Page 14 of Forget Me Not

“There’ll be no need for that, Butch.” The voice of a stranger comes over my shoulder right before I feel his arm extend around my waist. His strong hand settles on my hip and a shiver runs through me. “Butch is right, though, it is pretty late. Let’s get you home safely.”

I look up to see a set of shiny white teeth smiling down at me. It’s probably the first full set I’ve seen in this run-down town. Drawing in a deep breath, I inhale the scent of cologne and the smell alone flashes dollar signs in front of my eyes. He’s got a few years on me, I'd say at least fifteen—maybe twenty.

I’m led toward the back of the bar, past the jukebox that is blasting out “Fancy” by Reba McEntire.

“I’m Mayor Sandoval. But you can call me Paul,” my new friend says as he continues to usher me out back.

Interesting, my new friend is the mayor? This can either be really good, or really bad.

“Nice to meet you, Paul. I’m Dallas.” I turn to face him and extend my hand in the small space between us.

He places his strong, calloused fingers in mine. “Dallas, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl.” The stench of whiskey rolls off his tongue. It’s strong enough to make me feel intoxicated from just breathing it in.

“Why, thank you,” I say coyly. Is it just me, or is the mayor of this town hitting on me?

I’m certain he is when he doesn’t let go of what was supposed to be a swift shake of our hands. Instead, he lowers our clenched hands until they’re dangling between our close-knit bodies.

“So what’re you doing out this late on a Saturday night?”

I glance up and down the hall we’re walking down, pretending to look for a clock. “Is it really that late?”

“Almost two a.m. Bar’s closing soon.”

I slap a hand over my mouth, pretending to be surprised at the time. “Didn’t realize it was that time already. I was out with some friends and got hungry. Thought I might come get a bite to eat.”

“Tell ya what, I happen to own a restaurant down the road. Why don’t you let me get you some food and take you back home. As the mayor of this town, it’s my duty to see that pretty girls like you get home safely.”

My eyes light up and I bite the corner of my lip. “Aren’t you just the sweetest.”

What Mayor Paul doesn’t know is, I don’t want his food. I want so much more than that. Entering a closed restaurant after hours with the mayor? A cash register full of money? Hell yes! This might be my best payday of all, and I barely had to put in any work.

We step out into the night air and Paul points down the alley. “It’s just a short walk to the right.”

I roll my shoulders, smiling from ear to ear. “Lead the way.”

Holding my hand, Paul walks me into the alley. Each step offers less and less light. The music from the bar slowly fades away, and the only sound is the clapping of my red high-heeled shoes against the rocks on the gravel path.

Suddenly, Paul jerks my hand, stopping me from moving any farther. In a swift motion, I’m shoved hard. It isn’t until I go flying inside that I realize there was a barn door in the wall. My back hits the ground hard, knocking the wind out of me.

Once the shock of the situation wears off, I lift my head and listen to the sound of the latch locking shut. It’s so dark, I can’t see anything.

“Paul,” I say harshly. “What are you doing?”

The next thing I know, the weight of his body is lying heavily on mine. A hand claps over my mouth, restricting my voice. “That’s Mayor Sandoval to you.” His voice is so different from a minute ago, my brain struggles to catch up with who he really is.

I squirm and try to wriggle free. “Get off me!” I attempt to shout, but my words sputter into his palm. Did the con artist just get conned by this fat-ass bastard? I really need to step up my game.

In a hurried motion, he pushes his pants down, and I pinch my eyes shut, not willing to see what fate awaits me.

His solid frame presses against mine, forcing my thighs apart, but I dig my heels into the dirt ground and clamp my muscles to keep them together.

“This’ll be a lot easier for both of us if you just relax, pretty girl.”

I pound my fists into his back, fighting like hell because I refuse to make this easy for him. His hands grab my wrists, pinning them together in a vise I know I’ll never break free from. He may be drunk, but his strength and weight are enough to overpower my scrawny ass.

Tears pool in my eyes for the first time in a while and I hate that he’s the one pulling them out of me. No one deserves these, only my mother. I bite my lip, refusing to let them fall for a man as worthless as this.

He tries to push his mouth to mine, but I bite his lip until I taste blood and spit it back in his face. I can’t see for shit still, but I know the gesture lands when he lets out a stream of curses. The hand that was pushing down my pants moves, and for a moment, I feel like I’ve won something. Until the sting of a smack meets my cheek.

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