The woman on the floor struggled to her feet, her face burning red from my slap. Her two companions rushed to help her up, but their eyes never left me. The fear was obvious now.
"You think you're so tough?" the first woman spat, wiping blood from her lip. "We'll show you what real trouble looks like."
She snapped her fingers. The six hired thugs I'd spotted earlier moved in from different directions, surrounding us. They were big men with scarred knuckles and cold eyes. Professional muscle.
"Last chance," the biggest one said to me. "Apologize to the ladies and walk away."
"Or what?"
"Or we make you apologize."
Evelyn stepped closer to me. "Ethan, there are too many of them."
"Don't worry," I said quietly. "They're not the real threat here."
The thugs charged simultaneously. It was a coordinated attack designed to overwhelm through numbers and brutality. Camera flashes exploded around us as the reporters documented everything.
