“Ashlyn, we need to talk,” Cole said. He gripped my upper arm tightly.
“Let her go.”
“Fuck you,” Cole said with a sneer. He turned toward Ethan. “I don’t need some metrosexual child telling me what to do. Go mind your own business while I talk to my Ashlyn.”
“She’s not yours.”
Everything happened so fast, but I felt as if I were watching the encounter in slow motion.
Cole laughed once as he shook his head slowly. He looked at Ethan and then at me. A second later, he turned to face Ethan, pulled back his arm, tightened his hand into a fist, and swung it at Ethan’s head.
Ethan sidestepped, twisting his body down and to the right, and Cole’s fist plowed into the wooden pillar Ethan had been leaning against. I heard a distinctive crack of bones breaking as Cole’s knuckles hit the unyielding wood, and Cole cried out.
With a growl, Cole backed up and made a run at Ethan. Ethan ducked, moved forward, and Cole went right over his back, crashing into one of the high-top tables near the bar. The bartender started yelling to the shocked server nearby to call the police as he started to run around the bar to break up the fight.
Cole rolled over and stood up, fists raised. Ethan stood his ground in front of me, looking tiny compared to Cole’s huge form. I realized Cole wasn’t going to be taken by surprise a third time and that Ethan could be in a lot of trouble.
Suddenly, Isaac appeared. He stepped up right beside Ethan and glared at Cole.
“You need to leave,” Isaac said.
Cole took a half step backward and then pointed a finger at me.
“You aren’t fucking worth it!” he screamed. “You never were, you stupid bitch! I don’t know why I wasted any time with you in the first place!”
He took a step forward, but both Ethan and Isaac braced themselves, ready to take him on. Apparently, Cole thought better of it and quickly stalked toward the front door as police sirens wailed in the distance. A moment later, the bartender appeared behind him, and Zoey and Presley followed.
Ethan turned around and grabbed me, pulling me against his chest and pressing his lips to my temple.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine. Did he hurt you?”
“Didn’t touch me,” Ethan said.
“I can’t believe you fended him off like that,” I said. “He’s twice your size.”
“Size only matters in some areas.” Ethan leaned back, looked me in the eye, and winked. “I’m wiry, and I know how to move. I don’t really care for violence, but I took some Akido classes when I was in high school. The self-defense methods come in handy every once in a while.”
“Apparently.”
“Still, I was kinda worried there for a minute.” Ethan looked over at Isaac.
“That was pretty impressive,” Isaac said. He gave me a quick smile. “Glad this guy was here for you, Ash.”
“Ethan,” I said, “this is Isaac.”
“Thanks for the backup,” Ethan said. He reached over and shook Isaac’s hand.
“My pleasure,” Isaac said. “Cole’s as asshole. It was nice to watch him get burned.”
Presley and Zoey came back inside and walked swiftly to us.
“The cops are here,” Zoey said, “but Cole took off. I gave them a description of his car, and they said they’d be on the lookout for him. They’re on their way inside and want to talk to you though.”
I nodded.
“How did he know where to find me?” I asked, looking at Presley.