Page 163 of Hate Me

He stepped up to me, eyes drawn to my cleavage visible in my white lacy tank with my blue leather jacket only zipped up halfway. “Actually, while you’re here, how about you take the edge off for me?” He reached for his belt and started unbuckling it. “You’re in for a treat. Get on your knees and I won’t hurt you, and I’ll make damn sure Billy won’t either. Yeah? Open that pretty mouth for me?”

Jeez. Ashley’s ex obviously wasn’t the only one high out of his mind. Who the hell came onto somebody like this, in this sort of situation?

“How about you open yours, sweet cheeks?”

Stupefaction filled his features. “What the—”

I swung, my fist plowing into the side of his face, making his head snap to the side.

As he wavered, I delivered another blow, this time an uppercut, then spun into him, snagged his elbow and hooked his knee, ripping his leg out from under him.

He went down hard and screamed as I wrenched his arm, still holding onto it even as he fell. I slammed my boot down onto his diaphragm, making him choke and struggle for breath, as I leaned in and grasped his jaw, forcing his mouth open.

“Like I said, you piece of shit,” I growled.

I released him roughly, then thrust my boot into his face, knocking him out cold.

And then I rushed into the bathroom to see Bastian finishing off Ashley’s ex, fisting his hand in the back of his hair, then smashing his face into the towel rail and knocking him out.

As he collapsed onto the tiled floor in a heap, we both turned to take in Ashley who was huddled in the corner by the toilet, one eye swollen and her arm bloodied, likely from all the glass. She was just in a pair of small pajama shorts and a strappy top, so I grabbed a fluffy robe from the hook on the back of the door and draped it over her as Bastian crouched down in front of her.

She smiled up at me. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“It’s over now,” Bastian told her. “He won’t be bothering you again, you have my word.”

“Thank you so much for coming. I’m sorry I dragged you into this, Sebastian.”

He smiled and took her hand. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

Her eyes shone. “Yeah.” She looked out at me. “Are you… you’re Skylar Bennett?”

“That’s me.”

She gestured between us, then said to Bastian, “Told you it could be worked out. Got your girl back. I’m glad.” She grinned out at me. “He was lost without you.”

“Hey, lost is a bit of an exaggeration.”

I chuckled.

Bastian helped her to her feet and we led her out of the bathroom. “Let me make a call. I’ll get a medic in here to take a look at your arm, and a couple of Caspian’s guys to secure those assholes and this place.”

“Thank you,” she said, clinging to him. “So much. Both of you.”

Bastian rubbed her back and comforted her, smiling out at me.

I smiled back and winked at him.

“I need a smoke on the balcony,” she said, pulling away.

As she headed off shakily to do that, Bastian pulled out his phone. He stilled for a moment as he took in my opponent. “Nicely done as always.” His eyes hooded. “Fucking hot too.”

I waved him off. Now really wasn’t the time. Although, violence and fucking were my jam, so it was just as hard for me as it was for him to deny the latter. I knew what we’d be doing for the rest of the night now until we heard from Caspian and Caleb.

He grinned and sent the necessary texts.

Caspian’s empire was stretched thin tonight, but Bastian still got a response just a few moments later.

---