I heard James’s voice, but I didn’t really care about the crap he was saying.
“Fuck you, don’t ever talk to me again!” I screamed, beside myself.
I walked into the night and only realized that I had no idea where I was after my rage subsided. I was convinced that I was heading toward the exit, but that wasn’t the case. The more I walked, the colder I got.
“Oh, there she is,” muttered a guy I’d never seen before. I glanced furtively to my left and jumped. It was the group that had been with the red-bearded guy.
I picked up my pace and was practically running when he caught up to me and blocked my way.
“Leave me alone,” I protested.
“You’re at my place,” he replied placidly. “My dad owns the whole place. And you know, I have a thing for the young ones.”
“What?”
The group of meatheads behind him let out chuckles and spewed a slew of obscene comments.
“Isn’t she a little young to be working at the club?” one of them said.
“Look how she’s dressed. She looks like a high schooler,” added another. Ethan Austin got close to me, paralyzing me.
“You don’t even have to do an interview. You’re already hired.”
“I bet she’s underage. You can never be too sure,” one of his friends teased.
“I can do whatever the fuck I want,” he growled. I was trapped between his arms.
“Let me go, please!”
“I told you. You’re at my house. And you’re not going anywhere.”
33
June
The scent of tobacco mixed with his pungent breath made my stomach turn.
“I like the innocent-looking ones.”
“And I like seeing your fucking face bloody, Austin.” James’s tall figure stopped in front of me. He grabbed the guy by the collar and threw him far away from me.
No, he wasn’t protecting me; he was doing it because he couldn’t stay away from trouble.
“Oh, so blondie’s with you, Hunter?” Ethan Austin’s expression wasn’t a true sneer. He curled his lips into an unsettling smirk, and I didn’t know if he was angry or amused.
“The princess didn’t tell us. We thought she was available,” another guy barked.
My head was spinning from the nausea, and started spinning even more when James grabbed Austin by his jacket
A guy came to his rescue. “Hunter, chill, we didn’t do anything to her. We were just wondering how nice it would be to work in this club. With everything here.”
“We didn’t even get a look at her tits,” Ethan insolently added.
I saw James grit his teeth. Austin escaped his grip by shoving him. James wavered but didn’t fall.
“I don’t have to justify myself to anyone. And I certainly don’t have to ask permission to bang one of your little girlfriends. Isn’t that right, Jamie?”
His slimy voice made me shudder in horror. But James didn’t seem scared of him, never mind his entourage.
