Page 72 of Hate It with You

Shrugging, he contemplates my idea. “I wouldn’t push her too hard. Women don’t typically care for that sort of thing,” he says, taking a long swig of his water.

I scoff. “What would you know about women? You haven’t been with anyone since⁠—”

“Watch it.” His tone is firm enough for me to know I’ve crossed a line.

I nod my head. “Sorry,” I say before continuing. “This is stressful. I care about her, but she won’t let me in. She’s worried about these stupid notes as though this guy can actually kill me.” I make my way toward the front desk, and Roman is quick to follow me.

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Concern is laced through his words.

I sigh, realizing I’ve let the last sentence slip. The one thing I wasn’t planning on telling Roman about. I know he raised us and everything, but he can get a little overprotective sometimes, especially when someone is fucking with one of us.

“It’s nothing, just a stupid note this guy left saying if Beth told me anything he’d kill me.” My voice is flippant as I’m not worried about this supposed threat.

Roman stares at me, wide-eyed, his jaw ticking so hard I’m worried he’ll crack a tooth. “C’mon, man, you know I can handle myself. It’s Beth I’m worried about,” I say.

Roman’s face relaxes into a smile. “Theo was right. You do love her.”

When he continues smiling at me, I give him a shove, frustrated when he barely moves. “Fuck off,” I say, though I can’t help but smile at the truth of his words.

“Maybe Sienna can help?” Roman asks.

“No, I already tried talking to her and she—” I stop talking when a scream sounds from next door. It only takes a second for me to recognize that the scream I heard was actually my name, coming from Beth’s bookstore. I don’t need any more time to process it. It was Beth.

“What was that?” Roman asks, but I’m already on the move.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I throw it at Roman. “Cut the cameras.” I yell at him before sprinting out the front door of my gym. The door crashes open with a loud bang as it hits the wall from the force with which I push through it.

I know Roman will be hot on my tail after he cuts the camera feeds.

By the time I’m throwing the bookstore door open, my heart is banging against my chest, adrenaline coursing through my body, causing my hands to shake. Not out of fear, but out of rage from what I find.

Books are scattered on the ground by one of the tables at the front of the store. Blood drips down one of the hardbacks discarded a few feet away. My vision threatens to close in on me at the possibility of that being Beth’s blood.

A quick scan and I can’t find Beth, but my eyes land on a small man banging on the back door. He’s shouting something, but I pay it no mind as I yell at him to get his attention. “Hey!” When he turns around, I’m met with the face of a withering, middle-aged man. No doubt, her stepfather. The man who’s been leaving her notes. The one threatening her.

It clicks for me then, as my brain works to put the pieces together. Her stepfather, who went to jail five years ago, Beth would’ve only been eighteen. Sienna knows something but won’t tell me what. I might not know the specifics of what happened in the past, but one look at him and I know this man is abusive and has a habit of turning that abuse on Beth.

This shit stops tonight.

I stomp toward him. As I get closer, the stream of blood dripping down his mouth from his nose that sits crooked on his face makes me smile.

That’s my girl.

Grabbing the man by the throat, I slam him against the wall, and he lets out a grunt as I do. “Did the boy toy come to save the day?” His voice comes out choked as my grip tightens around his neck.

Anger takes over me as I throw him across the room. His scrawny frame flies across one of the tables, books falling in the process. I don’t give him a chance to get up as I tower over him, kicking him once before sitting on his chest.

“You think—” My fist lands on his jaw before he can finish his sentence. He’s said enough.

Muscle memory kicks in as I land punch after punch, my knuckles growing numb in the process, pain radiating up my forearms. Adrenaline takes hold of my body, his grunts turning muffled as my erratic heartbeat sounds in my ears.

Someone says my name off in the distance, but I ignore it. I land another punch to the man’s face, his nose becoming more crooked than before. The grip he holds on my shirt begins to loosen.

“Alex...” Still faint but louder this time as the voice gets closer. Another punch to his nose and his grip releases from me completely, hands falling to his sides.

“Alex.” My name sounds clearly in my ears as the sound of my heartbeat fades. The voice booms behind me as two hands grip my shoulders, yanking me off the man.

I’m fighting to get back to the task I intend to finish when Roman stands tall before me. His hands are steady on my shoulders as he holds me in place.