“Come on, Molly. You know what I’m doing. The innocent act is hot as fuck, but we’re done with the playing hard to get part.”

“Hard to get what?” My words don’t come out right. “I think I drank too much.” I try to move, but his arm comes out, blocking me from going anywhere.

“West? What are you doing?” My heart starts to race as I realize what is happening.

“There’s that innocent act again.” He smirks like we’re playing some game.

“Stop.” I put my hands on his chest and push as hard as I can. He doesn’t budge.

“One kiss, Molly. Then we’ll go from there.” He starts to lean down.

“No!” I hiss, giving another shove to his chest. This time he actually does move. His whole body flings out from in front of me, hitting the other wall so hard that the drywall cracks. West groans and slides down the wall before dropping to his knees.

“Asher?” I quickly put together that it was him that tossed West like a ragdoll. He doesn’t respond to me. He goes for West, gripping him around the throat and lifting him back up to stand. Actually, I wouldn’t really call it standing since West’s feet are dangling a foot off the ground.

“Stop.” West grabs at Asher’s arm.

“Doesn’t feel good, does it? To tell someone to stop and they don’t.” West’s face starts to change colors.

“Asher!” I put my hand on his back.

“Did he touch you?”

“No, not really.”

“Not really?” His hold tightens on West’s throat.

“What I meant by not really was he just barely put his hand on my back to show me to the bathroom and then what you saw,” I rush to say.

“Stay the fuck away from her,” he tells West before he releases his hold. I watch as West crumples to the ground, coughing. I stand there in shock. Asher turns around to face me. I drop my head back to look up at him.

I have a feeling based on Asher’s facial expression that I’m in so much trouble.

10

Asher

I’ve never felt more out of control in my life. Something inside of me broke free the second I saw that little prick closing in on her. He had her caged against a wall in a back hallway. I’d heard her tell him to stop. But he hadn’t.

When I tore out of Chase’s place, I thought I might have been overreacting. We pulled up to the front of the house, not caring who we blocked in. We had no plans to stay. I’d seen my sister’s car parked a few blocks back.