bent to whisper in my ear. His lips brushing against me only served to increase my fears.
“Go, baby. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. They’re gonna hurt you.”
He pressed a soft kiss to my jaw. “Get in the car. Trust me.”
I wanted to throw up as Missy tugged my arm again, bundling me into the passenger seat before she ran around to the other side. A second later, she hit the locks, cocooning us in safety while Nick faced three monsters outside. The logical part of my brain told me to call the cops, but fear left me frozen.
Billy’s lips moved, and his stance was pure aggression. Nick had his back to me, and his hands hung open at his sides—a sharp contrast to my own, which clutched at the hem of my shirt so hard they went numb.
Five seconds passed…ten…and I strained to hear what they were saying. Then it didn’t matter anymore because Billy’s roar could have been heard in the next county as he put his head down and charged at Nick.
I closed my eyes. Yes, I fully admit to being a coward, but I couldn’t bear to watch Nick get hurt. Three against one. It would be no contest.
Missy gasped next to me, and my eyes flew open again of their own accord, just in time to see Billy sail through the air and land head first on the hood of the car with a sickening crunch. He slid off in slow motion and crumpled into a heap at the side.
Missy moved to open the door, and I grabbed her arm. “Don’t go. Billy’s not worth it.”
“I wasn’t going to help. I was gonna kick him in the balls.”
“Just wait. Please.”
Nick turned as Corey rushed at him, hefting a tyre iron in his hands. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t look away this time. Missy had no such problems. She squealed and buried her face in her sweater.
Nick leapt back, ducked into a crouch, and swept Corey’s legs out from under him. As Corey fell, Nick snatched the weapon and straightened up, just in time to face Bart.
Something glinted in his hand. What was it? A car swept by on the road outside, its headlights momentarily showing the detail.
“Knife!” I screamed, but Nick showed no signs of hearing.
Bart’s feet pounded on the tarmac as he hurtled towards his prey, and still Nick didn’t move. It wasn’t until the last second that he sidestepped, and as Bart’s momentum carried him past, Nick grabbed his arm and twisted it up behind him. The knife flew into the bushes. Even inside the car, I heard the crack as Bart’s arm broke, and everyone in Baysville surely heard his howl of pain.
Bart stumbled back, cradling his arm, but another blood-curdling yell came as Corey scrambled to his feet and ran at Nick again.
“Turn around. Please, turn around,” I pleaded, but Corey was fast and fuelled by anger.
He reached out for Nick, biceps bulging. But then Nick’s head snapped back and blood sprayed everywhere as Corey’s nose disintegrated.
“Please let all that blood be Corey’s,” Missy muttered from beside me.
“I think it is. I hope it is.”
A shadow rose to the left as Bart made it to his feet again. The pain must have fed his fury, because he mustered up some energy and flew at Nick, attempting a high-kick, martial-arts style. Nick simply grabbed Bart’s leg and upended him. Wow. I wasn’t sure whether to be awed or nervous.
Bart must have cracked his head as he fell because he didn’t get up again. Nick was standing in the midst of the three motionless bodies, still holding the tyre iron, when a siren whooped and the first police car rolled into the lot.
Uh-oh.
The two cops took one look at Nick and drew their guns.
“Drop your weapon.”
Nick let go of the tyre iron, and it clattered to the ground. As the policemen stalked towards him, he slowly raised his hands above his head.
A chill seeped through me. I tried to swallow, but my throat muscles didn’t seem to be working properly. Thanks to me, the man I’d fallen for was being held at gunpoint. I brought disaster with me wherever I went.
I unfroze, half falling out of the car as I wrenched the door open. Don’t fall on your face, Lara. Not now. My knees threatened to give way as I stumbled across the lot and threw myself in front of Nick.
“Don’t shoot! He was only defending himself.”
“Ma’am, move out of the way.”
“Not