Has he fucking followed me to this restaurant? Is he stalking me or some crazy shit?
“Stop, Mia. I just want to talk,” he said against me, words slurred.
“Stop, Mason!” I threw back my elbow and hit him in the ribs. “Get off of me.”
Yet he didn’t budge.
Trying as much as I could, I turned myself around in his hold, so I was facing him. He grinded his entire body into me, his chest against my chest, his breath in my ear, his hardness against my stomach. All I could smell was so much alcohol on his breath.
“You’re mine, Mi—”
I kneed him right in the balls. One time. Two times. Three times. Until he stumbled back in pain, clutching his testicles. I sprinted past him and out of the restroom as quickly as I could. Tears welled up in my eyes. My hands were shaking. I couldn’t think straight.
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
I needed to get away. I needed to leave here. I couldn’t let him touch me like that again.
There were so many damn people here. I tried to squeeze between them all. I glanced back to see Mason coming out of the restroom, gaze locked on me and only me. My heart pounded against my chest.
Michael. Where is Michael?
I needed Michael.
Yet I couldn’t seem to see straight.
Someone snatched my wrist and pulled me back toward them. I let out another scream as Mason roughly wrapped his arm around me from behind. I threw my elbow back, hitting him in the ribs again, and turned around, about to scream at him to get away from me, when Michael grabbed him by the shoulder and hurled him backward.
Mason stumbled into a bunch of people at the bar, and Michael went at him harder than Victor had a few weeks ago. Punch after punch after punch, Michael landed them on Mason’s pretty-boy face. Blood spewed out of Mason’s nose, and his eyes turned black and blue almost instantly.
Serena grabbed my shoulders, holding me back. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?”
Tears streamed down my face, and I tried to get out of her hold … but my entire body was trembling in fear. Mason landed a solid punch right on Michael’s face, and I screamed for him. I felt so fucking helpless. I needed to do something.
I squirmed away from Serena, but another set of hands clamped down on my shoulders. Victor held me back, hands tight on my body, jaw clenched. Drinks were spilling everywhere. Glass was breaking. Couples were hurrying away from the fight.
“She’s mine,” Mason shouted at Michael in the midst of the fight.
Someone tried to pull Michael off Mason, but Michael wouldn’t budge. He continued to kick the shit out of Mason until Mason’s head rolled back and he collapsed against the bar, unable to even stand on his own. And even then, Michael held him up by the collar and rained punches down on him.
There was so much pain and anger in every punch, every kick.
Blue and red flashing lights appeared by the window, and I gulped. The cops. The cops were here. I needed to get Michael away from Mason before something worse happened. Yet I couldn’t move. I felt so violated. I felt so weak. I felt so … so good, watching Michael hurt Mason for everything that he had done.
Michael had never been a violent man, but to see how strong, how protective, how possessive he was over me … it made me love him even more in some fucked up way. Michael wasn’t a boy like Mason was. Michael was a man. A good, kind man who’d do anything to protect the people he loved.
CHAPTER31
MICHAEL
All this pent-up anger seemed to flow right out of me as I beat on Mason until he couldn’t stand straight. For every text he’d sent Mia. For every time he’d hurt Mia. For getting Melissa pregnant, then showing up here without a care in the fucking world. It all came out, and I couldn’t stop it.
“Michael, stop, please …” Mia said, voice full of panic and heartbreak.
I tried to gather myself, knowing that I’d let my emotions get the best of me, and stepped back. But Mason threw another punch and landed it on my jaw. Mia let out another scream, but Victor held her back.
“The cops, Michael. The cops are here.”
