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There it was. The nastiness that was always right under the surface of his charm. She’d made so many excuses for his mean remarks.

He was tired, or frustrated, or hungry. Now she could see the truth. He was an unrepentant asshole.

“Thank you for proving my point,” she said. It felt good to be angry instead of hurt. She didn’t have the urge to cry at all. If anything, she wanted to punch his nose, maybe break it. He could use the character in his face.

“Cupcake, I didn’t mean it,” he said, backtracking. “I'm fasting right now so we can’t eat, but let me take you for a drink. There’s a place near here that makes really good sugar-free margaritas.”

“Never,” she said. “I don’t know why you’re interested in me again, but it’s never going to happen. Now go away.”

A vicious expression crossed his face before he covered it with a smile. “Aw, cupcake, I know I hurt you, but there’s no need to be like that. You’ll never get someone as good as me and you know it. Now let me talk to you, and we can get back together.”

He went in for a hug that was more of a dive than an offer of friendliness. He grabbed her and tried to pull her close even as she tried to hold him off with straight arms against his chest. His cologne overwhelmed her, immediately giving her a headache.

“Get away from me!” she screamed, uncaring if she made a scene.

People turned, and Brad gasped but didn’t let go. “I only want to hold you!”

“Help!” she called out, struggling in his grip. Her mother would’ve scolded her for yelling. Barb didn’t believe in drawing attention to yourself. Ever. Even if she was being mugged.

Old Mila wouldn’t have made a scene. That Mila was gone. In her place was the Mila who refused to be taken advantage of any longer. She drew her leg back, getting ready to try and kick him even though she was only wearing sandals.

“Get away from her!” Carter’s roar made Brad finally let go of her. They both turned to find Carter closing in fast.

Brad stepped behind her. “Who the hell is that?”

“My boyfriend,” Mila said. Was that smugness in her voice? Yes it was, and she loved it!

“Him?” The incredulity in Brad’s voice wasn’t flattering. “How did you–akk!”

Carter grabbed Brad by the throat and pushed him back until he hit a map kiosk. “You touched my Mila. I should break every bone in your hand.”

Brad couldn’t answer because he was struggling to breathe through Carter’s grip on his throat. He was pulling and scratching at Carter’s hand, which had zero effect on Carter's hold. Even though they were roughly the same height, Brad couldn’t match the other man’s strength.

As much as she loved seeing Brad put in his place, she didn’t want Carter to get arrested for assault.

Stepping up, she tugged on his arm. “Carter, let him go.”

Carter didn’t take his eyes off Brad. Good god, were they glowing? “He was touching you. You didn’t want it, but he was touching you!”

Not only did Carter’s eyes look like they were glowing, but he leaned in close and pulled his lips back and snarled. It was the same sound a large dog would make.

Or a wolf.

“Carter, please,” Mila said. “I don’t want you to get in trouble. Not because of him.”

There was a hesitation, as if Carter was debating her request with his own urges. Finally, he let go. Brad’s legs wouldn’t support him, and he slid down the wall onto his ass.

“You’re one of them!” he gasped between coughing fits. “One of those freaks!” Brad looked at Mila. “Monster-fucking whore!”

Carter growled again and reached for him, but Mila tangled her hands with one of his to stop him. The moment they were holding hands, Carter seemed to calm a little. He was still staring at Brad like he wanted to rip him into pieces, but at least he wasn’t making strange, threatening noises.

“Monster-fucking whore?” she repeated with a sharp mocking laugh. “Not only is that a weird insult, but it’s big talk for a man who pissed himself.”

Brad looked down to see the large wet spot on the front of his pants. Rage filled his face, but it was tempered by his fear of Carter.

Scrambling to his feet, he moved away from them. “I didn’t even want you back, you fat bitch. I was only trying to be nice.”

Carter made to go at him, and Brad gave a little scream and disappeared past the ring of onlookers who’d stopped to watch the confrontation. As if all his emotions had to go somewhere, he moved close to Mila and wrapped his arms around her. He buried his face in her hair.

“I’m never leaving you alone again,” he grumbled.

“Do you want me to call the cops?” a woman with a massive purse slung over her shoulder asked as she rushed over to them.

A wide-eyed teenager stepped up with her.

The woman pointed to the teenager. “I had Melissa record him grabbing you, and you trying to get away. Your boyfriend showed up when I was about to call for help. It all happened so fast.”

“No,” Carter said. “No cops.”

Mila would’ve like to file an assault charge against Brad, but if Carter didn’t want the authorities involved she wouldn’t force the issue. “Everything's fine now. I doubt Brad will come near me again.”

The teen snorted, eyeing Carter. “No cap!”

“Thank you for being willing to help,” Mila said to the woman.

“Mom loves getting involved in everyone’s business,” the teenager said. “At least your trouble was legit."

“I want to make sure everyone is okay,” the mother said with a sigh. “And you staying out an hour past your curfew isn’t a small thing.”

The teenager rolled her eyes in response. The woman ignored her daughter and turned her smile back to Mila. “I’m glad things didn’t get worse, but you should really tell someone what that man did. He might hurt someone else.”

“I’ll think about it,” Mila promised.

After a few minutes of talking, the mother and daughter left. Carter still hadn’t let go of her, and she could feel him vibrating with tension.

“We should go home,” she said, rubbing a hand up and down his arm. “Gio could spend some time painting us. Then we could all snuggle on the couch and eat the last of the beef noodle dish I made the day before yesterday. We can also go out shopping another time.”

Carter seemed to debate with himself, then nodded his head. “I think I want that too.”