Page 32 of Running from Drac

Finn flicks a fry in his friend’s direction. “You’re making her uncomfortable right now, asshat. You’ve been touching her since we sat down to eat.”

Maybe there’s something good about Pretty Boy Finn after all?Because he is hot. Poppy wasn’t lying about that. I just don’t like him yelling at me in the middle of a restaurant.

Gideon’s arm drops into his lap, and he sheepishly moves to the other side of the booth, giving Poppy space. I swear she audibly lets out a breath of relief, that only I seem to catch.

“Sorry, Poppy, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay,” she quietly responds. “But I think I’m ready to go. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

“What about the cheesecake?” Finn argues. “That’s the only thing good here to eat.”

“Take one to go,” I suggest. “I’m done too. I have some Christmas shopping to do, and the mall closes in two hours.”

Finn angrily motions for the waitress, orders himself and Gideon a cheesecake to go, and tells them he wants separate checks.

“I can pay for the girls,” Gideon offers.

“They can pay for themselves, Gideon. It’s obvious both of them are only here to eat, and aren’t really interested in something afterward.”

Now it was my turn to get mad. “Excuse me? What exactly did you think you’d get out of this dinner?”

He shrugs. “You’re the whore who cheated on your fiancé, you tell me.”

My hand ricochets off his face so fast that the whole restaurant hears the vicious slap. Every table near us swivels their head to look in our direction as I stand up in anger.

“Move, asshole.”

“Hey, bitch, that’s fucking assault! I’m going to press charges on you.” He nurses his cheek like I slapped him with his Wagyu beef steak. What a pussy!

“For what? Hurting your pathetic little ego? You may be fucking hot, but you’re a ginormous jerk, and there’s no way inhell I’d ever go anywhere with you willingly. Come on, Poppy, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Poppy goes to stand, but Gideon stops her. “We gave you guys a ride here, I don’t feel comfortable just leaving you.”

“We can find a ride home, trust me,” I argue.

The waitress awkwardly hands Finn his cheesecake, and me a check, before asking us all to leave. I hand her enough cash to cover mine and Poppy’s food, and wait for mega douche to pay for his. Of course, he pulls out Mommy’s or Daddy’s credit card, but like a true asshole, he forces Gideon to pay for his own dinner.

When everything’s settled up, I grab Poppy’s hand and force her out of the restaurant, the guys hot on our heels. “I’m sorry, Poppy,” I grumble as we fight our way through the crowd waiting to be seated. “I lost my cool in there.”

“It’s okay,” she says, barely able to keep up with me. “He deserved it.”

Once we’re outside, I start fishing for my phone, ready to call anyone, even a Lyft, to pick us up and save us from this disaster of a blind date. But Sir Douche-A-Lot grabs my elbow, pushing me toward a darkened part of the building where not many people are. Gideon and Poppy follow closely behind, but Gideon doesn’t intervene, he’s just looking at Poppy all predator like. She moves when he tries to touch her hair, only fueling my disdain for them both more.

“Hey, bitch, don’t think you can just hit me and fucking get away with it.”

He has a firm grip on my elbow, one that’s actually starting to hurt like hell. “Let me go, asshole!”

“Not until your little friend gives Gideon what he came here for. I didn’t agree to go on this date just so the guy goes home unsatisfied. And if you don’t want me to press charges on you like I’m planning, I suggest you come up with something that’sgonna make Daddy happy, too.” He waggles his eyebrows, then makes a nodding gesture to his crotch.

Gross! Ugh, this guy gives me the major ick.

“Fuck you, asshole. There’s no way in hell you’re getting anything from me but another slap if you don’t fucking unhand me right now.”

The jerk grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks as his beady little eyes darken with rage. “Now you listen here, bitch. Nobody turns Finn Holden down and gets away with it. You be a good girl and give Daddy what he wants, or I swear—”

Before he can say another word, his arm is violently ripped away from me, seconds before his body is slammed into the concrete wall of the building.

“Touch her again, and I’ll break your fucking arm,” a familiar voice growls, putting himself between me and the cheesecake jerk.