Wes clenched his fist, every cell in his body wanted to pound the guy’s face in.
Cara’s mouth had dropped open, but when she caught a glimpse of Wes stalking forward, her eyes widened in horror. Her expression made the others turn. Amara’s eyes flashed recognition and gave him an assessing look. The two men against the wall straightened, and Erik shifted his weight as if he were expecting an attack.
Wes moved slowly and deliberately, his gaze fixed on Erik. He didn’t know all that had happened between them, but heneverwanted to see that look on Cara’s face.
Erik’s sneer slipped when Wes walked straight at him. At the last second, Eric shifted to the side to avoid Wes plowing into him.
Taking Amara’s place at Cara’s side, he wrapped his arm completely around her.
Amara grinned.
“You were taking so long, I had to come find you.” Wes brushed a kiss against the top of Cara’s head. He met each of the men’s gazes. “Is there a problem here?”
“Who are you?” Erik’s voice was dismissive, but he wasn’t skilled at hiding the anger in his eyes. They darted repeatedly to where Wes’s palm lay possessively on Cara’s stomach, betraying how much it bothered him.
Cara didn’t wait for him to answer. “He’s none of your business. Go away, Erik!”
She took a step forward, forcing Wes to drop his arm from her waist.
“Clark Kent,” Amara muttered, still smiling.
Cara shot her a look, but Amara only lifted her eyebrows back at her.
“Is this your boyfriend or something?” Erik scoffed.
“Or something…” Wes said silkily.
“Are you surprised?” Cara’s voice lashed out. “That someone on the planet wanted my—how did you put it—homely, fat ass? And now that I was broke, you couldn’t pretend you wanted to be with me anymore, and no one else would either? Something about if I needed cash, I could join you and the bartender, and you’d pay me as much as her even though I wasn’t worth it.”
Blood whooshed through Wes’s ears, and he growled, stepping toward the man.
He was going to murder him.
A surprisingly strong hand caught him, and he looked down to see Amara give a quick shake of her head, before stepping to Cara’s other side.
“And what was it you said, Cara?” Amara tapped her lips like she was thinking, and then her lips curled in an evil smile. “Oh, yeah! She was happy that you were finally able to get it up, Erik. Because she thought you must secretly be in love with Colin, since you could never keep it up long enough to get her off.” Amara tossed a look at her friend. “Cara was worried it was a family problem, and that was why your mom had so many—”
“Enough, Amara. I shouldn’t have said that. It makes me as ugly as him.”
Erik’s face twisted. “Fucking bitch! Don’t be sorry now. I alreadymadeyou sorry.”
Wes didn’t recognize the sound that came out of his mouth as he charged forward. Cara stepped in his path blocking him while Erik’s friends grabbed him and pulled him into the bathroom.
“Stop!” Cara pushed against his chest.
Wes’s pulse beat behind his eyes, his breath coming hard and fast.
He was going to rip the prick apart.
“Wes!” Cara’s voice was sharp. He dropped his gaze to her. She was hanging on by a thread. Adrenaline dilated her pupils and her face was flushed. She swayed slightly.
He needed to get her out of there.
Home.
He’d take her home and wrap her in the fuzzy blanket she loved….
Wes didn’t clearly remember the walk down the stairs to the front of the hotel or what—if anything—he said. Later, he had a vague recollection of Skye saying she’d called for a car. Cara pulled her phone out of the tiny purse and bent her head close to the screen.
