Vic hadn’t taken two steps outside when a hand closed painfully around her arm and held her fast.
“Now, come on. Don’t be like that. I know who you are. I got fifty bucks for you if you’ll do both of us. Is your friend a hooker, too?”
She jerked her arm free. “Don’t touch me!”
Behind her, three vehicle doors opened. Vic glanced over her shoulder and saw Eric, Austin, and Chaska heading her way, rage on their faces.
“Back off, asshole!” Eric reached her first and put himself between her and the jerk. “Go get in the car, Victoria.”
“Yeah, that’s your name. Victoria Wood—or something like that.”
Vic’s stomach dropped to the ground.
“Forget him.” Lexi caught her arm through Vic’s and led her to Austin’s SUV, where Britta stood by the open door. But Vic couldn’t get herself to climb inside, fear for her friends rooting her to the spot.
The jerk sneered. “Who are you—her pimp?”
Oh, God, no!
This couldnotbe happening.
Eric took a step forward, got right in the man’s face, his hands clenched into fists. “Taylor, you’d better arrest this piece of shit before I kill him.”
The man’s gaze shifted to Austin. “You’re a cop?”
“Man, let’s just get out of here,” said the jerk’s friend. “He’s probably got a gun.”
“I’m an off-duty law-enforcement officer. Your buddy obviously has more brains than you do,” Austin said. “Third-degree assault for grabbing her like that. Soliciting for prostitution. You’d better listen to your friend and run.”
The jerk raised his hands in surrender and took a step backward. “Hey, I got no problem with you guys. I just want—”
Eric took another step forward, crowding the man. “You talk toanywoman like that, and you’ve got a problem with me.”
“With all of us,” Chaska said.
The man’s friend stared at Chaska. “What are you? Some kind of Indian?”
“Wow, you reallydidget all the brains. Yeah, I’m some kind of Indian—the kind who’s going to rip your balls off and hang them over my front door if you don’t beat it.”
The two men turned tail and hurried away.
* * *
Eric turnedto find Victoria standing next to the SUV’s open rear door, her gaze fixed on him, her eyes wide, her face pale. He walked over to her and drew her into his arms. She was shaking like a leaf.
Son of a bitch!
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“It’s not your fault. You have no reason to be sorry.”
He’d had his window down and had heard what the fucker had said to her, calling her a hooker, offering her money for sex. The asshole had said he knew her, even called her by her name—sort of.
What the hell?
He drew a breath, fought to rein in his anger. He was used to helping people, not wanting to punch the shit out of them. “Lexi, do you mind taking the front seat? I want to sit next to Victoria—if it’s okay with her.”
Victoria nodded.