A spark of something danced in Billy’s eyes, but he managed to quell it. He was still cold, lethal Billy, not the hot-headed, fiery Billy I needed to come out. Because that Billy was a screamer and right now, ironically, he was my only chance at escaping this thing in one piece. I just needed one person outside to hear the fury in Billy’s voice and assuage their concern by picking up the phone or rapping their knuckles on the door.
“How did you find me?” I asked as I casually reached for the mop, which I’d dropped at some point. Maybe if I pretended I was merely annoyed instead of scared shitless, I could at least get my hands on something I could brandish as a weapon—
“Leave it,” Billy cut in before I could close my hand around the mop’s wooden handle.
I stilled and then forced myself to straighten.
He was calm.
Too fucking calm.
Fear ratcheted up my spine, and I automatically took a step back. I realized my mistake instantly because satisfaction lit up Billy’s face.
God, I was a stupid fucking mouse.
“Eric,” was all Billy said as he took a step toward me, then another. Since I’d already shown my hand, I kept backing up. If I managed to put the counter between me and Billy, I’d be able to discretely dial nine-one-one from my cell phone while it was still in my pocket. If that didn’t work, I could make a run for the emergency exit at the back of the shop. In between were a host of things I could use as weapons if I needed to.
Serving trays.
Mugs.
Hell, I’d even figure out how to make a fucking spoon work to my advantage if I had to.
“Eric?” I asked, then shook my head. “I would have recognized him if he’d come in here.”
“Since you had some guy’s tongue jammed down your throat when he saw you, I suspect you wouldn’t have recognized much of anything.”
Fuck, things had just gone from bad to worse. The only positive that I could see was that he wasn’t using Aiden’s name, so he likely didn’t know I was in a relationship with his very own publicist.
“Where?” I asked. “Where did he see me?”
I didn’t actually care where Eric had seen me and Aiden, since there could have been multiple places. Aiden wasn’t one to shy from public displays of affection.
God, Aiden. I needed to get out of this for Aiden.
My back hit the counter behind me. I just had to navigate a few feet to the left and I’d have a clear shot to the back.
“Look, Billy—”
That was as far as I got before he was on me. I didn’t even have time to react before his hand was closing around my throat. He slammed my head back against the display case behind me. I would have cried out if I could have found the oxygen to do it. I clawed at his wrist and then tried to go for his eyes, but his free hand came up and connected with my jaw. The punch made it feel like my entire head had exploded, which I suspected was exactly what Billy had intended. I was too out of it to struggle as he dragged me behind the counter and then through the door leading to the back. I scrabbled for purchase with my feet, but Billy was too strong. I tried to scream, but with the brutal grip he had on my throat, I couldn’t get any sound out.
I had no clue exactly where we were in the shop until my back hit the wall next to the time clock in the break room.
“This is how this is going to go, Ashton,” Billy said coldly. “You’re going to get your things and then you’re going to—”
“No,” I cut in before he could even finish. I shook my head slowly. “No, Billy. No more.”
I tried to prepare myself for the next blow, but there really wasn’t any way to do that. I tried desperately to protect my face, then my ribs when I hit the floor. But there was no way to predict where the next blow would land. Pain curled through my system as I begged for darkness to claim me, but it didn’t come.
Heavy fingers carded through my hair, yanking me to my knees. I could no longer make out Billy’s flushed skin as he hovered over me, and I couldn’t understand what he was asking me. But I knew which words he wanted… the two words that would end this. The two words that had saved me so many times in the past.
I’m sorry.
Even if I could have spoken them, I wouldn’t have. They were words Billy would never hear me utter again.
Instead, I silently said them to Aiden and then I told him the words I hadn’t been brave enough to speak out loud. I couldn’t hear Billy anymore… all I could hear was Aiden telling me he loved me back.