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I zoom in on the photo as Fallon stares over my shoulder. “You know him?” I ask.
“Nope.” She seems disappointed. “Well, it’s been a trip.” Fallon takes a step into the alleyway. “Baring souls. Catching strangers in clandestine affairs. We should do it more often.” She gives a one-shouldered shrug. In the shadows and the moonlight, she looks like some wraithlike cowgirl ready to wreak vengeance. “I’m headed home. Go back to your man, Ruby.”
“He’s not my man,” I insist, even though her words send a curl of warmth through me.
Her grin’s a flash of amusement. “Whatever you say.”
I watch her stroll off into the night. Then I laugh and shake my head.
I think we’re both liars.
Still musing on Fallon’s words, I walk down the gloomy hallway to the mouth of the bar.
When I turn the corner, a boy steps into my space, barring me from entering the dance floor. He wears a pink polo and a backward cap and is as out of place in this honky-tonk as I was in Nowhere. With a raised brow, he gives me a head-to-toe sweep that makes me feel slimy.
“Excuse me.” I try to push past him. By now, there’s a large crowd on the sawdust dance floor. Charlie must be caught up somewhere in the mass of people.
He forces me back into the hallway and puts his hands on my waist. “We’re dancing tonight.” His voice is slurred with alcohol.
I draw up my shoulders and stand taller, hoping to look intimidating. “I don’t want to dance. Not with you.”
He lets out a short laugh. “First time? Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, pretty girl.”
My throat bobs, fear prickling my spine. I’d take nasty comments on Instagram any day, instead of the nasty boy leering in front of me.
He crowds my space and my heart speeds up. I don’t like it. He’s not Charlie. He’s not my Cowboy.
“Let go of me.” I give him a shove, but he blocks me in again.
“You heard her. Step the fuck away. Now.”
Charlie’s rough voice has my heart bottoming out.
Polo snorts. “Fuck you, dude—”
Before he can say more, a massive hand’s darting out and grabbing the guy by the back of the neck to yank him away from me. Polo’s tossed into the wall like he’s nothing more than a bag of trash.
“You okay?” Charlie asks, taking his place beside me, but his eyes stay fixed on Polo. Charlie’s fists are clenched, his muscled body locked and loaded.
It’s obvious if I weren’t here, Charlie would pummel Polo right now.
“Yeah,” I breathe, frozen by the man in front of me. Drawn to his dangerousness.
“Fuck you, bro.”
Not taking the hint or the death rays emanating from Charlie’s eyes, Polo takes a step forward, but Charlie props a hand on his chest.
“Bad idea,” he snarls.
Polo’s eyes land on the ribbon on Charlie’s wrist. My ribbon. “What’s this big guy? Feeling pretty tonight?”
The second he tugs on the end of the ribbon to untie it from Charlie’s wrist, Charlie grabs his arm. Twists.
Ice skitters down my spine at the way Charlie’s eyes turn feral.
“Ow, fuck, man!” Beads of sweat stream down Polo’s face. “I was just playing.”
Face tight, dangerous, Charlie growls, “Touch that, touch her, I’ll rip your arm off your fucking body.”
