Page 65 of Long Hard Road

“Madi.”

I looked up and frowned at the three guys staring down at me. They were all in their early twenties and leering in a way that had me leaning toward Nate.

“Yes?” I asked.

“We want a picture with you,” one of them said.

Nate’s arm went around me. “I don’t know if that’s a great idea,” he said.

“Oh come on. You took pictures with those girls,” a second guy said. His words were more slurred than the other guy’s. “We’re fans!”

“You’re drunk,” Nate snapped.

“Nate.” I put a hand on his leg. “It’s okay. I’ll just take a quick picture and they’ll move on. Don’t start a fight over this.”

He grunted and removed his arm. “Stay close.”

I wasn’t planning to move more than a foot away to take the picture. These guys might be harmless but I wasn’t taken any chances.

“Here. Take it for us.” The first guy shoved his phone toward Nate who looked like he wanted to throw it across the arena. With great reluctance, he took the phone.

It was not an ideal picture location with the three of us standing awkwardly on the stairs. The final arrangement was one guy on either side of me, up a step and down a step, with the third guy leaning over me from behind.

“Ready?” Nate grumbled.

“1… 2…” The guys counted together and I plastered a smile on my face. At 3, all hell broke loose. The guys on my sides leaned in and kissed my cheeks while the guy behind me got a hand around my chest and grabbed my breast.

I let out a loud cry that had everyone looking at us while Nate charged forward and threw the closest guy to the ground. He pulled me behind him and was about to punch the guy who had grabbed me when that guy was yanked away by my bodyguard, Xander, who had been sitting a couple of rows away while inconspicuously guarding me.

“I’ve got him,” Xander said.

“What the fuck?” the guy on the ground yelled. “It was just a joke. We were just messing around.”

Nate crouched down and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “You don’t fucking mess around with women like that. And you certainly don’t fuck around with my woman.”

“Nathaniel.” Tom’s voice was calm but cautioning. “Let the security team handle this.”

Three men from the arena security had come rushing over. I tried to pull Nate back, but he didn’t even notice me tugging on his shoulder.

“We’ve got this,” Xander repeated.

Nate finally stood and stepped back to let security do their job. Xander gave them a quick recap of what had happened while quietly explaining that he was my bodyguard. When I glanced behind me, I saw that Chase, Evan, and Ronan were all still standing with their eyes locked on the three offenders. Nate handed the random guy’s phone to Xander and explained that he had gotten a picture of the whole thing.

“Alright. It’s being handled.” Tom clapped his hands once. “The game’s about to start again. Sit down, boys.”

This time when we sat, Nate kept me in the middle of him and Harper with Ronan on the other side of her.

“No more pictures,” he murmured in my ear. “You’re not leaving my side.”

“Fine by me.” I wrapped my arm around his and settled my head on his shoulder. “There’s nowhere else I’d want to be anyway.”

We stayed for the rest of the game but I was no longer paying attention. I was too busy trying not to look like I was affected by what had happened. Nearly everyone in the arena was taking a turn staring at me and Nate was still bristling with unresolved anger. We just needed to get through the game and then we could both let our emotions out once we weren’t in public.

“Did you want to come over for dinner after the game?” Lily asked. “Chase and Harper are coming.”

“With everything that’s been happening I think it’s best if we go back to my cabin,” I said. “My security is stronger there.”

“Right. Maybe next time.” Lily smiled but it was tinged with pity.