A choked cry left my chest when his groping hands were wrenched away from me. Another pair of strong arms closed around me from behind, hauling me away. I gasped for air and writhed in their iron hold, desperate to escape.
“It’s me, angel,” Joseph promised, nuzzling my hair. “I’ve got you.”
I sighed his name and melted against him, but my relief was quickly swamped by alarm. Marco’s fist smashed into the creep’s face, and my assailant dropped onto the dancefloor. Shocked shouts echoed over the thrumming music, and the crowd stepped back. Blood dripped from the man’s split lips, but he shook his head hard and tried to stand. He didn’t make it to a sitting position before swaying and dropping back to the floor with a groan.
Two burly bouncers shoved their way through the crowd, coming for Marco. I tugged against Joseph’s hold, trying to go to him before he beat the man to a bloody pulp. The strong bands of his corded arms held me fast, keeping me away from the creep.
“Marco!” I called out, my voice ragged and desperate. He froze at the distress in my tone, as though I’d bound him with rope to hold him back.
His huge frame practically vibrated with rage and unspent aggression.
“Don’t,” I begged. I couldn’t allow him to get arrested for assault. It looked like he might’ve already broken the man’s jaw.
The bouncers arrived and got between Marco and my assailant, blocking his path and shoving at his chest. Marco didn’t so much as sway at the impact, his bulky body a solid wall in front of me.
“That bastard grabbed my wife,” Marco snarled, his hands clenched to fists at his sides.
A keen mix of shock and love pierced my heart. Wife. My men had never called me that before. We weren’t married yet, but that didn’t seem to matter to my fierce Daddy. I was his, and he would do anything to protect me.
One of the bouncers looked past Marco at me, taking in my pale cheeks and trembling hands. He turned narrowed eyes on Marco. “Get out. I don’t want to see you in here again.”
Marco’s muscles rippled, and he didn’t back down. Alarm thrilled through me.
“I need you, Marco,” I pleaded. I couldn’t let him get arrested.
Instantly, he was in front of me, his dark eyes filling my world. His big hands cupped my cheeks, and his gaze searched mine. He scowled at the fear that radiated from me.
“We have to go,” Joseph told him. “Let’s get her out of here.”
“What’s going on?” Jayme asked, her worried tone snagging my attention. “Ashlyn, are you okay?”
My friends hadn’t seen the man grab me, but the altercation had alerted everyone in the bar.
“I’m okay,” I promised, my voice barely shaking as I kept my eyes on Marco. He needed the reassurance more than my friends did.
“We’re coming back to the hotel with you,” Kelsey announced, staunch in her solidarity.
“You don’t have to do that,” I protested. “Stay out and have fun. Seriously, I’m fine.”
My weak knees belied my assertion. The rush of horror at the visceral memory of Gabriel Costa had left me feeling wrung-out and shaky.
“We’ve got her,” Joseph said to my friends. “Just stick together tonight. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” Jayme reassured him. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come with you, Ashlyn?”
“No, but thank you.” I wanted to be alone with my men. I couldn’t tell my friends about the dark memory that’d surfaced. They didn’t know anything about my time with the mafia or my trauma, and they never could. That part of our lives was over, and no one in our new life needed to be aware of my men’s criminal past.
“Call us if you need anything,” Joseph said to Jayme, a stern order.
“We will,” she agreed immediately when he turned that commanding tone on her.