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No. I wouldnot allow myself to shut down. I closed my eyes as I inhaled deeplyand exhaled slowly. Thinking of the first night Damon had led methrough the breathing practice. In and out. In and out. I pretendedhe was in front of me as I calmed myself enough to thinkstraight.
When I opened myeyes again, I found an opening in the bodies that would lead me tomy salvation, and I pushed for it. I finally made it out of thecrowd and looked around at the lounge area I found myself in. Thicksmoke permeated the air, making it hard to see anything. There wereat least five couches in this room alone and they were all full.Young adults were piled on top of one another, kissing andrubbing.
The music abruptlycut off as I finally saw what I was looking for.
A pair of redConverse shoes jutted out from the side of one of the couches in adark corner. I watched in disbelief as the bulky body on top of myniece ground down on her through their clothing. I couldn’t seetheir faces, but I knew by the angle of his body that they weremaking out heavily.
Most of the peoplehad stopped what they were doing after the music cut off, but theguy on top of Lindsey didn’t halt his explorations. I watched hishand dip to her inner thigh as she pushed at his chest.
“What’s going on?Let me up so I can see. Stop,” she said as she pushed himharder.
“Come on, baby,” hisvoice muttered against her before he gripped her more firmly.
“No, stop,” shegrunted as she tried to move away from him.
That’s when Isnapped.
I saw red as I tooktwo big strides toward the asshole taking advantage of my niece. Igripped the back of his shirt and used all my strength to pull himoff of her. His face registered shock as he was thrown back butquickly turned to anger.
“What the fuck isyour deal, lady?” He loomed over me. He had at least a foot on mebut wasn’t nearly as bulky as some of his other frat brothers whostood around the room. He stared down at me harshly as if he wastrying to intimidate me. I balled my fists at my side as I got inhis face. My fingernails dug into my palm so hard I was sure Ibroke the skin.
“When someone saysstop, it means stop. Get the fuck away from her,” I seethed.
He looked around theroom before he smirked at me. “She didn’t want me to stop. Back thefuck up.”
I saw Damon out ofthe corner of my eye as he reached the doorway but it was too late.I smiled at the asshole in front of me, reared back, and punchedthe kid straight in the nose. Pain exploded across my hand as Iheard the sickening crunch of his nose breaking and immediately sawblood before he covered it with a long howl. He doubled over as heheld the broken appendage. I shook my hand out as he stared back upat me, pain glowing in his eyes.
“You fucking bitch!”he bellowed.
Despite my handthrobbing, I smiled at him before kneeling down in his face. “Maybenext time you’ll think twice before forcing yourself on someone,” Itaunted.
“Aunt Jill?” afamiliar voice came from in front of me.
I looked up fromLoverboy to see Lindsey standing in the doorway beside her mom.Heath and Reid both looming over the girls protectively. Theylooked over the scene I’d created with worried eyes.
Confusion marred mybrow as I looked at my niece. She wasn’t wearing red Converse underher black dress. Realization dawned on me as I turned to face thegirl I thought was Lindsey.
There on the couchsat a girl who looked to be Lindsey’s age, but that was where thesimilarities stopped. She was a thin little thing with mousey browneyes and short purple hair. She wore a black dress similar toLindsey’s and red Converse on her feet.
The room was sosilent, you could hear a pin drop as Lindsey and Kate came to myside.
“This is myroommate, Anna.” Lindsey’s quiet voice sounded so loud in myears.
Anna fixed her dressas she stood from the couch. “Thanks, he was getting prettyhandsy.” she offered with a shy smile.
I closed my eyes asembarrassment washed over me. I glanced back at the now recoveringboy I had popped in the nose and then at my niece.
“So, this isn’tBen?” I cringed as Lyns shook her head no.
“Who the fuck isBen?” the handsy frat boy asked. He stood back up to his fullheight, blood still dripping from his nose. “You know what, I don’tgive a shit. You’re about to find out who the fuck I am,” hethreatened as he stepped toward me.
I readied to defendmyself but before I could kick this guy’s balls into his throat,Damon stepped between us and towered over the kid. If I thought thefrat guy was big before, he paled in comparison to Damon. At leastthe boy had enough smarts to look submissive when he took in hissize.
Damon pulled out hisbadge and flashed it around the room. “I suggest anyone who doesn’twant me to start arresting people on multiple charges, includingsexual assault”—he hovered over MisterTough Guy, glaring down at him—”needs toget the fuck out of here …now!” His voice boomed throughthe house and kids scattered every which way.
Before I knew it,the room was empty, except for the seven of us. Watching Damon ashe commanded the room left me speechless. That would have been wayeasier than the way I did it. Next time I would wait for him tocome in with me. God, I hoped there was never a next time.
Reid strode over tome and took my right hand in his. I winced as he quickly examinedit with a smirk on his face. “Doesn’t look like you broke anything.You may want to ice it when you get home, though. That’s one hellof a right hook you got there, Brookes.” He chuckled as he winkedat me. I felt a slight grin on my face from the compliment. Henodded at Damon before he released my hand and went back to my bestfriend, taking up the opposite side to Heath.
