“Stay here. I’ll check it out.” I don’t wait for her reply. I’m crossing the street before she can try to follow me. I may have just finished fourteen miles, but I will always have enough strength to defend my woman.
“Can I help you?” I call out in a low voice as I approach the house. When the motherfucker turns around, I hiss out a curse. I fucking knew him knowing where she lives would be detrimental.
“You!” Chris Davisaccuses me.
“Why are you here?” My voice isn’t as calm as I’d like, but I can barely manage to refrain from hitting him.
“None of your business. Where is Lizzy?” he demands.
“That’s not your concern.” I turn until I’m between him and the front door, so his back is to Lizzy.
“I need to talk to her about last night.”
Like fuck he does.
“No. You need to leave.”
“Listen, man. I know you think you’re tough shit, but we both know who’d win in a fight.” He cracks his neck to add to his ridiculous threat.
“I’m not going to fight you.” Even though I’d win. I’m trained in almost every martial art and can incapacitate a man in two maneuvers. But I can’t do that out here in front of my angel.
“Well, I’m not leaving without a fight.” He spits onto her doorstep like the degenerate he is.
“Chris John Davis. Social security number: six five four, zero five, six six two zero. Credit Score: six-hundred and seventy-four. Employment: Electrical Circuits. Gambling debt: twenty-three thousand four hundred seventy-one dollars and two cents. Marital status: divorced. Reason for divorce: domestic violence resulting in four hospital trips and a restraining order.” With each data point of his life, Chris becomes paler. When I get to the divorce information, he reddens.
“How do you know that? Who the fuck are you?” he demands.
“You think anyone enters my angel’s house without my knowledge? That someone can threaten her, and I’d let it go? I haven’t had time to deal with you yet. I don’t need to sully my fists with your diseased blood to hurt you. Five minutes in frontof my computer, and I’d have you bankrupt, homeless, and disgraced. Do not test me.” I keep my face neutral as I deliver a real threat. Lizzy’s in my line of sight over his shoulder watching the interaction. I will not get my hands dirty in front of her.
“You’re fucking crazy. Does she know that you’re insane?” he hisses. He pushes a finger into my chest but isn’t strong enough to move me.
Before he can process what’s causing the blinding pain, I have his finger gripped in the Aikido yubi dori move. The pain so instant and sharp from the joint manipulation, Chris doesn’t even have the chance to yell out.
“She knows what she needs to know. And now you do too. You will not be able to contact her. None of your texts have gone through since Tuesday anyway. You will never see Lizzy again. If you attempt to, I will destroy you. Heed my warning.” I loosen my hold for a second, allowing his false reprieve, before instilling the move again.
“Leave and never come back. Hurt my girl again, and I’ll enjoy killing you. I don’t take as much thrill in the kill as my brother, Roman Montclair, does, but we’re all Syndicate blood. And killing for our women comes naturally.” I don’t usually name drop, and those not in the underworld won’t recognize our name, but with Chris’s gambling debt, I know he’s heard of us.
His eyes widen like saucers as tears fill them. “I didn’t know she was yours, Mr. Montclair.”
“Get the fuck out of here. Don’t ever let me see your face again,” I snarl. I drop his filthy digit only for him to kiss it.Despicable.
He rushes back to his car, putting it in drive and speeding away before even buckling. His desperate escape calms me. But he’s not free from me. I’ll be reaching out to Pyotr toinform him that Chris Davis’s debt should be collected right after I drain his accounts.
When a familiar pattern of footsteps sound across the lawn, I straighten my expression, fix my features, and don the smile of a gentleman.
“What didhewant?” Lizzy’s nose is scrunched as she points to where Chris just fled from.
“He was just apologizing from last night. I took the liberty of telling him to leave you alone. I hope that’s okay?”
“Thank you so much. I’m so glad you were here… again. You’re like my personal guardian angel.” Her eyes sparkle as she says it, then she surprises me by wrapping her arms around my torso.
I immediately fold into her embrace, scooping her into my chest. Her scent permeates through the air and into my nose. I’m able to breathe her in, feeling her chest expand as mine does. Sparks short circuit my brain. There’s no place I’d rather be. Even her sweaty pheromones fill my head with impure thoughts.
Entirely too quickly, she drops her arms, ending the greatest moment of my life. Pulling back, she fidgets with her shirt stuck to her chest.
“Sorry about that. I’m sure I smell with how sweaty I am,” she chuckles.
“Nonsense,” I chide her. If it weren’t so peculiar, I’d ask her to give me a garment of her clothing to remember this moment by. Maybe I’ll sneak in tonight and take something. Perhaps a sock?
