“You’re at the opposite end of the parking lot and it’s pouring rain. I can walk myself to my truck without a nanny. I’m self-sufficient, remember?”
Julián nodded. “How can we forget, Miss Baling Wire and Bubblegum?”
“Hey, the bubblegum worked good for holding the GPS on the dash. I thought it was quite ingenious of me.” She just wished she hadn’t confessed that fact to them.
Julián smiled. “I just love teasing you over it. We’ll pull over to where you parked and wait for you.”
They watched her walk down the sidewalk under the awning and waved before heading in the other direction to the truck. She was halfway to her vehicle when she realized in her excitement to get home, she’d left her phone sitting on the table in the nightclub. “Crap!”
She rushed back inside and met Rachel and Eli halfway, carrying her phone out to her. After thanking them she went back outside and hurried down the sidewalk, ready to get the show on the road. The rain was still pouring and she clutched her jacket to her to keep out the chill.
Her thoughts were abruptly diverted when she rounded the corner of the building and ran smack into someone. “I’m sorry, I—” She peered up at the man as she backed away from the shadows he stood in.
A familiar voice said, “Don’t be sorry, Gwen. I was hoping for a chance to talk to you privately.” Hatch.
She kept moving and skirted him, hoping to put distance between them but keeping her eyes on him the whole time. “I’ve got to go. I’m expected at the ranch.” A gust of wind blew the rain sideways against her bare legs and ruffled the skirt of her minidress as she shivered.
“Hmm. I just saw your men drive away.” She caught the glint in Hatch’s eyes as he stepped toward her into the light.
He’s lying. Keep walking. Julián said they’d wait for me.
“Sorry, not interested. I have to go. They’re waiting on me.”
“You can spare a few minutes for an old friend, can’t you?”
Maybe, if you were my friend, asshole. This guy just won’t take the hint. “Look, Hatch. I’m not in the market for a hookup—” She backed into another hard body and looked up and saw both of Hatch’s friends behind her. A chilling fear rippled through her when they each fastened a big hand around her upper arms.
Hatch smirked as he moved forward. One of the men spoke in a gravelly voice. “Maybe you just need convincing and a few extra hands—and dicks.” He chuckled and the sound filled her with fear.
The other friend spoke in a silky voice that sent a chill up her spine. “You’ve been strutting around in that short dress all evenin’, twitching that ass, until every man in the place was practically panting to see what’s underneath it. I’ve been hard as a steel pole all night from watching you dance with all those other gals. We think there should be a payoff for all that teasing.” He squeezed her arm harder as if driving the point home.
“And if I say no?” Anger warred with the fear, as she recalled her self-defense training and centered herself.
Hatch eyed her like a shark looking at its next meal and cupped her chin, his fingers smelling of gasoline or some other chemical. “Sugar, I’ve seen over the years that when a woman says no what she really means is that maybe I’ve gotta work a little harder. We’re in the mood for a fuck and we already know that you like it with more than one man. Relax and let it happen. I’ll bet you wind up liking us just fine.” To one of his friends he said, “Go start the truck.”
It was now or never. She wasn’t going anywhere with them. “I’m warning you, Hatch. I’m saying no and I mean no.” The element of surprise wouldn’t last long but she might be able to get back to the front of the club where someone would see.
Hatch smirked again and motioned with his chin for the cowboy to get moving. Gwen caught him off guard, nailing him on the instep hard enough to break bone with the high heel of her Lucchese boots, and a howl of pain erupted from him. She twisted slightly, and plunged her elbow as hard as she could into the other cowboy’s diaphragm, causing a pained gasp to explode from him.
They let go of her to clutch their injuries and Gwen turned to Hatch, who lunged furiously at her. Surprise filled his expression as she went on the offensive, barreling into him instead of running away.
He twisted just as she tried to knee him in the nuts, catching him at his quadriceps instead. It evidently still hurt like hell because he toppled, taking her with him, smacking her elbow against the concrete. He grabbed hold of her as she tried to scoot out of his reach.