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“Women like you always play hard to get, but we both know this is exactly what you want.” His assault continues as I try in vain to wriggle away.
With each attempt to free myself his grasp on me tightens. The closer we get to the dark hall that leads to the bathroom, the more hopeless this seems. Nobody pays us any mind, and no one sees me struggling to get free or hears my pleas for him to let me go.
Just as we’re about to enter the bathroom, I squeeze my eyes shut, praying that this ends soon so I can run away. Until something slams into the man, ripping him off me, and when I open my eyes, he’s on the ground.
Ryan’s chest is heaving rapidly as he lifts the man by his shirt, ripping it in the process.
“Touch her again, you sick fuck, and I’ll end you. Understand?” He leashes another brutal punch to the man’s face, breaking his nose with an awful crunch. Ryan releases him, and his body makes a thud as it hits the floor again as he groans in drunken pain. Bouncers flank the area.
“Get him the fuck out of here,” Ryan booms, voice undone with fury and they do as he says. He turns to face me with wild eyes. “Are you okay?”
I nod, but I doubt it’s convincing.
“Jesus, Juliet. I went to get the guys when he wouldn’t listen.” Alicia cries out as she shoves through the crowd and wraps me in a hug, her expression panicked. She turns to Ryan. “I told him to fuck off, but he just kept grabbing her. I didn’t know what to do and was trying to find Ant when he disappeared with her! I’m so sorry Ryan.” Her arms recede as Ryan steps back into my space and looks me over.
He lifts my shirt slightly to reveal the red marks in the shape of the man’s fingers, where he dug them into my skin. Darkness takes over his features, and he turns as if he is ready to hunt the man down. “I’m going to fucking kill him,” he growls.
Gareth grabs his bandmate and tries to calm him. “Man, it’s over. They threw him out. The bouncer is waiting outside for the cops. Just relax. Juliet is ok.”
“I want to leave,” I say quietly. I’m not sure that anyone will hear me over the commotion, so I repeat myself. This time much louder. “Please, I want to leave.”
Gareth rushes towards me. “Of course. I’ll call the car. Just come sit down for a minute.”
Ryan already has his phone out, tapping furiously on the touch screen. “Already done. I’m taking her home. Call your own car.” He tells the others, and after hearing the hardness in his voice, no one argues.
“Sure, okay,” Gareth responds. He directs his attention back at me. “I’m so sorry that asshole did this to you. That won’t happen again.”
I nod, unable to form any coherent words at the moment. I allow Ryan to lead me out of the club and into the car waiting outside. I don’t even look at the car as reality goes a bit hazy and I go into shock. But it smells like expensive leather. Ryan gently helps me in the car and buckles my seatbelt for me before walking around to the driver's side. He’s getting in as the engine revs and comes to life.
Once we’d been driving in silence for a while, my thoughts start to slow and I realize I never gave him my address.
“Where are we going?” I ask him, my voice coming out as more of a whisper.
He clenches his jaw. “I just needed to ride around for a bit to calm down. So I don’t go find that prick and fucking kill him.”
I look towards the driver, who is ignoring us completely. “I live in the Chantilly Apartments, off Broadway.”
The driver nods without giving any other indication that he was paying attention to us.
“I’m okay now. I was just scared,” I say, trying to calm him.
Ryan shakes his head. “Why the fuck are you trying to calm me down? You’re the one who just got assaulted.”
He has a point.
“Um, I don’t know. You are just so angry, and I-”
He reaches to check the red marks again, but I stop him. I place my hand over him to prevent him from seeing them. “They’re still going to be there; there’s no point in looking again.”
I leave my hand on his until he finally withdraws it. We ride the rest of the way to my apartment in silence. When we pull up to my building, I expect to exit the car and retreat inside. However, he follows me.
“You don’t have to walk me. I’m okay, I promise. I’m just going to get into my PJs and watch my comfort show, The Bachelor,” I say, trying to force myself to sound sure of the words I’m saying.
He ignores me and proceeds to escort me all the way to my door.
When I reach for my keys, he lets out a deep breath. “I haven’t been that worked up in a while. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
I pause and turn to face him. “Thank you. I forgot to say that earlier.”
