I hold my hand out and slink to the side, trying to find a way to break past this guy.
But he’s so close I can feel his hot, sour breath on my skin.
“Hey, hey! I don’t know who you’re talking about. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t care. I didn’t tell anyone to leave their spouse. Maybe she’s just taking a break because she’s scared and confused. But I guarantee that she’s not gonna come back if you hurt me. You cross that line and you’re heading to jail and you’ll never get your wife back.”
His hand lifts and I cringe, knowing that I’m seconds away from pain.
“What thefuckis going on here?” The low growl startles me so bad that the dry sticks scratch at my bare skin as I fall back into the bushes, squeaking.
“Oh!”
“I don’t know who the fuck you are but if you’ve got any sense you’ll get the hell out of here. Before you get hurt.”
The words freeze me in my tracks. Low, deep, threatening. But wrong.
“I suppose you’re another poor sap that’s been tricked by the bitch. But she owes me. And she’s gonna pay up. So you’re the one that should get the hell out of here and stay out of my way.”
The other guy’s threat doesn’t even seem to faze the new guy. He chuckles but it’s dark. Angry.
“Dude, you’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I’m just gonna walk away and let you hurt any woman, let alone Aspen.”
My head comes up, my mouth falling open.I know that voice.I know it really well. But it’s never sounded so damn scary.
The two men circle each other, feet from me and my eyes struggle to keep up with them.
Then they come together with a clash and I leap to my feet.
“Hey! Stop it! NO!”My shrill scream doesn’t even faze the two of them. One grunts as the other slams the first into the wall.
Then the second shadow drops to the ground and comes up swinging, his leg coming out so fast that I blink, confused.
What the hell just happened? But the other guy drops to the ground with a painedoomph.
“Stop it!”
Snow and shadows muddle my head and the two figures fighting, until I can’t tell that there are two men.
Shaking, I stand fully and run to the house to grab my phone. “I’m calling the Sheriff!”
Like he’s finally realized that he’s fucked up, one shadow pulls away and runs for the street, leaving the other shadow panting and growling.
“Jaxon?” I whisper, my body pausing at the door, like I can’t leave him out here alone.
“Are you alright, Aspen?” He moves into the light and my whole body sags, relief making my legs go so weak that I can barely stand.
“It is you. What are you doing here?”
He smirks at me and that familiar smile has me leaning into the doorframe, even weaker than I was before.
What is it about this guy that makes my head go so damn messy?
“I was coming by to see if you wanted that coffee again.”
Huffing, I glare at him. “You just don’t give up, do you?”
He cocks his dark head and there’s a glint of gold in his dark brown eyes. A flash of something pained?
“Not when I think something’s worth it.”
