"We're just going to talk," he says, pulling me toward him. "That's all. Just talk."
No. No, no, no, no—
"Steph?"
Kevin's voice cuts through the panic like a knife.
I look up, and he's standing in the bar's doorway, backlit by the warm light from inside. For half a second, he's frozen, taking in the scene. Me. The man. The hands on me.
And then he moves.
Chapter 4
Kevin
I've seen a lot of things in my years on the force.
Combat overseas. Domestic calls that went sideways. Bar fights that turned bloody. Traffic accidents that still visit me in my sleep.
But I have never—never—felt rage like this.
Pure. White-hot. Rage that makes everything go sharp and clear, where training and instinct take over because if I let myself feel what I'm feeling right now, I'll do something I can't take back.
The guy has his hands on Steph.
She's pulling away, and he's holding on, and the look on her face—the fear, the panic, the way she's frozen exactly like she was the night I arrested Carl—makes something primal roar to life in my chest.
I'm moving before the thought forms.
Three strides across the alley. My hand clamps down on his shoulder—hard enough that he yelps—and I yank him backward, away from her, putting my body between them.
"Let go of her," I say, and my voice doesn't sound like mine. It's low. Controlled. Deadly calm.
He releases her, stumbling back, and his face shifts from surprise to anger. "What the hell, man—"
"Step back." I don't raise my voice. Don't need to. "Now."
"She's the one who—"
"I said step back."
He must hear something in my tone—or maybe he sees what's written all over my face—because he takes a step backward, hands coming up.
"I wasn't doing anything," he says, voice rising with indignation. "We were just talking—"
"Talking." I repeat the word like it's poison. "Is that what you call grabbing someone who's told you no? Multiple times?"
"She's lying about you being her boyfriend—"
"That's not your concern." I pull out my badge, holding it where he can see it. "Remember me? Officer Kevin Dawes, Evergreen Lakes PD. And you just committed battery in front of a police officer."
His face goes pale. "Battery? I didn't—"
"You put your hands on her without consent. That's battery." I reach for my handcuffs, never taking my eyes off him. "Turn around. Hands behind your back."
Thankfully, I grabbed my handcuffs before leaving the house. Normally I don't carry them off-duty, but knowing this asshole was out here, I trusted my gut.
"You can't arrest me for—"
