Injury Read Online Free Page B

the other side of the dance floor. They threw Cope a
glance or two and returned to their huddle.
    Might be trouble, Cope thought, and regretted he wasn’t
licensed for concealed carry though he had a black belt in Judo. Impatient, he
checked the hallway leading to the restrooms. It puzzled him how much time
women could spend in there. The longer they hung out here, the greater the odds
Creepy Guy figured Cope had robbed him of a sure thing. Not true, of course—Dani
had rejected the guy, but he’d refused to recognize the signals.
    Relieved to see Dani and Liz approaching, Cope waited for
them to catch up to him. When they reached him, he linked arms with them and
stepped outside. He insisted Dani and Liz wait by the entrance, near club
security, while he went for the car.
    Cope went around to the back of the building into the
parking lot and found his path blocked by Creepy Guy and his two odious hangers
on. One guy had a scar across his cheek, and all three were broader than Cope
though not taller. The last guy looked pasty and more nervous than Creepy Guy
and Scarface.
    Cope scanned the area. No one in sight. Hard to believe the
bastard wanted to mix it up, but he probably saw the limo driver as an easy
target since they outnumbered him. They didn’t outmatch him though, and they
weren’t sober. For Cope, it would be like kicking rabid hamsters. Cope shook
his head. “You don’t want to fight me.”
    “You think you’re tough? There’re three of us.”
    “I’m not interested in a fight. Go home. I’m on duty.”
    Creepy Guy sneered, and the three brutes braced as if to
spring. Scarface was the biggest one, so Cope lunged at him first. No sense in
waiting to let them decide when it would start. He smashed the heel of his hand
into Scarface’s nose, and the guy dropped like a stone. Cope dodged, avoiding
Creepy Guy and his pasty friend, then twisted, kicked, and sent the two
assholes to the pavement.
    All three looked stunned. Cope loomed over them. “Go the
fuck home or I’ll call the cops and have your sorry asses up on assault
charges.”
    Creepy Guy was a tenacious little fuck—he actually argued
about it. “We’re the ones on the ground. You jumped first.”
    “Look up. The security cameras will show everything,
including you guys greeting me in such a friendly way.”
    “What happened here?” Daniella.
    Annoyed that the women hadn’t waited by security as he’d
instructed, Cope turned to Dani and waved her and Liz toward the limo. “Get in
the car, ladies. These gentlemen came to see us off.” Cope, who hadn’t even
broken a sweat, watched while the three thugs struggled to their feet and
dusted off.
    Dani and Liz picked their way across the cement to the limo,
and Cope opened the passenger door for them. The women climbed into the car,
and he slammed shut the door. He spared the three thugs cursory glances while
he jumped into the vehicle and pulled out of the parking spot.
    The limo arrived in front of Dani’s apartment before one,
and Cope, leaving his four-ways flashing, let the women out in front of the
building. No one was around, but he walked them through the lobby to the
elevator anyway. While they waited for the elevator doors to open, Dani turned
to Cope.
    “I’m sorry for the trouble you had. Thank you for coming to
our rescue.”
    “No problem, Miss Grayson. In future, I’d appreciate it if
you’d remain by security. It could have been worse.”
    “Yes. They could have hurt you. When you didn’t return right
away, we went to check on you.” Her chin rose, and her eyes narrowed.
    “I handled it. Next time you want to check on me, send
security. I don’t want you taking risks. Fans or reporters might have swarmed
you.” He sounded brusque even to his own ears, but the thought of the chance
she’d taken angered him.
    Dani frowned and averted her eyes. “Okay. I’m sorry. Thank
you for helping us.” She looked up and smiled at him, something that always lit
up his