Jake unlocked the door with his free hand stuck inside her back pocket and Delilah wiggled her ass extra hard for him as she walked inside. She was still floating a little from their conversation in the truck. Someone like Jake River wanting her was unbelievable. She’d come to town happy to have a gig that paid more than expenses—and now she wasn’t sure she’d ever leave here again.
Nothing waited for her back in the city anyway. A loft apartment with bad plumbing and an eviction notice hanging on the front door. Some unpaid parking tickets. Bills. But nothing like what she’d already built here in just a few short days. And she was sure there was no one else in the world like Jake. She’d almost stopped believing love like this existed anymore. But he was real and standing right here. Wanting her.
The moment she walked inside the dark motel room she knew something was off. “The lamp is out,” she said, doing a quick sweep of the space. She’d gotten distracted with Jake. Carried away. And forgotten to keep an eye peeled for the trouble she’d already known would come. Damn.
She reached for her knife but she wasn’t fast enough. Movement caught her on her left and Jake shoved her sideways, yelling for her to get out. Two men came at them. One from behind the bed and the other from the bathroom. The first was Lyle, but the second was a man she’d never seen before. His stubble was thick and peppered with gray but his eyes were sharp as they locked on to Jake behind her.
“Ray,” Jake breathed, confirming her suspicions. His voice was strangled and she felt his panic ripple in the air like radio waves.
“Jake-ass,” Ray said, teeth clenched, eyes gleaming. His hands tightened around something and she spotted a crowbar gripped in his hand. She shuddered and took a step but Ray just nodded at Lyle. “Keep her busy,” Ray said. “This one’s mine. Time to teach this boy a lesson once and for all.”
Delilah thought Lyle winked at her as he charged, but she couldn’t be sure before she was forced to duck underneath his fist barreling toward her face. At least he didn’t have a crowbar of his own. Probably thought he didn’t need one. Asshole. She planned on showing him otherwise.
“Delilah, run!” Jake screamed, dodging the curved end of the crowbar less than a foot away in the small room.
Lyle grunted as his swing met only air and the momentum carried him forward. Off balance, he leaned toward her, and she knew she couldn’t waste an opportunity.
Vaguely, she heard Jake yelling over and over for her to get out, but she couldn’t go now. Lyle would just chase her down. Damn, if she was a polar bear right now, this wouldn’t be an issue. She waited until Lyle had almost doubled over in front of her, his missed punch sending him off balance, and then slammed her first into his stomach.