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“Relationship?” I blurt.
That wasn’t on the table. I will not sit here while my parents basically set me up in an arranged situation with Sam for the sake of my road trip. Literally, fuck that. I’ll go on my road trip without their permission and give them two big middle fingers as I drive west without ever looking back. Screw college, screw their life plans and expectations, screw everything.
“I’m just glad I won’t have to be far from you, beautiful,” Sam murmurs, taking my hand and bringing my knuckles to his mouth.
It takes a monumental effort not to curl my lip at him. I succeed—barely—but I can’t control the way my spine snaps straight. Sam notices, his eyes narrowing slightly. Seriously, how can he sit here putting on this nice guy act for my parents after the crap he said to me?
I’m sick of it by the time our salad course is cleared. There are only so many thinly veiled comments about our future together that I can stand before I’m on the verge of screaming in the middle of the restaurant. Bet Mom would love that.
Pushing back from the table with a graceful motion instead of the hard shove I want to give, I turn to Sam. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?”
The arrogance in his gaze mocks me. Asshole. He checks with my parents before answering, making me fume even more.
He waits for Dad’s nod before he finally answers. “Sure thing, beautiful.”
“Excuse us.”
I don’t wait for my parents to respond before I leave the table. My simple, but elegant dress swishes with each purposeful stride to freedom. It’s a pretty shade of blue with thin straps that braid together in the back, but I wouldn’t have picked it up for myself, preferring to shop vintage when I can. My style drives Mom crazy because I’m always in what’s comfortable, like my workout clothes, or my favorite second-hand finds instead of the designer labels she wants me to wear.
The summer sun is just dipping behind the Rockies when I burst out onto the terrace in front of the steak house. It’s chillier than earlier, the cooler evening air prickling across my skin. I rub my arms as Sam strolls out behind me, relaxed with a crooked grin and his hands in his pockets.
“You can wipe that smug look off now,” I tell him. “There’s no one around to watch the show.”
He purses his lips like he’s considering it. “I don’t think so. I’m getting what I wanted.” He closes the distance between us, snagging my waist before I can step out of his reach. He traps me against his body and murmurs in my ear in a low seductive tone that makes my skin crawl. “And if you play nice, I’ll give you what you want, little slut. I’ve as good as got your daddy’s permission to fuck you, so you’re not getting away this time. No friends to step in for you, so just bend over and take it, yeah?”
“Get the hell off me,” I snap, stepping on his toe hard to get him to release me.
“Ow! You bitch!”
Fury burns through me, hot and blinding. He clearly didn’t learn the lesson Devlin and Connor inflicted on him. Screw peace and love in his case. He hasn’t changed at all.
I stab my finger into his chest. “Tonight means nothing, got it? I’m only here so I can go on my road trip before my parents trap me in the life plan they’ve laid out for me.” I look him up and down with disgust. “And if you ever think I’d let you touch me after calling me a cocktease and slut shaming me, you’re dead fucking wrong. I will never let you touch me.”
“You’re the one who’s wrong about that. They said you were easy and like it rough.” He raises his hand to hit me, spewing vile bullshit as he swings. “I’ll make you mine and have you screaming my name so loud—”
The blow doesn’t come. I didn’t realize I closed my eyes when I braced for the impact because I couldn’t dodge out of the way, but as I open them Fox stands between me and Sam, digging his fingers into Sam’s arm hard enough it looks like he’s seconds from breaking the wrist if he squeezes harder. Sam’s mouth hangs open in shock because Fox seemed to materialize out of the shadows with barely any sound.
Relief and annoyance spiral through me. On one hand, this is my fight and I will handle it myself. It wasn’t cool when Devlin and Connor stepped in to defend my honor at the movies, and the same applies when it’s Fox. On the other, a
baser part of me is dancing around at his rescue.
“If you ever raise a hand to her again, I’ll fucking kill you,” Fox growls in a deadly undertone. His whole body is tensed for a fight, like a predatory animal ready to spring free of its cage. “There won’t be any piece of you left for anyone to find.” His grip tightens and Sam releases a pained groan as Fox leans in, speaking through clenched teeth. “I will make you disappear.”
God, why does hearing him threaten Sam like that make my heart race and heat throb between my legs?
Seventeen
Fox
I had to cut in. It’s lucky I was parked in a discreet spot on my Harley, waiting to pick up a Nexus Lab employee ID badge at the back of the restaurant from a waiter I bribed to steal it for me. Maisy didn’t notice me at all. The minute I saw her come out, followed by the guy she swore wasn’t her boyfriend while I had my fingers buried deep inside her, possessiveness and protectiveness rushed through me. It’s exactly why I’ve been avoiding her once Colton confirmed she made it back to Ridgeview.
Seeing the douchebag all over her drove fire into my blood, but the second he raised his hand to her, I was off my bike and catching his arm before he could slap her faster than I’ve ever moved in my life.
Maisy hovers behind me, releasing a tense breath. I grind my teeth. It doesn’t bother me for her to see the true monster I’m capable of being, but a weak part inside of me that refuses to be stamped out flares with worry that she’ll finally run away.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Fuck no, you’re about to break my arm, you psycho,” Blake bleats, contorting his body to get away.
