Ducking low, he ran right at me.
I'd taken some martial arts classes when I was a teen. Nothing serious, basic body-movement and leverage shit. My mother's idea, of course—she wanted me to know how to protect myself from the 'bad kids.' I don't think it occurred to her that I was one of those kids.
If she was still alive, I would have thanked her for those lessons now.
Anticipating his movements, light on my toes, I tensed up. When he got close, I darted to the side. It didn't take much momentum—he was the one rushing me—for my fist to slam into his guts.
The noise he made was awful, like a balloon deflating while it dribbled wetness.
Coughing, my attacker slumped forward. Hugging his stomach, he glared up at me through his hair. Drool slid down his chin, veins criss-crossing the whites of his eyes.
The fucker wanted my blood.
Twisting my torso, I got ready to give him one more hit, something to drop him for a few hours so he'd stop being a threat. Nighty night, I thought.
Red's knee came down, catching him in the ear and planting his face firmly in the grass. Green stained his cheek, his shirt ruined from his own spittle.
The other girl gasped, covering her mouth.
Holy shit. Lifting an eyebrow, I stared at Red appreciatively.
She smoothed her shirt, shrugging. “He deserved it.” Bending over, she helped the blonde woman to her feet. “Are you alright, miss...?”
“Trish,” she said, stepping further away from the unconscious man. “And thanks. Both of you. I don't know what made him think it was okay to corner me like that. I told him I didn't want to go home with him. I'd seen him slip something into my drink earlier, knew he was bad news.”
A picture was forming in my mind. This guy wasn't just violent, he was a fucking rapist. I hadn't felt bad for him before, but now, I fought back the urge to kick him while he was down.
Red pulled out her cellphone. “Let me call the police.”
“Wait,” Trish said quickly. “I'd prefer if you didn't.”
I frowned dubiously. “He tried to drug you. The shit-heel shouldn't get to walk away from that.”
“Nothing really happened, just almost. The cops won't help with this.” Trish shrugged defeatedly. “I've been down this road before. Nothing gets resolved and I get dragged through the mud.”
Red looked shocked. “Wait, what?” she asked.
Offering an apologetic smile, Trish slid backwards. “Thanks again.” In seconds, she'd faded into the crowd.
The red-head tightened her eyebrows, glaring down at the guy on the ground. “Now what do we do?”
I understood her anger; this man was trash. But we were in public, it wasn't like I could tear him to pieces with everyone watching. The reality of the situation sucked. I said, “We can't do anything, so we have to do nothing. For now.”
She fixed her wide eyes on me. The centers were flaring, green jade that was engulfed in flames. “What does that mean, 'for now?'”
Nudging the guy roughly with my foot, I took some sick pleasure in his groan. “That girl is right. The world is unfair, it's shit. This guy is going to be walking the streets again, looking for prey. That's the reality.”
“So what, he never has to pay for trying to rape someone?”
Slowly, I moved my eyes to hers. I was sure she sensed the budding fury in me. How could she not? It was making the back of my neck hot as a furnace. “No. I said we'd do nothing—for now. He'll pay someday. This city is smaller than it seems.”
Red's lips parted so that the center was a beautiful little 'o' shape. The genuine threat in my voice, my not so subtle promise, had made her reevaluate me.
Seeing the way her eyes lit up, I did her the same favor.
I'd lost my chances with Skirt, perhaps it was time for Plan B.
She said, “You'd hurt him? You'd go that far for justice?”
Grinning, I offered her my hand. “Don't know what you're talking about, I don't give a shit about justice. Name's Abell, and you?”
Looking from my palm to my face, she hesitated... then reached out for the handshake. “Nix. And you're wrong.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
She motioned at the guy in the grass who still hadn't moved. “You have to care about justice a little, you jumped in to try and help a pair of strangers.”
My jaw tightened from Nix's scrutiny. Having my actions picked apart made me uncomfortable. “What can I say? I heard a beautiful woman in trouble and had to step in to help.”
Her lips curled up at the edges. “Too bad she didn't hang around, she could have heard you flattering her.”
Bending closer, I lowered my voice. “I didn't mean Trish.”
Nix froze, staring at me like I might bite her. The longer I stood near her, the more I wanted to.
She wasn't the type I was searching for while prowling for * this evening. Don't get me wrong, I love strong women—and she was obviously strong—but I was suffering a dry spell. Nix wouldn't be easy.