“Look, man, we’re just dancing and having some fun here, likeeveryone else,” I tell him in my most placating tone. “Can’t you just leave it be?”
“We gotta uphold the integrity of this event.”
“Integrity,” Erik says sardonically. “If she had agreed to dance with you, would you have left us alone?”
The man shifts his stance but avoids the question. “It’s time for you three to go.”
Erik’s brows pull together, the golden brown of his eyes intensifying to a glowing yellow. At the same moment, the air around him seems to darken.
He’s about to lose his shit and show off his supernatural side to everyone here. That can’t happen.
Christine notices the change in him, too, and she rises from his lap. “Come on, Erik. Let’s just go.”
“That’s right, honey, you tell him,” says the second man. “How much do they pay you anyway? Do you give ’em a group rate? Two for the price of one?”
So much for keeping it family-friendly.
Erik rises, and I can practically smell the power rolling off him.
He’s going to take these guys down, and it’s going to be bloody. Unless I step in and do it first.
I’m not the kind to fight back. All my life, I’ve either taken my knocks or let someone else defend me—like Christine did when we were schoolmates. When I was locked up by my father, I stayed put. Defiance or rebellion only brought more pain or incited my father’s alpha voice, so I just submitted, bowed my head, endured the agony.
But since last night, I’m different. I made a promise to the two people I adore, that I would summon the courage to break away from my family, to leave that toxic mess and cling to the ones who truly value me. Here’s where I start exercising that courage muscle.It’s gonna hurt, but if it saves Erik from outing himself, it’s worth it.
I leap out of my chair so fast, it falls over, and I send my fist flying into the second man’s jaw.
It’s a good punch, better than I expected. He staggers back, trips over his friend’s boot, and falls onto his butt. Pain flashes through my knuckles, but my adrenaline, already high from the dance and the confrontation, blurs the ache and swells my ego.
“Insult her one more time, motherfucker!” I roar at the man. “One more time!”
I’ve never yelled that loudly at anyone in my life. I came close when I was arguing with Erik, but this time, I’m bellowing the words with my whole chest. My face is probably beet red, and I feel invincible.
I’m not, though, which is probably why Christine grabs my hand and Erik’s, dragging us both out of the barn while the guy I hit is still getting to his feet. He yells something like, “Get back here, you little bitch!” but we’re already halfway down the slope, headed for the parking lot.
“I could go back and strangle him like Joe Buquet,” offers Erik.
“Joe Buquet?” I exclaim. “What do you mean? Gil got a text from him the other day. Buquet took a job in Florida…left pretty suddenly…oh, shit…” My voice trails off as realization sets in. “Erik, did you send that text? You killed someone and didn’t tell me? I thought all our secrets were out in the open!”
“It must have slipped my mind,” says Erik coolly. “His death was well-deserved. Would you like me to drive? You seem agitated.”
“Agitated? You bet your ass I’m fucking agitated!”
“Raoul, we’ll talk when we’re on the road,” says Christine. “Not here, okay?”
“Fine.” Grumbling, I climb into the truck, yielding the driver’sseat to Erik.
Christine jumps in, too, and slams the door. “There’s a bunch of guys headed down the hill toward us. Not that we couldn’t take them, but it might get messy.”
“Go, Erik,” I urge him.
“One moment.” He’s fiddling with the radio. Only when Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” is blasting from the speakers does he pump the gas and send us out of the parking lot with a roar of the engine and a spray of gravel and dust. Christine whoops and waves to the oncoming men through the open window as we drive away.
“Back to Nashville?” inquires Erik.
“We’re picking up my car first, and then…” Christine looks to me.
“Back to Nashville,” I say resignedly. “I need to make a couple of casting changes toSidewinder, and we’ve got a lot of rehearsing to do. But don’t think I’ve forgotten about Joe Buquet. We’re going to discuss this in detail.”
