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As the car starts moving again, I pull her off, stuffing myself back inside my pants and covering her up, not wanting anyone else to see what’s mine and mine alone.

By the time we’re down, I’m furious. The guy pulls the bar up off our laps, and I’m already out, pushing him back as I pull Mina with me. “You left us up there in the rain, you fuck. Where there’s thunder, there’s lightening.”

“The machine had a technical problem,” He’s feigning some carny politeness, but he’s laughing as he says it. “It had to be—”

“Technical problem, my ass.”

He grins, his face red. “Your girlfriend looks a little flush there, pal. Andwet.”

I push him back and he stumbles off the platform, landing on the grass. “You don’t look at her, unless you have a death wish.”

“What’s the matter, get scared up there on your own, did you? Need someone to hold your hand?” He sneers, glancing over at Mina. “You need a man to look after you, sweetheart, you just let me know.”

“Motherfucker.” I jump down, grabbing his greasy shirt as my fist connects with his nose, then his mouth, eyes, jaw as she flails, falling back on the wet grass.

There are a few cheers from people nearby, but I’m not doing this for entertainment.

“You fucking apologize, right now, or your balls are going in those gears,” I say as I draw my fist back, red dotting my vision aspain stabs in my temples. His left eye is swelling, but I’m ready for brains to drain out of his motherfucking ears.

He grits his teeth, staring into my eyes, but doesn’t say a word.

Before I throw another punch, an older guy comes running up, his hands up, fingers outstretched. “Hey, what the fuck man. Jimmy, you okay?”

The guy on the ground, Jimmy I assume, turns his head. “Thisgentlemandidn’t like being stuck in the rain.”

“What the hell.” The old guy frowns, but I shake my head.

“I’ll show you hell. He even thinks about looking or talking to my girl, I’ll finish this.”

The old guy huffs. “You’re not the first person to saythat. Jimmy, apologize, right now. Or I’ll fuckin’ help him beat the crap out of you.”

“Come on, Dad—”

Before I can do anything, the old guy draws a foot back and slams it into Jimmy’s side, knocking the wind out of him. “You don’t think I will, huh?”

“Dad!Jesus.”

“You fucking apologize.” I draw a fist back, ready to slam it into his face, and that’s enough to make his eyes go wide.

Mina comes up to stand next to me. “I’d like an apology. Daddy, if he doesn’t apologize, you’ll hit him again, right?”

I nod. “More than once, baby.”

“Okay!Fuckingfine.” Jimmy shrinks back. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to offend you and I shouldn’t have left you up there in the rain.”

“Fucking right,” I say, standing back up. I shake the old man’s hand, we exchange a nod, and I turn to Mina, who’s grinning from ear to ear.

“Nobody messes with Daddy’s girl,” she murmurs.

And she’s fucking right.

God help me, I can’t fuck her yet. Not until I set things right. Not until she knows who I am.

Those are my thoughts as she shivers in the bathroom as I warm up the shower.

“Aren’t you getting in with me?” she asks, standing in the white robe I wrapped her in after I stripped her wet clothes off. Each shred of my control is withering, and we’ve done damn near everything but fuck and there’s not much more wait left in me.

“No, baby. I’ll watch.”