Page 63 of Beautiful Beast

“I’m the guy who’s about to end your life if you don’t let her go.”

But my savior doesn’t wait for the jerk to comply. His eyes drop to where Kevin’s hand is still touching me, and then his fist cracks into Kevin’s face, making him crumple and drop to the floor like a ragdoll.

He’s about to rush him when I set a hand on his shoulder, wait for him to look at me, and shake my head no. There’s no point in letting the situation escalate further.

I’m so stunned that my mouth is actually hanging open. The guy I don’t recognize puts a protective arm across my shoulders and pulls me tight to him, but it doesn’t feel scary.

It’s safe.

He’s safe.

“You okay, Belle?” he asks.

“I… um… yes.”

He takes the phone from my hand and has a quick conversation with Adam, which consists of him promising that I’m okay and that he’ll take me straight home.

When Adam said that he was sending a car, I kind of pictured a limo and not Rambo.

“I’m Eric Briggs.”

“Nice to… to… meet you.”

“Come with me.”

He drops his arm to loop it gently around my waist and directs me toward the exit. “Do you have everything you brought here?”

I didn’t bring my purse, so I just nod and let him direct me into his Suburban, sending a quick text to Ariel when I’m settled in the passenger seat.

“Who are you?” I ask, when he gets into the driver’s side.

“Adam’s best friend.”

“I figured. So, I can ask you a million questions about him and you’ll tell me everything I want to know?”

He laughs, the tension easing from his body now that his mission is complete. He navigates the vehicle on the street and starts driving toward my place.

“Yeah. I know some stuff.”

“Oh, Adam didn’t think this plan through.”

Eric turns and smiles at me. “He was worried about you. I guess he thought it was worth the calculated risk of me spilling all his secrets.”

“I’m glad. And I’m so grateful to you both. Thank you. I don’t have a lot of experience being at clubs.”

“Whether it’s a club or not, a man doesn’t have the right to put his hands on you unless there’s consent. If he sees a girl with a nice ass on the street, he wouldn’t just go grab her. But in a club with a few beers in them and all these dudes become invincible with the right to touch anyone they want.”

“I agree. I hate going.”

He shrugs a massive shoulder. “I gave up those places a long time ago. But I’m older than you.”

“Older than dirt like Adam?”

He laughs again. “Yeah, something like that.”

I think about asking him to come upstairs for coffee, but I wonder if he’ll think that I’m hitting on him. Surely, he would know that I wouldn’t do something so shitty to Adam.

But Eric might have a girlfriend to get back home to, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to spend any more time with the girl who he was dragged out of his house to go save.

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