, forcing him to break his hold and accidentally clocking him on the underside of the chin as I did.
He stumbled back, dazed, and I gasped for breath, just as Chloe raced from the hallway, screaming my name and clutching a crying, distressed Ava to her chest.
Dax jerked his head her way, snarling.
“No!” I choked out, stumbling after him.
But he moved faster than I could. A massive, meaty arm swung at Chloe, hitting her square in the face and probably knocking her unconscious with one punch.
As she crumpled limply to the ground, my baby went flying across the room.
And in that instant, my very life flashed before my eyes.
38
VAUGHN
“So this is the family nightclub,” Trick announced, opening his arms with a proud grin.
I glanced around the place, shrugging in disinterest before I turned back to the bar where I was resting my forearms and took a drink of the beer Luke had just served me.
“Kind of loud,” I answered after swallowing with a wince.
“Yeah.” Trick chuckled and patted my back in sympathy. “It can get pretty busy on weekends. Luke works on Fridays, though, so I didn’t know where else to take us.”
I glanced toward Luke. He stood on the other side of the counter, pouring a draft before setting it on the bar and grinning at the half-dressed coed who slipped him a sly smile with her tip.
I turned back to Trick. “So we came here to watch him work? Fun.”
He rolled his eyes over my dry tone. “We came here to score free drinks. Jesus, man, get with the program.”
“Fellas,” Luke greeted with a grin as he popped in front of us and drummed his hands on the countertop. He cast the woman he’d just served another glance as she disappeared into the crowd, then turned back to us. “I think I’m getting lucky tonight. Whoo-wee!”
“With who?” Trick asked, motioning his thumb over his shoulder after the girl. “Elise?”
