Chapter 43 Call Her Family
I was about to politely decline the tattooed stranger's offer when Lily suddenly grabbed her drink and threw it directly in his face.
"Fuck off!" she spat, her voice slurred but defiant.
The atmosphere in the bar instantly froze. I felt my heart stop, then restart at double speed. The man's expression transformed from confident charm to cold fury in the span of a heartbeat. He grabbed Lily by her hair, yanked her head back, and slapped her hard across the face before slamming her forehead against the table.
"You fucking bitch," he snarled. "You looking to die tonight?"
"Ah!" Lily cried out, her makeup smearing as tears instantly welled in her eyes.
I felt my body go cold with fear, but somehow maintained enough presence of mind to intervene. "I'm so sorry," I said quickly, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the trembling in my hands. "She's drunk. She thought you were her ex-boyfriend. Her boyfriend cheated on her, she's upset, that's why she said what she did. Please, just let her go."
The man's dark eyes shifted to me, assessing. His grip on Lily's hair loosened slightly, but he didn't release her.
"Leave? Baby, it's not that simple." His voice had transformed into something deceptively soft, which somehow felt more dangerous than his shouting.
I reached for my purse. "We can compensate you for the trouble—"
"Stop." He held up his free hand. "In my territory, money doesn't solve everything."
Two more men appeared behind him, flanking us on either side. One was short and stocky with a neck tattoo; the other tall and lean with cold eyes. The tattooed man finally released Lily, who immediately shrank back against the wall, sobbing quietly.
"Name's Ryan," he said, sliding into the booth across from us. "And you are?"
"Olivia," I answered automatically, then immediately regretted giving my real name.
Ryan smiled, revealing a gold tooth. "Well, Olivia, here's my proposition. You spend the night with me, and I'll forget this ever happened."
I felt Lily's hand grip my arm tightly. My mouth went dry.
"Can I at least make a phone call?" I asked, desperate for any way out. "To tell my family I won't be coming home tonight?"
Ryan considered this, then nodded to one of his friends. "What do you think?"
The taller man snorted. "She's trying to negotiate with you? Ballsy."
Ryan seemed amused by this assessment. "Alright, sweetheart. Make your call. But put it on speaker."
With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone. I scrolled to Ethan's number, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst through my chest.
He answered on the second ring. "Olivia?"
I tried to keep my voice from breaking. "Ethan, I'm at Whiskey A Go Go in West Hollywood... There's a man named Ryan here, he's forcing me to spend the night with him..." I couldn't stop the tears that began streaming down my face.
"Put him on." Ethan's voice had gone deadly quiet.
I held it out. "My boyfriend wants to talk to you."
"Is this Ryan Lawson?" Ethan's voice was ice cold.
Ryan's face drained of color so quickly it was almost comical. "Mr. Bennett, I—"
"Don't speak," Ethan cut him off. "I'm ten minutes away. If she has so much as a hair out of place when I arrive, what happened to Diego Cruz will look like a fucking vacation compared to what I'll do to you."
Ryan's hands were visibly shaking now. "Yes, sir."
The call ended. Ryan immediately stood up and backed away from our table. He barked orders at his men, who quickly began clearing the area around us. The music in the bar stopped. The lights came up slightly.
"I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding," Ryan said, his entire demeanor transformed. "Can I get you ladies anything while you wait? Water? Food?"
I shook my head, still too stunned to speak. Lily looked at me in confusion, tears still streaking her face.
"What just happened?" she whispered.
Before I could answer, the atmosphere in the bar shifted again. People moved aside as Ethan strode in, flanked by two security men in suits. His face was a mask of controlled rage.
The moment I saw him, relief crashed over me like a wave. I jumped up from the booth and ran to him without thinking.
"Ethan!" I threw my arms around him, burying my face against his chest. "I was so scared."
His arms closed around me, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head.
"I see you're quite brave, sneaking out to bars in the middle of the night behind my back," he said, his voice soft but laced with steel as he tapped the tip of my nose.
I pulled back slightly to look at him properly. "I was just trying to help Lily. I told you where I was going."
Before he could respond, Ryan approached us, head bowed in deference. "Mr. Bennett, this was all a misunderstanding. I didn't know she was with you."
Ethan's eyes never left my face as he answered. "Did he touch you?"
"No," I said quickly. "He grabbed Lily, but—"
Ethan finally turned his attention to Ryan, positioning me slightly behind him as he did so. "You put your hands on her friend?"
Ryan shook his head frantically. "It was just—I didn't—"
"Ethan," I interrupted, sensing the dangerous edge in his voice. "Can we please just go? Lily's upset, and I'm exhausted."
He studied my face for a moment, then nodded. "Wait for me in the private room in the back." He gestured to one of his security men.
I hesitated, noticing Ryan's eyes locked on me, his expression desperate and pleading.
I collected Lily, who was still shaking, and followed the security guard to a small VIP room at the back of the bar.