The Promise

Chapter Ten

A/N: Thank you to all my readers out there who are really excited for the next part of this story. I'll admit, I didn't think it would have this much reception. Thank you! Please keep commenting :D 

Lips parting in a soundless gasp, I realized what situation I had found myself in. My eyes darted around, searching for a friendly face or someone to jump into the fray, but I only found people who averted their eyes and walked faster. The men surrounding me were sneering at me, thinking it was funny that they could corner a female.

"I'm talking to you!" One of the men said. He had a bald head and numerous tattoos covering his arms.

"Scared now that none of those freaks are here to save you?" Another guy taunted, dark hair slicked back. He leaned down, putting his face close to mine.

I gulped, my entire body shaking, anticipating what these men planned to do with me. I could have sworn that my fear was palpable, that a thick stench clouded the Boardwalk. I couldn't break through the four men circled around me like a school of piranha that smelled blood, so I brought my arms tighter across my body. I tried to take comfort in Dwayne's jacket and the sudden waft of his scent. One of the men reached out to grab at the leather. I pulled away, hitting my hip into the jut of the railing as I did.

I gasped in pain, feeling a bloom of agony in my hip. Tears rushed to my eyes as the pain almost knocked my breath away. I wasn't sure if I had broken my hip; it was throbbing so badly.

"Please don't," I begged, green eyes wide with fear and unshed tears glimmering.

"You don't need their jackets," the first man sneered, dipping his head down. He had a satisfied grin at being able to scare the female his rivals were enamored with. My nose wrinkled at the smell wafting from the dark cavern of his mouth. It smelled like rotting teeth, grease, pork hotdogs, and beer.

"No!" I cried out, trying to shimmy away from the eight hands reaching out to rip the jacket from my body. I was too weak to fight them.

"Come on, pretty girl," a hand tried to touch my face. I flinched back, slamming into the railing. I felt a throbbing sensation in my back due to the handrail sharply digging into the prominent bones. I was going to be bruised tomorrow.

"No!" I shouted, trying to get away from him. I watched in horror as he raised his hand as if he were going to backhand me. I screwed my eyes shut tight, trying to make myself smaller. I wondered if I could fall backways from the railing - and hit the sand. It might be safer.

"Now, that's no way to treat a beautiful lady," a familiar, taunting voice filled the air. I sagged in relief, recognizing the voice as David's. I opened my eyes, seeing Paul grasping the man's wrist before he could follow the motion. I sighed in relief that they had finally shown up on the Boardwalk.

"You okay, baby?" Marko pulled one of the guys roughly by his jacket. He tossed him without a care in the world. I panted, feeling the beginnings of my adrenaline rush fading as Marko wrapped an arm around me. The aches and pains were throbbing, becoming sharper with every passing moment.

"Yeah," I muttered, turning in Marko's hold to bury my head in his soft, patched jacket. They were quiet for a few moments, probably thinking of how to handle the situation while the bullies were blubbering.

"Go to Dwayne, darling," David's voice finally broke through the silence. I raised my head, looking at the man in charge of the four guys. David nodded at me, eyes gentle and appraising as he looked over my figure. Marko's ironclad hold loosened as Dwayne held a hand out for me to take.

I took a moment to calm myself further before I put my tiny hand in Dwayne's outstretched appendage. His massive hand dwarfed mine as he tightly but gently squeezed our hands together. I looked up at Marko for a second, and he gave me a wink before I let Dwayne lead me away from the scene.

When we reached their motorcycles, my teeth chattered as I succumbed to shock. Dwayne grabbed my waist, lifting me onto a bike. He inspected me, looking over my face as I convulsed with violent shudders.

"Are you hurt?" Dwayne asked, concern bleeding into his voice as he finished his precursory check. I wanted to deny the injuries, but my hip was starting to swell.

Instead of providing a response, I just looked up at the brunette who I had tried to find upon my initial appearance at the Boardwalk. Dwayne wasn't wearing a jacket; he was just wearing his jewelry and a sash around his torso. I realized that I was still wearing his jacket and went to pull it off.

Dwayne put his hand on top of mine, creating a ripple of hot tingles radiating from the source of the skin-to-skin contact. I gasped in amazement, becoming engrossed in the feeling of effervescence beneath my pale skin. I didn't notice Dwayne's fond expression as he watched me. I also didn't hear the return of the three other males in the group.

"Is she okay?" David's calm voice cut through the fog that had filled my mind from the skin contact. I blinked and snapped out of my trance.

"She hasn't said a word," Dwayne's deep, velvety voice was worried as he stroked back the hair hanging around my face. Paul approached me, a massive smile on his face.

"Are you hurt anywhere, honey?" Paul knelt down in front of me. His handles settled on my knees, a comforting and warm weight on my shivering frame. However, I felt the same tingles shooting through my bony patellas as I had with the other three. Marko ran his hand across my back to provide comfort, but I yelped. His hand had inadvertently hit a bruise, but I missed the anger that darkened their irises.

Marko's hands flew into the air immediately after I yelped. He was scared that it was his strength that had hurt me when it was just a slight pressure on a bruise. I tried to reach behind me, but I winced when twisting strained my hip.

"Ow," I mumbled, left hand reaching down to cradle my bruised hipbone. I knew I would be sore tomorrow if right now was any indication.

"What hurts?" David demanded, his pale blue eyes holding my gaze. I felt compelled to tell him exactly what hurts.

"My hip and back," I whispered. Paul stood at his height of 5'11. He leaned around me, pulling the jacket back to lay eyes on my injuries. I shied away from his sudden tugging on my clothing. Their eyes narrowed at the reaction, but they decided not to say anything. They figured their mate would let them know when I was ready.

"Let's take her to the cave," David commanded the other three while I furrowed my brow in confusion. Why would they want to take me to a cave? I wondered if that was their own language to describe their hang-out.

David rested a gloved hand on my cheek. I nuzzled into the surprisingly warm and soft leather while David's eyes softened at the action. He stepped back after a moment, getting onto his own bike. Dwayne straddled his own motorcycle, pulling my arms around his torso. That's when I remembered that his torso was naked. Flesh warm beneath my cold fingers.