Page 34 of Dangerous Pursuit

He grabs me under my armpit and lifts me out of my chair. “Come here, baby, let’s get to know each other a little better.” The others just sit back and watch as he pulls me into him.

“I have a boyfriend,” I say, trying to stop him before he goes further.

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Come on now, you give me what I want, and I’ll let you finish the game. Or are you shy and want me to take you somewhere private?” He’s holding me tight and starting to lean in.

“No, I don’t.” I’m not sure what “causing problems” looks like, but I’d say it might be when I try to shove him away only to receive a slap in the face for my efforts. It’s so hard that my eyes instantly tear up from the pain.

“Listen, bitch, we were told you’d be good to us if we let you in. Now prove it. I was only going to have a taste, but I think I want the whole meal now.”

He spins me around sharply and bends me over the table, holding my back down while he fumbles with my button and zipper, ignoring my protests. He starts grinding into me with his crotch, and panic sets in as the tears start while I struggle to get free.

When I almost lose hope, shouting can be heard from the entrance. All heads swivel, and even though I can’t move mine, I recognize one of the voices. I never thought I’d be as happy as I am right now to hear it.

“You want to take your hands off my girl, motherfucker?”

I’m released immediately, and from over my shoulder, see the guy stepping back with his hands up.His girl?

“No harm done, man. We didn’t know she was taken—we thought she was here for some fun, is all.”

I turn to see Jackson walking toward us in utter rage. I’m afraid he might kill someone when I notice there’s a guy behind him who looks just as intimidating. He steps forward, pushing the guy who held me down away before Jackson has a chance to get his hands on him.

He pauses for a few heartbeats, taking in the sight of me before enveloping me into his chest. Without any hesitation, I wrap my arms around his waist and cling to him, letting the tears flow while I catch my breath.

That was too close. What is he doing here? What if Frank and Jay find out? What if hehadn’tshown up? What do I do now? I’m going into panic mode.

“Breathe, Mia. I’ve got you. You’re okay, now.” His whispered words calm me as he holds me tight and caresses my hair, rubbing my back with soothing strokes. I hear the others talking in the background but am too unhinged to pay attention to anything being said.

“What are you doing here?” I mumble into his chest, realizing this is the one question burning above all others.

He continues to hold me, running his hand over my back. “Shhh. We’ll talk when we get you out of here. How are you doing?”

I lift my head to look around. The guy who shoved me down and the man who came in with Jackson are gone. The others are waiting to play, and I’m not sure what to do. All I want is to go home, crawl into bed, and forget this night ever happened.

“I… I don’t know what to do.” A whisper is all I manage, but Jackson hears me. He’s staring down at me, rubbing my cheek, where I’m sure it’s red, and wiping the tears from my eyes.

“Can I get you out of here?” he asks gently.

“I guess so. Or… I don’t know. There are only four players left. I could just finish. I don’t want to lose my money.” It’s not an option to lose it after the rest was taken.

“Do you want me to get your buy-in back so you can leave, or do you want to finish? I’ll stay if that’s what you want.” Why is he being so nice to me? And because I’m half delusional, I ended up asking that out loud.

“Answer my question first, Mia. Do you want to stay?” I’m not sure how he manages, but somehow, his question is both soft and firm at the same time, compelling me to respond.

I shake my head.

He doesn’t hesitate. “What do you guys think about giving Mia here her money back to make up for the trouble and finish your game without her?” They start to balk, but he adds, “Unless you’ve already forgotten that she’s a better player than all of you combined and will no doubt be taking all your money if she stays.”

At that, they shut up and agree to his suggestion.

Jackson stays glued to my side, his arm wrapped protectively around me as he walks us to the entrance, where I’m given my money back. We step outside, and I recoil into Jackson atseeing another man waiting on the sidewalk. He squeezes me in reassurance.

“I got it from here. Thanks for waiting,” Jackson tells him. I look up and recognize the man who arrived with him.

“You got it. I’ll follow up in the morning.” He salutes, then stands in place as he watches Jackson lead me to his car.

I’m not sure what to say or how to act, and I can’t wrap my brain around what just happened or is currently happening. My mind is numb as he opens the passenger door and helps me in before walking to the other side. I take a deep breath before he enters, still trying to calm my nerves. He gets in and does the same. We sit in silence as I stare down at my hands, one squeezing the fingers of the other.

He turns toward me and pries them apart, slowly bringing one to his lips and holding it there with his eyes closed. He remains that way, taking deep breaths before finally opening and looking at me. My heart is pounding from the intensity of his stare.

---