“The opportunity of a lifetime?” he asked silkily. “You’re letting it ride right on by you.” He gave a little waving motion with his hand. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
Was she sure?
Gripping the doorknob, she turned it and pulled the door open quickly.
“Am I sure I want to tell you to shove your offer up that sock-stuffed ass of yours?” she asked archly as she escaped into the foyer.
He paused, but only for a second.
Piper saw the blow coming and only barely managed to evade it as his fist came flying out.
“Bitch!” he snarled.
“Bitch? Because I know the difference between a sock and a dick?” She sneered back at him, quickening her pace as she walked backward.
“You’ll never get out of that backwoods town where you’re hawking that shit you sew together,” he snarled, his face flushing a brilliant red as his eyes bulged to the point that they threatened to pop out of their sockets.
“And you’ll never be anything but a fake dick,” she threw back at him as Broecun entered the foyer from another room, leaned against the doorframe, and folded his arms over his chest lazily as he watched.
Asshole—he could have at least appeared surprised rather than plain amused.
“Bitch!”
She watched Eldon’s muscles bunch, knew he was going to move, and she knew she would never be able to evade the punch.
Jed was going to be pissed.
Dawg would go ballistic.
They would both travel to New York and start taking off heads if she came home with just the faintest bruise that came from a male hand.
She tried to evade it.
She jumped, tried to run, but she was too damned scared to take her eyes off him.
Just before his fist launched, it stopped.
She didn’t know who was more surprised, her or Eldon, when he found his fist suddenly captured in the hard, huge hand of Broecun.
“Get out of here, girl.” Hard, emotionless, the order was voiced without heat or any sense of warning.
Still, Piper turned and ran for the front door.
She couldn’t b
elieve this. She couldn’t believe the chance she had dreamed of had come to this.
To lose it all because of some asshole with a sock for a dick.
FIVE
Pulling into the back lot of the rental car agency, Piper was still fuming hours later.
It was too late to be in an area that appeared deserted in New York City, and far too late to do anything but turn the car back in.
At least the cab she’d called was waiting for her.
She’d stopped to let the driver know she just had to park the car; then she’d be ready to leave.