Larissa's POV
The man with the tribal tattoo stepped closer, his breath reeking of alcohol and something worse. My heart hammered against my ribs as his friends closed in around us.
“I asked you a question,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “You gonna keep running that mouth?”
“Leave us alone.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but it came out shakier than I wanted.
“Or what?” He laughed, a harsh sound that made my skin crawl. “You gonna call the cops? Go ahead. We’ll be long gone before they get here.”
One of his friends, a guy with a gold tooth that glinted in the streetlight, grabbed my wrist. “She’s got some fight in her. I like that.”
I yanked my arm back, but his grip tightened. “Let go of me.”
“Come on, sweetheart. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Denise was back on her feet, her hair disheveled from being grabbed. “Get away from her!”
“Your friend should learn to shut up,” Tribal Tattoo said, not taking his eyes off me. “Maybe we should teach you both some manners.”
Terror and rage warred in my chest as Gold Tooth forced me backward. My heel caught on the uneven sidewalk, and I stumbled. He used the momentum to push me toward a large oak tree lining the street.
“Stop!” I shoved against his chest, but he was stronger than me. Much stronger.
“Relax, beautiful. We’re just gonna have some fun.”
My back hit the rough bark of the tree. Gold Tooth pressed against me, one hand pinning my wrist above my head while the other reached for the hem of my dress.
“No!” I brought my knee up hard, aiming for his crotch, but he shifted at the last second. My knee connected with his thigh instead.
He cursed and grabbed my other wrist, pinning both hands above my head. “You little bitch. You’re gonna pay for that.”
His free hand slid up my thigh, and I felt bile rise in my throat. I struggled against him, but the tree trunk dug into my back, leaving me nowhere to go.
“Help!” I screamed, hoping someone, anyone, would hear us. “Somebody help us!”
“Scream all you want,” Gold Tooth leered. “Nobody’s coming.”
That’s when I saw the headlights.
A sleek black car pulled up to the curb with the quiet purr of an expensive engine. The driver’s door opened, and a tall figure stepped out. In the dim shadows between streetlights, I could only make out his silhouette—broad shoulders, confident posture—but something about the way he moved seemed oddly familiar, though I couldn’t place why.
“Gentlemen.”
His voice was calm, controlled, and somehow more terrifying than any shout would have been. It cut through the night air like a blade.
Gold Tooth’s grip on my wrists loosened slightly as he turned to look at the newcomer. “Keep walking, buddy. This doesn’t concern you.”
“Actually, it does.” The man stepped into the circle of light cast by the streetlamp, and my breath caught.
Standing there in his perfectly tailored suit was Carson Gary—CEO of Gary Enterprises, my company. The untouchable business legend who existed in a completely different universe from junior employees like me.
What was he doing here? In this part of town, at this hour?
“These ladies seem distressed,” he continued, his tone never wavering from that eerily calm register. “I think it’s time for you to move along.”
Tribal Tattoo laughed, but it sounded forced. “Yeah? And what if we don’t want to?”
“Then I’ll be forced to call the police.” Carson pulled out his phone with deliberate slowness. “I have them on speed dial. Amazing response time in this area.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” He held up the phone so they could see the screen. “Should we find out?”
Something in his voice, in the absolute certainty of his words, made the men hesitate. This wasn’t someone who made empty threats.
Gold Tooth’s grip on me loosened further. “Come on, man. We’re just having a little fun.”
“This doesn’t look like fun to me.” Those piercing gray eyes flicked to me, took in my torn dress, my terrified expression, my hands still pinned against the tree. Something dark and dangerous flashed across his features. “It looks like assault.”
“Now wait a minute—”
“Leave now, or I make the call.” He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t make any aggressive moves. He didn’t need to. The quiet authority in his words was more intimidating than any physical threat could have been. “After that, you explain to the police why you thought it was acceptable to corner two women on a public street.”
The men looked at each other uncertainly. Whatever they saw in Carson’s face made them reconsider their options.
“This is bullshit,” Tribal Tattoo muttered, but he was already backing away.
Gold Tooth released my wrists and stepped back from the tree. “She was asking for it, dressed like that.”
“No.” The word came out like a whip crack. “She wasn’t. Leave. Now.”
The finality in his tone broke whatever spell had been holding the men. They retreated to their car, muttering curses and threats, but they went. The engine roared to life, and they squealed away from the curb with all the dignity of scolded children.
I slumped against the tree, my legs suddenly unsteady. The adrenaline that had kept me upright was fading, leaving me shaky and weak. My mind raced—Carson Gary had just saved me. But the bigger question loomed: what were the chances that my CEO would randomly appear on this street at this exact moment?
“Are you hurt?”
I looked up to find him standing a respectful distance away, his hands clasped behind his back. Up close, he was even more imposing than I’d remembered from those brief glimpses in company meetings. Not because he seemed dangerous, but because he radiated such complete control while I was falling apart.
Heat flooded my cheeks as I became acutely aware of how I must look—hair disheveled, dress torn, makeup undoubtedly streaked down my face. The last thing I’d ever wanted was for Carson Gary to see me in this state, but here we were.
“I’m fine,” I managed, though my voice came out as barely more than a whisper.
“Denise, are you okay?” I called to my friend, who was standing a few feet away, staring at our rescuer with obvious fascination.
“I’m good.” She smoothed down her hair and straightened her dress. “More than good, actually.”
Carson’s attention shifted between us. There was no recognition in his eyes when he looked at me—why would there be? I was just one of hundreds of employees, barely a blip on his radar.
“It’s not safe for you to be walking alone at this hour,” he said. “May I offer you a ride?”
I opened my mouth to decline—accepting help from my CEO felt surreal—but Denise spoke first.
“God, yes. Thank you so much. I’m Denise, by the way. And this is Larissa.”
Carson nodded politely. “Carson.”
My stomach fluttered at hearing him introduce himself, as if we were just strangers meeting under unfortunate circumstances. Which, I suppose, from his perspective, we were.
He gestured toward the sleek black car. “Shall we?”
The interior was all black leather and polished wood, probably worth more than my annual salary. I slid across the buttery soft seats, trying to process the surreal nature of being rescued by and now riding with my company’s CEO.
“Where can I take you?” Carson asked as he settled into the driver’s seat.
Denise gave him her address first, and he pulled smoothly into traffic. The car moved like it was floating, silent except for the soft purr of what was undoubtedly a very expensive engine.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For back there. You didn’t have to help us.”
“Yes, I did.” He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, and those gray eyes held mine for a moment that felt much longer than it actually was. “Are you sure you’re not hurt? You’re shaking.”
I looked down and realized he was right. My hands were trembling in my lap. “Just adrenaline. I’ll be fine.”
“What were you two doing walking alone so late?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, just curious.
Denise, apparently having no filter even in emergency situations, jumped right in. “We left a party. Larissa caught her boyfriend cheating with her friend, so we had to get out of there.”
“Denise!” I hissed, mortified.
“What? It’s true. That cheating scumbag deserved to be caught.”
I wanted to disappear into the leather seats. Bad enough that this incredibly powerful man had to rescue me from getting assaulted. Now he knew all the humiliating details of my personal life too.
Carson’s eyes found mine in the rearview mirror again. “Your ex-boyfriend is an idiot.”