Page 13 of Sunflower Persona (Classic City Romance #2)

Gage

R age.

A storming, thunderous feeling more intense than I’ve ever felt billows and builds within me, growing stronger and more violent with every minute that passes.

Someone had the nerve to touch Kori in my bar.

The motherfucker had his hands on her, scaring her, and I was fifty feet away completely oblivious to it all.

Nathan , of all people, had to step in to rescue her from the creep.

Not to say I’m not grateful, because I am.

He saved my girl while I was too busy serving fucking drinks to realize she was in trouble.

It should have been me. Just like it should be me comforting her and making sure she’s okay, but once again, my friends are cleaning up my messes. Karis and Evelyn have her sandwiched between them like a pair of overprotective mother hens.

The dark cloud around me is a tangible entity.

Not one customer has approached me since Nathan came over and told me what happened, choosing to wait as long as needed to buy from the other bartender on duty.

My friend acting as a sentry at my side definitely isn’t making me seem any more approachable.

Tips are going to be fucked tonight, but money is the last thing on my mind.

Yellow breaks away from the group and staggers toward the bathroom in the back.

Her unsteady gait sets my spine on edge.

It’s closer to what I would expect from someone after several drinks, not one, and I know for a fact she’s only had the drink I gave her.

The creep didn’t get the opportunity to get more booze in her system.

I track her until she disappears down the secluded hallway, then let out a curse. Have they always been so isolated? Goddamnit, that’s a recipe for trouble. How the fuck has no one complained about it before?

A few seconds after she leaves, Evelyn looks at me and beelines for the counter.

“Something’s wrong with Kori.”

Chills run down my spine at those fear-filled words. My dread is mirrored on Nathan’s face.

“What do you mean, something’s wrong?” I ask.

The timid woman flinches at my harsh tone, but I can’t find it in me to care. I’m sure Karis will give me an earful about it tomorrow.

“I—she—well—” she stammers without ever getting to the point.

My fingers clench at my side in impatience.

Nathan catches my eye and gives a subtle shake of his head.

Fuck. I bite my tongue and let him handle it.

All too easily, he slips on that carefree mask he wears like a shield and gives her a charming smile.

It’s a good show, but there’s still tension coiled under his skin like a snake ready to strike.

“Hey, take a breath and try that again,” he says as he puts a comforting hand on her arm.

She follows his instruction and, after a moment, tries again, more grounded than before.

“She was acting like she was drunk or high or something. Her words were slurring, and she could barely walk straight. But I know she hasn’t had enough to drink for that.”

Fear grips my throat in taloned claws, ripping away my ability to breathe. Nightmare scenarios flash through my mind, getting worse with each scene that plays out, but the themes are all the same—my sunflower getting plucked from the soil and torn to pieces by malicious hands.

“Thanks, Evelyn,” he says, and starts in that direction.

At least one of us is thinking clearly.

His departure spurs me into action, but I only make it a few feet before the whole world tilts on its axis.

Yellow stumbles—no, she’s dragged out of the shadowy alcove by a strange man who has no fucking right to touch her. The edges of my vision fade as the storming cloud of rage rolls in, stronger than before.

I don’t know who this fucker is, but he’s going to regret the day he decided to mess with my girl.

I vault over the counter, and I’m on them before he even realizes what’s happening, ripping her from his slimy hands and pinning him against the wall.

“Gage?” Kori whimpers.

She clings to me, her legs barely stable enough to hold her up.

“What the fuc—” His words are choked off as my forearm digs into his windpipe.

“What did you give her?” I growl in his face.

“I didn’t give her shit,” he wheezes, and beads of sweat form on his forehead as he swallows deeply.

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” I snarl.

Thunder bellows in my head, urging me to inflict as much pain as possible on this bastard. Without a hand free, the best I can do is put more pressure on his throat. Sick pleasure fills me as he starts to claw at my arm, his face growing more and more red with each second that passes.

“Hey, man, that’s enough.”

I whirl around as someone touches the back of my arm. If I had a hand free, he’d be meeting my fist.

“Fuck, Gage.” Nathan takes a step back and raises his hands in surrender. “I know you care about her, but you need to let him go.”

Let him go? As if. He’ll be lucky if he leaves this bar conscious.

“Seriously, man. Don’t fuck up your life because of this asshole. Think about the consequences here. You could lose your job or get arrested, and you know you won’t be able to work with the kids anymore with a record. Focus on your girl. She needs you right now.”

Goddamnit all. When did he become the rational one?

With great effort, I pull my arm away. The creep sags onto his knees and sends my friend a grateful gaze.

“Thanks. I owe you one. This psycho—”

Nathan’s fist crashes into his jaw in a nasty uppercut, and the asshole drops to the floor without finishing his sentence.

“Go. I’ll take care of things here.” He tosses me his keys and flashes me a cheeky smile.

“Thank you,” I tell him and sweep Kori into my arms.

She’s so weak—so goddamn fragile. It only adds to the storm. I have half a mind to let Karis and Evelyn take care of her so I can teach that fuck a real lesson, consequences be damned. Her tiny whimper as she burrows her head into my chest is the only thing that keeps me from turning around.

The world around me is still a blur as I walk through the door. My entire focus is on the woman cradled against me. I’m sure I’ll have a mess to clean up tomorrow—if I even have a job to come back to—but I’d do it again in a heartbeat to keep her safe.

Maybe once things calm down, I’ll examine what that means.

A pit forms in my gut as I work to get her situated in Nathan’s car. She doesn’t react at all to being manhandled and positioned so I can fasten her seat belt. Her head lolls and her body sags against the strap as I pull away.

Fuck.

Whatever he gave her is strong.

“Can you hear me, doll?” I run a knuckle down her clammy cheek, and not even her lashes flutter in response.

Fuck.

Fear churns in my core. She needs to go to the hospital, but a bill like that could ruin someone. It would ruin me. Hell, it did. Can I live with myself if I fuck her over like that? Can I live with myself if I don’t take her and she ends up seriously hurt?

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I back out of the spot and head toward my apartment. If she gets worse, I’ll take her in, but I can’t risk screwing her over like that. The drive passes by in a blink. One minute I’m getting on the loop, and the next I’m pulling up to my unit, with no real memory of what happened in between.

As soon as I park the car, I throw open the door and jog around the front to get Kori. She stirs, letting out the softest pained moan as I pull her back into my arms. The sound stabs straight into my chest, but it’s an improvement. At least she’s responsive.

“We’re almost there,” I murmur.

She doesn’t give me any answer—not that I expect her to.

I doubt I’ll be hearing anything from those perfect lips for several hours.

And I doubt she’ll want anything to do with me once I get her home either.

It’s my fault she’s in this state. If I hadn’t invited her out, none of this would have happened.

She should be safely tucked away in her dorm, painting her nails or watching a monster movie, but I fucked that up by opening my stupid mouth.

Getting her inside is harder than I anticipated.

It doesn’t help that my knee screams with every step I take.

Every ache and pain in my weary body is intensified as the adrenaline fades from my system.

Maneuvering her through the door while protecting her unconscious form is another thing entirely, but I manage and take her to my room, placing her on the bed with all the care she deserves.

Bile rises in my throat as I assess her state without danger clouding my perception.

A fresh sheen of sweat coats her forehead, soaking the stray hairs around her ashen face.

I grab a damp washcloth from the bathroom and wipe away the worst of it.

My chest tightens painfully as she whimpers and stirs under my fingers.

I’d give anything to swap places with her.

“I’m so goddamn sorry,” I whisper into the void. The thick knot in my throat makes anything more than that impossible.

Never have I felt so helpless. Not even when I was stuck in bed after my surgery; my recovery was at least in my control then. Now all I can do is wait while Kori suffers.

Exhaustion seeps into my limbs, weighing them down like lead, but sleep and I won’t be getting acquainted tonight. Watching over her is more important than my own needs. If anything, it’s my penance for not keeping a close enough eye on her and letting this happen.

There isn’t a good spot in my room for me to post up.

The space is too small for more furniture than my bed and dresser, and I’m not about to crawl under the sheets beside her.

I would be as bad as the man who drugged her if I did that.

The floor isn’t an option either. It’s too low for me to keep her in my line of sight, and I’ll be damned if I take my eyes off her for a moment.

Never again will I let my negligence cause her to come to harm.