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It was all I could text before Kent reached me, the smell of vodka coming off him so strong it turned my stomach.
“We’re going to a club,” he said. “And I want you to come.”
“No,” I said firmly, moving past him to get to my car. I had no idea if Jim would come, and honestly, I didn’t know if I needed him to, but instinct had made me send the text. If he was on a night shift, he could already be patrolling the streets, and the idea of having him here smoothed some of the fear scraping up my spine.
“Oh, come on,” Kent insisted, following me every step of the way to my car. He stopped me from opening the driver’s side door, his friends hanging out on the sidewalk next to my car, laughing. “We had some good times, right?”
I gaped up at him. “Move.”
“No, you should come out with us. It’ll be fun, I promise. I’ll buy you a drink.”
Every nerve in my body twisted, adrenaline making my body shake.
“I don’t drink,” I said, the words half-proud, half-determined. I tried to open my car door, but he wouldn’t move.
“More for us then,” he said. “Call up some of your friends. Maybe your sister? It’ll be like a reunion.”
I glared at him, but my instincts were screaming at me to run.
Okay, then.
I spun on my heels, heading around my car and back toward Lyla’s. She was still inside, I could stay with her until—
He grabbed my arm, tugging me backward. “Don’t go,” he said, his words slurred.
“Don’t touch me.” I jerked my arm away from him, my entire body revolting at the feel of his hand on my skin.
“Easy,” he said. “I’m just trying to convince you to come out with us.”
“I don’t want to!” I practically screamed the words. “Are you so dense that you can’t understand that?”
His friends hissed, and I saw the shift from amused to angry in an instant.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I walked backward, not wanting to take my eyes off of him while I tried to get to the back door. I’d locked it behind me, but Lyla would hear me. She’d let me in.
“Don’t be such a pretentious bitch,” he said, his friends laughing and clapping behind him. “I just wanted us to have some fun.”
“No, you wanted to get your way and now that you aren’t you’re being an asshole about it. Leave. Now.”
“Or what?” he snapped, stalking after me. “You’re going to go tell your boss? What is she, five-five? She’s not going to do a thing about us.” His voice was lowered as he motioned to the dark, empty area around us with nothing but him and his friends around.
“Take one more step toward me and I’ll claw your goddamn throat open,” I said, my entire body shaking. I was six feet away from the door, but instinct screamed if I ran, he’d tackle me. I wasn’t about to let that happen.
He took the step, and I lashed out, slapping him so hard his head snapped to the left.
“Oh,” he said, a warning to his tone. “You’re going to regret that.”
“No, I won’t,” I said, defiant. He was like so many of my exes—arrogant, selfish, violent, and entitled. So many men like him prided themselves on being masculine and dominant when they were the furthest thing from it. Insecure and self-absorbed and controlling was more like it.
I drew my hand back in a warning as he crept toward me—
Red and blue lights flashed brightly, illuminating the scene. Relief barreled through me so forcefully my knees almost buckled.
“Step away from her,” Jim’s voice rang out with perfect authority as he got out of his patrol car. He shined a flashlight on the scene, stopping on Kent’s face.
Kent raised a hand to block the light, taking a couple steps away. “We’re just catching up, officer,” he said. “We’re good.”
