Chapter 3
ALICE
I look at Emily and Lexi and roll my eyes. I take a huge gulp of my drink and let the liquid burn going down my throat. I gasp as I stand up. Hell, I’ve been sitting too long. “Where are you going?” Ben asks.
I glare at my two friends. I’m not mad at them. I’m glad they’re happy, but they’re not being very fun. “I’m going to find some single friends.”
Lexi and Emily are not offended in the least. They’re both smiling, and Lexi stands up. “Fine. You wanna dance? Want me to be your wing woman?”
Emily nods and stands up too. She’s not drinking tonight, so she’s spent the time laughing at us and snuggling up to Felon. She grabs my hand. “Come on. We can go dance.”
Ben stands up. “Shit. Can you just wait ten more minutes?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Why ten minutes?”
He holds up his phone. “Look, I’m getting texts from Pres and from Gunner.
Pres is saying that the Whistler better be standing tomorrow and Gunner is just a few minutes out.
We all know if he comes in here and some dude is dancing up on you, then he’s going to destroy the bar and anyone else that gets in his way, and then Pres is going to be pissed at all of us and—”
I hold my hands up to stop his rambling. “Okay, okay, I get it. But I mean, as far as birthday parties go, this is bullshit.” I sit back down, and Lexi and Emily both give me sympathetic looks.
I put my hands on the table and stand up again. Every one of them is watching me, and I hold my palms out. “Damn, I’m just going to the ladies’ room. Or is that not allowed?”
Ben nods his head as if I was really asking for permission to go to the bathroom. I get two steps from the table, and Lexi calls out, “Want me to go with you?”
I look back, and she’s already standing up, ready to come along, but I shake my head. “No, I’m okay. I’ll be right back.”
I walk back to the bathroom, and I feel people watching me as I go. I walk down the hallway and am almost to the door when a man steps in front of me. “Hey, well aren’t you a pretty little thing.”
I resist rolling my eyes and barely acknowledge him. As I try to walk past him, he shifts to block me.
I raise my head to look him in the eye. “Excuse me, I’d like to get by.”
He laughs and puts his hands on my waist. His grip is tight, and I suck in a gasp. Stay calm, I tell myself. “Take your hands off me.”
He just laughs again and then gestures to the bathroom. “How about you and me get to know each other?”
I put my hands to his chest and try to push him away. “No. I’m not interested. I’m warning you. Let me go.”
He looks down the hallway, and just when I think he’s about to back off, he shoves me into the bathroom, using my body to open the door.
I start to scream, but he slaps his hand over my mouth.
There’s no way anyone heard me. The bar is too loud.
The man has the door closed, and he’s standing behind me, one arm locked around my waist and the other around my upper body.
I try to scream again, but his hand grips my mouth tighter. “You like it rough,” he grunts.
He starts to kiss my neck, and I can feel his hard manhood dig into my bottom.
The urge to vomit is overwhelming, but I hold it back.
There’s no way I’m going to let this happen.
Eyes wide, I look around the room for a weapon.
Heck, anything, but there’s nothing within reach, so I start to fight.
I squirm, jerk, and try to swing my elbows, and when his hold loosens, I turn, hitting him in the throat.
My punch didn’t jar him much, but I try for the door again, and he grabs me, turns me, and slams me against the wall.
My head hits hard, and I’m dazed, but I fight through it. He’s still grinning. “I like it when a girl has a little fight in her. It makes it fun.”
He leans down to kiss me, and I lift my knee, hitting him between the legs. He groans. “You fuckin’ bitch.”
He rears back to smack me, but the door to the bathroom slams open, practically coming off its hinges.
Greyson fills the doorway, and I slouch against the wall, exhausted but still on high alert.
A sound like I’ve never heard before comes from Greyson, and then he’s on my attacker. He doesn’t say anything; he just starts to punch him. Over and over, he hits him. Blood is everywhere, and Gunner is not stopping.
“Greyson!” I say.
When he doesn’t stop, I say it again. “Greyson, stop!”
He’s holding the man up by his collar. The man is crying about his tooth, but all I can see is Greyson. He’s in a rage, and he’s battling to come back from it. I take a step toward him. “Greyson, look at me.”
He blinks but doesn’t say a thing.
Ben and Felon fill the doorway, and Ben walks in. “Shit, Greyson. I told you and Pres told you. No more destroying places. Hell, we’re not going to be allowed in—”
I interrupt him but don’t take my eyes off Greyson. “He was attacking me… Uh, Greyson saved me.”
Ben and Felon both change in an instant. They look me up and down and then they each take a hit on the guy, and he grunts as he feels each blow. Ben and Felon pick up the guy by his arms. “Where do you want him, Gunn?”
Greyson gestures to the back. “Take him out back. I’m not done with him.”
Ben shakes his head. “Dude, too much more and he’s going to be at death’s door. You want to take this back to the club?”
I look between the three of them, and I have no doubt in my mind that they will kill this man. The Exiled Guardians don’t play when it comes to protecting women.
Malcolm comes to the door and looks at the bathroom. Doors are off hinges, blood is spattered on the wall, and the mirror is broken. “Oh shit. Fuck.”
Ben points at the still groaning man on the floor. “He attacked Alice…”
Malcolm turns to me. I’m shivering, eyes wide, staring at the men around me. Malcolm takes a step toward me and stops. “Alice, shit, I’m going to call the police.”
Ben raises his hand. “The club will handle it.”
“No!” I say, coming to my senses. “No.” I point at Felon.
“Felon, out. You don’t need to be caught up in this.
” I don’t have to mention his history of being in prison.
I turn to Ben. “The club is not handling this. You’re not killing a man, even if he deserves it, because of me.
You guys go, I’ll talk to the police and—”
Greyson shakes his head. “Fuck that. Malcolm, we’ll take care of the bathroom. Ben, Pres will wanna take care of this since he messed with one of ours. Call him and we’ll take him back to the club.”
I wrap my arms around my middle. I’m trying to contain my trembling, but all of this is too much. “Greyson—” I say.
My voice is too quiet for him to hear me, so I say it again. “Greyson.”
He looks at me, and I’ve never seen him look like he does right now. The man is shaken to his core. I can feel myself start to fade. I say his name again, and then everything goes black.