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“Emmy…” The smile I thought I would never lose falls from my face. The fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and, a shiver of fear ripples down my spine, the butterflies in my stomach turning to a ten-pound boulder in an instant. “I was hoping I would run into you. I was terribly disappointed when you disappeared with that Jefferson kid.”
“No…” The word slips past my lips and I know I have to do whatever I can to get away from him. He shouldn’t be here, he shouldn’t be this close to me. Digging deep inside myself, I find the strength to speak just as his meaty hand wraps around my upper arm. “Let me go or I’ll scream.” I glance over to the coffee shop that’s only a few hundred feet away from us. If I can get away, if I can run….
“You’ve grown a backbone, I see,” Rick growls, his hold tightening enough to make me whimper. He leans forward, pinching my chin between two of his fingers, hard enough to leave a bruise. “I can’t wait to get you alone and snap it in two.”
“I said no!” The strength in my voice isn’t wavering. I can do this. He wouldn’t dare try and hurt me in public, he knows better. Twisting my neck, I break the hold he has on my chin, and dig my feet into the ground, as darkness cloaks his features. His grip tightens, and I know there will be bruises where he’s holding me. He snarls and takes a step back, trying to pull me back down the sidewalk.
“Let’s go, bitch, we both know you want me. There’s no need to try and hide it now.”
“No!” I scream and try and tug my arm away.
“Shut the fuck up!” The evilness that only I have seen, paints his features and he rears his fist back to punch me, but stops mid-air, as the sound of heavy footfalls thunders against the pavement behind us.
“I will kill you.” Clark’s voice pierces the air, and relief floods my veins.
Rick releases his hold on me and takes a step back. I swear I see a trickle of fear flicker in his eyes before the mask he always wears falls back into place. “We were just talking…” is all he manages to get out before Clark is on him, smashing his fist into Rick’s face with a ferocity that has me cringing. Rick doesn’t get a single punch in before he falls to the ground like a ragdoll, but that doesn’t stop Clark from continuing his assault. No, I can see it in his body language, feel it in the air, the anger is rancid, and clogs my throat as I suck in a ragged breath.
“Clark stop, you’re going to kill him,” Remington’s voice cuts through the air, the authority of it is almost frightening. He appears in my line of vision the next moment, pulling Clark off a motionless Rick.
I’m so numb from all of this, that I don’t see or feel Vance’s hand coming to rest on my shoulder at first. Only when he starts talking do I notice his hand moving from my shoulder to circle my forearm tugging me away from the scene carefully.
“Are you okay? Where is Ava?” His voice sounds a bit frantic and I know he is worried about her.
“She… she just went back to get her phone,” I tell him, looking back in the direction of the parking lot.
“I’ll find her. Clark, get your shit together, Emerson needs you,” Vance yells over to Clark, who is still hovering over Rick, looking every bit like a predator that’s ready to attack again. His lips curls and his body visibly shudders the darkness in his honey-colored eyes terrifies me. I can hardly breathe… How did this happen?
As if something tells him to look at me, he pulls his gaze away from the ground and his eyes find mine. As soon as he looks at me, his expression softens, but it’s too late, I’ve already caught a glimpse of the darkness that resides inside of him. I didn’t think it was possible for Clark to hold this kind of anger in his heart. Jules, Remington’s girlfriend, appears at my side, her brows pinched together in confusion as she takes in the scene before her.
“What happened? Are you okay?” she asks, her eyes darting between me and Rick, her voice concerned but also comforting. Her small hand rests against my back, rubbing gentle circles against it.
“He grabbed me. I told him to go… but he wouldn’t,” I say quietly and notice my lips aren’t trembling. You’re strong. The words resonate inside of me.
Clark, who looks more composed now, comes to stand next to me, extending out his hand. I take it, letting the warmth soothe my fears away.
