Scotty strolled toward us. “How’ve you been, babe?” He leaned toward me for a kiss, and I reared away from him.
“Fine.” I flicked my eyes at Mercy to get in the car. The sooner we got out of here, the better.
“Fate must have brought us back together.” He brushed his fingers down my arm.
“I doubt that.” I opened my car door. “See ya.”
“Not so fast, bitch.” He gripped my bicep. “Don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you.”
“There are security cameras all around. Let go of me.” I fought the urge to wince as he tightened his grip. I’d learned of Scotty’s violent nature the one and only time I went out with him. Assaulting me in broad daylight proved I had dodged a bullet.
“I’ll call the police.” Mercy took her phone out.
Scotty got in my face. “All I wanted was to ask you out. Take you to a nice dinner. Why you gotta be a bitch, Hope? Thought you liked my dick down your throat.”
“Is there a problem here?” McHottie asked, appearing out of nowhere.
“Beat it,” Scotty hissed. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“Why are you touching my nurse? Why does she look like you’re hurting her? Hmm?” Doctor Hayes stepped closer. “This is my business. Let go of her.”
“What are you gonna do if I don’t?” Scotty sneered. I felt his fury like it was my own.
“Just go,” I told him, trying to pull my arm out of his grasp. Getting mixed up in a fight wasn’t high on my fun-things-to-do list.
Doctor Hayes’s jaw twitched. He pushed up his right sleeve, revealing a tattoo on his forearm. He didn’t say anything, shooting Scotty a death stare.
Crap! McHottie had a tattoo like Hustler had on his shoulder. This was worse than I imagined.
“Since when are doctors also greasy, dirty bikers?” Scotty released my arm. “Is this cunt your woman?”
“You asshole!” I slapped him. No one called me a cunt and got away with it. The sting on my hand radiated up my neck, then down my spine. How did I get myself into this mess?
“Bitch!” Scotty grabbed my hair and shoved me onto the pavement.
I hit the ground hard, catching myself on my hand before face-planting or landing on my stomach.
“Oh my gosh, Hope!” Mercy shrieked, rushing to my side.
“Motherfucker!” Doctor Hayes tackled Scotty a split-second later. “I’ll teach you to rue the day you hurt a woman!”
“Come on, sweetie.” Mercy helped me up as security ran toward us.
This was not my best day by a long shot. I’d had some pretty fucked up days, but this one topped them all.
“How’s your stomach?” she asked in a low voice, guiding me away from the madness.
“I’m fine.” I looked at my bleeding palm. My knees felt raw too. But then, I was wearing shorts, so there’d been nothing to protect my skin when I hit the asphalt. Despite saying I wanted an abortion, I’d shielded my belly. It had to have been an unconscious reaction, like a natural instinct.
“Good.”
Doctor Hayes showed his brute strength like I imagined a bad boy biker would do. Nobody had ever come to my defense. It shouldn’t surprise me. He was a doctor, someone who wanted to heal and save lives. Instead of pounding his fist into the dirtbag’s face, he had subdued him for security to arrest him.
“Wow, who knew McHottie could be a badass,” Mercy said in a breathy voice. I glanced at my friend. Heat and lust radiated off her, turning her cheeks rosy. Too bad she had a “no doctors” dating policy.
“Not me.” I didn’t know much about biker clubs, but Doctor Hayes didn’t fit the gritty, violent image my mind conjured after being with Hustler. Yet, his swift response might have saved me from a beating.
“Are you okay?” The doctor assessed me with a discerning eye from head to toe. When he reached for my hands, I stepped back.