Chapter 20
Chapter 20:
She wrenched her arm away. The movement was violent, fueled by terror.
Babe stumbled, losing his balance. He grabbed at her dress to steady himself.
Rip.
The delicate strap of her black dress snapped. The fabric slid down her shoulder.
𝗥𝖾𝗰о𝘮𝗺е𝗇d 𝗍o 𝗒o𝘂𝗿 f𝘳𝗶еn𝘥s
Jocelyn gasped, clutching the silk to her chest.
“Whoa, easy tiger,” Babe laughed — a wet, hacking sound. “I like ’em feisty p>
“Get away from me!” Jocelyn backed into the edge of the table.
Aspen and Anny were laughing. Actually laughing.
“Looks like you found a new boyfriend, Jos!” Aspen crowed. “He seems your type. Desperate p>
Jocelyn snatched a glass of water from the table — Anny’s drink — and threw it.
The water hit Babe square in the face.
He sputtered, shaking his head like a dog. The shock curdled his drunken grin into a snarl of rage.
“You little bitch,” Babe growled. He lunged for her.
Jocelyn turned and ran.
She shoved past a waiter, sending a tray of shots to the floor. Glass shattered across the tiles.
“Security!” Anny yelled — pointing at Jocelyn, not Babe. “Stop her! She’s assaulting a guest p>
Two massive bouncers at the edge of the VIP area stepped forward and blocked the exit.
Jocelyn skidded to a halt. She was trapped.
Behind her, Babe was advancing. He wasn’t fast, but the corridor was narrow.
“Nowhere to go, sweetheart,” he taunted, wiping the water from his eyes. “You owe me a drink. And an apology p>
Jocelyn looked around frantically. To her left, a service door — locked. To her right, the wall.
Then the elevator at the end of the hall pinged.
The doors slid open.
Kieran Douglas stepped out, immaculate in his tuxedo, a small silver hard drive in his hand. He looked up and took in the scene in an instant — Jocelyn with her dress torn, clutching her chest; the bouncers blocking her path; a drunk man advancing on her.
A flash of possessive fury crossed Kieran’s face. He hated Jocelyn, but she was his to hate, his to torment. The sight of another man — a sloppy drunk, no less — cornering her ignited something primal in him.
“Get your filthy hands off her!” Kieran roared — not at the bouncers, but at Babe.
He lunged forward, not to save Jocelyn, but to reclaim his property. He shoved Babe Vincent hard against the wall. “She’s with me p>
Jocelyn couldn’t believe it. Kieran wasn’t her savior — he was just another predator staking his claim.
“She’s with you?” Babe slurred, shoving back. “She doesn’t look like she wants to be with anyone p>
The two men squared off in the narrow hallway, a storm of toxic masculinity brewing between them. Kieran, fueled by jealous rage, grabbed Babe by the lapels.
“She is mine,” Kieran hissed, his voice low and menacing. “You will not touch her p>
He turned his furious gaze on Jocelyn and seized her wrist. “And you,” he snarled, “you’re coming with me. We’re going to have a talk about your new friends p>