Page 44 of All for Love

Okay, polite isn’t working.I tried, though. I really didn’t want to be that guy who came out with his fists swinging and asked questions later, but this was heading that way whether I liked it or not. “There’s no need to call her names just because you’re insecure, dude. She and I are going to leave now, and you’re never going to contact her again.”

“Like hell she’s leaving with you,” he spat at me. A vein throbbed at his temple and his jaw tightened enough to disintegrate his teeth. “Back off, dude. She’s with me tonight. You can have her later. If you still want her when I’m done with her.”

He flashed me his teeth in a half-grin, half-sneer and took a step toward us, reaching for her again. Clearly, this guy had a different idea about how this night was going to end. He wasn’t interested in not scaring her or in letting her go when she clearly wanted to, which meant he was trouble. Dangerous.

“You’re done with her now,” I said firmly, reaching behind me until my hand landed on her soft hip. Applying pressure until I felt her move in squarely behind my back, I released her and raised my chin, smoothing out my features as I stared straight into his eyes. “That’s enough. Mercedes and I are going to walk away now and you’re going to stay right here. If you even think about coming after us or contacting her again in any way, I will make sure that you take a nap on the floor and wake up in the hospital.”

He scoffed, canting his head as his hands twitched at his sides. “I’d like to see you try, bro.”

Ben escalated things quickly from there. He practically launched himself at me, swung, and missed, and all I had to do was adjust my stance, pull my arm, and let it fly. He took my fist to the side of his jaw, and he dropped straight after.

Knocked out cold.

Strangers rushed to help him, and I grabbed hold of Mercedes’s hand, pulling her through the crowd and out to my car. We hurried into it and I turned over the engine and then cranked the heat.

“Thank you,” she croaked, clearly shaken but okay.

I had to check, though. “Are you okay?” I asked, risking one quick glance at her before I pulled out of my parking spot, then gunned it down the street.

“I am now.” She leaned back and closed her eyes, her hands limp in her lap. “I’m sorry for texting you. Mom would’ve taken too long to get there and Ellora is busy.”

Anger and relief surged through me, bonding in my veins and doing a weirdly satisfying dance as I forced my shoulders down and my muscles to relax. “I’m glad you reached out to me. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. You sure you’re okay?”

“Thanks to you. I had no idea he was such a jerk. Something about him didn’t sit right in my gut, but he was supposed to be a good guy.”

I snorted. “He’s not. I’m just happy you’re okay, but I will tell you one thing.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Your taste in men sucks.”

She laughed, and the sound infused my chest with a genuine warmth that made me smile. Mercedes slowly seemed to break out of the numbness of the shock as I put the miles between us and the club, and we were nearing her place when she spoke again.

“You knocked him out with one punch. How?”

I shrugged, grinning. “It’s not that hard when you know how to throw that one punch.”

The car was silent except for a quiet laugh from her. I pulled up in her driveway and opened my door. When she frowned at me, I raised my hands. “I’m just going to walk you in. Make sure you get everything locked up okay, and then I’ll be on my way.”

“You should stay,” she said after considering it for a beat. Her gaze traveled to my hand. “Let’s get you some ice for those knuckles.”

I knew I shouldn’t stay, but the offer was too tempting to turn down. Plus, if I stayed just for a few minutes, it’d put my mind at ease that Ben wasn’t going to show up. I nodded as I swept my arm around ahead of me. “Frozen peas work just as well. Lead the way. I’ll be right behind you.”