“Were you being fucking serious?” Tank leaned forward.

“About what? Using her?”

“Fuck, all of it,” he said with an eyebrow raised and one side of his mouth curved in a smile.

“All of it. I got to go, boys. Time to go find my victim for the night.” I stood from the table and threw a fifty down. “You gentleman have a good night with that image rolling around in your head right now.”

They couldn’t even begin to process what we were really going to do. They thought “kidnap” was just a nice way of saying I was going to take her away from the bar and have sex with her, but I was going to literally kidnap her.

“Can one of you take my bike home tonight and I’ll grab it in the morning?” I asked before walking away.

“I’ll take it,” Bear said. “I’ll tow it to Tank’s shop.”

“Thanks, man—my dick thanks you too.” I laughed as I tossed him the keys.

“At least someone’s prick will be happy tonight,” Bear mumbled as he placed the keys in his jacket pocket.

I didn’t say anything, but couldn’t stop laughing. Poor bastards.

I rolled my neck as I headed for the door, cracking it almost like I was prepping for a game. I’d give Suzy everything she wanted and more.

“City!” a voice rang through the crowd. Fuck. “City!” A hand waved above the crowd, and I knew the voice but pretended not to hear her.

I didn’t turn around, but walked faster until a hand wrapped around my arm.

“Oh, Kaylee, I didn’t see you.”

“I was screaming your name,” she huffed, trying to catch her breath.

“Didn’t hear you, either. I’m in a hurry and got to go.”

“I’ve missed you, City.” She tried to wrap her arms around me, but I grabbed them and forced them away.

“Stop, Kaylee. I really don’t have time for this shit.”

“You’ve always had time for me before.” She pouted and tried to play the guilt card.

“I don’t now. I have to go meet my girlfriend,” I said, hoping she’d get the fucking hint.

“Girlfriend? Since when?” She looked in shock as she held my arm, digging her nails into my flesh.

“Bye, Kaylee. I don’t have time for a goddamn chitchat. My girl’s waiting for me, and I don’t mean you.”

I left her there with her mouth open and gulping for air like a fish. I needed to get to Suzy. I’d already left her entirely too long outside by herself. Damn it. She had to be in knots by now, but then again, it probably helped build her excitement.

Rubbing my face as I walked outside, I couldn’t believe fucking Kaylee. I was supposed to be only moments behind Suzy; she’d fumbled with her keys trying to unlock her car when I grabbed her from behind. She could’ve changed her mind and gone home with the amount of time that had elapsed.

Her car was parked in the same spot, but her door was open and she wasn’t inside. I looked around—where the fuck was she? I studied every inch of the parking lot, but couldn’t see her. My heart thundered in my chest. I felt sick. I heard a muffled cry, but couldn’t tell where it came from over the street noise. “Suzy,” I screamed, panic taking hold.

Her purse lay on the ground near her car; I just had to find her. I couldn’t stand there and wait any longer. I had to move. I ran into the woods behind her car and surveyed the area. I listened for any sound; a man’s voice caught my attention—faint but enough to pull my gaze to behind the bar.

I ran in the direction of the noise and saw a man on top of a woman, Suzy, raising his fist before striking her. “You bitch,” he seethed. It was the motherfucker that had bothered her earlier when I arrived.

I grabbed him by the throat before he could land another blow and slammed his body to the ground. The force of his head connecting with the concrete made a horrific sound from his skull cracking. Straddling him, I pummeled him with my fists, feeding off the sound of his jawbone crunching underneath my knuckles. He moaned, but I didn’t give a fuck. He hit a woman, my woman. I punched him again then grabbed his head, and I wanted to bash it into the cement to watch all of his blood ooze out, but a pair of hands began to pull me off him, stopping me.

“City, you’re going to fuckin’ kill him,” Bear said as he tried to pull me back.

“Fuckin’ bastard deserves to die.” I moved my hand to punch him again, but Bear grabbed my wrist.

“Goddamn, man. He’s out cold. Get the fuck away from him and take care of your girl.”

Suzy. I had been so busy beating the fuck out him, lost in my anger, I forgot to check on her. She lay on the cement with her eyes closed, not moving. She was limp in my arms as I cradled her against my chest. Blood dripped from her lip and nose, and I brushed the hair from her eyes to look for more damage. She had a red mark that would turn into a bruise near her temple.

“Suzy,” I whispered, brushing my fingers across her face. “Suzy, wake up, sugar.” I gathered her legs off the cold ground and placed her in my lap.

I looked at Bear as he stood over me with wide eyes. “Call an ambulance, Bear.”

“On it, buddy.” He stood over the asshole lying on the ground unconscious, and I saw Bear kick him. “The attacker is knocked out on the ground. I’ll keep him restrained,” Bear said to the person on the phone.

“Suzy, come on, sweetie. Wake up, beautiful.” I kissed her warm lips. This was my fucking fault. “I’m so sorry, Suzy.” Fuck. Her clothes were in place, nothing was torn, but they had dirt on them from being on the ground.

Her eyes started to open, and I felt like I could breathe again. I smiled at her, touching her cheek. “City,” she said with a shaky voice. Her arms started to move, reaching for me.

“Don’t move, sugar. Wait for the ambulance.” I didn’t want her to injure herself worse than that fucker may have already done.

“What happened?” She stared at me with her big, beautiful blue eyes. I could see the confusion and hurt in them.

“I’m sorry, Suzy. I got held up inside and I showed up too late. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t force you live out one of your fantasies.”

She smiled sweetly at me. “Ouch.” Her tongue slid across her lip and stopped on the blood.

“You’re bleeding, sugar. Just lie still until the paramedics can check you out.”

“What about?” She didn’t have to finish the sentence—I knew what she wanted to know.

“He won’t hurt you anymore.”

She closed her eyes and a tear slid down her cheek. “What did you do, City?”

“I gave the fucker a taste of his own medicine. He’s out cold.” I wiped the tear away from her cheek with my thumb.

“Is he”—her lip began to tremble—“dead?”

“He’s alive. I wanted to kill the prick, but Bear pulled me off him.” Sobs tore through her as her body began to shake. “Shh, I got you. No one’s going to hurt you ever again, Suzy.”

I held her until the paramedics arrived, and a second ambulance pulled in a moment later. Two men pulled her from my grasp, assessing her injuries before placing her on a stretcher and completing their evaluation. I watched as they checked the fucker’s body on the ground. Fuck him. I hoped the bastard fucking died.

“We need to take her to the hospital. She’s sustained some head injuries and we want to make sure it’s not serious,” the EMT said. “Would you like to meet us there?”

“I’ll follow you.” I looked over his shoulder and saw them loading Suzy into the ambulance. “Can I speak to her first?”

“Yes, quickly, so we can leave.”

I climbed in the ambulance and crouched down next to the stretcher. Her body was strapped in and machines were attached to her arms. Suzy looked worse with the lights shining on her face. “Sugar, you want me to go with you or follow them?”

“Take my car, City. I don’t want it here, please.”

I leaned over and kissed her. My heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest. “I got it. I’ll be right behind you. Don’t worry,” I said, not wanting to leave her, but wanting to obey her wishes.

She gave me a weak smile before I climbed out and headed for her car, moving as fast I could to be by her side. I had to beg for her forgiveness, and I prayed her injuries weren’t serious. I could never live with myself. I found Suzy’s phone lying by her purse, and I knew what I had to do. I dialed Kayden and Sophia and knew there would be hell to pay.