The ice-cold guy with black eyes glares at him. “There’s no more hashing things out. You owe me ten grand on the last meeting and if you don’t want me to take it out of your fuckinghide, then she’s the way you pay your bill. I’ve got guys that would pay a fortune to get just a few minutes with her.”
“She’s worth more than that,” he whines. “She’s a damn unicorn. A fucking virgin.”
The other man’s thin lips stretch wide. “If that’s the case, she may fetch even more than you owe at the auction. But that won’t help you.”
When Fred starts to protest again, the other man looks him right in the eye and without blinking pulls out a gun and presses it into Fred’s miserable head. His eyes widen and he shuts up.
“Think of it as interest on your loan for jerking me around for so damn long.”
Nodding jerkily, Fred backs away and the gun goes back into a holster on the guy’s hip. We don’t have concealed carry here anymore. It’s all open carry so I assume that’s why this guy doesn’t give a shit if anyone sees it or not.
“Now move out of my way and I’ll try to ignore how many fucking times you’ve tried to screw me, you miserable bastard.”
With a gulp, Fred moves back and the guy stalks past him with one last withering look.
With a growl under my breath, I step out quietly and stalk towards Fred, getting close enough that he turns around with a gasp.
My fist connects with his face with a satisfying crack that almost makes me feel better. He goes down like a ton of bricks and slams into the wall so hard that I can hear the thud.
His eyes don’t open and when I reach out and check, his pulse is gone. He’s dead. Shaking my head, I reach for my gun and slip out of the back where we’ve been hiding.
I wish I hadn’t done that. Not that I care that the man’s dead. Fiona deserves so much more than what her father is…was.
I just wish I had the chance to put him in front of a jury of his peers and watch him squirm like the rat he is.
But all of that shit flies right out of my head when a shrill scream cuts through the quiet of the diner.
“Fee,” I growl under my breath and slowly slip into the dark, fighting my way to her in the dim light.
I come around the corner and my heart stops beating. My breath stills painfully. My whole body goes rigid.
That asshole is touching what’s mine. His arms are around her and he’s attempting to throw her over his shoulder but she’s fighting like hell.
Her fist swings out and catches him in the face and he growls and then slams his own fist into her sweet cheek and she goes down.
Red coats my vision and I growl like a feral dog. “You fucker!” Fueled by so much anger that I’m incandescent with it, I roar out of the shadows and my fist slams into that fucker’s head.
His head shakes and his eyes narrow, coming around to me. “Who the fuck are you?” he snaps.
“I’m hers, asshole. And you’re touching what’s mine.”
He drops her like she’s trash and my whole body vibrates with the need to kill him, destroy him.
“She doesn’t have anybody. That’s what her daddy said. So I don’t know who or what you are but she’s not yours.” His smirk makes me want to paint the floor with his blood.
“She does. And in case you’ve never met the law, I’m the sheriff of this place. And I’m taking you in.”
“For what?” He mocks. “Trying to date someone.”
“You’re not looking for a date. You’re trafficking, asshole. And if you think you’re trafficking with my woman, you’re a fucking idiot. Not to mention kidnapping and assault. I’m sure I can come up with about a dozen charges to lay on you, fucker.”
“I didn’t know she was with anyone. Her dad didn’t say and neither did she.”
“I don’t think you actually tried to talk to her. Anyway, I don’t give a fuck what you know or don’t know. But if you come into my town and think you’re gonna pull some fucking shady shit with Fred, who is now screaming in hell while they hopefully tear him limb from limb, you’ve got another think coming. This is my town and that’s my woman and you are nothing.”
He snorts and his dark eyes sparkle. “Big talk from a guy that’s outnumbered.”
“Perhaps you missed the part where I told you Fred is dead.”
