Page 14 of The Mafia’s Girlfriend

He held his arm up to barricade her, warning her not to come close, and I fought back a growl at how he almost smacked her. Scooting back, she sneered at the guy for his move.

“She’s a guest here. She’s here with me.”

“I’m not—”

He grinned, turning to smack her ass to get back. “You be patient.”

“Hey!” She twisted, a scowl marring her face. “Don’t touch me like that.”

“I’ll do whatever I want with that ass.” He moved to the side, chasing after her, but he didn’t get a chance to lay his hands on her again.

Consent was a basic concept, and the anger on her face was all I needed to see to know she didn’t care for this asshole.

I locked my fingers around his arm, holding his limb in the air before he could grope her. Intervening in fights was part of the job, but I was off. My shift was ending. If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I likely wouldn’t have noticed her irritation with this handsy guy.

“The fuck?” He tried to yank his arm free to no avail.

“Listen to her. If she said to back off”—I pulled him closer so I could growl the rest—“then you better back off.”

“Who the hell are you to try to—” He grunted, giving up on talking and trying to hit me.

His jab was a weak effort. He had no form and the booze that reeked from him was a clear sign he wasn’t sober enough to handle a fight with me.

“You motherfucker,” he replied hotly. “Mind your own business.” He tried again and again to punch me, and I held him back. When he couldn’t get a hit in, he fought harder, landing a strike on my arm.

This was bullshit. I would be fighting later, and I didn’t need to deal with his pansy ass now.

“Whoa. Whoa, Luke.” Randy rushed up, getting between us to bust up this little scuffle.

Easy, man.” Once Ethan had the Laker’s fan held back, Randy faced me fully. “This isn’t worth losing your job over either.”

I doubted it’d come to that. If anyone were to investigate if I was abusing my position here, they’d see and hear that this ass didn’t listen to what the woman said. Still, Randy was right.

I was forgetting myself, ignoring my duty. I didn’t want to lose this job, not until I could know that I’d have more reliable income to count on from fighting. I planned to ask Jimmy about it tonight when I saw him, but until then, it would be smart to cool down.

“Emma!” The woman’s friend squeezed through the growing crowd to reach her. “What happened?”

Emma. At least I knew her name now.

But that doesn’t matter. We stared at each other again, stuck in this annoying spell of awareness. Of noticing each other and failing to look away.

Doesn’t matter what her name is. She wasn’t someone who’d ever belong in my life.

Shaking my head, I turned and resumed heading for the exit.

Just like before, I didn’t have idle downtime to get involved with Emma. I had a chronic problem with trying to help and save too many others. She wouldn’t be the first damsel in distress I’d rescued. It was obvious that I couldn’t walk away from someone in need. Like how I provided for my mom. How I took Randy’s issue earlier. And now this, Emma dealing with a stupid idiot who didn’t listen to her order to back off.

Not my circus, I reminded myself.

I had to learn to pick my damn battles better.

Ha. Pick my battles. I smacked my hand on the push bar to the exit door, wishing I literally could. As I walked into the night to get to my match, I wished that Jimmy would let me choose my fights and have more say in my career.

Because if all I had to do was focus on fighting, I wouldn’t have to put up with sassy woman with intoxicating bright eyes anymore either.

Chapter 6

Emma