50. Montana

The girls had told me not to do it, but I didn’t listen.

Now I felt worse than ever. The waffles were like a big heavy mass in my stomach, my heart felt like someone had stabbed a knife into it, and my head was fucked.

“Self-pity doesn’t suit you,” I told myself as I walked away from the festival and turned into the shady lane, a shortcut to the carpark. As I made the right turn, I bumped into someone.

“I”m sorry,” I immediately apologized, but did not look up because I was too lost in my own suffering. I would have continued on my way if a heavy, painful hand had not clamped down around my arm. To my shock, I was yanked back into one of the stalls close to the edge of the field where the festival was being held. The grip was so hard and painful that it knocked the breath out of me. That was the last straw. I lost it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I lashed out. It was then I realized who had manhandled me so roughly.

My heart leapt into my throat. It was that dick. The one that had been by my side during the waffle-eating contest.

“Hey! Every time I meet you, you seem ruder than ever. What is it this time? Is it because you lost?” he taunted.

“Let go of me,” I spat, glaring at him, trying to twist my arm, but it wouldn’t budge from his grip. Now he was truly beginning to piss me off.

“What is your problem?” he asked.

“I said, let go of me.”

He laughed. “What, you think you”re too pretty to stop for a moment to have a conversation with me like a normal human being? What are you? Some sort of princess?”

“One last warning. Let go of me,” I enunciated clearly, slowly, so that even his two brain cells would understand I meant business.

I heard laughter from behind and realized then that his friends were outside the stall watching and acting as backup. He leaned forward then to whisper closer to me, and his breath nearly made my already upset stomach heave even more. It reeked of rotting meat and vomit. I was more disgusted and upset than I could explain. I swear I was about to puke on his cheap shoes.

“Aye, you really need something down your throat to get you to relax. I’m offering up my cock to do the deal. What do you say? We could go over to my truck-”

Before I could stop myself, my hand swung out and struck his pale, ginger-bearded face. It was sloppy, but I was so mad that I felt the sting vibrate all the way up to my shoulder. My palm had left a bright red imprint on his cheek and I was sure he saw stars, and I wasn’t about to apologize for giving him something he richly deserved. I saw the other men go silent, and I realized that I had made a very bad move. These men were nothing like him. They had cold, dangerous eyes. I was clearly involved in something much bigger than a low-life trouble-maker trying to keep his dick happy.

The men began to advance on me. Oh my God! What the hell had I got into? I was ready to run; but before I could, they fanned out around me. Three men against one. One of them reached out and I swerved out of his way. The other tried and I took a step back. Soon I would be against the wall.

Shit, I was in so much trouble.

Terrified, but knowing that I was no helpless female. I had fighting skills. I just had never taken three men on at the same time. I knew I should focus on getting away any way I could … I started to bounce on the balls of my feet like a bouncer. It was a useless gesture, but I was just doing it to confuse them. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. One of them lunged forward suddenly and caught me. I was dragged over like a weightless doll. My heart was beating so fast I could feel it like a palpitation. One thing was clear. This was going to turn into a mess.

It was so fucking embarrassing. I was the best in my self-defense class. My teacher would have been mortified to see what a poor effort I had put into this fight. I kicked my leg out as hard as I could and connected with someone’s soft groin. Balls. I got him in the balls. Well-aimed kick, Montana. Fantastic. He howled with agony and dropped to his knees.

“You bitch!” he yelled as he grasped his groin and curled up on the floor.

A hand came swinging towards my face. I instantly dodged, and he missed. He stumbled, showing the force with which he had lunged at me.

“Fuck you,” I spat.

“Fucking wild cat,” a man snarled, as he grabbed me from behind.

But a fist came out of nowhere, and a blow landed on his face. It sent him reeling to the ground and pulled a gasp out of me. The man who had lunged at me earlier tried to stand so he could resume his attack, but before he could find his footing, another man appeared from behind and kicked his legs. He screamed with pain and crashed to the ground.

In the distance, I heard a shout.

Two other men appeared. They had guns. I was in shock. I didn’t know how to react. I just stared as they made short work of downing the two remaining men.

I stared down at the three men who had collapsed on the ground and were unable to get up.

“What the fuck?” I didn’t know what was happening. Then I saw the man who had landed the blow flexing his fist. He looked at me with furious eyes.

“Who are you? What’s going on?” I gasped.

He grabbed my hand. “Get the fuck out of here right now?”

“Okay, okay,” I said, but my limbs were frozen.

“Go!” he yelled. “Go find your dad and leave! Right now! Go to the ranch where you will be safe.”

I was finally able to move my frozen limbs.

“Quickly,” he urged.

I ran.