Page 26 of The Mafia’s Girlfriend

I didn’t dare step away from cowering near the dumpster. Luke fought with the other, taller man. They circled each other a bit at first, but now, they were engaged in what looked like a fight to the death.

I stayed out of the way while they exchanged blows. Hitting, punching, kicking, and twisting, they stayed locked in upfront and personal combat. I couldn’t understand the gritty things they growled. They had to be swears and curses, either damning the other one or taunting them to fight harder. Blood flew. Thuds of fists and flesh sounded so loud, and their groans of pain ran out clearly.

Before I could gather my wits and run, Luke picked up the other man in a complicated twist and slammed him down to the pavement. Like the first man he rendered unconscious, this bulkier guy didn’t make a move to get up. Unlike the first guy, though, his chest rose and fell. He breathed. He lived, just severely beaten.

Luke straightened and caught his breath. His chest heaved with the force of sucking in deep lungfuls of air after all the energy he exerted. He whooped that man’s ass. Handed it to him like it was just another thing to do.

He noticed me hunched over by the dumpster. A strange look crossed his hard features. Then a feral scowl contorted his face. “Get out of here.”

What? Shock gripped me. Seeing him so violent didn’t startle me. Witnessing him kill someone didn’t freak me out. He’d done it all in the name of defense, no different than any of my father’s men might be expected to.

But he wasn’t a Giordino soldier.

He wasn’t even affiliated with any family.

Luke was a regular guy trying to be my hero, and he’d just damned himself for daring to.

He killed one of Antonio’s men. A soldier. To attack one of the Marchese was to attack them all.

He has no clue what he’s just done.

I swallowed hard.

“I said get the fuck out of here, Emma.” He winced as he took a step from where he’d straightened. Glancing down the alley, he noticed the few people who’d watched, gawking at the bloody fight.

The bigger Marchese man groaned but still didn’t get off the pavement. His elbow splashed into the puddle of a pothole, but he couldn’t rise.

“You...”

“Go, dammit.” Luke narrowed his eyes at me, easing into a stiff walk away from the man he dropped.

He had no clue. It didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t look back at the man who would never move again, as if he couldn’t care less if he lived.

I had to explain.

He approached me, already moving smoother the more he worked his body into walking off the hits. “Get out of here.”

I stood fully, bristling at his command. That he thought he had authority over me.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” I replied.

He huffed, shaking his head as he walked down the alley. Leaving me there. He intended to defend me then just walk away?

What the hell was his problem?

I hurried, catching up with him but not without a look over my shoulder. The bulky guy lifted to his hands and knees, but he wasn’t in any shape to chase after us. The other man didn’t budge.

“You killed him?”

He furrowed his brow, glancing at me. “No, I didn’t.”

“He wasn’t moving.”

He didn’t reply for a long moment. “I’m pretty sure I saw him breathe.”

Then he was paralyzed at best. And this rugged fighter didn’t care.

Who the hell are you? I was intrigued about him before. I noticed him, unable and unwilling to stop looking for him at the resort. Now, seeing him beat those men so easily, I was more addicted to figuring him out.