Brett freezes. My entire body starts to shake, like it was waiting for salvation before it completely lost it.
Flint doesn't look at me. His eyes are focused only on Brett.
“You. Of course. The wanna-beboyfriend.” He scoffs. “I'm having a conversation with Casie,” Brett says, his voice rising with false bravado. “You don't speak for her.”
“I don't have to. I’m whatever she needs me to be,” Flint responds, evenly. “But right now? I’m the line you shouldn’t have crossed.”
Brett laughs and drops my arms and I can tell from the soreness that I'll have bruises there later. I know, without making eye contact with Flint, that this is a serious mistake on Brett’s part.
“She’s been stringing me along for months, man! Smiling. Flirting. Wearing those cheap outfits, inviting other men to look, just totauntme. You don’t know what it’s like — how womendothat. They lead you on, then act likeyou’rethe problem?— “
Flint’s voice interrupts, an octave lower than what I’m used to. “You think this is about you beingrejected?”
“Shewantedit -”
“You. Hurt. Her.”
“She’s just playing the victim!”
Flint’s hand whips out and forward so fast, slamming Brett into the bookshelf behind him with a resoundingcrack.Books cascade to the floor. Brett is choking on air, pinned by Flint’s arm across his chest.
“You prey on kindness,” Flint snarls. “Mistake silence for consent. You think being ignored makes her yours? You think you're entitled to her attention? Her body?”
Brett makes some unintelligible sound. I guess it’shard to talk with that much Fae male rage pushing against your windpipe.
“You haveno ideawho you’re fucking with,” Flint growls. “This is your final warning.” He snarls, “Touch her again and I. Will. End. You.”
Brett manages to gurgle out something like “You’re insane.”Flint leans close, growling into Brett's face, much of the same way Brett was doing to me only a moment ago. Or was it a year?
“And you’re a coward,” Flint spits. “You prey on kindness, on softness. You mistake or FORCE silence for consent! But here’s the truth— “ he leans in so he’s close to Brett’s ear and I have to strain to hear him. “Sheneverwanted you.”
He pauses a moment, to let that sink in.
“I’ve seen you follow her. I’ve watched you lingering nearby. And I will kill you before I let you takeanythingmore from her.”
He throws Brett to the ground. Brett scrambles to his face, red faced and furious.
"I'll call the cops…” he wheezes,
“Please do.” Flint shrugs, suddenly casual. “Tell them how you forced your way into a locked store and grabbed a woman half your size. Let's see how well that plays on camera.”
Brett's breath catches. Still shaking, I point to the security camera above the register, blinking red and watching everything.
“I—I’ll press charges,” Brett stammers. “You laid hands on me?—”
“I’ll make sure they never stopfindingyour body,” Flint says, low and lethal. “Nowget out.”
Brett bolts, unlocking and slamming the door behind him.
I haven’t moved.
Flint turns to me, his face softening instantly. I realized I’m gripping my own arm, my fingers trembling. He crosses to me, gently tugging my hand away. Dark, ugly bruises are already forming where Brett was holding me.
“I should have been here sooner,” he whispers.
I shake my head. “You were here. That’s enough.”
He cups my face. “Not for me.”
