When she lived in the city, she’d taken a couple of self-defense classes. Again, her aunt was determined to make sure she was safe, and right now, she was more than thankful for them.
Jacob let Lilly go and advanced toward her. When he was within arm’s reach, she attacked, slapping him down. She drove her fist into his face, hearing the breaking of bones, and then pushed him to the floor.
His scream echoed around the bar, drawing attention to them.
Eliza went to Lilly’s side just as James, Caleb, Rome, and a couple of others came to them.
“That bitch broke my nose.”
“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t be trying to force yourself on women. There’s a word for that, and it’s rape.” She sneered at the man and then looked up to see some judging her. No, not just her, but Lilly as well.
“This man trying to force you, Lilly?” Caleb asked, stepping forward.
Lilly nodded her head, no words. Eliza got even more pissed off and tried to advance toward the asshole, but James caught her around the waist, pulling her away.
“It’s okay, Eliza. We’ll deal with this.” James kissed her neck. “Take care of Lilly.”
“You better make sure he pays.” She pushed past him, tempted to kick him or do something that would make her feel even a little bit better about walking away from him. Grabbing Lilly’s shoulders, she moved her away from the crowd. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Is this what you have to put up with? I know it’s a stupid bar and all that, but surely it’s not always that bad.”
“Most of the time it’s not. Sometimes, it is. Men think they own the place. That kind of thing.” Lilly sniffed. “It’s been a couple of weeks since something like that happened.”
“I heard what he said. About your mom and sister.”
Lilly laughed. “Yeah. Everyone seems to think I will spread my legs easily and for the right price.” Her face scrunched up and Eliza hugged her.
“You’re fine. It’s going to be fine.”
“No, it’s not. Everyone thinks the same here. I’ve got to get out of town.”
She held Lilly close, wanting to offer her as much comfort as she possibly could. “Are you thinking of leaving town?”
“What was it like for you?”
Eliza groaned. “I’m not going to be able to tell you fairytales, Lilly. I came back. For me, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I didn’t like my time away.” She shrugged. “You do get lost in the big city and if you don’t want to be found, it’s the place you want to be.”
“I don’t want to be found. I don’t want men or women to look at me like I’m an easy target.”
“He’s been taken care of,” Caleb said.
Rome and James weren’t far behind him.
“Thanks,” Lilly said.
“If he ever gives you trouble, or you get trouble, give me a call.”
Lilly got to her feet and shook her head. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Please let me know what you decide to do before you do it,” Eliza said.
“I will.”
Another hug and Lilly excused herself.
“What is she hoping to do?”
“I think she’s thinking about leaving town.” She sighed. She liked Lilly and seeing her like this tore her apart. She really had no right to ask Lilly to talk to her before leaving town. It wasn’t like she had consulted anyone.
“Are you ready to head out?” James asked, arms wrapped around her.
“Yeah, I have no wish to stick around.”
Jacob clearly thought he had a right to touch Lilly and she had seen the looks on some of the people’s faces. There was no room for their views and her in the same room.
She followed James out of the bar and they went straight for his car.
“Are you still okay to drive?”
“Yep. I didn’t go over my limit. I’m all good.”
“Awesome.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just had a stark reminder of why I don’t hang around bars.”
“Jacob’s an asshole.”
“I know but he’s also not the only one in town. It’s fine.” She got in the truck and James climbed into the passenger seat beside her.
“It’s not fine if you’re pissed.”
“It’s going to take a lot more to piss me off than that asshole. I’m just thinking about Lilly.”
“You used to babysit her.”
“It wasn’t anything official. One day walking home from school, I saw her sitting in the park on the swings. She was crying, and instead of ignoring her, I went to her. She was hungry. Her mom and sister had forgotten to feed her. Just remembering it now pisses me off. I took her home and we got talking. If her mother was on a bender, she wouldn’t go back to the trailer for weeks, and her sister jumped from bed to bed. Most of the time she spent on her own. I took care of her. Aunt Betty even let her sleep over a lot as well.” She ran fingers through her hair. “When I was eighteen, I just left. I know Aunt Betty kept an eye on her, but now I can’t help but feel guilty. She’s been alone for a long time.”