The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake(48)

She pressed her lips together and turned to face the three strangers. “I take it the three of you are friends of Creek?”

“We’re his best friends. And we know he messed up but…”

“I can handle my own problems,” Creek said from the doorway and he stormed into the shop. “Go away.”

Violet cringed back, not allowing her eyes to look in Creek’s direction.

“Want us to beat him up?” Knox asked gently, referring to Creek.

Violet couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped. She had no idea if he’d meant to be funny or if he was serious, but she appreciated the offer. “No. I don’t think that violence is a good idea in any situation.”

Tucker leaned closer, a teasing light in his eyes. “I liked your slap yesterday though. Perfectly timed!” He moved back with a chuckle when Creek glared at him.

“Get out,” Creek commanded again.

The three men turned and formed a wall, protecting Violet. “Not happening. Not until you apologize for what you assumed about Violet,” Saeger told him and all three men crossed their arms over their massive chests. Three mountains and Violet could no longer see Creek. She muffled her laugh but she felt a hysterical bubble rising up. It was all so ridiculous. The past twenty-four hours…no, the past week, had been a visit to hell and all she wanted to do was to travel back in time.

Creek glared at his friends, his hands curling into fists. “I’ll take you all on,” he warned them. “Don’t go there.”

“We’re not leaving Violet alone unless she’s okay with it.”

Knox turned around, looking down at her. “Do you want to talk to him?”

Violet thought about it for a long moment. “No. I don’t.” She walked to the other side, away from the wall of mountain men. “Creek, you need to leave. I don’t want to…” she was going to say something, but the three men moved in front of her. She almost laughed again. “Gentlemen, you’re very sweet protecting me like this, but I can…”

“He hurt your feelings, Violet,” Tucker said, and growled as he turned around to glare at Creek again. “There are very few women in the world that are as sweet and kind as you are, and we’re not letting anyone hurt you. We decided.”

Creek couldn’t believe his friends had turned on him like this. Hadn’t they just been telling him that he’d have to fix this last night? “Get out of my way and I’ll make things right with her.”

“Not unless she says it is okay,” Saeger explained.

Violet laughed this time and she couldn’t stop the sound from escaping. “I’m fine, gentlemen. I can handle this.”

All three men turned to look down at her. But they accepted her word and walked out. “We’re right outside if you need help,” Knox cautioned.

She looked at him with a smile and thanked him. “I’ll be fine. I won’t let him hurt me again.”

Knox looked at her carefully, and nodded. When only Violet and Creek were left in the store, Creek looked at her and started to move closer.

“Don’t!” she said and held up her hand, stepping back from him. “I don’t want you coming any closer. In fact, I think you should just turn around and leave. I think we’ve said all that we need to say to each other.”

“No. We’re not finished.”

She shook her head. “We’re done.”

Creek watched her for a long moment, debating. “You’re obviously not ready to hear what I have to say, Violet, so I’m going to leave today. But very soon, you’re going to listen. I hurt you. I know this. And I was completely wrong. But eventually, you’re going to listen to me. I’ll explain, you’ll cry and I’ll hold you in my arms and maybe, eventually, you can understand why I believed such a thing about you. And maybe a long time after that, you’ll forgive me and we can start over.”

Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the shop. He didn’t wait for his friends, but he threw his leg over his motorcycle, stomped on the ignition and sped off down the street.

Violet wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged herself, trying to stop the ache inside of her. Forgive him? No. She doubted that she’d ever forgive him for what he’d believe she could do.

The three large men stepped back into her shop. “You okay?” Tucker asked, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Violet looked at all of them, blinking back the tears. “I’ll be fine,” she whispered to them.

None of them believed her, but they couldn’t argue with her either.