in the balls with enough force to lodge them in his throat. And then I did it again. And again. Until he fell to the cement with a pathetic howl of pain.
“Get up, you bastard,” I demanded, even though I felt myself swaying.
I wasn’t done causing him enough pain that he’d never get within a hundred miles of Penny ever again.
“Riley, don’t,” I heard Aiden rasp into my ear as he pulled me back by my shoulders.
“She’s hurt, Aiden,” Skye said, sounding a bit frantic. “He slammed her head against the brick wall. She needs medical attention.”
“I’m fine,” I muttered. “I need to take Penny home.”
I turned around to go sit by Penny. “Are you okay?”
She took my hand in hers. “It wasn’t me who just got smashed against a wall. Riley, you have to get to the hospital.”
“I’m fine,” I reassured her, even though my vision was still a little blurred.
My adrenaline continued to course through my body, and I was trembling with some residual unspent rage.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down as Noah and Aiden came to haul away Nolan.
His wailing was still bouncing off the patio walls, and it was grinding on me, so I was grateful that they were taking him away.
“He came from some kind of event here on the beach,” I told the brothers shakily, loud enough to carry over Nolan’s groans.
“I know where it is,” Aiden informed Noah. “We were invited, but they aren’t the kind of folks we have much in common with. We refused it.”
“I say we take him back there personally, and let his host deal with him,” Noah said.
“Whoever is having the party told him where you lived,” I said to Aiden. “He wasn’t initially here for Penny and me. He wanted to get to know you and your family. I guess we were just a bonus.”
“Bonus, my ass,” Aiden rasped. “I’ll let his host know if this piece of shit even puts a toe on the sand again, he’ll be the next one screaming.”
“Where’s Seth?” I asked shakily.
“Gone,” Aiden said shortly. “He said he had to go since he wasn’t going to compete with your ex. He said you were kissing him. I think he knew it was Easton. God knows that this idiot isn’t shy around a camera.”
Nolan was a media whore, so I was certain that Seth did know what he looked like.
“She wasn’t kissing him,” Skye said in my defense. “She was half-unconscious. The only reason her hands were on his shoulders was to try to steady herself after Nolan crashed her head against the wall. God, Aiden. I could hear her skull hit the damn wall. Did Seth really think she’d kiss anybody else?”
“I wouldn’t,” I said tearfully, my mind still not completely functioning.
“No way she would,” Penny commented. “He’s a complete prick.”
“You certainly knew how to kick the crap out of him,” Noah mentioned with appreciation in his tone.
“I was . . . angry,” I tried to explain.
“With good reason,” Aiden grunted as he and Noah hauled Nolan to his feet. “Just remind me never to piss you off.” He turned his head and shot me a mischievous wink.
“Call an ambulance for Riley, please,” Noah said to Skye. “We’ll take out the trash.” He nodded toward a still-screaming Nolan.
“I don’t need an ambulance,” I argued.
“I’ll drive her,” Skye said firmly. “It’s only a few minutes to the hospital from here.”
“I’m going, too,” Penny insisted. “And we aren’t taking no for an answer, Riley. I’ll be fine. I’ll be with you. I’m not afraid of him anymore. I was just . . . shocked. But I am worried about you. Please get checked out. For me. I can’t go back to San Diego until I know that you’re okay.”
My greatest fear was that Nolan would find a way to get to Penny. Considering his condition right now, my thoughts were probably irrational, but he obviously knew where I lived.
I was grateful when Nolan’s screaming stopped as Noah and Aiden dragged him into the house to get to the garage.
“Can you walk?” Skye asked as she put her hand underneath my upper arm.
“I’m sure I can,” I said in a much calmer voice.
Now that Nolan was gone, I felt like I could do almost anything.
Penny got up, let go of my hand, and spotted me from the other side.
“I should have helped you,” she said morosely. “I just . . . froze, Riley.”
“There wasn’t enough time for anybody to help, hon,”