“Get off me!”
Zane lowered his face. “Apologize to her.”
“The fuck I will! Dean was my friend.”
Zane spun him to face the bar and pulled his arm behind his back so high his shoulder twisted.
“Ow!Fuck. Get off!”
Zane lowered his head to the man’s ear. “You have three seconds to apologize before I dislocate your shoulder.”
A beat of silence passed before he growled, “Fine. I’m sorry.”
“Not loud enough.” Zane pulled him up and turned him to face Bonnie. “Again.”
Bonnie was soaking wet, but she now had people around her. Her family. Indie on one side, and another woman on her other.
Another loud pause. “I’m sorry,” he repeated through gritted teeth.
“Do it again and you will be.” Zane released the asshole.
The guy looked at Jesse. “You gonna do anything?”
Jesse turned to Bonnie. “You want to press charges for assault?”
The asshole’s jaw dropped.
Bonnie shook her head. “Not this time. But if it happens again, I will.”
The guy’s jaw remained open like a fucking gaping fish maw.
The women shuffled her out, but rage still burned through Zane’s blood. He wanted to follow the guy into the crowd.Reallyteach him a lesson.
And maybe he would have. But Ethan rose and set a hand on Zane’s shoulder. “Leave it, brother.”
He forced air through his lungs. For now, he would. But he was getting tired of this town’s poor treatment of Bonnie. So damn tired that soon, walking away wouldn’t be an option.
CHAPTER 14
Bonnie’s fingers trembled as she stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel. She’d thought getting clean would help. That some time alone would wash away the embarrassment and frustration and maybe even a bit of the ache pulsing through her belly.
The shower hadn’t helped. Being back in her own space hadn’t helped. It shouldn’t surprise her. Time didn’t seem to help anything these days. It certainly hadn’t helped people in this town see her as human. And it hadn’t helped her get used to their treatment of her.
She wiped the condensation off the mirror to see eyes she barely recognized. Sad eyes with dark shadows beneath them.
Her gaze caught on the tiny bit of bruising remaining on her temple.
She’d known coming back here would be hard, but this? Being assaulted and threatened and so openly hated…it was so much worse than she’d ever thought. Mending things with her family should have been the hardest part. It wasn’t. They’d welcomed her back. It was everyone else.
They hated her. This town hated her so much that they wanted her tohurt.
She closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek.
She kept telling herself it would get better. Easier. But when? Or would itneverstop? Would this town keep pushing and pushing until she finally tipped over the edge?
In the bedroom, she dropped the towel and pulled on panties and an oversized sweatshirt. The shaking in her fingers continued, and no matter how often she blinked them away, fresh tears continued to gather.
She’d made bad choices in her life. Dating Dean. Going out the night her parents told her not to. And then running from this town and staying away for so long. But leaving Dean at the party that night after finding him in bed with Maisie?
