Page 25 of The Mafia’s Girlfriend

Randy was correct in his judgment of me. I didn’t scare easily. No one could intimidate me, not even the devil. Hell, I’d sold my soul to him years ago when I made my first kill.

“Hey, I’ll catch you later.” I didn’t wait for Ben or his two thugs to reply. They didn’t seem to even hear me, paying attention to a couple of women who came up close, clinging to them. If anyone had hired muscle with them, it was implied they had money to afford the protection. No wonder this pair honed in on Ben. He didn’t have to be pretty, just rich.

Their distraction was my blessing. Without lingering for a goodbye or a request to meet up again, I slipped away. I kept my sights locked on Orsen’s head, hurrying to catch up with them as the second the set foot outside.

Following them through this crowd was easier said than done. It seemed like the number of people in here had tripled since I arrived. I cut through the throngs of people, weaving around couples dancing. As fast as I could, I pursued those assholes who thought they could prey on Emma.

I didn’t know a damn thing about her other than how well her ass filled out lacy panties. That and how she didn’t like it when anyone told her what to do.

Everything else didn’t matter. I didn’t want to see her get hurt.

Adrenaline force me to hurry after them, and once I pushed the door open, I jogged outside. Seeking them out, I scoped my surroundings and considered how well I could handle this. What, two against one? I could manage.

“Let me go!”

Her furious cry sounded from the alley to the left. I didn’t miss the fear lacing her syllables.

I turned, pumping my arms to run in that direction.

She couldn’t be worth it.

I knew better.

I did not need trouble like her in my life.

But the day I declined to help an innocent woman I’d be half the man I thought I was.

“Let me—”

She didn’t finish her plea. The bastard slid his hand up her shirt again was yanked back.

Coming up behind them, I gripped the back of his neck in one hand. With a mighty heave, I wrenched him away and threw him, forcing him to release her. He slammed against the wall, grunting as the back of his head smacked on the brick. Blood smeared the surface as he slumped down, moving slowly.

There. That evened it out.

I pivoted, facing Orsen, man to man. One to one.

Making sure I kept Emma behind me, I cracked the kink in my neck and waited for this so-called prize fighter to show me what he had.

Fighting with him unofficially wasn’t smart. His sponsors and backers would see this as an insult. Consequences would follow, but I frankly didn’t give a shit.

Maybe this was how I’d get more attention and earn a spot in worthwhile fights.

Even if it wasn’t, there wasn’t a chance in hell that I was letting them manhandle any defenseless woman—including a pain in the ass like her.

Chapter 10

Emma

“Let me—” I choked on the rest of my protest. Falling back toward the hard metal surface of a dumpster, I flung my hand out to stop my drop to the filthy puddles in the alley.

My hand smacked against the dumpster in the same second that Luke threw that Marchese soldier across the alley. Threw—one-handed. If that show of power wasn’t enough of a sign that he was ripped and ready to use his body like a machine, then his ready stance to square off with the other Marchese man was.

“Oh, shit.” It came out as a whisper, all I could manage with my heart racing like it was. My lungs couldn’t fill fast enough with air, and I grew dizzy. From the up and down of all this. First, the gut-wrenching fear that those Marchese men would make good on breaking me in for Antonio. They’d be killed for touching what was his. They must not have been around long enough to understand how possessive Antonio would be of me. If he was already talking and bragging about how he’d share me with his men, though...

I grimaced, catching my breath as I eyed the still form of the man on the ground. He hadn’t gotten back up from Luke’s throw. His head cracked on the wall. If I could, I’d check if he had a pulse. That nurturing nature I had to lock away came out strong in this moment. I wanted to see if he lived, if I could help stabilize him as first-aid procedures would dictate.

And if he was alive, this asshole who wanted to gang rape me... I’d kick his nuts in so far he’d feel emasculated.