“Hey, you’re that girl.”
Hayley turned at the male voice. It was two college guys dressed in sweatshirts and jeans. Their gazes went from her back to their phone.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re the girl on the advertisement.” They both looked at each other and grinned. “So how much?”
“How much for what?” She frowned as her gut tightened. She glanced at Jayden, but his gaze was fixed on the ground attentively listening to whatever it was that Barrett was saying.
“How much for one hour?”
Haley whipped her head back to the two guys who were suddenly only a couple of feet in front of her. She backed up. Her skin crawled, her private space suddenly invaded.
Jayden must have sensed her fear, because he was suddenly there, stepping between her and the two guys. By this time a few more students had stopped and pulled out their phones. They looked from Haley back to their phones.
“What’s going on?” Jayden asked her over his shoulder.
“I have no idea?”
The two dudes laughed and held out their phone. “Man have you been hitting that? It says she charges by the hour.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” Jayden growled so loud that Haley thought he was going to shift right in front of everyone.
“I want to know how much she charges.” One of the college guys looked over Jayden’s shoulder and winked at her.
Jayden punched the guy in the face. The guy fell back like a tree.
“Hey man, what did you do that for? He was just asking how much she charged. It’s on the university’s Facebook page of things to do.” The other college guy shoved his cell phone in Jayden’s face.
Jayden snatched it out of his hand. Haley peeked around Jayden’s shoulder and looked.
It was the university’s page with a provocative picture of her and an advertisement for sex. Blood drained from her face as a rush of nausea washed over her.
“I never took that picture. I haven’t been on Facebook since I moved here,” she whispered.
“Call Braxton now.” Jayden shoved his phone at her. With trembling fingers she pulled up Braxton’s contact info.
“You need a little help?” Braxton shoved his way through the crowd and stood on the other side of Haley. Braxton appeared before she even dialed. “I was watching.”
Jayden shoved the college guy’s phone at Braxton whose face became serious.
Jayden faced the crowd of college students that were gathered and now gawking at her. “This is not Haley. And she sure as hell didn’t put it on Facebook. Her account and the university’s have been hacked. And the next asshole that says something to her about it will have his dick ripped off and shoved down his throat. So you need to make sure the word gets out. We clear?” The group of college students stared at Jayden wide-eyed and nodded furiously. They all quickly backed away.
“Call Barrett and tell him to get someone to check out the university’s account as well as Haley’s. He should able to track back to see if he can find the stalker.”
Braxton kept Haley positioned between them while he dialed Barrett and Jayden stood in front of her as a shield. The group quickly dispersed.
Tears burned behind her eyes and she fought not to cry. Not now, not in front of everyone. Somehow she knew her stalker was out there in the crowd watching and waiting for her reaction. That’s what he wanted. A reaction.
She would not give him the satisfaction.
Jayden turned and looked at her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
“Let’s get her outta here, man,” Braxton said in a low tone.
Jayden pulled her close to his muscular chest and she sighed against his warmth and his strength, her legs threatening to buckle.
They hurried back to his car, with Braxton staying close behind them.
The temptation to cry was overwhelming. But it wasn’t fear she was upset over. It was anger. Anger at how a stranger had taken her control away.
“Fuck.”
Jayden stopped short and Haley almost stumbled. She looked up and followed the line of his gaze. Right to his car.
“Oh my God, Jayden.” Her stomach lurched.
“Motherfucker.” Braxton added his sentiments as they all stared at Jayden’s black Mustang, completely destroyed.
Every window had been bashed in along with the hood and doors. The tires had been slashed and the black paint job had been marred with white spray paint with vindictive words like bitch and whore written for everyone to see.
Jayden spun her around and tugged her into his chest, blocking her from viewing the car.
Her stalker was now trying to hurt Jayden.
She buried her face in his chest and sobbed.
#
Jayden gave his report to the police as he kept his eyes on Haley. Braxton stood a few feet away and nodded, assuring him that Haley was safe.