Page 32 of Save Your Breath

Security was already tugging at the man to take him away, but I made sure to hold my grip and pin him with my glare long enough that all the snark he’d had melted away.

“Try that shit again, and you’ll be six feet under,” I seethed.

Cameras flashed so quickly it was like one long blinding light as I made that promise, and when I finally released the fucker, security carried him away, and I tucked Mia under my arm and wrapped my other arm full around her face to block her from view. I all but carried her into the car Isabella had already climbed into, not allowing her the option to stop for autographs this time, and only once we were safely inside did I release her.

Even then, I stayed close, my thigh lined up with hers as I turned to face her. James climbed in when the mob was pushedback, and then the noise was snuffed out by the shutting of the door.

I ran my hands over Mia’s face, her neck, searching her for marks. “You alright?”

She swatted me away instantly. “That was stupid, Aleks!”

“What? What did I do?” I held up my hands.

“Trying to play knight in shining armor. You have to be careful with guys like that,” she said, swatting my chest. “They’re nuts.”

“And have a death wish, apparently.”

“I’m serious! You don’t know what those people are like!”

“Andtheyclearly don’t know that I’ll snap a wrist without second thought should any of them dare to touch you without your permission.”

“I have a security team,” she pointed out, gesturing to a quiet, stern James. I had yet to see the big motherfucker smile. “I don’t need you to play bodyguard.”

“Maybe I like playing bodyguard. Maybe I’d like that to be my new official title.” I said it as a tease, waggling my eyebrows at her to try to loosen the tension of the moment, but Mia only let out a frustrated growl.

She crossed her arms as she fumed, looking out the window with her face turning redder by the minute.

And that’s when I saw it.

She wasn’t embarrassed by my actions. She wasn’t snipping at me because I’d annoyed her — which had been my specialty since we were kids.

She was… scared.

“Aw, Strings,” I said, running my knuckle over her jaw. “You were worried about me.”

She batted my hand away, trying to keep her stern expression, but I saw how her brows bent together, how anxietylined her features. After a moment, she turned to me with those big, soft blue eyes.

“What if he would have had a gun?”

“Then I would have jumped in front of the bullet to save you.”

She sucked her teeth. “Be serious.”

“I am.”

“You would not jump in front of a bullet for me.”

“Try me, Strings.”

She shook her head, her cheeks reddening more. “Aleks, guys like that, they’re just looking for their chance. He could sue you.”

“Oh, I hope he does. I’ll bury his ass in court, and then in the ground behind the courthouse.”

For a second, Mia stared at me like I was crazy. But then she let out a puff of a laugh that rode on a long exhale, the worry melted from her face. A reluctant smile spread on her lips next. She tried to glare at me, but it fell flat as I waggled my brows and got that smile to crack again.

She shook her head before she let it fall back against the seat.

“You’re a barbarian,” she said on a laugh.