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his eyes were severe and cold. She slid off her stool, deciding the best thing to do would be to leave. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the guy with the bushy eyebrows put his hand at her waist.
    â€œDon’t mind him, darling. He’s got terrible manners. Stay awhile.”
    â€œDon’t touch her.”
    Quinn looked over at Ewan. His eyes were locked on the man with such fearsome intensity it made the hair on her arms rise. He looked like a predator just before he pounced. His whole body was deathly still, but the way his left hand was squeezing the dishcloth, she could practically see the white knuckles splitting through his skin.
    â€œExcuse me,” she said and began to move away.
    Ewan looked formidable, like he was barely holding himself together. Surely no man in his right mind would do anything contrary to what Ewan wanted.
    The man's arm snaked around her lower back, blocking her from taking another step.
    It looked like she was mistaken.

Chapter 6
    People nearby were staring. Quinn felt like she was in a vacuum and the white noise of the pub was drifting away. The man on the stool grinned down at her and pulled until her hip slid up against his thigh. She couldn’t stop staring at his eyes, which sat so close together at the top of his long, bulbous nose. She’d never seen anything like it before. It was so distinguishable that she’d be able to pick him out of a police lineup without any hesitation. And something told her that the menacing man might be very familiar with police lineups.
    â€œWhat’s your name?” he asked.
    Quinn said nothing. She leaned away from him, pushing on the bar to break his grip on her waist.
    â€œNone of your goddamn business,” Ewan growled. If this guy was smart, he’d leave the pub quickly.
    The lecherous man tilted his head to get a better look at Quinn and sneered, “Ah, she is a pretty little thing, isn’t she? Those lovely legs and this long, thick hair.” He licked his lower lip. She was able to tilt her head way before he touched her hair.
    Sean moved around the side of the bar and grabbed Quinn’s hand. Luckily, the man dropped his grip on her but not without trailing his nasty fingers across her backside as Sean pulled her away.
    Bile rose in the back of her throat.
    Quinn looked over to where her friends were sitting, and all their eyes were glued to the scene unfolding around her. She gripped Sean’s hand hard as he led her toward where Ewan stood.
    Once they cleared the end of the bar, Sean positioned himself in front of her. The man with the bushy eyebrows was still leering at her, and she could only imagine the awful thoughts creeping through his mind. Even with the distance, his gaze still made her feel like there were roaches crawling all over her skin.
    â€œGet the fuck out of here. All of you,” Ewan said to the men as he moved to stand beside Sean. The side of Ewan’s jaw twitched, and she knew that if these guys didn’t leave soon, things would get ugly.
    In unison, like they’d rehearsed it before they got there, all four men slid down from their seats. Their stools screeched on the dull wood floor, and the shrill sound rang in Quinn’s ears. A hush had fallen over the pub, every eye glued to them.
    Before she could process anything else, Ewan turned, grasped Quinn’s shoulders, and pushed her toward a nearby open door.
    â€œGo through this door and lock it. Don’t come out here, do you understand me?” he whispered harshly in her ear. He pushed Quinn inside and slammed the door behind her, not waiting for an affirmation.
    On autopilot, she quickly turned the deadbolt as she was instructed. She looked around and realized she was in a stairway that led up to the second floor of the building. Wanting to put as much distance between herself and the door, she followed the stairway up and sat on the top step.
    And then all hell broke loose.
    Loud cursing