Stuart boosts himself out of the pool. “You’re awfully mouthy tonight. I honestly don’t know how Archer, Kingston, and Cannon put up with you.” He huffs out a laugh as the other two get out of the pool to join him. All three come closer to the bottom of the steps, Alec leading the way.
I hold my ground, eyeing them as they walk toward me. There’s a dangerous glint to their eyes that I’m positive is meant to intimidate, but I’m not retreating. I won’t let them make me run.
Alec glances to his right at Joel, who eggs him on with a grin. He shoots a wicked smile back, mounting the first step, then cocks his head to the side. “Should I share with Kingston what I saw Monday?”
“What do you think you saw?” My brows draw together creating a deep furrow down the center of my forehead.
He snorts, his laughter full of scorn. “As if three house dicks weren’t enough for your slutty ass, you had to outsource, too.”
My heart comes to a grinding halt in my chest, and I clutch the handrail set in the stone retaining wall at my left.Wait. What’s he saying?
At my scramble to maintain balance, and no doubt my expression of horror, Alec gives me a nasty smile, ascending another step and putting us at eye level with each other. “Come on, honey, don’t think I didn’t see that trust-fund douche carting you off for a quick ride.” His teeth drag over his bottom lip as his perverted gaze skims over my body. He gestures toward me. “Honestly, Elliot, I bet your cunt is wider than the interstate with the amount of traffic jamming your lane.”
I blink at him, ignoring the shit about my body and what I do with it and also disregarding the laughter of his cronies. Only one thing pounds through my head over and over again: AlecsawNick take me. Helethim do it. “You motherfucker,” I rasp, the words tearing their way from my throat before I’ve hardly had a chance to process.This dickhead has pushed me too far. It’s too much.With rage and disgust fueling me, I hurl my entire body at him.
Alec topples backward, caught off guard as his friends dive out of the way, and the two of us go down hard on the paving stones that make up the pool deck. The sound of his body thudding against the hard surface and the air exiting his lungs gives me grim satisfaction, as does the startled look on his face.Now’s my chance.
Fury burns through me.Kidnapped. Assaulted.I heave out my disgust, rear back, and slap at his face, taking every ounce of hate I have for what Nick did to me out on Alec.My confidence is in ruin. My mental state, torn down.Another slap, this time harder.Dirty, ugly slut-shaming slurs.All the anger I didn’t know I was holding in—for Nick and for these motherfuckers—seeps out as I slap and hit at Alec’s face, finally smashing my fist into his nose. I watch with sick satisfaction as it spurts with blood.Who the fuck does he think he is?Alec howls like a little girl, covering his face with his hands.My best friend has vanished into thin fucking air and no one around here gives a shit about it.I pound on his chest with both fists, a primal scream tearing from my throat. He groans and tries to block my blows with his forearms and elbows.
Archer’s voice reaches me from the upper patio. “Elliot! What the fuck?”
Everything is a blurred haze because I’ve seen red. My ears buzz like there’s a swarm of bees around me.
“Get this cunt the fuck off me!” Alec finally has air in his lungs to shout.
From either side of me, there’s some shuffling, and I sense Joel and Stuart closing in. When they put their hands on me in an attempt to haul me off Alec, my breath heaves from my lungs at the unwelcome contact. I drag in air and scream, “Don’t fucking touch me!”
“Back the fuck off,” comes Archer’s out-of-breath command, as he makes it down the stairs. Upon his arrival on the scene, the assholes let go, and a moment later Archer’s arms lock securely around me, and he hauls me to my feet. “You better not have hurt her,” comes the angry growl from his lips before he lowers his voice and murmurs softly near my ear. “It’s okay, Peaches. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
The adrenaline crashing through my system is so intense, my feelings so fucking raw, that even though Archer’s holding me firmly against his chest, I begin to shake in his arms.
“What the fuck did you say to her? What did you do?” Archer grits out fiercely, and all three, including Alec who has finally gained his feet, hold their hands up in surrender, shaking their heads and backing away. Blood streams from Alec’s nose and drips from his chin.
Good, I hope it hurts, you fucker.I glare at the trio, clenching my fists to stop the trembling before I angle my head to look up and back at Archer. “It’s not worth asking them. They’ll just lie because they’re dicks.”
He takes another few breaths, then loosens his vise-like grip on me in exchange for putting an arm around my shoulders and drawing me to his side. He jabs his finger back at them. “We’re not done. Be afraid, motherfuckers.”
I don’t get a chance to see the look on their faces because Archer is already helping me up the steps. He takes me through the back door, passing the curious stares of Taggart, Bridger, and Zeke before hurrying up the front stairs to our rooms. Without pausing, he throws the door to his room open and ushers me inside. Spinning around, I fling my arms out from my body, frustration replacing the all-encompassing rage I’d felt just moments ago while I was beating the snot out of Alec. “I don’t know how the fuck that happened or what came over me. Isnapped.I’m sorry.”
Archer closes the door and has me in his arms within two beats of my madly thrumming heart. He holds me close, pressing his lips to my forehead before his hands gently move to cradle either side of my head. “Don’t apologize for whattheydid. Are you hurt? Is this all Alec’s blood or—?”
I shake my head uncertainly, unable to speak. Oh god. I can’t believe I did that and now it’s catching up to me. My face flushes and my hands shake. But goddamn it’d felt good to unload on that motherfucking asshole.He saw me get taken. He could have stopped it and chose not to.I need to tell Archer. I know I do. Why is the thought of it making me panic?
Archer eases away so we can inspect the spatters of crimson on my tank top and leggings, and the smears of it all over my hands. “Let’s go into the bathroom, and we’ll make sure you’re okay.”
I don’t think I’ve ever had a person so concerned for my well-being—but that’s the Archer I’m coming to know. He’s a caregiver for everyone but himself. Sometimes I wonder why that is. I swallow hard, pushing that thought aside, and let him guide me into the gorgeous bathroom. He turns on the faucet and holds my hands under the cool flow of water, rinsing away the majority of the blood. “I don’t think it’s mine.”
“You really got him, huh?” Archer continues his scan of my body, meticulously looking for any sign of harm, all while a hint of a proud smirk tugs at his lips.
I give a little shrug. “I kinda fucked him up.”
In what I assume is in an effort to remain calm, Archer simply nods, examining my hands, while he grinds his teeth together. “You look like you’re not too bad off.” He lets a gust of air blow past his lips.
“That’s because I mostly slapped him and smashed at his face with the side of my fist.” I shake my head.“Asshole.”
Archer’s jaw goes rigid, and he shuts his eyes for a moment before opening them again, an agonized noise slipping from his lips. “I saw some of it.” He rubs a few fingers over his lips. “It almost gave me a fucking heart attack, the way you flew at him.”
“Alec was being more of a dick than usual, just awful. So were the other two. Then Alec—”
