Page 77 of Enticed
CRACK.
His fist connected with my face, and pain exploded in my cheek and jaw. The force of it spun me around, and I landed against the hood of the truck.
“Gabe!” Jasmine shrieked and ran toward me.
“I trusted you!” Woody bellowed.
“Dad,” came a deep, masculine voice. I straightened and turned to find both Rowan and Jacek holding him back. Rubbing at my jaw, I glanced over his shoulder at where RaeAnne stood on the porch, her hand covering her mouth.
Jasmine cupped my face, her wide eyes filled with worry. Her fingers fluttered over my skin, and I winced.
“Don’t you touch her,” Woody spat.
“Dad, stop,” Rowan said, a hand planted firmly in the middle of his father’s chest.
“You can’t let your blood pressure get too high. You’ll have another stroke,” Jacek warned. That finally got through to him, and he stopped struggling against their hold.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jasmine demanded.
“We saw the video,” Rowan announced as Woody panted for breath.
“What video?” she asked, confused.
“From your race. We saw you fall,” Jacek explained.
“Okay,” Jasmine drew out, her gaze bouncing back and forth between the three of them uncertainly. “So you saw Gabe catch me. What’s the problem? He saved my life.”
“That’s not all we saw,” Woody gritted out as he stared daggers at me, his eyes filled with rage and betrayal. Suddenly it all clicked into place.
“We saw him holding you and kissing your forehead. We heard him tell you he loved you,” Jacek added, confirming my suspicions. Someone had caught the whole thing on video. Jasmine slowly turned toward me, her eyes swimming with emotion.
“You love me?” she asked and reached for me.
She was roughly jerked back, just out of my reach. I glared at Rowan, my eyes dropping to where his meaty hand was curled around her bicep.
“Get your fucking hands off her,” I growled menacingly, taking a step in his direction. I didn’t care how much bigger or stronger he was than me—nobody put their hands on her. Nobody hurt her, not even her own flesh and blood.
His gaze flicked to his father, a mix of confusion and apprehension flashing in his eyes. He released his hold on Jasmine but pushed her behind him out of my sight.
“If there’s even a mark on her skin,” I began, my tone laced with warning. “I’ll?—”
“Enough,” Woody demanded. “You don’t get to threaten my son, you disgusting piece of shit. Not after you preyed on my little girl. Not after you manipulated her into a relationship with you.” I drew back, shocked not only at his use of profanity, but also the venom with which he hurled those accusations at me.
“That’s not what happened,” I replied, desperate to make him see.
“You’ve been seeing her behind my back for God only knows how long,” he continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “Have you been,” he paused to swallow, his features twisting with anguish, “sleeping with my daughter?”
My silence was answer enough. Woody’s entire body shook with rage, and his hands fisted at his sides.
“You are fired,” he gritted out. “Don’t ever come back here again. Do not contact my daughter. Don’t even look at her! Forget she ever existed.”
“No!” Jasmine cried and ran to me. Rowan tried to catch her, but she was too fast. She stood in front of me, facing off with her family. Her spine straightened, and she planted her hands on her hips.
“You don’t get to decide who I can and cannot date. I am twenty-one years old,” she reminded them, seething. “I’m old enough to vote. I’m old enough to serve in the military, and I’mold enough to drink. I sure as hell am old enough to choose who I date, and it’s none of your damn business.”
I was so proud of her for sticking up for herself, I wanted to clap, but I didn’t move a muscle.
“I agree with Jasmine,” Nash announced, striding up to us. All heads snapped in his direction as he came to stand next to Jasmine, facing his dad and brothers. “They’re both consenting adults. They should be free to do whatever they want,” he offered as he casually put a cigarette to his lips and lit the end.
