Page 3 of Jacques

No way. She’d never let that happen. Ever again. She was stronger now and capable of defending herself against the enemy. Her military training and continued lessons and practice in self-defense had given her confidence and skills that had saved her ass more than once.

Bobby Ray stepped closer, raising his fists. “Why I⁠—”

“—feel the need to apologize to the lady?” Jacques Jardin, one of the Bayou Brotherhood Protectors, stepped beside Danny, arms folded across his chest. “She’s listening.”

Danny glanced his way. “I’ve got this,” she said. Damn the man. His timing always seemed spot on whenever she ran into trouble or struggled with mental setbacks.

“I can see that.” Jacques nodded toward Bobby Ray. “Though I don’t think your conquest is convinced.”

The big man’s buddy laid a hand on Bobby Ray’s shoulder. “Come on, man. We gotta work in the morning. Can’t do that with a broken arm or a busted face.”

Bobby Ray shook off his friend’s hand, his eyes narrowing to slits on Danny. “She attacked me.”

“That’s not how I saw it.” Rene walked over, slinging his bar towel over his shoulder. “Go home, Bobby Ray. Sleep it off.”

Bobby Ray’s face darkened. “Mind your own damned business.”

“Protecting my employees is my business.” Rene squared his shoulders. “Now, apologize, or I’ll have the sheriff lock you up for assault.”

“She assaulted me!” The man’s face had gone from red to purple.

Claudine appeared at his side. “Say yer sorry and take me home before you make an even bigger fool out of yerself.”

“Don’t you start...” He shifted his glare to his wife.

She lifted her chin. “Oh, I’ll start and end it. Now say it, and git yer dumb ass out to the truck.”

Others had gathered around Danny.

Bobby Ray’s gaze swept around the crowd. When he finally figured out he was outnumbered, he snorted. “Fine. I’m sorry. There. You happy?”

Danny gave a brief nod. “It’ll do.”

He brushed dirt off his chest, muttering, “Damned female, causing trouble where there weren’t none,” he muttered under his breath, and then louder to Claudine, “Come on. Let’s go home.” He gripped her arm and started through the throng.

Claudine dug in her heels, shook off his hand and gave him the stink-eye. “That’s what started this ruckus in the first place. Manhandlin’ women like you own ’em. Now, you behave yerself.”

Bobby Ray shook his head. “Yer not gonna let it go, are you?”

“No way,” Claudine said with a grin. “Not fer a while yet.”

The big man’s lips thinned, then he shook his head and stormed out from under the tent.

Claudine sauntered after him, a satisfied grin spilling across her face. She called out over her shoulder, “Thanks, Danny. He had it comin’.”

As the couple left the tent, Danny lifted the tray of empties and carried it to the bar, her breathing still a little ragged and her insides shaking from her sudden need to defend herself.

She might have gone a bit overboard with her reaction to Bobby Ray’s slap on her ass, but she was damned tired of men thinking they could assault a woman and get away with it. She could be the poster girl for the statistic that one in every four women had experienced sexual violence. Her experience still haunted her, causing severe panic attacks and knee-jerk reactions to men making unwanted moves on her.

She wondered when she’d ever feel safe again.

Only when the bastard who attacked me is caught.

She sighed, which might be never, since she didn’t know who he was.

After serving several other tables, she circled back to the table where Jacques sat with some of his buddies, wanting to thank him for coming to her defense. By the time she reached him, Xavier Xander and Lissette Gautier had joined him, both smiling, obviously happy, and holding hands.

Danny was glad Lissette was happy, and even happier to know her time in jail had actually been good for her. Since her release, she seemed to have turned over a new leaf and was helping people instead of hurting them.