Gwen and Julián joined Chris and listened to Patrick. “I found him sitting in the truck with the door open even though it’s pouring rain outside. I took the keys from him.” He placed the key ring in Lucy’s hand.
“Was he planning to just leave us here?” Lucy asked, incredulity obvious in her tone as she looked down at the key ring.
“No, at least I don’t think so. I think he was trying to decide what to do. He looked…”
“Looked—what? He looked like what?”
“He looked how I felt when I discovered publicly that my ex-wife had cheated on me. He looked devastated.” He finally met Summer’s gaze. “Remember?”
Summer nodded. “I’ll never forget. But remember, something good came from that. You have Patrick Jr. thanks to a little help from these two hard-asses, and you got free of a woman who made you miserable. And you’re here with us.” Glancing at Lucy, she added, “That’s a very good thing, I think.”
Lucy looked down at the key ring as she fingered each key. “Can you go talk to him? See if he’ll come inside?”
“He wouldn’t talk to me. It was almost like he couldn’t hear me. Luce, he was—” Patrick looked around and didn’t finish his thought but seemed to be speaking to himself. “He’s too proud.”
“What if I go talk to him—Wait, what the hell is this?”
Gwen squinted at an item attached to the key ring as Lucy held it up. “Is that a ring?”
Lucy separated it from the rest and held it up to show Patrick but he shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve seen it on there but he’s never said a word about it.”
Lucy put the set of keys in her pocket. “Why would someone keep a diamond engagement ring on a key ring? I’m going to check on him.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Luce. You may just get more of what he gave you earlier…even though I don’t think he really intended to hurt your feelings. This is all tied up in whoever was on the other end of that call. That much was clear from the look on his face. He was hurting.”
Lucy was up and out of her seat the moment the last three words came from his mouth. She grabbed her umbrella. “I’ll be right back.” The worry was obvious on her face and Gwen felt bad for her. The three of them clearly had issues to work through.
At Christmas Eve, she’d thought maybe Lucy and Patrick had gotten together, but now wasn’t sure if any of them were together…yet. Beck was hard to decipher. He was lucky to have friends who cared that much. Gwen wondered if they’d ever be anything more.
She came back in a minute later, looking more worried. Patrick frowned and asked, “Was he an asshole to you?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s gone. The truck is there but he’s gone. It’s like a monsoon out there…and he’s out in it.” She reached for Patrick and he put his arms around her in a full embrace, unlike the “just friends” arm around the shoulders that they’d shared earlier. She spoke softly to him.
Patrick nodded and said, “Of course.” They put on their coats, grabbed Beck’s beat-up denim jacket, and said their good-nights.
Jayne turned to Seth and leaned against him. “I hope everything’s all right. Beck is moody and all but I’ve never seen him so…brusque, especially with women. Although…”
Seth, who hadn’t said much all evening, gave her a half smile and said, “They seem to bring out the worst in each other, don’t they?” as he pushed a lock of her reddish brown hair from her cheek. “Why don’t we go relieve your mom of babysitting duty? I’m sure Toby wore her out tonight.”
Jayne nodded and they said their good-nights. Julián looked from Chris to Gwen and raised an eyebrow. “Want to call it a night?”
Gwen pulled them close and whispered, “Yes, but I’m hungry.”
“Hungry? What are you hungry for?”
The fire that had been simmering inside her all night long flamed a bit higher as she replied, “A cowboy sandwich with me in the middle.” As if responding to the heat in their eyes, the flames within roared to a blaze. Her knees went a little weak at the way they smiled at her with intent in their eyes. They helped her with her coat and hustled her out of the nightclub.
Julián tossed Chris the keys and said, “You drive, I’ll warm her up.”
“Hell, why didn’t I think of that?”
Chapter Twenty
Gwen pulled them to a stop as they walked toward the front door. “Wait. We have two vehicles here tonight.” Chris looked like she’d kicked his puppy. “Sorry, guys. I’m not leaving my truck here overnight.”
Chris held out his hand. “Give me your keys and I’ll drive it home. You can ride with Julián.”
Gwen shook her head. “The gas pedal is touchy. I’ll follow you home.”
“Darlin’—”
“I’ll be there before you know it. I just need to warm the engine up and I’ll be on my way.”
Chris said, “Then we’ll walk you to the truck.”
“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.
Praying that her men were still in the parking lot, waiting for her at her truck, she put two fingers to her mouth. The whistle that emitted from her was so shrill and sharp, it pained her ears. Hatch cringed but grabbed her by the hair as she whistled even louder the second time, and tried to swing her head against the sidewalk. She grabbed hold of his shirtfront, scratching and fighting like a wildcat.
She heard running steps and hoped that meant that either her other two would-be assailants were fleeing the scene or someone was coming to help her. Hopefully both.
“Help me!”
Evidently, Hatch wasn’t used to women who knew how to defend themselves and he grunted and rolled when she used his own momentum to propel herself on top of him and her knee connected with his family jewels. Releasing her with a howl, Hatch rolled to his side, clutching himself in pain.
“Gwen!”
“Darlin’! Holy shit, honey!”
Relief filled her when both of her men ran to her as she plopped back onto her ass on the cold, wet sidewalk. Adrenaline raced through her, making her jittery as she watched Hatch roll in agony.
Noticing that she was revealing quite a bit of skin, she pushed the hem of her dress down and scowled when she saw the black scuff on her new boots. Son of a bitch! She planted her boot heel in Hatch’s butt as Julián and Chris helped her to stand. “When I said no I meant it!”
She would’ve stomped him one last time for good measure as people from the club came running, but Julián pulled her back in time.
“Easy there, tiger,” he whispered. She looked down at Hatch and figured she’d made her point as he turned green and looked ready to puke. Julián pulled out his phone and dialed 911.
Chris’s jaw was rigid like iron as he fisted Hatch’s shirtfront and lifted him clear off the ground. “Chickenshit motherfucker, let’s see you pick on someone your own size.”
Gwen wisely didn’t point out that few men were Chris’s size. He looked pissed.
Hatch groaned. “Fucking prick tease, she attacked me.”
Chris shook him by his shirtfront so his head bobbled back and forth. “Really? A little five-foot-four-inch cowgirl beat you up. That’s really the story you’re telling the sheriff when he gets here?”
Gwen chose not to point out that in actuality she had…or at least she’d defended herself to the point that her attacker was incapacitated. She hoped Chris didn’t get in trouble for manhandling Hatch as he gave him one more good shake.
“You were thinking with your dick—or dicks. We both saw your buddies running away from here. Actually, they were limping.” He glanced at Gwen. “Well done, darlin’. You okay?”
The jitters got the better of her and her knees started knocking together. She was on the verge of nodding, like the modern, self-sufficient girl that she was, but shook her head negatively instead. Her elbow began to throb. “No, I’m not okay.”
Chris dropped Hatch like a sack of potatoes and left him where he landed to go to her. It was over now, and she could relax knowing that nothing bad would happen to her, but her eyes still flooded with tears as he wrapped his big, gentle arms around her and blocked out the world.
“See?” she asked softly, a sob sneaking out without warning.
“See what, darlin’?”
“You’re my woobie.”
He pressed his lips to her head and she felt him nod. “I’m your woobie, darlin’.” He squeezed her and she felt a faint tremble in his body.
Nightclub patrons must’ve alerted Ethan to what was going on outside and he came running to see if they needed help right as Hank Stinson showed up. By this point, Hatch had regained the power of speech and alternated between blaming Gwen and denying everything. Hank shared a look with Ethan who nodded and pointed at the camera located on a security light nearby, and the camera located under the eaves of the nightclub building.
“All we was doing was inviting her to go someplace more private.”
“There’s a big difference between inviting and forcing. I told you ‘no’ four different times and then you tried to force me into your truck.”
Looking disgusted, Hank said, “It’d look better if you just told the truth, Dunlap. Wonder what your poor elderly Aunt Gladys will think of this?”
Hatch said, “I want my lawyer.”
Hank shook his head in disgust and walked over to where she stood with Chris. Hank peered at Gwen with concern filling his eyes. “You okay?”
From the shelter of Chris’s arms, she gazed up at Divine’s serious, gray-eyed sheriff. “I’ve been better. I want to press charges. I can identify the other two men. They were the same ones that came to Wilbur’s ranch a few weeks ago. The three of them intended to rape me.”
Hank nodded thoughtfully. “I’m real glad you knew self-defense techniques. I wish all the women in this town did. It wouldn’t make my job any easier but I’d worry less about all of them.”
The way he said it didn’t make her feel like she was being talked down to. He said it like worrying about them really made him lose sleep at night. The deputy riding with Hank called out to him and lifted the radio handset, signaling that he was needed.
Gwen laid her cheek against Chris’s chest and sighed in relief when Julián came to her and pressed against her back, warming her from that side. She shivered and Julián said, “We need to get you inside where it’s warm, love.”
Hank walked back over to them. “Gwen, I agree. You’re practically turning blue. Why don’t y’all get her home? I’ll take Dunlap in and you can come to the station in the morning. Ethan, I need that disk, if you don’t mind.”
She didn’t argue when Chris helped her into the passenger seat of Julián’s truck and held his hand out for her keys. “You may have to feather the gas pedal. And let her warm up for a few minutes. And the windshield wipers only run on the high setting. And—”
Chris cut her off with a kiss. “I’ll get your truck home safe, darlin’.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
At the ranch house, they got her inside out of the rain and turned up the heater in the house a couple of degrees.
“Let’s get her undressed and let her soak in the tub for a few minutes,” Julián said, as he removed her coat.
Her teeth chattered as she said, “I w–was going t–to d–do a s–sexy s–striptease for you. Or at least I h–hoped it was g–gonna be a sexy striptease.”
In the bathroom, Chris rubbed her arms and said, “I have hot memories of stripping you down to your sexy striped socks in the barn t
o tide me over. Right now, you’re turning blue and need to get into the tub. Damn,” he growled deep, drawing the word out as Julián gathered up her hem and lifted her dress up her body, revealing her lingerie.
She raised her arms and gasped when she felt Chris’s hot hands roam over her torso. “Surprise.”
Once the dress was off, she turned so they could see the front and back of the sassy black and white bustier that was covered with sparkles to match the thong panties she was wearing.
Chris bit his lip and made an appreciative noise in his throat. “When I put my arms around you, I knew you had something different on under your dress and I’ve been wondering all night.” As she turned, he said, “Look at that,” as he ran his fingertips down the intricate corset lace enclosure that ran down the back. “Did you lace yourself into this tonight?”
Gwen shook her head and turned to face him as she unhooked the hidden seam in the front. “Nope, it has easy access.”
Julián chuckled and helped her when her fingers shook a little. “You look beautiful in it, love.”
“Yeah, black, white, and b–blue.”
She moaned in relief as they helped her into the tub. “I don’t know why I’m like this. It was raining outside and windy but it’s not like it was below freezing or anything. I can’t stop shaking.”
Julián sat on the edge of the tub and used his hand to pour water over her shoulders. “Probably shock or the adrenaline overload. Just sit and get warmed up.”
Gwen smiled at him. “M–Might help if you joined me. I’m still on board for our plans tonight if you still want to.”
The men glanced at each other and Gwen giggled as Chris started shucking clothes and they went flying through the air.
Julián squatted down by her shoulder outside the tub. “You’ve been through a lot tonight, Gwen.”
She drew a dripping finger down his cheekbone, to the stubble on his jawline. “I don’t want this Valentine’s night to be memorable because I was nearly assaulted. When I think back on this night, I want it to be a sexy memory filled with happiness and joy and—” She couldn’t say it, even though she felt it. Love. I love them. She didn’t want to be reminded that her time in Divine was nearing its end, even if she didn’t want it to.
Tangled in Divine [Divine Creek Ranch 14] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 30