Page 70 of Retaliation

“He didn’t hurt me,” She shook her head. “I’m fine. Really. He didn’t even touch me. It’s just…” she trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts.

“It’s just?” he prompted, and she turned to look at him—at his genuine concern.

“I’m worried about him, that’s all,” she finished.

Gavin’s eyes grew impossibly wide as he sat back, staring at her in disbelief. She fought the urge to smile. Yeah, he was definitely not a fighter. His animated emotions wouldn’t allow him to survive for long in the underworld.

“Why?” he exclaimed. “He will be fine once he wakes up. Serves him right for raising his hands to a lady.”

“A lady?” she scoffed. “I’m definitely not a lady. I have an attitude, opinions, a very loud mouth, and one hell of a right hook.”

His laughter rang through the empty diner, the waitress glaring at him. “I like the sound of that,” he mused.

She shook her head, smiling. “You’re an odd one, aren’t you?” she teased.

She studied him for a minute. He was boyishly handsome, with a charm that could outshine any gentleman in the Regency era. Fuck, he made her feel like a lady and she hated how little she hated it.

“Okay, jokes aside,” he said, trying to suppress his smile, and she found his innocence very alluring. “Why are you worried about the guy who attacked you? What is he to you?”

She didn’t know how to answer the second part of that question. She had no idea what Scorpion was to her, but she wanted the chance to find out.

“He will come for me again,” she confessed, her emotions threatening to surface again. “He won’t stop unless I make him stop.”

It surprised her how easy it was to talk to him—how effortless it was.

He leaned forward and placed his hand on hers, but when she turned to look at the connection, he pulled away.

“You want me to come home with you? Me and my bat could protect you?” he asked, with a wink, causing her to smile like a schoolgirl.

“Mean right hook, remember?” she said, raising her fist for emphasis. “I’ll be alright, but thank you.”

He smiled at her and got out of the booth, walking to the counter. She couldn’t hear what he said to the waitress, but she handed him a pen. Taking a napkin, he scribbled something and walked back to her. He took her hand again and turned it palm up before crumbling the napkin into her hand. Folding her fingers over the paper, he held her hand in both of his.

“I have to go,” he said, disappointed at the departure. “But here’s my number. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.” And he gave her hand a slight squeeze.

She just stared up at him as he stood next to her. When he hesitated, she gave a faint nod. Releasing her hand, he stepped back and gave her a last warm smile before walking out the door.

Gavin’s absence left her feeling cold as she sat in the booth and tried to make sense of everything that had happened to her.

She sat lost in thought, sipping her coffee, until the bell above the door chimed, pulling her from her stupor. Three drunk men came stumbling into the diner and immediately noticed her sitting alone in the corner.

“Well, hey there, pretty little lady.” The one in front stumbled over his words and feet as he made his way to her.

Smelling the alcohol all the way to her booth, Poison knew they were trouble. She got up and placed money on the table. Turning, she found all three men approaching her. The one in front wiped his mouth with his already stained vest, his plaid shirt flapping at his sides. His buddies wore trucker hats; the one turned backward, and all three mud-covered, faded denim.

“Excuse me,” she said, trying to squeeze past them, but they blocked her way, one grabbing her arm.

Instinct kicked in, and she grabbed his hand, turning it at a painful angle—any further and she could snap it. Pushing him toward his friends, she walked away.

She barely left the diner when the bell rang behind her again.

“Hey, honey. You’re going to pay for that!” one of the men thundered.

She knew she should get on her bike and drive away, but the idea of teaching these drunk bastards a lesson was far too inviting. So she turned into the alley next to the diner, luring them into the dark. She walked all the way to the fenced end at the back of the alley before turning to her predators.

“Nowhere to run now, pretty little thing.”

She waited, biding her time until they reached her, before making a move. They formed a crescent before her, blocking her only way out.

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