She’d need at least two good moves to disable him. Mia sneered. “You want to go, asshole? Let’s go.”
At that point, everything happened too quickly to exist in reality.
Barnby shot forward just as an impossibly hard arm banded around Mia’s waist and jerked her off her feet. Before she could take a breath, Seth had her safely out of the way and Barnby on the ground. Face down, nose shoved into crumbled asphalt, arm twisted up behind his back.
The bone broke with a devastating crack.
Mia gasped, her stomach dropping.
Seth jerked Barnby to his feet by the damaged arm. Barnby cried out, his face sheeting white. Seth shoved him toward his buddies—again.
They righted him, their jaws hard, their mouths closed.
Mia’s heartbeat ripped into action. Seth had just broken the guy’s arm! She was a cop…and should probably do something. Indecision froze her in place.
Seth vibrated. “You challenge me again, Frank Barnby, and you’re dead. One hundred percent, I’ll rip out your fucking throat. And you know it.”
Barnby somehow paled more.
Seth grabbed Mia’s arm and tugged her into his side. His eyes blazed the blue of the hottest fire, and his jaw seemed cut from raw steel. “Make sure everyone knows…if Mia Stone is harmed in any way, I’ll show no mercy. None.”
Barnby gasped. “You’re making a claim? With her?”
Seth growled. “I’ve said what you need to know. Pass the word.”
Barnby’s buddy grabbed his good arm and hauled him toward a battered Chevy. Seconds later, they’d loaded and zoomed out of the parking area.
Probably for the hospital.
Mia shrugged free of Seth’s hold. “What just happened?”
Seth rubbed his chin. “I apparently have some issues to deal with. Your tour of the mine will have to wait.” Without waiting for an answer, he opened her door and lifted her inside.
She shook her head to regain her bearings. “You broke that guy’s arm.”
Seth slammed the door and stalked around the truck to slide inside. “He deserved more than a broken arm, but I didn’t want to risk getting arrested by you.” Seth flashed a grin full of malice, absent any amusement.
“What did he mean by you making a claim?” Mia struggled to keep her voice level. The archaic language fit the ass-backwardness of the entire freaking town.
Seth shrugged. “He’s an asshole who doesn’t understand that hurting women is unacceptable. If he thinks you’re mine and I’ll kill him if he comes near you…well, I’m fine with that.”
“I’m not.” She’d never get their respect as a cop if Seth kept acting like they lived in the fifties. “Seriously. You really have to stop this posturing. Enough is enough.”
“You were okay fighting that guy, and he had at least a hundred pounds on you, Mia. That’s unacceptable.” Seth’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, and he increased the truck’s speed.
“So what? I’ve trained to take down guys that size.” Mia fastened her seat belt.
Seth shook his head. “Barnby’s tougher than he looks. Believe me.”
“Whatever.” Sure, it was a lame line. But, sometimes, it fit.
Seth sighed. “How about dinner tonight? There’s a new restaurant right outside of town that has Italian and Greek food.”
The switch from violence to a dinner invitation threw her. Hard. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t respect me.” Not to mention that he’d just broken a guy’s arm without even a second’s hesitation.
