Page 64 of Hidden Ascent

She checked the door where Jay had disappeared. If he didn’t come back out soon, she’d have to go in and get him.

“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.”

He leaned closer. “You kept pushing me away, remember? You kept telling me you weren’t interested, but then you signaled to me to follow you into the girl’s bathroom that day.”

“You stalked Rita into the bathroom? Did she call the police?”

“No,youdidn’t call the police. You loved it. You told me so. There’s no way you could forget. You have to be pullin’ my leg.”

“I’m sorry, but you definitely have the wrong person.”

“No, it was you. I wouldn’t forget a face like yours. You were smokin’ hot. Still are.”

Isla slid off the stool. She’d had enough. “If it had been me, I would have sent you to jail with broken bones. Now, I’ve got better things to do. Excuse me.”

She’d have to wait outside until it was time to make a move if necessary. She couldn’t risk the attention, even if it meant doing what Jay had told her.

Mason grabbed her arm. “You can’t go. I bought you a drink, and you haven’t touched it.”

“I told you I didn’t want it.” She pulled her arm from his grasp and pushed through the crowd until she felt a yank on her hair. It was hard enough to hurt.

She turned to face Mason, who stood with his chest out, spreading his shoulders as wide as they’d go. He was a big guy and took up a lot of space.

“I didn’t say you could go, Rita. Now sit down and drink your wine.”

She looked at the surrounding crowd, who were paying close attention, but no one was interfering. What was it about her that no one wanted to help her when she was in trouble? So much for a good citizen stepping into her rescue. Not that she couldn’t handle herself, but she was supposed to come in here unnoticed.

She used her finger to beckon Mason closer. He obeyed, and she said, “If you touch me again, you’ll regret it.”

He snickered. “I doubt that very much.”

She was desperate to punch the self-satisfied look off his face, but she had to let it go.

“This is your last chance. I’m going to walk out that door, and you’re going to stay right where you are. Do you understand?”

“Sure.” He picked at his tooth with his fingernail.

“Good.”

She took another second to stare him down and make sure he grasped the seriousness of the situation, then turned and headed for the door.

An arm slid around her waist as he pulled her against him.

She looked down to see his giant forearm across her stomach. This was not how things were supposed to go.

He let her take his hand, only because he didn’t know why she did it.

After prying his fingers backward, he let her go with a howl before she twisted to face him, then she slammed the heel of her hand into his nose.

He staggered back into the bar with his hands pressed against his face, but she couldn’t leave him standing and risk him following her out, so she advanced on him and kneed him in the groin before shoving him backward. He knocked several people over as he went down.

It would take him time to rise, and if Jay came out, she couldn’t let him discover who had caused all the commotion.

She turned to escape and got as far as the end of the bar before a hand grabbed her arm.

The punch she let fly was more because of the apprehension of being found out by Jay than a fear of Mason attacking again. But the man she punched wasn’t Mason. Judging by his black T-shirt, cropped hair, and the fact that he was expecting her punch and dodged it, he was a bouncer.

He grabbed her arm and twisted it around her back to restrain her.

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