Page 49

My chest tightens.

Natalie takes a step back, but Wright continues his tirade, jabbing a finger at her. Even from this distance, I can see the fear in her body language.

That does it.

I yank open the door and run out, pulse thundering in my ears. If that bastard lays one hand on her...

"I warned you to stay away from her!" Wright shouts. Natalie winces but keeps icy calm.

"I don't answer to you, Sam." My brave, stubborn girl.

I'm down the steps in an instant, bare feet slapping the cold concrete. "Get the hell away from her!"

Wright whirls with a snarl, but I don’t slow. Reaching them in seconds, I put myself between him and Natalie. Up close, his eyes are bloodshot, his face mottled with rage, and his breath stinks of booze.

"This doesn’t concern you," he spits.

"Anything concerning Natalie concerns me."

He scoffs, looking over my shoulder. "So you really are fucking the Mafia whore now?"

Natalie gives a gasp, and grabs my arm in warning. Fury blazes through me, but I clench my jaw, refusing to be baited.

When I don’t respond, Wright leans in even closer. "I don’t know what she’s told you, but Natalie belongs to me."

The possessiveness in his tone raises the hairs on my neck. "Shebelongsto no one. Now get out of here before I forget I don’t hit men with little dicks."

"Listen, bitch—" He stabs his finger right in my sternum, and that's what I've been waiting for.

Physical contact.

Now I can physically contact him right back.

I grab his wrist and twist, forcing him to his knees. It's always surprisingly easy; men never expect to be physically overpowered by a woman. Wright howls, and it's music to my ears. "I think you'd better leave, unless you wanna explain in court how a little girl broke the big, bad FBI agent."

With a roar, he tries to jerk free, but I have the angle on him. I lean close to his ear and hiss out poison. "Hear me, little man. I know killers who remove intestines slowly, as a special courtesy to those who have paid them to do so. Who skin their victims inch by inch over days then feed those pathetic scraps of flesh back to them. You don't want to fuck with me. And you really, really don't want to fuck with Natalie again.Ever."

"Alessa!" Natalie grabs me away from him. Wright stumbles to his feet, chest heaving. Natalie's voice trembles but remains steady. "Wright, you need to leave.Now."

For a long, tense moment we all remain frozen, the threat of violence crackling in the air. Then Wright exhales harshly and takes a step back.

"You’ll regret this," he grates out at me. Then he turns and stalks away, shoulders rigid with barely leashed fury.

Only once he disappears from view do I release the breath trapped in my lungs. Natalie pulls me back toward my house, and once inside, sags against me, shaking in reaction. I gather her close, stroking her hair.

"It’s alright. I’ve got you."

She clings to me, face buried in my neck. "I’m so sorry. I never wanted you involved in this. But Alessa—you should never have said—"

"Hush. He's too drunk to even remember what happened, I bet. And I’m exactly where I want to be." I draw back to meet her eyes. "This isn’t your fault. Wright’s clearly unstable."

She shudders. "I should have seen it sooner. The way he looked at me sometimes..." She trails off, arms wrapping around herself. Protecting herself.

Anger surges anew, but I temper it. Right now, she needs me to be calm. "You have nothing to apologize for. People like him are adept at hiding their true nature." I kiss her forehead. "Come back inside. I’ll make you some coffee."

She nods and allows me to guide her back into the warmth of the kitchen. But I can feel the fine tremors still running through her. Wright’s sudden violence has shaken her to her core.

Seated at the kitchen island with a steaming mug, she stares blankly into the distance. I ache to see her bright spirit so diminished. I lean over the counter and take her hands in mine.