Worst Impressions

Bonus Chapter - Confronting Gideon

Beth's thrashing was pitiful. Physically, she was no match for a full-grown man, even if she spent her free time surfing and marching up and down the hills of her little town. Gideon was larger, stronger, and far angrier than she was.

She didn't stand a chance against him.

It didn't stop her from clawing at his arm and hand. His fingers flexed around her jaw and he warned menacingly, 'Don't think I won't break your teeth. One of you is going to pay for what she did to me. I'd rather it was her, but I'll settle for you.'

I supposed that settled the argument of who'd hit him in the head. Although I was always pleased to see Gideon getting what he deserved, I wished Lisa had left him alone and just returned to the hotel without getting into a fight. Now, he was out for blood, and he didn't care who he got it from.

'Leave her out of this, Gideon!' I demanded as I advanced on them.

'One more step, Darcy,' Gideon warned. His hand moved to Beth's throat where he squeezed until she choked. Panicked, Beth clawed at his fingers once more. 'See what happens to her.'

I came to a halt almost halfway between Mandy and Gideon. As soon as I stopped, Gideon relaxed his hand. It still rested on Beth's throat, lingering just as the threat did, but he wasn't hurting her and I considered that progress. If he'd wanted to, he could have throttled her or broken her neck before I'd have been able to remove him from Beth's person. Gideon was older and stronger than I was. I'd have handled myself better in a fistfight with him than Beth might, but I didn't trust that I would be able to save her life if he was truly determined to kill her.

Mandy held Lisa against her side, ensuring that the girl wouldn't race into danger herself and leave Gideon with two hostages instead of just the one. 'You don't need her,' she implored on Beth's behalf. 'You can let her go and leave quietly. Please, Gideon, just walk away before this gets any worse.'

'You really think I'll believe that the moment I'm out of here you won't call the police?' he asked. 'I'm not stupid, Mandy. I know the sort of woman your mother is. Who that little bitch's parents are. You won't stop until I'm behind bars.'

Gideon wasn't wrong. The moment he'd placed his hands on Beth he'd sealed his fate, as far as I was concerned. No matter what happened in the piazza, I wouldn't stop trying to find him. I'd force him to face justice for all that he'd done to Beth, to my sister, and to Lisa. Even if it cost my family every penny that they had, I'd see Gideon behind bars where he'd never hurt another soul.

'So, what will taking her accomplish?' Mandy persisted. 'You're making this worse for yourself!'

'Taking her will get me what I'm due,' Gideon said. 'You should have married me and given me the money your idiot father left. That was my right! I should have been in that will! Me! Instead, I got pathetic little handouts while the rest of you lived off his fortune.'

'You won't get anything by taking me,' Beth choked out around his grasping fingers. 'My family has nothing!'

'Your family might have nothing,' Gideon said. The twisted smile upon his lips told of a plan that had long since formed in his mind, no doubt ever since he'd gained some inkling of my feelings toward Beth. He raked his disgusting tongue from the corner of her mouth to her cheek, his gaze locked with mine the entire time like he was getting off on my building rage. 'But I imagine dear William will want to pay up before I take my frustrations out on you.'

The very idea of Gideon being with Beth intimately made that beast deep in the pit of my stomach roar with white-hot fury. It burned like fire through my veins. Every part of my being wanted to hurt him. I wanted my foot in his gut, my fists breaking his bones. I wanted to tear the man apart until there was nothing left of Gideon in this world for daring to so much as think about touching her with his filthy hands.