Page 23 of Vicious Sentiments

“My god,” she breathes, as Julian makes to stand.

“A whore?” he growls.

My heart starts to thump wildly in my chest.

“You want to berate me?” He gets in front of her. “Call me disgusting?” He towers over her. “Fine.” He shrugs with a tight tremor. “But don’t youfuckingdare say a thing about her.” His body goes rigid.

The woman’s voice breaks nervously. “You can’t intimidate me. I’ve dealt with men like you my whole life.”

Julian laughs. “Men like me? I don’t think so.”

A couple of people have turned their chairs to watch the commotion while the woman’s guests have stood and descended the stairs. The wait staff are still congregated near the kitchen door but one of them is now fumbling with a walkie talkie.

If the police get called, will they find out I’m only seventeen? Will Iget sent back to Bridgerock? Will Julian get in trouble for letting me drink the wine?

“I know so.” The woman gets a proper step back and tries to straighten up. “What business do you have with her if not for something nefarious?”

“That would make it my business.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Think what you want. I don’t really care. But you’re going to back the fuck up and shut your mouth.”

“I’ll do no such thing. I’m not going to be scared out of saving a young girl.”

“The girl you just called a whore.”

“That—”

“Do you need saving?” Julian tosses over his shoulder to me, cutting off the woman.

I want to say the only saving I need right now is from this situation but as I try to speak, my mouth goes dry. A large man in all black is bounding up the stairs, eyes set on Julian. My eyes start to burn with tears. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have drank the wine.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The woman swoops nimbly around Julian and is suddenly clutching my arm. “I’ll get you out of here, Dear.”

Her bony fingers are like ice as they dig into my skin and tug at me.

“Are you insane?” Julian yells, spinning around just as quickly. “Get your hands off her.” I can see his neck strain, a vein bulging as he tries to restrain himself. “Don’t make me—”

I’m trying to shrug the woman off, backing against the cool glass, but her nails are sharp and she’s got a tight grip.

Julian is firing away at the security man that’s made it to us. He’s saying something about not hurting a woman, but it’s drowned out by the insistent cooing of the vulture-like lady with a death grip on me.

“We’ll find your parents. Get you out of that dress. He won’t hurt you anymore,” she says.

The tears are blinding my vision as I choke on a sob. I want to tell her Julian doesn’t hurt me, that he actually saved me, that I like the dress, that I don’t want to ever find my parents, but all that comes out is a whimper.

Suddenly, the table is ripped out from its place. The candles and dinnerware go crashing to the floor.

“That’s enough!” Julian booms so loud that I feel the glass behind me vibrate.

The woman freezes, her hand loosening on my arm, and I take the opportunity to wrench it from her, tucking it against my chest. She had grabbed it in the same place that Kyle had and the bruises ache once more. One of my heels has slipped off and my free foot is on the booth, knee up, as I cower against the cold glass.

“You’re lucky you’re a woman.” Julian shoots daggers at her.

The woman is frozen, hunched over near me, eyes wide as the bouncer puts a hand under her elbow. “Time to go,” he says.

For a second, she just stares at Julian, her thin lips pursed and then she rears her head back and spits. It lands right on his cheek.

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