We make another slow pass through the food vendors, but neither of us gets anything else. I’m still riding the high from our kiss, which even the sugar rush of a funnel cake couldn’t compete with. Eventually, we head toward the rides. It’s a lot louder over here. Kids squeal in delight, and the music from each ride blends into the blaring noise of the next. Rafe stops near the end of the line for the Ferris wheel. My stomach does a flop. It’s so much taller close up, plus it’s been a few years since I’ve been on one. “Want to ride?” I try to sound chipper, but my voice cracks.
He looks over at me, his eyes narrowing just a little. “You scared?” His tone doesn’t suggest he’s teasing, but he does seem kind of playful.
I lift one shoulder. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on one. It seems a little daunting.”
While still making direct eye contact with me, he licks his bottom lip slowly and tilts his head toward the ride. “I’ve never been. Ride with me?” I know it’s supposed to be a question, but it doesn’t sound like one.
I swallow. “You’ve never been on a Ferris wheel?” I’m stalling. I know I’m going to ride with him, the little bit of fear isn’t enough to make me deny his request.
“Uh-uh. You up for another first?” He poses it like a challenge.
“Absolutely.” I grin. “But you have to tell me how you’ve never had a carnival lemonade or been on a Ferris wheel.”
Rafe grabs my fingers and draws me over to the line so it doesn’t continue to get longer while we flirt. “Simple. I’ve never been to a carnival.” He squints, and his lips tighten. “Not when I was old enough to enjoy it anyway,” he adds softly.
My hand is still wrapped in his, and I get butterflies again. I always thought Gwen was joking about this crap. How many times is this going to happen? Do guys get butterflies? I roll my lips in so I don’t smile at the thought. Somehow, I can’t imagine Rafe getting butterflies from holding my hand.
“Since it’s your first time, you can pick whatever you want to do,” I tell him, even though I really want to know how he’s never been to a carnival when he’s almost thirty.
“That’s a very open invitation, I may take advantage,” he teases.
The guy in front of us steps back while telling the people he’s with a story and accidentally bumps into me. “Oh, sorry,” I say out of habit, even though he’s the one who bumped me.
Rafe shoves his hand into the guy’s back and pushes while snarling, “Watch it.”
“Hey, man, chill out,” one of the guy’s friends says after catching the man who bumped me.
“Keep your fucking hands to yourself, and I won’t have to,” Rafe growls out.
I start to feel really uncomfortable. I’m not big on confrontation, plus there are at least four of them and only one Rafe. I place my free hand on Rafe’s shoulder and say, “It’s okay, just an accident.”
Rafe doesn’t take his eyes off the guys, but two men from the group start to back down. I can see it in the way they move away from us and call to their friend.
“That’s fucked up, man. I barely bumped her. She was probably just trying to get my attention.”
Rafe’s hand tightens on mine, and he leans forward, moving into the guy’s space. “If you want to keep breathing, I suggest you walk away while you can,” he tells him in a low, menacing voice.
“Charlie, come on. This is bullshit,” one of the friends urges, glancing between Rafe and Charlie.
“Please don’t,” I murmur, moving a little closer to Rafe’s side so I’m half behind him. He doesn’t take his eyes off the guys in front of us and moves to block me even more.
“Charlie, let’s go, dude. You’re not getting us into shit again.” Another of the friends pulls at the guy’s shoulder. My heart is racing, and the people around us are starting to notice the situation. Some people are standing and watching as if they can’t wait to see what’s going to happen, while others are pulling at their children and moving them along a little faster.
I start to slip my hand from Rafe’s. I’m not going to stand here and let this happen. I have no worries that he can hold his own, but not four against one. I don’t want them to fight at all, especially not for something like this. It was just an accident.
My fingers are twitchingto grab the blade in my pocket. I could slit his throat before he even saw it coming. I know I can’t do it, though, as badly as I want to. We’re in the middle of the suburbs. There’s no way I could get her out of here without someone reporting exactly who and what they saw. Hell, there are probably people recording us already, just thinking something might happen.
She tries to tug her hand from mine, so I grip her tighter. It’s probably painful, but I don’t let up. I memorize the guy’s features. I probably won’t ever see him again, but a lot of kids from the suburbs come to my clubs in the city. I might get lucky, because if I ever see him again, he’s as good as dead.
“Listen to your friends.” I give him one more warning, but it’s also to egg him on a bit too. He seems like the kind of fucker who thinks he’s tough. His friends even made it sound like he’s gotten them into trouble before, but I can guarantee he doesn’t want my kind of trouble. It will end with his body face down in the Detroit River or left to rot in one of the abandoned homes downtown. I know I should let him walk away, but I didn’t become Rex by letting things go.
“Fuck you, dick!” Charlie spits and shrugs off his friend’s hand. I watch as he puffs out his chest and balls his hands into fists. He thinks he’s ready for a fight.
“Move out of the way. Keep moving,” a rent-a-cop says as he and his partner waddle over to us. Her hand relaxes in mine. She probably thinks she’s safe now, but she was never in any danger from this guy or his buddies. I could have killed them all before they even got close to her, but that would have exposed who I really am, and then I wouldn’t have any other choice but to take her with me, even by force.
“What’s the problem here?” the talkative cop asks, running his gaze over Charlie and me. He wisely keeps his eyes trained on me when he’s done. He knows I’m the threat here, not the group of boys.
“This dick shoved me.” Charlie points his finger in my direction, and I think about snapping the fucking thing off and shoving it down his throat.
