Page 5 of The Drag Race Debutante & the Detectives
“We don’t want to kill you, Shane,” Eric said. “But if you don’t let go of our girl, we will.”
The man behind her tsked at them as if they were naughty children, and she could almost hear the grin in his deep voice as he spoke, “Now, now, there’s no need for that. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Behind you!” Emily shouted, but it was too late. Two men appeared out of the crowd and pointed their own guns at Eric and Dane. “No!” She struggled against her captor, wincing against the pain in her scalp as her hair pulled taut. “Let me go, you sonofabitch! Leave them alone!”
“Oh, you’re a feisty one. I like that.” Then the scumbag leaned down and spoke softly, intimately in her ear, making her shudder. “But you’re also a naughty girl, aren’t you? Going on a date with my little brother when you’re obviously with these two idiots?” He chuckled and slid his hand lower. Her stomach roiled. He raised his voice. “It’s a good thing for you I like naughty girls more than I like my brother.”
“Come on, man,” his brother whined from somewhere behind them.
Keeping her gaze glued to Eric and Dane, she calmed her breathing and tried to focus. With guns trained on them, they were in no position to help her. She had to help herself. And when she felt Shane let go of her hair and slide his hand over her shoulder, she took her chance and used another move Karen had taught her in self-defence.
Latching both of her hands around Shane’s wrist, Emily yanked his hand away from her belly and twisted to the side, ducked under his arm and heaved it upwards, forcing him to bend over, then kicked the back of his leg so he fell to his knees. Then she grabbed his thick fingers and yanked them backwards until he cried out.
“Leave them alone or I’ll break your fingers,” she snarled, the lingering pain in her scalp fuelling her temper. He grunted in pain but said nothing, so she began twisting his digits. “Do it. Now. Or you can try changing gears with a busted hand.”
The arsehole craned his neck to look up at her, pure hatred written across his face, but his gaze still held a hint of lust. “You’re so fucking hot.” Her lip curled in disgust as he stared at her and licked his lips. “Do as she says,” he barked at his cronies, and a moment later Eric was by her side, his weapon tucked safely away, and Dane pressed his gun to Shane’s temple.
“You can let go now, kitten,” Eric said, coaxing her into his arms.
“Give me a reason,” Dane growled, but Eric shook his head.
“Leave it. Let’s take her home.”
A moment later, Dane had sheathed his weapon and joined his brother in herding Emily away from the danger. Heart pounding and hands shaking, she pressed her face into Eric’s chest and breathed him in, the scent of him soothing her now that the adrenaline of the moment was wearing off. Had that really just happened? Had she actually threatened to break the fingers of a criminal?
“I can’t believe that actually worked,” she murmured, her knees threatening to give out beneath her as they led her away.
Emily had threatened a criminal. That was a thing that had actually happened. Obviously she was suffering from temporary insanity. But she didn’t want to think about it. She wanted to go home, take a long hot bath, and have a bloody good cry. But just when she thought the night couldn’t get any worse, she heard Shane chuckle then raise his voice.
“Oh come on, don’t run away,” he said. They turned in time to see him levering to his feet and dusting himself off. “I thought you wanted to race. Isn’t that why you agreed to go on a date with my shithead little brother?”
“Hey! I’m standing right here,” Matthew said, gingerly probing at the bruise slowly taking shape on his cheek where she’d hit him.
His brother ignored him and grinned at Emily. “What do you say, cutie? Wanna race me?”
Eric’s arm tightened around her, a warning to keep quiet and let him do the talking. “No,” he said, the word landing with finality.
But Shane was undeterred. “I wasn’t asking you.”
A chorus of laughter and wooing erupted around them.
A challenge had been issued.
Emily looked up at Eric, then Dane. They were both glaring at Shane and the small crowd gathering around them, their brief yet violent interaction obviously of more interest than the hotted up Monaros and Mustangs they’d come out to see.
Inwardly, she cringed. She didn’t know exactly what it was the Walker brothers were there to do, but she knew they were there to work, and knew she was screwing everything up for them. They were undercover for fuck’s sake. The last thing they needed was an audience.
Or an idiot girl putting her foot in it at every given opportunity.
But… if there was even a slim chance she could put things right….
She turned her back to the crowd. “Would it help?” she said, keeping her voice quiet so only Eric and Dane would hear her.
“What?”
“If I raced him. Would it help?”
“No,” Eric said at the same time Dane said, “Maybe.”
