Page 10 of Starting Our Chance

Under my hooded gaze, I watched his boots wander away, not once pausing on their way past.

I lifted my gaze to face the brown eyes of the bastard next to me. Dylan gripped my hand so hard, I was sure he was going to crush my fingers. Risking a peep, I saw a look of fury in those muddy depths. And that look told me all that I needed to know.

“This is our second chance, Suga,” Dylan hissed. “I ain’t letting this slip me by.”

I had to leave. Everything in my life had been so royally messed up. I decided to give it to him straight one more time. “I’m leaving, Dylan. Don’t call me.”

The dark look he shot me almost squeaked a little pee out of my bladder. “You’re not going anywhere until I take you home tonight,” he growled.

Looking over his shoulder, I desperately sought a pair of eyes that I could beseech for help. No one caught my eye, but blessedly the food arrived.

I smiled up at the waitress. “Ma’am, where is the bathroom?”

“Over behind the bar.” The lady pointed before retreating.

Acting fast, I told Dylan that I needed to go use the ladies’ room so that the waitress was sure to hear my request. Her witnessing it would ensure that it got honored—or so I hoped.

Dylan narrowed his eyes at me. “I’ll take you.” He scooted out before assisting me to stand. I knew it was a ruse, that he wanted a firm hold on me so I couldn’t escape.

Gulping the terror down my throat, I focused on the next step. However, as we walked past the bar, I saw that Duke was lounging there with a few of his buddies, drinks in their hands. I lowered my eyes. I couldn’t meet his gaze. It was too humiliating; I didn’t need to see his reaction to me being here with Dylan.

However, once I got to the sanctuary of the ladies’ room, I had more pressing matters to deal with than what the neighbor boy thought of me. I went into a stall and locked it. Leaning my back against the stall door, I pressed my face into my hands.

How do I keep getting myself into these shitty situations with these shitty men?I vowed that once I got out of this mess, I would quit on men once and for all. Granted, this mistake tonight might be more immediate, but the mistake in New York had been far more disastrous. It had cost me the life that I had worked so hard to build.

I wanted it back.

But first, I had to survive this current nightmare. As I hid in the stall, I weighed my options. There was no doubt in my mind that if we were alone, I could take Dylan and drop him flat in a matter of seconds. However, waiting it out was not an option either, because Duke had already seen me with him as had others. So, that meant I needed an exit plan and now. If I called Mama, she would come in raising Cain and it would be utterly embarrassing to have everyone in the bar witness my mama give Dylan Dwire a piece of her mind. Although Nikki was my friend, she was also my boss, and I needed to keep quiet about my naivety for being here in the first place. That left me to deal with it alone or else . . ..

I groaned. I knew it was my only option. Pushing out a breath, I tapped a message on my phone. It was a long shot and one I didn’t want to take, but I had no other choice.

Me: Duke, this is not what it looks like. I know you’ve been avoiding me all week since that horse ride. It’s not what you think. I tried to come to you. To explain. But you were never home. I’m in trouble. If you care about me, even just a little, please help me. Dylan, who is high and has been drinking, is holding me prisoner. Can you come up to us and make some excuse for me to leave with you?

I squeezed my eyes tight, I didn’t want to hit send and embarrass myself further. But my fingers did the deed for me. After that, I had no other choice but to flush the toilet, even though I hadn’t even sat down on the thing, then opened the door . . . only to be met with a pair of dangerous, electric green eyes.

“Trash!”

“Sammy, I really don’t want to do this, especially right now.” I brushed past her, but she was a bit taller than my average five and a half feet. She was also built, but her larger frame was rippled with muscle, not pudge. So it was me who ended up shifting when we bumped shoulders.

“You’re still the same conniving girl,” she sneered. “You haven’t fooled me. Duke, he swore up and down that you had changed. Hell, he even got in my face the other night. But that was before you went and hung out with Dylan.”

Turning off the sink tap, I met Sammy’s gaze in the mirror. “You’re pregnant. I’m not going to fight you. But so help me, Sammy, I’ve been through hell up north, and I am not going to let the little bit of sanctuary I have left down here burst into an inferno.” I got up really close to her. “So, fucking lay off. When we can sit down and talk like adults, I’ll tell you anything you want to hear.” A hoarse laugh escaped my throat as I added, “You’ll even be pleased as punch that I couldn’t make it up there after my dancing career ended. You were never good enough, but you just couldn’t stand to watch me try and succeed.”

Tears were pricking my eyes. This used to be my best friend—and I fucking missed her. Lunging for the door, I ripped it open and barreled through to escape Sammy’s rueful glare. Between Dylan the monster, and the hatred of my bestie, I had to go with the monster.

Except the hall was cleared out.

I took the chance afforded me and dashed down the hall, pushing through the emergency exit door used only by the staff. It led to the back of the parking lot. Grabbing for my keys, I sprinted through the empty back lot of the building. Now that I was free of watchful eyes, I felt calm infuse my body. Even if Dylan came after me out here, I could take him easily and show him why I sometimes wore a black belt instead of pink dancing slippers. Because once dance ceased to be the means to my end, I had wanted to find an art that I could use in later life.

However, when I turned the corner, I stopped. I felt my chest swell with pride at the sight before my eyes. On the side of the building, where no one would see them, Duke and Dylan were going at it. Bare knuckle, man to man boxing. Nothing elegant or refined like the Brazilian art I had become proficient in.

I was instantly mesmerized by the sheer force coming off the two men. They circled each other, testing a few jabs before going in for a poorly executed grapple. I wanted to shake my head at the lack of finesse, but then I reminded myself how drunk and high Dylan was, and how Duke didn’t actually need much skill to whoop his ass.

Always the dirty fighter, Dylan brought his knee up. Duke dodged it, but the next jab from Dylan was an elbow to the eye and nose.

My inhale caught in my throat as I saw the blood on Duke’s face.

Duke, however, was a scrappy, rough, and tumbling fighter, and this wasn’t his first brawl with his old football teammate.

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