Dante's Way by Marie Rochelle

stood up. Slowly, Amara turned her head and almost stumbled over her feet when she noticed he was no longer on his cell phone, but his eyes were fixed directly on her.
    His eyes raked over her studying her with a curious intensity like he couldn’t quite figure out where he had seen her before. Slowly, Amara watched his face light up with recognition.
    “Hey, don’t move. I want to talk to you. It’s important,” he said, taking a step in her direction. “Dante has been looking all over for you. He wants to talk to you about what happened.”
    Icy fear twisted around her heart as Amara took a step back. She couldn’t allow him to take her back to the bar. Dante hated her and it wouldn’t do her any good to listen to anything he had to tell her.
    “No, I don’t know what you are talking about,” Amara lied, taking another huge step back putting more space between their bodies.
    She knew she had to get away from him and fast. She silently cursed herself for not turning around and going the other way. Yeah, it might have taken her longer to get to the park, but she wouldn’t be in this situation right now.
    “We both know you’re lying. Look, my name is Griffin Bell. As you already know, I’m friends with Dante and I don’t want to hurt you. All I want to do is take you back to him. I swear he isn’t as unbending as he came off during the rainstorm. Just listen to me and let me take you back to the bar to see him.”
    Go back ! Was he out of his damn mind ?
    He was crazy! Amara couldn’t believe that he actually wanted her to go back to that place and talk to Dante. It didn’t matter he was an absolutely gorgeous man. Shit! She hadn’t lost her mind and she sure in the hell wasn’t about to let Griffin take her anywhere. She would give him a fight that he wasn’t prepared for.
    “I don’t care what your name or his name is. Stay away from me. I’m not about to go anywhere with you. Keep your distance,” she warned, pointing a finger in his direction.
    Griffin shook his head and moved even closer to her. “Sorry, I can’t do that. You’re coming with me, so don’t give me any problems.”
    Before Amara could move again, Griffin suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in the direction of the tattoo shop. Instantly, she started struggling and pulling at his tight grip but she couldn’t shake him loose, but she wasn’t about to give up.
    In the past, she had found ways out of a lot of tougher situations than this one she was in right now. All she had to do was stop panicking and use her head. She was smart enough to outthink this guy because she wouldn’t be able to beat him in a test of strength.
    “Sir, you don’t really want to take me all the way back to the bar. I didn’t do anything wrong. Your friend Dante lost his temper with me for no good reason and I’m not about to take the blame for it.”
    Griffin stopped dragging her behind him and glanced down at her. His gray eyes never left hers for a moment while he used his free hand to grab his cell phone out of back pocket.
    “I’m not about to let you get away a second time,” he told her. “So, just stop trying to talk your way out of this. You’ve caused enough problems for yourself. All you have to do is stand here while I make this phone call.”
    Disbelief shook Amara’s small frame as she stood there in shock watching as Griffin dialed his phone. She didn’t even need three guesses to know Dante would be on the other end.
    “Let go of me,” she screamed, restarting her intense struggle to get loose.
    A bruise might be there tomorrow because of his fingers, but Amara didn’t care at all. All she was thinking about at the moment was breaking away from Griffin.
    “Stop making this harder than it is,” he snapped at her. “I’m not going to hurt you. Why won’t you listen to me?”
    “Sure you aren’t,” Amara flung back. “I don’t know you from Adam. I’m not about to take your word.”
    His eyes grew